Check your Level, it might suddenly change.

DC is the best platform I've used so far, although a major drawback is the entry limit imposed by levels, which are otherwise understandable as related to a designer's rating.

The problem is that even if you've won more than 5 contests and placed with bronze or silver, your entry limit can suddenly drop from a maximum of 5 to 3, like a newbie's.

This has happened to me recently, and I inquired as to why; the policy goes that if you're in the 1st to 5th Level bracket and have 1 forum post, you can upload a maximum of 3 designs. I've been at Level 2 for months and won a total of 7 contests so far, while being able to submit a total of 5 entries max (plus eventual additional entries) and without forum posts, yet I've now noticed how my level has dropped and my entry limit has rolled back to 3 max.

Apparently, level status is floating and is not set once it's been reached; it can scale back at any time, which I find quite inconvenient and counterintuitive.
Forum entries are required to maintain one's status along with one's work, which I don't think makes much sense; more forum posts, whether useful or not, could be counted as extra points, but the lack thereof shouldn't downgrade a designer's level once attained with successful participation. I was told that such is the policy and it's always been like that, aka to just deal with it.

So, make sure to post some crucial forum entries along with your contest work, or you'll anger the gods and will be cut short at submittal.

F.P.

I did not say " just deal with it"

I suggested to you to make some forum posts and gave you the links to how designers levels work. It doesn't take long to make a forum post.

Designcontest.com is more than just a contest site. designcontest started out as a forum and will always have forums. We want our designers to be active in the forums, who knows you may end up with some outstanding friendships. Designers posting in the forums help each other as well.

So I will suggest again that if you want to gain levels then make some forum posts : )

Hi Fabio!

Welcome to the forums and congrats on your wins - great work!

Here's some more information about entry limits
Upload Limits

and levels
How to move up Levels

With your current rating points you could have unlimited entries Just 3 more posts would give you 7 entries (which should be plenty).

All the best!
Gary

Thanks to Sharie and Gary, I appreciate your support.

Sure, forums are a useful feature of any community-based website and no one disputes it, yet I find it somewhat bizarre that the policy requires designers to submit forum posts in order to maintain and acquire levels.

Even by DC's own site design, it's obvious that the main link is the Contests toolbar button, surely not the Forum link listed along with the ToS in the bottom right corner... that goes to say that the Forum is neither a heavily trafficked resource nor the prominent one.
That is also why the "forum posts clause" appears a tad arbitrary, for 2 clear reasons:

– Forum posts are voluntary contributions to a tips & troubleshooting database, but if you make it mandatory and one doesn't have a comment to make, one would just write something generic or anything at all to fill text space, undermining the Forum's usefulness.
– Forum posts are related to the users' community and should have nothing to do with a designer's work, let alone restricting access.

I dropped my little complaint in the box since I kinda had to, but here are 2 suggestions:
– You could revisit the policy and promote the Forum by accrediting points for each post without demoting designers who don't add any,
– Or, if you're dead-set on the current policy, you could at least make it less draconian by applying a small "no-post fee" as a small percentage off the winning prize (1%, then 2%, 3% and so on) while notifying the designer why you're doing so, of course.
The way I see it, Level rating and freedom of work in the number of allowed entries is fundamentally more important than a few bucks.

I'm done; as for the rest, keep up the good job!

F.P.

Reading this post. it's very helpful for designers. this information everyone must read. Thanks for sharing. always time i Check my Level. i have good rating. but few forum post. thanks again.

You're welcome, brother. So, aside my critic of DC's level policy, the Forum is indeed important as a resource platform.