so I am not exactly unknown for having stupid ideas. I probably lean into it too much.
But I've had another one and I like it so putting it here for community critiques.
Atlas shaves 2: electric bugaloo
So atlas shaves is the poor unloved step child of the r/wetshaving extended community events. It's not got the weight of LG nor the community engagement of austere august. It's also kind of a weird one getting people to not shave... It doesn't quite fit, and I don't think it was properly run on the last couple of years.
But the idea of a feat of strength, of endurance and of winning by virtue of being the strongest. The world's strongest man. I like it so I want to make it come back. But more sub friendly, more the kind of thing that if I wasn't getting him to be the main prize sponsor that priusaurus would be desperate to win. Also more me. Not the kind of challenge you can win by planning ahead.
Anyway. On to the idea. It's half formed and needs some work...
February obvs.
Points so there can be a winner
Ability to be knocked out old school lather games
Last shaver standing or most points if more than one makes it through the month
Multi channel to encourage community engagement across the different social media types
Basic principle you get a maximum of 10 points a day.
1 point for multi posting your SOTD to at least two of lemmy, reddit, discord, irc, or whatever others we have that are semi approved community sites
Plus
1 point for actively engaging with someone else
Plus either
8 points for shaving with the days soap*
Or
5 points for shaving with the same artisan of the days soap
Or
3 points for shaving with the same scent maker of the days soap
Or
2 points for shaving with a soap by a different maker that has more than half of the same scent notes.
Or
1 point for airbudding it (note air bussing can only be used once per person)
If you cannot shave on theme, you are out.
The soap of the day is the first latherbot quiz answer soap from discord that is offered after midday gmt the day before. (E.g. the 1st of Feb soap is the answer to the first latherbot question asked after midday on January the 31st)
I think something like this is a great idea. Caveat that I’ve never been around for previous atlas shaves events.
What I like:
Points are good, both for tracking standings and determining the winner.
I like that folks can be knocked out, feels on theme with a strongest man competition.
I like that this encourages cross-channel participation. Many folks probably don’t know about anything but Reddit (I sure didn’t at first!).
I think it would be helpful to use some sort of randomization for the SOTD challenges, like your idea for using the LatherBot database. This reduces the burden on those organizing.
I think the surprise aspect of the daily soap of the day challenge would be a lot of fun.
The format you proposed would certainly bias toward folks who have been accumulating soaps for longer. I’m not sure whether that fits with “strongest” in my mind.
I don’t have a better idea right now, just offering my initial thoughts.