Tips for winning merges

I'm providing everyone with a priority list on how to win merges.

1. Download images from a primary source. This means either the model's social media account, or the photographer's account. Keep in mind, sometimes the photographer will also have a separate website that features higher quality versions of these images. Also keep in mind that these images need to be freely accessible to the public (nothing from paysites).

2. Be the first to upload your image. In the case of an absolute draw, the first user to upload his or her image will be the winner. This is decided by the lower image ID (the number assigned to your image upon upload).

3. This is a more subjective rule, but generally the more data that is included in an image, the higher the likelihood that it will win the merge. Sometimes users will upload images that are cropped, or B&W versions of an original photo. Obviously we prefer full color, and uncropped versions.

You don't always have to be the first to upload, since in the end quality is the most important factor in determining the winner of a merge. However, if your upload has little to no enhanced quality over someone else's upload, then you will not win that merge.

Factors that automatically disqualify users from winning a merge:

1. Artificial enhancement. If your image has been enlarged thru AI software or by other means, then you will automatically lose the merge.

2. Poor quality. Again, make sure you are downloading from a primary source (see above) and you are using a method that produces higher quality results (see this thread for more info).

3. This isn't an automatic loss, but generally downloading from 3rd party platforms (Reddit, Tumblr, etc.) produce lower quality uploads.

Obviously we prefer full color, and uncropped versions.

This may be a grey area - how do we know when cropping is needed / accepted? Sometimes there's too much background that can be easily discarded.