what about minor clubs?

When I learned we were going to be able to suggest new icons and banners I remember thinking, "Yes! Now I can fix the Left 4 Dead 2 spot."
I knew I wouldn't be able to do anything about the spot's title or motto, but now I know I can't do anything at all.

I got really excited, only to be completely let down.

The special poll feature is being abused in a major way already, so I'm happy that only a handful of the clubs I'm part of are susceptible to it. Smaller clubs with unofficial, user-run polls have to provide proof of forums and a fair voting process for a change. The large ones don't.

While I'm already on the subject: users used to come together once in a while to put together a new look. Together. As a group. Now that anyone can create a poll at any time, they do, so you get spots like link voting in something new every week and looking like a hot mess. (Nothing matches! How does anyone stand it there anymore?!) And don't even get me started on the people who make polls without asking the rest of the club and only including their own options... stop being brats! Let everyone have a chance to create something before randomly springing a poll on the spot!

@bouncybunny: Small clubs can still have their icons and banners changed - the same way it's always been done. I wrote about it link.

I don't think it should have anything to do with how many members a club has necessarily but more about how active it is. That being said, I still think that there should be a link to the spot creators home page so that:
1. Fans can contact them to let them know that they would like a change. It's allot easier for the spot's creator to make the changes and less work for the F4.
2. This way it wouldn't be just random people including only their own artwork for consideration.
3. It would allow everyone to know which clubs were created by now inactive members and maybe in the future could be adopted by members who are currently active and can make updates and maybe keep on top of some of the spam issues.

Just a thought.

Yep, I think it is totally fair. People are abusing the privilege in the bigger spots as it is. If people can't use this new system responsibly in larger clubs where more people are watching them, I can only assume it'll be much worse in smaller spots.

Plus, as Dasm points out, you can still get smaller spots changed like before. The process here (ie asking for fan submissions in a forum) is still exactly the same for any size spot. People have just lost their freakin' marbles about this new system for no reason at all. Everything is the same, except larger spots have a more efficient system at their disposal.

The way the system works right now, I think it's mostly fair, but it would be nice if smaller spots that have no icon and/or banner whatsoever could be edited more easily. Especially when they're inactive/ghost town spots. Just because all those green and white star icons look a bit silly in your list.

Sometimes people try to change an icon/banner when there's not even anything wrong with the old one, and that seems to be what people are mostly upset about (along with not being given a chance to add their ideas early on). Completely understandable, but that's why, when it comes to smaller spots, I'm suggesting that there should only be a smoother way to add icons/banners to the ones that otherwise completely lack them. At least in those spots, we're not actually replacing anyone's hard work. And like I said before, especially in inactive/ghost town spots, because not even the old system was enough to get those fixed.

I'm glad not all spots have the option to change everything about them, because some people might get a bit power-hungry, but it is a shame that some spots are being prevented from even having icons/banners at all due to low activity.

A smaller club's appearance can still be altered the old way. And, from my experience, the appearance-altering forums and polls in those clubs get little or no response anyway, so there'd be no change in using the new method.

...and I think that this rule should be kept that way forever.

Well, you can still change minor clubs by doing it the right way. Meaning, you create a forum so people post suggestions and then you create a poll.

This election thing is really not a good new feature, because people just post polls without even asking if first, people want to change it! If second, people want to suggests icons/banners/backgrounds picture! Like, wtf? What happened to asking people first and letting them submit suggestions? That is really rude! I really don't like that election feature. It should get abolished. People aren't using it right.

This limit was far too high and restricted icon and banner changes only to the largest clubs.