Weekly Contest Stats / Discussion

There could be a dummy profile set up to accept the poems.

Keep in mind that there are no participating administrators on this site. If there were, this site would have been overhauled several times over the years, and nothing would be the same as it is now. It's up to us to push through changes that don't require any involvement of the absentee administrators.

Sounds Ok, provided there are judges who are willing to do all that work, except that a poem has to be nominated to win (or so is my understanding?).

I also think if we throw away the nominations system altogether a lot of good poems wouldn't be reviewed, not to mention some good poets, too, wouldn't be discovered, for sometimes someone stumbles upon someone new with potential and they nominate them, they might win or not, but still it makes people know them or check their work.

I'd say a weekly thread for people to promote their work on beside our normal nomination system, for now at least, would help a little. Judges themselves can nominate a poem they think worthy from there and vote on, too (if no one else did).

That weekly thread might help, but I think it would get cluttered up very quickly and take too long to peruse. As it is, most people only look at the nominations page, simply because most of the poems have been filtered out. Unfortunately, as I keep saying, good poems are also filtered out in the process.

And, yes, the winning poems must be nominated, which is why in my initial post I said, after screening the poems, the judges could use their own nominations to nominate their top three. So they would be intensely judging only 9 poems.

We could give it a try. We did on the judge's comments, honorable mentions and having restrictions on numbers of wins per poet then removing it later...etc. so who knows? It wouldn't after all get more cluttered up than the judges' pms anyway.

Only 9 poems? what about poems that could move on to the following week? How are they to deal with them? I'm not with removing the whole nomination system to be honest, but I'm for adding to it, if such addition would prove to not hinder the over all process or take away from it but help it, that is.

***Guess it's up to other members and the Mods now.

Woof, that was a lot to read through since I posted earlier today. I probably won't cover everything but here's a few thoughts:

1. I like Larry's idea of staggered terms. If we knew how many months judges could commit to (and perhaps if they sent us a reminded when their term was nearly up?) I don't think it would be too terrible to organize. And, on the plus side, it would ensure that the tastes of the judges were constantly shifting, which might ensure a greater variety of styles for the wins.

2. "Maybe a poem should be able to be nominated only once, like that the amount of nomination problem would be solved since it can be nominated only once anyway. People would have to spend their votes on other poems that are not nominated yet, which might make them find new talents."

This is a pretty nice idea. If I think about it, I generally try to nominate things that haven't been nominated before. I figure if they've already been nominated, they have their shot, so I should give a chance to another good poem. However.... sometimes I choose to nominate without looking at the contest list at all. Basically, I think the idea is admirable, and maybe should be attempted by individuals, but I think it would be hard to enforce.

3. There are a couple of issues I would see with Kiko's idea of authors submitting one poem. First, not all members are physically able to nominate poms - they need to be senior members. Poems need to be nominated in order to be voted on by the judges, in order to win. That's a site construction thing. We wouldn't want to leave out new people. It would be possible for us to maybe have senior members give their votes in place of members who aren't senior, but that's a whole big organization / infrastructure that we'd have to figure out, plus it wouldn't let senior members use all their votes as they see fit. Second, I know there are many poets who would not wish to submit their own poems for submission, out of humility, fear, lack of caring, whatever.

4. Right now, I think we have a pretty good system. Members with reading and commenting experience are free to nominate 3 of any new poem. Judges, who the members also nominated, pick which ones they think should win. Judges are switched out occasionally, and we are talking about changing it so that they are rotated even more regularly, and are teamed up in different mixes to support even more variety. I feel like a lot of the discussion now is coming down to "the poems -I- like aren't winning, so the system is not fair." But I think that's going to be a problem no matter what you do. It's all going to come down to the opinion of the judges. What we DO have control over is who the judges are, and which poems they have to chose from.

Nor: well, when you told me to compare my points to others and see how fair it is, I understood it like that, if I'm mistaken, then I apologize.

BUT

"Not to discuss how to make the Poetess win each week."
^^^
who told you in the first place that I want to win, ha? you always try to make it against me Britt, when I first said that things are unfair I assured you all that I am NOT talking about myself! though I have the right to talk about myself, and it is NOT a bad taste to complain about unfair things going on here! so, excuse me, you were VERY wrong with your judgement... read my posts, understand what I want, then speak!

I can't deny that my friends ONLY nominate my poems, but I hate it like that, I don't want my work to be nominated just because I have 'friends;.
And that is why I said that, because I can see what is going on...

But OHHHH I should have shut up and never said anything at all because I'm going to look like a jealous greedy bad poet...oh I'm sorry!

"I can tell you from my own experience that it can be frustrating to write a good poem, and then have to hope that someone nominates it."
^^^
yeah, Kiko, you are definitely right here, it is really frustrating to put your heart in a poem then nobody notices it, it happened with me so many times, and I USED to hate it when I want a poem of mine to win but it doesn't.

BUT NOW, after what I read and after what I knew, how things are just very unfair and no one is even able to talk about it. I am frustrated no more, because I know that this contest whole thing is just a comedy.

hmmm so now, I love everything about the weekly contest, everything is just too fair to be described and I love how things are working out, thank you all, byebye.

All you say is how your poems are up but you never win. I'm supposed to take that how? I'm not a mind reader, I see what people post. Don't you dare tell me when I can and cannot speak. Did I tell you to shut up? No. I said the whining was getting old, and it is. I'm not the only one who feels that way either, and no I'm not attacking you, you really need to get over this "Britt is out to get me" thing. I reply to posts I have something to say on. You don't like what I have to say to you, don't read it.

LOL oh dearrrrr

"Britt is out to get me"

^^^
bla bla bla
I didn't have such a thing until you became rude to me, commenting on each post I write in a very annoying way....look brittney, I really don't care if my piece wins or if it doesn't, I can't deny that I used to think that way but now, HELL NO!
and to prove that, here is my second post in this thread, read:

"Ughhh Nana you know that I love to win, but believe me in this thread, I wasn't talking about myself AT ALL. I even named few members poems that I think they deserve a win but they never did! and what makes me angry is when they even don't get an HM....the numbers of HM's isn't limited, right???"

"ANyway, you all can forget what I said, I don't want to be the bad "jealous" guy. :P

Have a good day, y'all! :)"

"Anyway, if you see that it is a right thing to do, then don't listen to me, in the end of the day, it is not my site and I can't change it the way I want to, but I've been asked to tell the truth and I hope that didn't throw people away from me, not my intention to cause drama, I just want to say my opinion."

--------------------

andddd ehem ehem who told you I never won???
opps you are wronggg.

Don't you dare tell me when I can and cannot speak.
^^^
you scared me, hereeeee... :(

Did I tell you to shut up?
^^^
yup, kinda but I didn't allow it.

Wow. Well, I think enough has been said here, I don't need to say anymore.

Lol Britt.. too much contradictions in your words.
I'm not being biased (though Nora is the closest person to me on this website), but what she said is very true.

Lots of times we put our efforts on a poem hoping it to get nominated and noticed..

"You don't like what I have to say to you, don't read it."

lol, why this?

And Nora, you were mistaken when you meant "Britt is out to get me" ... :P:P

Hope you girls cool down.
The contest has too many positive things, but at the same time, too many things should be changed!

And an opinion doesn't hurt, would it dear Britt?

"Britt is out to get me"
She said that not me...how ridiculous.

well, an opinion hurts too much, in this site...hmmm

Nope, opinions are just fine unless it is my opinion. Then I'm attacking people left and right. Look at me go, I didn't realize I had that kind of energy.

So basically it seems most are in agreement of shortening the terms, yes? I really think shortening them would open up more people to judge. If people can't and its the same willing people over and over, and some don't like it,.maybe they will finally agree to judging :) it doesn't take up ten hours in your day.. the only thing is consistency.

Lordy a bit of a dummie spit there, somebody threw their toys out of the pram...

If somebody writes what they think is a good Poem and it doesnt get nominated well just maybe it's not as good as you think it is. There are many many poems that I have seen on this site that were never nominated for anything, that in my humble opinion would win hands down if they had been, but the judges can only work with what's been nominated. So for those few if your poem doesn't get nominated or win when you think it should get over it, there's nothing unfair, move on, on the day your poem wasn't good enough.

If you write poems looking for weekly wins and recognition maybe you're on the wrong site

Dear, Nicko, I really didn't mean to ask for weekly wins or something, Sibby asked us to say our opinions and I just did that, NOT my intention to moan about me not winning, though I won twice before I deleted my account and I know my poems but I'm not talking about me......(though it is my right to talk about myself, ain't it?) I'm just talking about how I see things.

I think Sibs summed it up well in her last point:

'I feel like a lot of the discussion now is coming down to "the poems -I- like aren't winning, so the system is not fair." But I think that's going to be a problem no matter what you do. It's all going to come down to the opinion of the judges. What we DO have control over is who the judges are, and which poems they have to chose from.'
^^

Exactly, its all opinion. Rotating the judges more often and mixing them together in different combinations may be the best solution. Noura I dont see the validity in your argument. There are only three winners each week and so somebody is going to be disappointed each time. Anybody could use the excuse that 'good poems I like didnt win,' at the end of the day we have to try to nominate what we think are the best poems and put faith in the judges, who generally do a good job, to pick the best poems regardless of who wrote them.

Kiko's idea is an interesting one but Im not sure if it would work with the system we have inherited. The thread could be a good idea, like the request to comment thread where you could request the poem to be nominated. But then there's the problem of increased workload for the judges and some poems disappearing into the other non-existant nominations page. And in a few months people would probably be complaining 'my poem never wins even though its nominated.'

We could investigate the idea of a 'poem of the month' thread/contest. Similar to what Kiko said people could pm one poem each month regardless of it was nominated or not, and have it judged anonymously. Apart from that I'm not sure there is much else that can be done.

There is a certain tone by some members that suggests they should get nominated more win more if you want to include yourself you can up to you? but it was a general comment

One thing I'm saying is that no matter what system we use no matter who the judges, some will always cry foul. It's happened before it will happen again... some suggestions are worth looking at, but on the whole this system works very well, the best it's been, so if it ain't broke why fix it..

"Rotating the judges more often and mixing them together in different combinations may be the best solution."

I agree with you, that the judges should be rotated more often and in this way everything will be solved.

I am sorry if I gave you that impression, I don't want the poems I like to win, nor my poems, all I was trying to say (before some attacked me) that there are worthy poems that aren't winning and it is not only my opinion, and of course this will lead us that there is something wrong with the current system, whether it is the unfairness while judging or the people nominating...I don't know, I just am sure that some stuff should be fixed, if all members disagree with me, then it's ok, I'm fine with whatever you suggest, but don't ask us to be honest while you are all against honest opinions.

back to topic:
I guess if we try to do what Kiko said, eveyrthing will be just fine.
I liked the idea about the thread, but maybe the anonymous judges thing is kind of hard and maybe it won't work out.

Why do you feel, along with some others that you and them are better qualified to pick the weekly winners than the current judges, and remember there are five of them and only one of you?

Edited.. Thanks Britt

There are five judges, Nicko :)

First off, I am free to feel and think and speak whatever I want.

Secondly, yes, there are lots of good poems not winning and there are lots of good poets aren't even beheld, once someone made a thread about unseen talents, I guess? and noone even paid attention to it, what do you call that!?
I began to post links to good poets perhaps their work be read or...but nobody cared about it...

Course you can not disputing that, and I hope that continues it's good to question... All I'm asking is for you to back up your accusations of unfairness.. Don't take it so personally, I don't think you are a bad person on the contrary.

As to your other comments they aren't really relevant to this thread.. We should all read more, many do they just don't post on the boards or follow links...