One Final Rant

[tarablackwood22]

I was just sent an e-mail from a distressed friend here, who shall remain anonymous. It made me log in, because I thought that person must have gotten their information mixed up.

I went to the final poll for last year's Most Influential Poet.

My name is not and does not belong on that list, even though I received many nominations, because I only posted poetry here for 5 months and have taken it all down. No one can read it now, even if they wanted to.

But to see annaswirl's name missing from that list is shocking. I know she was nominated by many, and the fact that such an obvious choice is not even being given the courtesy of a look see baffles me.

Anna posted quality poetry nearly every day this year, under a variety of names we all know. No one starts as many thought-provoking and important threads. And she is a constant and positive presence on the poetry boards.

I just wanted to state publically that this seems like a great injustice to me.

This is not a slight in any way to Eve or Ange or Lauren or the others on the list. I know how much those three mods do for this community, and also know the high quality of their poetry and character.

Hopefully, the removal of anna's name was inadvertant, and not as arbitrary as it seems.

But either way, to me it is just heart-breaking to look at the list with such a void in it.

It makes it impossible for me to cast a vote.

It also chips away the last desire I had to return here in any meaningful way.

Love and white wishes

Tara

 

[BooMerengue]

Tara...

Trying to find where you're talking about...

Do you mean this thread?

https://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=309727

It's closed now, but Anna's nominated there.

 

[tarablackwood22]

Tara...

Trying to find where you're talking about...

Do you mean this thread?

https://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=309727

It's closed now, but Anna's nominated there.

Here Boo:

6th Annual Most Influential Poet

 

[BooMerengue]

Ohhh...

I see why you're miffed now.

Well... just don't vote at all. I won't. How did this happen? She was nominated, by several, I think.

hmmm... HAS to be an accident.

 

[sandspike]

I see your point

I don't remember seeing smithpeter write anything since God knows when.
Anna should be on here.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Whoa. You're right, Tara. I count two nominations for Anna, the same that impressive, My Erotic Tail, smithpeter and Angeline received. PM Laurel about it!

 

[tarablackwood22]

Whoa. You're right, Tara. I count two nominations for Anna, the same that impressive, My Erotic Tail, smithpeter and Angeline received. PM Laurel about it!

It isn't a question of how many nominations were received, Lauren.

I received 4, as many or almost as anyone as anyone else and more than most on the final list, but I do not belong on that list.

I didn't even know it had anything to do with the number of nominations received. It would just be a popularity contest then. A gathering up of cronies.

I thought there would have been some sensible way to cull the list of nominees, done by people who frequent the poetry boards, perhaps the moderators even.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

It isn't a question of how many nominations were received, Lauren.

I received 4, as many or almost as anyone as anyone else and more than most on the final list, but I do not belong on that list.

I didn't even know it had anything to do with the number of nominations received. It would just be a popularity contest then. A gathering up of cronies.

I thought there would have been some sensible way to cull the list of nominees, done by people who frequent the poetry boards, perhaps the moderators even.

Of course it's a question of how many nominations are received, Tara. That has always been the only criterion - the only possibly objective criterion. They are called the reader's choice awards - it is a popularity contest.

You're not included in the final poll simply because you don't have any submissions left. Otherwise you would be.

Anyway, I PMed Laurel. I'm sure it was just an oversight.

 

[tarablackwood22]

Of course it's a question of how many nominations are received, Tara. That has always been the only criterion - the only possibly objective criterion. They are called the reader's choice awards - it is a popularity contest.

You're not included in the final poll simply because you don't have any submissions left. Otherwise you would be.

Anyway, I PMed Laurel. I'm sure it was just an oversight.

It wasn't clear to me that the number of nominations mattered. I saw people nominating more than one person. Syndra, bless her heart, nominated three people. So I assumed as long as at least one nomination was received, that name would be considered by...whomever.

I suppose that assumption was a mistake on my part, not reading the criterion, wherever they are.

I would have nominated annaswirls and eve (if nominating more than one is allowed), but I saw they already had nominations, and thought there was no need.

I hope it is nothing more than an oversight.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

It wasn't clear to me that the number of nominations mattered. I saw people nominating more than one person. Syndra, bless her heart, nominated three people.

Laurel's post on the nominations thread was very clear: If multiple nominations are made by a member, only the first listed will count.

Anyway, let's wait to see what she says.

 

[Angeline]

Tara, dear sister, I know how you feel. There are many poets here who have influenced others--you certainly have, and it says something that you continue to do so in spite of your relatively rare posts. When I first came here, Eve was here doing contests, offering reviews and helping people. That was almost three years ago and she's still doing it. I think for me she is the most influential. But then there's Lauren and yes smithpeter and Anna who is an enormously talented poet who I believe will eventually win plenty of awards beyond Lit. And others, too. I read peoples' poems and they inspire me and I write. That's what it's all about.

Last year I raised the question about what "influential" means anyway. To me, it is the person who not only consistently writes wonderful poems, but consistently helps other writers here. I haven't done so much of that in the past year--mainly for personal reasons--but look at what Anna and Lauren and Eve have done. And Liar and Tath and the list goes on. How does one decide this? It's a wonderful thing that Laurel and Manu do, offering these awards, and I am glad they are so willing to support poetry on this forum. But it's not a beauty contest. It's not! If someone here influences you--for whatever reason--and you go on to be inspired and learn and produce better writing for it, well what else really matters?

 

[tarablackwood22]

Laurel's post on the nominations thread was very clear: If multiple nominations are made by a member, only the first listed will count.

Anyway, let's wait to see what she says.

I didn't see that. I have to work on my concentration skills. I always miss the small print, and the large print too.

 

[Maria2394]

Anna should definitely be on that list! I hope an adjustment is made. There should be more adjusted than just that. My name should be removed. I have had a delete order in for my poems for a while now and have been only barely lurking lately. My people skills suck and I just dont care anymore.

Anna should be on that list, and so should 1201...I only had one nom and it was from someone I dont even know. Seems like everything about the vote system here is skewed, dont it?

 

[Guest]

I'd like to point out the fact that both the illustrated thread and non-erotic threads are mixed up in the year end contest. Each of my poems that are listed are in the wrong places as 'Zephyr's Reprieve' is most definitely not an illustrated poem.

So I consider an oversight of those who were not listed for most Most Influential Poet.

 

[Angeline]

I'd like to point out the fact that both the illustrated thread and non-erotic threads are mixed up in the year end contest. Each of my poems that are listed are in the wrong places as 'Zephyr's Reprieve' is most definitely not an illustrated poem.

So I consider an oversight of those who were not listed for most Most Influential Poet.

lol. Yeah I noticed that, too. but I'm glad to see Eve's shoes are there--even if someone thinks they're non-erotic. (Obviously not any of us who read the poem.)

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Anna should definitely be on that list! I hope an adjustment is made. There should be more adjusted than just that. My name should be removed. I have had a delete order in for my poems for a while now and have been only barely lurking lately. My people skills suck and I just dont care anymore.

You got 3 or 4 nominations! LOL

There's a mix-up in two other categories: the illustrated nominees are posted under "non-erotic" and the non-erotic nominees are under "illustrated". I PMed Laurel about that as well, and should be easy to fix. All she has to do is change the thread titles.

 

[tarablackwood22]

Tara, dear sister, I know how you feel. There are many poets here who have influenced others--you certainly have, and it says something that you continue to do so in spite of your relatively rare posts. When I first came here, Eve was here doing contests, offering reviews and helping people. That was almost three years ago and she's still doing it. I think for me she is the most influential. But then there's Lauren and yes smithpeter and Anna who is an enormously talented poet who I believe will eventually win plenty of awards beyond Lit. And others, too. I read peoples' poems and they inspire me and I write. That's what it's all about.

Last year I raised the question about what "influential" means anyway. To me, it is the person who not only consistently writes wonderful poems, but consistently helps other writers here. I haven't done so much of that in the past year--mainly for personal reasons--but look at what Anna and Lauren and Eve have done. And Liar and Tath and the list goes on. How does one decide this? It's a wonderful thing that Laurel and Manu do, offering these awards, and I am glad they are so willing to support poetry on this forum. But it's not a beauty contest. It's not! If someone here influences you--for whatever reason--and you go on to be inspired and learn and produce better writing for it, well what else really matters?

Hi, beach bunny.

Of course it is wonderful Manu and Laurel offer these awards.

I was just beyond shocked that anna, an obvious choice, was not on the list. And now I blame myself for not nominating her.

I did not read the criterion closely enough. I saw people making multiple nominations, and did not understand I needed to nominate someone who had already been nominated.

In the end, it is all about the writing.....I know that, sister.

 

[Angeline]

Hi, beach bunny.

Of course it is wonderful Manu and Laurel offer these awards.

I was just beyond shocked that anna, an obvious choice, was not on the list. And now I blame myself for not nominating her.

I did not read the criterion closely enough. I saw people making multiple nominations, and did not understand I needed to nominate someone who had already been nominated.

In the end, it is all about the writing.....I know that, sister.

You know what beach, too!

 

[tarablackwood22]

Laurel's post on the nominations thread was very clear: If multiple nominations are made by a member, only the first listed will count.

Anyway, let's wait to see what she says.

Lauren,

My problem came with the word nominations. I have never seen a process where nominations became the vote, in and of themselves. That is why I did not nominate someone who had already been nominated. To me, a nomination is a proposal of someone who becomes eligible for an award, not the vote itself. The word "nominate", to me, infers a later and separate process to cull the nominees and set the ballot for the final voting.

At any rate, no matter how you slice it, anna belongs on the final ballot.

So, by the way, does 1201.

I just tallied very carefully.

This is the voting (using only people's first choice):

LaurenHynde-5
WickedEve-3
Maria-3
TaraBlackwood-3
annaswirls-2
1201-2
smithpeter-2
impressive-2
liar-2
MyEroticTale-2
Angeline-1
others-1 each

When you remove my votes (which should be removed) and go to those voters' second choices, the voting is this way:

LaurenHynde-5
WickedEve-3
Maria-3
Impressive-3
annaswirls-2
1201-2
smithpeter-2
liar-2
MyEroticTale-2
Angeline-2

 

[annaswirls]

I just had to say something (of course!)

#1. Your noticing my absense on the list and defending me, Tara means more than any award. And you do deserve to be up there as much or more (IMHO) as anyone else on the list.

#2. It was never made clear to me (until I asked) that the number of nominations decides who gets into the finals. You are right, in any setting, a nomination gets someone in. Sometimes there is the "I second that nomination") kind of thing..... but it should not be called nominations, it should be called preliminary voting, as you have pointed out. This same thing happened last year.

#3. My guess: there were too many people with 2 nominations (annaswirls-2
1201-2, smithpeter-2, liar-2, MyEroticTale-2, Angeline-2 or 1) to include in the final poll, so Laurel must have had additional criteria for cutting down the list, criteria that 1201 and I did not meet and the others did. I feel that I am in the most wonderful of company, btw)

#4. The same thing happens with the category finals, I have no idea how the finalists are selected from the 12 months of nominations. I am sure there is a system (and I am sure Lauren can explain it. )

#5. Changing the list (if it were an oversight which it probably wasn't) now would be pointless.


It is all about the writing of course,

but it is also nice to be noticed and recognized for your work, hard work. Not to offend anyone, but those who say that it is not nice to be noticed and appreciated are not being truthful with themselves (or some sort of superhero with infinite confidence which I certainly do not have) and are generally the ones that are already being noticed and appreciated.

Having said that, this thread has made me feel noticed and appreciated and I thank everyone who has said such nice things about my writing here and everywhere else.


You made my day


annaswirls

ps Maria, a nomination from someone you do not know might be considered the ultimate compliment

 

[Syndra Lynn]

Having said that, this thread has made me feel noticed and appreciated and I thank everyone who has said such nice things about my writing here and everywhere else.

I second Tara's nomination. We appriciate you.

Humble thanks for all you do, girl.

Syn

 

[Lauren Hynde]

#4. The same thing happens with the category finals, I have no idea how the finalists are selected from the 12 months of nominations. I am sure there is a system (and I am sure Lauren can explain it. )

It's the 5 top rated out of the 12 nominees.

 

[flyguy69]

What about this:

Please choose the poet from the list who affected you the most in 2004. Whose work did you seek out and enjoy? Who made laugh/cry/etc.?

requires that they still have poems on the site? Or that they participated for a certain period of time?

 

[Lauren Hynde]

What about this:requires that they still have poems on the site? Or that they participated for a certain period of time?

"Poet must be an active Literotica author who submitted stories during the year 2004." - I take that to mean that the poet must have submitted poems during 2004 and still have them on the site (active).

 

[Tathagata]

I didn't see that. I have to work on my concentration skills. I always miss the small print, and the large print too.

blonde