Winter Holiday Contest Support Thread

[tickledkitty]

Oh, and just for the record, sr, you know I'm not usually one to argue with you, but I will say that if you don't like the way the contests are run, common sense would dictate that you should simply not enter.

 

[sr71plt]

Oh, and just for the record, sr, you know I'm not usually one to argue with you, but I will say that if you don't like the way the contests are run, common sense would dictate that you should simply not enter.

Yes, that would be the look the other way approach. I've decided a dose of floodlighting is healthy. If you and others simply stopped posting on it, it would probably move along sooner. But I don't mind an open discussion about it.

I'm just not feeling Pollyanish today myself.

 

[sr71plt]

Well, I guess I just don't have any common sense, and I guess since you didn't congratulate me after the Halloween contest, you think I cheated too. Mkay. Thanks for that.

Nope. I didn't say anything to anyone about the Halloween contest--and didn't read any of the stories. And, in fact, in this contest you were running as one of the evidently legitimate contenders. Always steady and rating comparitively high--until that fatal "it's time to do a coup de grace to the competition" period (notice a sudden dip near the end when several others were boosting up, did you? Going from a steady 4.77 or 4.78 to a 4.75, if I remember correctly)--and none of those discernible blips at the "ah so" points. So, there is at least something for you on this fishing expedition.

Do try not to assert position to me that I haven't taken. I try to be pretty open without others trying to talk through my mouth.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Nope. I didn't say anything to anyone about the Halloween contest--and didn't read any of the stories. And, in fact, in this contest you were running as one of the evidently legitimate contenders. Always steady and rating comparitively high--until that fatal "it's time to do a coup de grace to the competition" period (notice a sudden dip near the end when several others were boosting up, did you? Going from a steady 4.77 or 4.78 to a 4.75, if I remember correctly)--and none of those discernible blips at the "ah so" points. So, there is at least something for you on this fishing expedition.

Do try not to assert position to me that I haven't taken. I try to be pretty open without others trying to talk through my mouth.

If I remember correctly... TK wasn't eligible to win this time. She won Halloween.

I remember the year both Aurora and I had the very highest scores in the How-to contest. Why? We weren't eligible to win it, and we stated that fact in the very beginning of our how-to's. Coincidence?

I just don't think so.

And I'm not saying it out of spite or malice or even envy. I won one of these once. *shrug* And I honestly think it was mostly by luck and flying under the radar. (Can't do the latter anymore, and the former is, well, just luck )

I think the contests are fun. But I wouldn't enter them for any other reason than that.

BTW, it should be interesting, if the next "10th Anniversary" winter contest will pay out a huge prize like the - hm, I think it was the 7th? - did. You think this one was brutal? Feh!

That's when Scouries appeared, actually, with his voting ideas.

And still here we are. *shrug*

 

[oggbashan]

Should I re-name my support threads as "Support and Complaining" threads?

Winning one of the themed contests is difficult and the sweeps make it almost impossible to predict if your story is in the running - unless you're me. I know I'm not going to win or even come close.

I am only a serious contender with essays, not my stories, so it would be very unusual if I was among the winners for a story contest.

Any more claimants for The Authors' Hangout Last Place (tm) Winter Holiday Contest 2008?

Note: the rating should be that recorded at the time the winners of the main contest were announced, not the rating a few days later, otherwise one of the winners might also win Last Place once the trolls have vented their jealousy.

Og

 

[Pornguin]

Any more claimants for The Authors' Hangout Last Place (tm) Winter Holiday Contest 2008?

Note: the rating should be that recorded at the time the winners of the main contest were announced, not the rating a few days later, otherwise one of the winners might also win Last Place once the trolls have vented their jealousy.

Og

I think my 3.45 is the loser, or winner, depending on one's view.

 

[tickledkitty]

Nope. I didn't say anything to anyone about the Halloween contest--and didn't read any of the stories. And, in fact, in this contest you were running as one of the evidently legitimate contenders. Always steady and rating comparitively high--until that fatal "it's time to do a coup de grace to the competition" period (notice a sudden dip near the end when several others were boosting up, did you? Going from a steady 4.77 or 4.78 to a 4.75, if I remember correctly)--and none of those discernible blips at the "ah so" points. So, there is at least something for you on this fishing expedition.

Do try not to assert position to me that I haven't taken. I try to be pretty open without others trying to talk through my mouth.

I coulda been a contendah.

If only I hadn't won the Halloween contest. Do you suppose it's possible that when my score dipped, it was because a couple or three people read my story and didn't like it?

I'm well aware that the voting here is flawed, despite your Pollyanna comment. I just think it's bad form to go through all this now, after you didn't win. It simply looks like sour grapes and doesn't help anyone.

I don't need your approval, sr, if that's where you think my "fishing expedition" was taking me. It looked to me like you were saying the only way to win is to cheat. Perhaps, due to the lateness of the hour and my own personal situation just then, I made a mistake, and for that, I apologize.

 

[sr71plt]

I If only I hadn't won the Halloween contest. Do you suppose it's possible that when my score dipped, it was because a couple or three people read my story and didn't like it?

I'm well aware that the voting here is flawed, despite your Pollyanna comment. I just think it's bad form to go through all this now, after you didn't win. It simply looks like sour grapes and doesn't help anyone.

I don't need your approval, sr, if that's where you think my "fishing expedition" was taking me. It looked to me like you were saying the only way to win is to cheat. Perhaps, due to the lateness of the hour and my own personal situation just then, I made a mistake, and for that, I apologize.

If you think it's bad form to go through all this now, why do you continue to go through with it?

And, no, I don't think the convenient 11th-hour zapping was because suddenly people started reading your story again and didn't like it as much as those who had come beforehand. I think it was by those cheery contestants who didn't zero in on your not being eligible. You can, of course, continue to think your kind thoughts of whoever zapped you for whatever reason. I'll stick with common sense--and am only responding because you continue to poke a stick at it.

(I wasn't into approval issues--you're the one who brought this up. And, incidentally, I don't apprecite the "because you didn't win" crack. The only entrant I named in anything I posted about winning was Marsh Alien, who, from the get go I said the research indicated deserved the win.)

Bottom line: It doesn't bother me so much that people boost their own scores in the mistaken belief this makes their story better somehow--but when they go on to tear other entrants' stories down (which quite obviously is rampant in these contests), I'm not at all shy at pushing back at them. I think they deserve a "I can see you" cage rattle. I don't demand that anyone else stop being pushovers, though.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

I'm well aware that the voting here is flawed, despite your Pollyanna comment. I just think it's bad form to go through all this now, after you didn't win. It simply looks like sour grapes and doesn't help anyone.

When IS a good time to talk about it, though?

I'm not being a PITA, it's a serious question. There's always a contest going on, it seems. And after a contest, when votes have been counted, is when people are thinking about it, after all.

 

[tickledkitty]

When IS a good time to talk about it, though?

I'm not being a PITA, it's a serious question. There's always a contest going on, it seems. And after a contest, when votes have been counted, is when people are thinking about it, after all.

I don't know, but right after the winners have been announced does not seem like the right time.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

I don't know, but right after the winners have been announced does not seem like the right time.

It would have been nice to have a least one day of enjoying my win, but I guess that wasn't to happen.
I don't feel I have to justify my story or my winning, nor should my co-winners. If Laurel wants to post any information involved with my story, my votes, my score, she has my permission to do so if she chooses. If something is amiss, I'll more than happily step aside for the 'real' winners.

I will not however, apologize for my story or who I am as a writer. I started out like everyone else and worked my ass off. I don't write a ton of stories to say I'm a writer, I write what comes to me as it comes to me. I write for me and not scores of fans. I write because its my craft and I love it and that's why I'm here...but lately, here hasn't been such a nice place.

 

[Guest]

It would have been nice to have a least one day of enjoying my win, but I guess that wasn't to happen.
I don't feel I have to justify my story or my winning, nor should my co-winners. If Laurel wants to post any information involved with my story, my votes, my score, she has my permission to do so if she chooses. If something is amiss, I'll more than happily step aside for the 'real' winners.

I will not however, apologize for my story or who I am as a writer. I started out like everyone else and worked my ass off. I don't write a ton of stories to say I'm a writer, I write what comes to me as it comes to me. I write for me and not scores of fans. I write because its my craft and I love it and that's why I'm here...but lately, here hasn't been such a nice place.

You have nothing to apologize for.

Great job in the contest!

 

[cloudy]

You have nothing to apologize for.

Great job in the contest!

Amen to that!

If someone doesn't like the fact that you won, piss on 'em. You wrote a beautiful story, so some jealousy on others' part is normal.

 

[kromen]

Hey Og,
3.60 / 45 votes / 20531 views / 0 public comments. Do I have a shot at last place? lol

It didn't matter that I didn't win, place, or show. The one person I really wanted to see the story got to read it and have a good laugh. Congrats to the winners and everybody else that puts it down for the world of lit.

 

[Katiecat]

Congrats to all the winners! Just got back from a vacation weekend, so I'll check out the winning entries today, if I haven't already read 'em...

I really enjoyed the contest -- it was fun to get so many reads and so many votes in such a short time. I got many wonderful, positive comments (and a few bizarre email propositions, so I changed my profile info to hopefully curtail that in the future ), and I am glad so many enjoyed my story. I hope it encourages them to read some of my other work. I ended up with an "H" on my entry, so that's good. And now I'm already working on my Valentine's story...

I do have a question regarding the voting sweeps -- my husband and I are both Lit members/writers. We have two computers on a network, and both read and vote on other member's stories as well as each others, but we don't vote on our own because we didn't know if that was considered bad form. Although, even McCain and Obama got to vote, I guess... So would the sweeps consider our votes duplicates? I think each PC has its own IP address, but connected through one router, so I'm not sure how that works. If anyone knows, thanks...

 

[sxwriter42]

*****

*****

 

[starrkers]

Congrats to all the winners! Just got back from a vacation weekend, so I'll check out the winning entries today, if I haven't already read 'em...

I really enjoyed the contest -- it was fun to get so many reads and so many votes in such a short time. I got many wonderful, positive comments (and a few bizarre email propositions, so I changed my profile info to hopefully curtail that in the future ), and I am glad so many enjoyed my story. I hope it encourages them to read some of my other work. I ended up with an "H" on my entry, so that's good. And now I'm already working on my Valentine's story...

I do have a question regarding the voting sweeps -- my husband and I are both Lit members/writers. We have two computers on a network, and both read and vote on other member's stories as well as each others, but we don't vote on our own because we didn't know if that was considered bad form. Although, even McCain and Obama got to vote, I guess... So would the sweeps consider our votes duplicates? I think each PC has its own IP address, but connected through one router, so I'm not sure how that works. If anyone knows, thanks...

Yes, it only sees one IP, so it wipes the extra votes.(Hubby and I have the same problem).

 

[oggbashan]

And the WINNER is...

The Winner of the Authors' Hangout Last Place (tm) Winter Holiday Contest 2008 is:

Pornquin with 3.45

The runner-up is Kromen with 3.60.

You can now add a suitably modest disclaimer to your signatures (Think Oscar acceptance speeches - "I couldn't have won this magnificient achievement award without help from my hairdresser, make-up artiste, and of course Mom's apple pie...)

Og

 

[Pornguin]

And I couldn't of done it had it not been my second story ever and that most don't want to hear of white guys getting lucky with Asian women, sigh!

 

[starrkers]

Wow - seems the Last Place scores are getting higher and higher. I remember when you needed less than 2 to win!

 

[sr71plt]

Wow - seems the Last Place scores are getting higher and higher. I remember when you needed less than 2 to win!

Yes, the ratings were set unusually high this time (didn't top out higher than usual, but an unusually high glop in the 4.70s).

 

[DeeZire]

As the reigning last place winner from the Halloween Contest, I am honored to pass the torch to Pornquin and Kromen, although I thought Kromen's 'Office Party' would have been in contention for one of the top slots. Shows you how skewed my taste is compared to the average reader.

 

[kromen]

Thanks Dee,
I would also like to thank that bottle of firefly vodka and a decent bout of insomnia for almost taking last place.

 

[oggbashan]

As the reigning last place winner from the Halloween Contest, I am honored to pass the torch to Pornquin and Kromen, although I thought Kromen's 'Office Party' would have been in contention for one of the top slots. Shows you how skewed my taste is compared to the average reader.

That is part of the point of the Authors' Hangout Last Place (tm) Contests. They recognise stories that aren't necessarily popular with the voters (or are a popular target for the trolls) but deserve more notice than their ratings might suggest.

An anthology of Last Place winning stories might be interesting...

Og

 

[kromen]

I feel better, Og.