Help Yourself
Beating the system?42 total reviews
Comment from Maureen's Pen
Dear Shari, I was wondering in my wee brain what you were going to write this time around as I clicked on your name to review.
LOL - I've wised up to the contests and rarely enter the prompts - I found one newer recruit that had won almost all of the prompts she'd entered...as I kept checking I was thinking wtf - (what the fudgies) I finally stopped looking - definitely mischief !
Personally I think the panel or committee needs clarity and open book status. Who the heck are they anyway and what is the criteria they follow - not just their decision is final.....
Anyway once more you have me thinking, there's too many little holes that too many know of and use frequently. Integrity doesn't seem to have the same foundation it used to - or maybe I am just old school.
Great read and well penned.
Thanks for sharing - now I need chocolate and a FF:)
Maureen
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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Dear Shari, I was wondering in my wee brain what you were going to write this time around as I clicked on your name to review.
LOL - I've wised up to the contests and rarely enter the prompts - I found one newer recruit that had won almost all of the prompts she'd entered...as I kept checking I was thinking wtf - (what the fudgies) I finally stopped looking - definitely mischief !
Personally I think the panel or committee needs clarity and open book status. Who the heck are they anyway and what is the criteria they follow - not just their decision is final.....
Anyway once more you have me thinking, there's too many little holes that too many know of and use frequently. Integrity doesn't seem to have the same foundation it used to - or maybe I am just old school.
Great read and well penned.
Thanks for sharing - now I need chocolate and a FF:)
Maureen
Comment Written 20-Jan-2014
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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What the fudgies, indeed. A new recruit. Seems improbable unless her work was really that good. Chocolate and a FF sounds highly inflammable. :-)
Comment from Selina Stambi
I think most new members begin with blind entries ..
Great points, Shari. A few of them I'd figured out for myself, already.
Funny how real this virtual world is and how all those very HUMAN traits operate in it as well!
Sonali :)
I've discovered an interesting ( phenomenon) (singular)
winning doe(sn't) hurt either.
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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I think most new members begin with blind entries ..
Great points, Shari. A few of them I'd figured out for myself, already.
Funny how real this virtual world is and how all those very HUMAN traits operate in it as well!
Sonali :)
I've discovered an interesting ( phenomenon) (singular)
winning doe(sn't) hurt either.
Comment Written 20-Jan-2014
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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Thanks for noting the spags, stars. Sometimes it seems like the same names take over the contests. sigh...
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Hmm .. suspect a plot of some sorts ...?? It does feel like that, doesn't it? I've decided not to EVER enter a contest - it's too disappointing!
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It can be a blow to the ego.
Comment from catch22
Hi Shari, I think this phenomenon is interesting but I also think there's more blatant forms of cheating going on behind the contests. I consider this a grey area, and one we should watch. I hadn't noticed though, although maybe the writers in the contests are simply trying to garner enough money to promote their work higher? Who knows?
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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Hi Shari, I think this phenomenon is interesting but I also think there's more blatant forms of cheating going on behind the contests. I consider this a grey area, and one we should watch. I hadn't noticed though, although maybe the writers in the contests are simply trying to garner enough money to promote their work higher? Who knows?
Comment Written 20-Jan-2014
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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What else would be the reason for gambling. What keeps me away in the cost of posting. But when I can afford to lose, I take stab at it too.
Comment from Janie King
I almost never enter any kind of prompt or contest, not sure why. I like that they send reminds about the prompts and contests because it helps me to remember they are going on and there's some good work there. Good piece. God loves you and I do too.
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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I almost never enter any kind of prompt or contest, not sure why. I like that they send reminds about the prompts and contests because it helps me to remember they are going on and there's some good work there. Good piece. God loves you and I do too.
Comment Written 20-Jan-2014
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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I can't find the time to review fairly which means reading every entry. I'll do on the short poems, but that's it.
Comment from STEPHEN A CARTER
doens't DOESN'T
Love the piece but never thought of it before. Well put and presented...you are a true watch dog if the FS site. Much appreciated.
Regards:
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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doens't DOESN'T
Love the piece but never thought of it before. Well put and presented...you are a true watch dog if the FS site. Much appreciated.
Regards:
Comment Written 20-Jan-2014
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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Already caught the spag, Stephen. Every one loves to read attacks on Tom. LOL
Comment from Domino 2
Hi, Shari.
Typo last sentence - should be 'doesn't'.
Blimey - I thought I was a cynic. :-)
I see what you're saying, but I doubt the majority of recipients of reviews bother to reciprocate, nor that anonymous contest entrants take that much trouble to review SO many in the hope of getting reviewed back.
I would rather see Tom withhold anonymous contest entries from portfolios til AFTER the contest vote, but I can't see that happening, as that would resolve any potential hinting you refer to.
Very interesting read.
Best wishes, Ted
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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Hi, Shari.
Typo last sentence - should be 'doesn't'.
Blimey - I thought I was a cynic. :-)
I see what you're saying, but I doubt the majority of recipients of reviews bother to reciprocate, nor that anonymous contest entrants take that much trouble to review SO many in the hope of getting reviewed back.
I would rather see Tom withhold anonymous contest entries from portfolios til AFTER the contest vote, but I can't see that happening, as that would resolve any potential hinting you refer to.
Very interesting read.
Best wishes, Ted
Comment Written 20-Jan-2014
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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Lancelot has started a movement to get Tom to post contest work until the contest is over. I don't really know if this is a major problem. I caught my typos, Thanks Teddy.
Comment from boxergirl
Thanks for the tips. I had noticed that about
the blind entries showing up on people's profile
page. I am sure there are other ways to beat the
system as well. I don't think a lot of people read all of the
writing prompt entries. The last one I entered was supposed to be a 5-7-5 humorous poem about love. There were only two that I saw that had any humor and neither of us one. lol
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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Thanks for the tips. I had noticed that about
the blind entries showing up on people's profile
page. I am sure there are other ways to beat the
system as well. I don't think a lot of people read all of the
writing prompt entries. The last one I entered was supposed to be a 5-7-5 humorous poem about love. There were only two that I saw that had any humor and neither of us one. lol
Comment Written 20-Jan-2014
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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I just voted for a senryu. Only one entry really fit the bill. Fortunately, it's winning.
Comment from Petriesan
Interesting. Meta functionality of the site. . .
While I have read a lot of contest entries, it has been a little while since I have voted...
may need to try , , ,
thanks
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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Interesting. Meta functionality of the site. . .
While I have read a lot of contest entries, it has been a little while since I have voted...
may need to try , , ,
thanks
Comment Written 20-Jan-2014
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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Well... if you've got time on your hands. L0L
Comment from evrenios
Hey Spitfire -
I am SO GLAD you posted this. There are several things I have noticed since coming onto the site. I am new (began in early November) - but already i see that there are people who click on my work and obviously DON'T EVEN READ it as the comments have nothing to do with the work - misquoting etc.
I also wondered about those contest entries. If winning is so important to everyone - then there should an equitable way to keep the writing anonymous. Might I suggest, not allowing the work to be displayed on the reader's site AT ALL until the contest is finished. I don't understand why some poems win contests and others (which are really, really good) don't even receive a vote. Is it the "friend" system?
Thank you for provoking these questions. I admire your writing and see that you are very pro-active on the site. Thank you for stirring things up!
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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Hey Spitfire -
I am SO GLAD you posted this. There are several things I have noticed since coming onto the site. I am new (began in early November) - but already i see that there are people who click on my work and obviously DON'T EVEN READ it as the comments have nothing to do with the work - misquoting etc.
I also wondered about those contest entries. If winning is so important to everyone - then there should an equitable way to keep the writing anonymous. Might I suggest, not allowing the work to be displayed on the reader's site AT ALL until the contest is finished. I don't understand why some poems win contests and others (which are really, really good) don't even receive a vote. Is it the "friend" system?
Thank you for provoking these questions. I admire your writing and see that you are very pro-active on the site. Thank you for stirring things up!
Comment Written 20-Jan-2014
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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More coming, evrenios, after getting enough evidence to back it up. Lancelott is mounting a campaign to get Tom from putting the entry on a profile page. As for reviews. They are so insipid. You're right. There's no evidence they read the work. Just a cloned response.
Comment from Julia.
Hm, I never considered reviewing others as a means of getting votes in a contest, but then I almost never enter the writing prompt contests. I do think that the only way to make blind contests truly blind, though, is to *not* have the piece listed in an author's profile otherwise what you described in this essay can easily happen.
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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Hm, I never considered reviewing others as a means of getting votes in a contest, but then I almost never enter the writing prompt contests. I do think that the only way to make blind contests truly blind, though, is to *not* have the piece listed in an author's profile otherwise what you described in this essay can easily happen.
Comment Written 20-Jan-2014
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2014
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That has been mentioned by so many. Lancelott has suggested we gang up on Tom on this rule.
