| Commentary and Philosophy Non-Fiction posted March 5, 2021 |
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Don't want to bother to read all contest entries? Abstain!
By Popular Vote: Flying Blind?
by Elizabeth Emerald
Jest Alert:
My Triple-Crown-worthy steeds have long declined to ride in StoryLand's rigged races. Thus, I have no cause to grind my axe on the skulls of the shameless bribe-takers who'd bypass my proffered pittance in favor of the highest bid amongst the suck-ups.
End Jest
Gist of the Jest: I have nothing at stake here; I speak on behalf of those who do.
Several fans have been disheartened to note that the number of "reads" (skims? view/skips?) of their entries were fewer than the sum of votes across the pool.
If you choose to cast votes in member-sponsored contests (or for book/story/poem of the month), you are honor-bound to read all the entries before casting your vote.
Given that there are about a dozen entries per contest, the commitment is considerable. It doesn't help that entries are displayed in random rotation; when you hop back into the list to read the "next" entry, you lose track of which you've read; thus you may inadvertently miss a couple.
For these reasons, I rarely participate. I prefer to invest proportionate effort, when results are announced, to honor all who are recognized, via congratulatory reviews of their work.
Though it is tempting to cast your vote for a piece you'd already deemed six-star-worthy, I propose you consider my post-facto approach.
And if the one you wanted to win, didn't: Message the writer and spew out your outrage on his behalf.
Jest Alert:
My Triple-Crown-worthy steeds have long declined to ride in StoryLand's rigged races. Thus, I have no cause to grind my axe on the skulls of the shameless bribe-takers who'd bypass my proffered pittance in favor of the highest bid amongst the suck-ups.
End Jest
Gist of the Jest: I have nothing at stake here; I speak on behalf of those who do.
Several fans have been disheartened to note that the number of "reads" (skims? view/skips?) of their entries were fewer than the sum of votes across the pool.
If you choose to cast votes in member-sponsored contests (or for book/story/poem of the month), you are honor-bound to read all the entries before casting your vote.
Given that there are about a dozen entries per contest, the commitment is considerable. It doesn't help that entries are displayed in random rotation; when you hop back into the list to read the "next" entry, you lose track of which you've read; thus you may inadvertently miss a couple.
For these reasons, I rarely participate. I prefer to invest proportionate effort, when results are announced, to honor all who are recognized, via congratulatory reviews of their work.
Though it is tempting to cast your vote for a piece you'd already deemed six-star-worthy, I propose you consider my post-facto approach.
And if the one you wanted to win, didn't: Message the writer and spew out your outrage on his behalf.
My Triple-Crown-worthy steeds have long declined to ride in StoryLand's rigged races. Thus, I have no cause to grind my axe on the skulls of the shameless bribe-takers who'd bypass my proffered pittance in favor of the highest bid amongst the suck-ups.
End Jest
Gist of the Jest: I have nothing at stake here; I speak on behalf of those who do.
Several fans have been disheartened to note that the number of "reads" (skims? view/skips?) of their entries were fewer than the sum of votes across the pool.
If you choose to cast votes in member-sponsored contests (or for book/story/poem of the month), you are honor-bound to read all the entries before casting your vote.
Given that there are about a dozen entries per contest, the commitment is considerable. It doesn't help that entries are displayed in random rotation; when you hop back into the list to read the "next" entry, you lose track of which you've read; thus you may inadvertently miss a couple.
For these reasons, I rarely participate. I prefer to invest proportionate effort, when results are announced, to honor all who are recognized, via congratulatory reviews of their work.
Though it is tempting to cast your vote for a piece you'd already deemed six-star-worthy, I propose you consider my post-facto approach.
And if the one you wanted to win, didn't: Message the writer and spew out your outrage on his behalf.
 Recognized |
When you wish upon the stars by Angelheart on FanArtReview.com THANK YOU!
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and 2 member cents. Artwork by Angelheart at FanArtReview.com
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