March 2nd, 2007
A linguist looks at Conservapedia
A bit more on the contests
This one's a bit touchy, but I'm going to take it head on, because there's no point in pretending to ignore it. I received an email complaining that someone had 'gamed' one of my recent contests.
One of the reasons I use the LJ poll is that it's not so simple to game. Obviously anyone could register for additional LJ addresses, and vote multiple times, but I have no way to control for that, and I don't want to get in the business of doing so. I don't generally give away prizes of such value that this ought to be an issue. (The recent Greetings From Lake Wu limited -- which I still need to send out -- was an exception.)
However, to me, promoting your entry in one of my contests isn't gaming. It can't be. Because I can't be in the business of judging the sincerity of a given vote. Did some people vote because they were a contestant's friend, and hadn't even read the other entries? Almost certainly. But how would I ascertain that? What would I do about it?
I'm sorry this process has been challenging for some people. I run the contests and polls because they entertain me. That's pretty much why I do almost anything I do on this LJ. I already have a job. This doesn't need to be work as well. If the contests become divisive, I suppose I'd stop running them, simply because then it becomes too much trouble for me to deal with the process and the people who take offense -- then it's not fun any more.
Meanwhile, all of y'all are on the honor system. Because it's the honor system, I won't attempt to audit or enforce any voting standards. If that bothers some of you, I suppose the thing to do is not play.
You know, I hated having to write this entry. See, right now it's not any fun.
One of the reasons I use the LJ poll is that it's not so simple to game. Obviously anyone could register for additional LJ addresses, and vote multiple times, but I have no way to control for that, and I don't want to get in the business of doing so. I don't generally give away prizes of such value that this ought to be an issue. (The recent Greetings From Lake Wu limited -- which I still need to send out -- was an exception.)
However, to me, promoting your entry in one of my contests isn't gaming. It can't be. Because I can't be in the business of judging the sincerity of a given vote. Did some people vote because they were a contestant's friend, and hadn't even read the other entries? Almost certainly. But how would I ascertain that? What would I do about it?
I'm sorry this process has been challenging for some people. I run the contests and polls because they entertain me. That's pretty much why I do almost anything I do on this LJ. I already have a job. This doesn't need to be work as well. If the contests become divisive, I suppose I'd stop running them, simply because then it becomes too much trouble for me to deal with the process and the people who take offense -- then it's not fun any more.
Meanwhile, all of y'all are on the honor system. Because it's the honor system, I won't attempt to audit or enforce any voting standards. If that bothers some of you, I suppose the thing to do is not play.
You know, I hated having to write this entry. See, right now it's not any fun.
Unquiet Houses
Just a quick note. The Unquiet Houses thread of microfiction about post-nuclear architecture continues to slowly grow. There's some very nice stuff there. Go check it out, and think about adding one of your own.
Swiss Accidentally Invade Lichtenstein
The New York Times reports on a recent Swiss military incursion against their tiniest neighbor. Now that's a foreign policy. And of course, the headline is the money shot.
