Green Room - Week 12 - Surprise Sunday Evening edition

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

GRAP!

You've got a lot on your minds don't you?*g*

Seriously though, I find it fascinating to see people actually talking about the notion of what is and is not ethical behavioral as it pertains to game play.

I don't like the more aspect where people's feelings are hurt, but I love the very notion of having this conversation. Especially reading it while the Super Bowl is on, given how one of the teams got there...(*opens a can of worms and sits back and sees which bird will peck at it*)*g*

***

I've talked to a few people in prviate - yes, I do get the emails and I do try to respond to them as they come in - about "the other" issue from this week where people felt personally attacked by a fellow contestant... and it's been addressed with them. I'm only bringing this up because it does have to be mentioned that this is a game, and like all games there is a strict "you do not personally attack a contestant". It's usually physical that it restricted, but if the line becomes blurred I can and will use my ability to ban a player from the field of the play the same way I would with a troll who came into the community to insult people. It's a fine lines ladies and gentlemen, let's make sure we all stay safely on one side of it.

***

With that said - there's a cage match going on:

sideshowbennie vs. sushimustwrite so make sure to vote to keep your favorite in the running!

Bennie now holds this season's record for the most votes. But will it be enough? We won't know until the final bell rings tomorrow.

***

I promised tru2myart, season 2 winner, that I would post her comments on the whole alliance thing in the very next Green Room, since she wasn't sure she would be around. So they should end up as the first comment (unless someone is really, really on the ball...)

Comments

comment from season 2 winner <lj user="tru2myart">

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Yesterday I watched as several people I've come to admire a great deal through their LJ Idol writings bickered about an alliance that has been formed this season.

Last night I spent some time checking out the alliance group and their webpage (I guess it's alright to mention that now since it's been outed right?). I also took the time to really think about everyone's thoughts and opinions and how I would have felt had I been on either side of the competition this year.

I have an opinion but before I give it I'd like to share a little LJ Idol history with you if I may.

I can remember the day I signed up for LJ Idol Season 2 pretty clearly. I was pretty new to Gary's friends list, we'd only just met really, and there was talk of "restarting LJ Idol" on his journal. I watched the discussion go back and forth between those who had competed in Season 1 and those who, like myself, had no idea what anyone was talking about. From what I was able to gather from the conversation it sounded to me like a writing/popularity contest which I was sure I could never win. I had less than 20 people on my friends list many of whom, like Gary, were brand new to me. Who was going to vote for me? I'm not a very competitive person when it comes down to it. Oh I like to win things, don't get me wrong. But I'm a very fair player and I'd be more likely to support someone else in the competition rather than supporting myself, Gary tells me even now that I'm "too nice" and I just figured there was no way I would have a snowball's chance of winning something like that all things considered.

I believe it was helenangel who changed my mind for me.

She saw my concerns and replied to me that even if I didn't win Idol I'd still win by the number of friends I'd make, she told me that she knew people would like reading me and getting to know me better and they'd want to stick around even if they didn't vote for me. She convinced me to join the contest, making new friends was one of the reasons I'd joined LJ in the first place.

When Idol Season 2 began I told myself right off the bat that I was going to be one of the first writers voted out. There were three VERY strong competitors who, not only had fairly large f-lists, but also were extremely close to each other. They not only supported themselves but they supported each other and got some of the highest votes of the competition in the beginning. It was an alliance of sorts, although it wasn't a planned one, they were just extremely fond of one another and stuck together. As the competition went on I hung in by a thread, gaining votes slowly with each passing week and adding more friends to my list as well. There were some weeks where I came very close to being one of the people voted off, but I stuck in there and those scares caused me to up my game, put my heart on the line and share some of my most sensitive thoughts and feelings with the people who read me. I also spent time supporting others. I read every single entry and talked to those people whose words moved me. In turn they wound up reading my entries and reiterating my support. At the time I didn't realize it was a strategy but as it turned out it was a pretty strong one. I was trying to make friends but I wound up gaining support.

part two...

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

When one of three strongest competitors was voted off. I was floored becauseI was still there, I just couldn't believe it!! I questioned whether I deserved the spot and almost considered dropping out of the competition simply on the grounds of not being one of the better writers. A very good friend of mine, one who's also EXTREMELY honest with me, convinced me that if I wasn't a decent writer I would have been voted off a long time ago, no matter how "popular" I had become. One of her statements to me was "You can have 300 people on your friends list who might vote for you once or twice but eventually they're going to get bored with voting and find something else to occupy their time. They vote a few times for "their friend" and then let it go. It's the people who look forward to your writings who are going to vote for you again and again. Those are the people you have to continue to impress, those are the ones who are deciding that you're a good writer and they want to see you stay in this."

I stayed..and at the end....I won.

I still scratch my head and laugh about the whole thing sometimes. I was up against some strong people, huge friends lists, people who did a lot of weird things to garner votes...and somehow I won. And all I did was talk to people...and write strictly from my heart. Not only that but I did exactly what I set out to do. Two of the three original "alliance" members are incredibly good friends of mine. Kithan is a dear heart who I adore and Gary is one of my very best friends. I now have almost 150 friends compared to the less than 20 I started out with and I write, to this day, with as much zest and love as I did during Idol. I'm very grateful to helenangel for convincing me to try.

That being said, how do I feel about alliances?

Well I think everything I said above pretty much answers that question. I think it's great that alot of you want to support each, at the same time I can understand why some of you are hurt that you weren't asked to be a part of it. But for the latter of you, think of it as a compliment. You weren't asked to join for a reason and that reason was more than likely that you were considered one of the stronger competitors. You were one of the ones getting some serious votes. You may not have a large friends list but I think I've just proven that it doesn't take a large friends list to win this competition, just a community spirit and a desire to write. Another reason could be a lack of that community spirit, perhaps you weren't interacting enough with the rest of the writers for them to think you cared enough to want to be a part of their alliance. Maybe that should be your wake up call to talk to people, show everyone you're in this for more than one reason. Interact!

I know many of you feel betrayed over this banding together of other members but look at it this way, even though there's an alliance it doesn't guarantee a win. It means that for the next few weeks those people who aren't a part of the alliance are REALLY going to have to step up their game. Don't let this scare you, let it move you!! You want this to be a writing competition yes? Well here you are. You have more reason to feel threatened now than you have the entire season, show them you won't back down. If you were putting your all into your writings before, reach down deep inside yourself and find that little bit of extra ambition and put in even MORE. You can do this! Believe in your abilities.

I have to give my friend gnomeangel a smile and a finger waggle. She sure does know how to stir this place up. :grins: I wish she'd been around for Season 2. I wouldn't have joined the alliance, it's not my thing really, but I would have found it interesting to know whether or not I'd have been asked. AND I would have taken it as a compliment either way. Either I was stern competition or I'd have accomplished my goal of forming good relationships. I would have been satisfied no matter what the outcome.

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

Gary.
Thanks for this post. Yes, it's a game and I'm enjoying playing it. My intent is not to hurt anyone, nor do I want to be hurt. And so far, I think I've succeeded in both. Let's have fun!

[lacombe.livejournal.com]

For the record.... (http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/112942.html?thread=7962414#t7962414)

[hopefulnebula]

Oooh, surprise green room! I'd have thought you'd be watching the game.

*bookmarks the post to read tru's comments later*

[porcelain72.livejournal.com]

I'm just hanging around waiting for the halftime show. I loves me some Tom Petty.

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

I'm not a part of this alliance and I guess I'm glad. I don't want votes because I have a large friends list. I want votes because people like my writing and interested in what I have to say. I appreciate every vote I get and frankly I'm surprised I've gotten this far! Shocked is more like it! haha.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

"don't do me like that" seems to be the theme...*g*

[unsold-capacity.livejournal.com]

I read through all of tru's comments and I have to say I agree almost 100%. It's nice that she bothered coming in and giving her 2 cents :)

Personally, I don't have a problem with the alliance thing because I'm not very vocal in the green room very often, and I often feel alienated because it's sometimes so obvious that I'm one of, if not the, youngest player left in the game. I subconsciously feel like what I say isn't good enough, or that my age is going to be a factor. So I stay quiet, afraid to talk to people, afraid to pimp myself, afraid to make a scene.

The alliance is also a good buffer for those bad weeks, I think. I've had a few lately where a few friends pulled through extra hard to get me the votes I needed, even when I was ready to just let fate come in and kick me out because the entry didn't live up to what I wanted. But over all, I know there are weeks where I'm going to pull out something I think is fantastic, and I want to be able to get that recognition even if my track record has been faltering some weeks. There's a certain point past which you can't "give it your best" with certain topics, and others where I don't even have to put real effort into my entry and I know it's a winner. I think being in an alliance helps even that out. I want as many chances to write great things as I can.

All that said, I don't really care; once I'm voted out, I'll just play the home game on the topics I like. But it's fun to play while there's the opportunity.

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

Who doesn't love Tom Petty?q

[adpaz.livejournal.com]

I've got the game on but I'm paying more attention to Teddy and Rich playing around. I know, I'm a heathen. :)

As for the Drama Llama, I've weighed in on that (and I was grateful for all of the well-thought out responses to it). I don't know why I did, other than I'm part of the competition and I hate seeing people that I know and like getting caught up in drama. I hope it didn't make anything at all worse. (You know me, Gary. I'll apologize for anything. :))

I've got to make sure to get this next week's entry gets in early. I've got a busy week ahead of me with my in-laws coming in for Teddy's party and the party and everything else. Wish me inspiration!

[shannon-elaine.livejournal.com]

Actually? When they announced he was doing the show my first thought was "he's still alive?" because I'd heard nothing about him in so long.

[anchasta.livejournal.com]

What, is there a game on today? No wonder my neighborhood was eerily silent all day.

[unsold-capacity.livejournal.com]

I've got a tough week ahead of me, too...we can totally do this :) I hope there's a nice, fun topic in store!

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

I guess my age is showing! Yikes!

[adpaz.livejournal.com]

Yes, we can! Maybe Gary will surprise us with our first open topic. (Though, the sadist that he is will probably put up a political topic because of Tuesday being Super Tuesday. I'd much rather talk about Mardi Gras though. :p)

[shannon-elaine.livejournal.com]

I dunno about that, I'm 35 after all. I just hadn't heard anything about him in so long that I thought he'd done a little too much "free fallin'" maybe!

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

poor Tom... sounds like he has a cold...

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

Question for the sightlings out there. How has old Tom aged. I haven't "seen" him for ages and my vision has decreased so much that even with my nose plastered to the screen I can't tell. Sigh. So much fun.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

btw - when I told me ex about the word grap she decided that it should be "an exclamation of dismay at something Gary has done"

[unsold-capacity.livejournal.com]

NUUUUUUUUU I don't want a political topic!! No no no don't even SAY that!! >.< I'm going to have nightmares now!

If I can make it alive until Thursday night I'm good...visiting my boyfriend! It's the first time I'm going to be taking a trip all by my lonesome, and my first time on a real train! I just wish there was more time in a weekend there to make up for 16 hours of transportation...ugh.

*crosses fingers for open topic, or something about FOOD*

[lacombe.livejournal.com]

Good.

I'm not surprised. You've earned it!

[jennieknits.livejournal.com]

John and I were just discussing that. He looks just about the same to me as he did 10 years ago when I listened to him, then John said 20 years ago.

So I looked up how old his is, and I think he either looks pretty good for a 57 year old, or he looked bad as a 37 year old. :)

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

Oh Gawd! Not politics! Gary! NOOOOO!

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

I've got you beat. And really didn't know if he'd done anything new. But the classic Petty stuff is timeless. He's in pretty good voice still.