Week 10 Voting

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

The first thing we need to deal with today is the bye-outs. Individuals who are out of byes and who missed posting a topic this week.

It's a smaller list than it has been the past couple of weeks, but no less of a sad one.

Leaving us this week are:


ageofscorpio
fleeceblankie
sherriola

Which brings us to 117 current contestants.

*smiles* Congratulations Top 117. I really hope you took my advice and *proved* that you belonged to be in the Top Half. I saw at least one person who deciphered what I was saying there - and imagine that a few others did as well. Because the answer to your next question of "Where is the poll?" is THERE ISN'T ONE THIS WEEK.

It's the GATEKEEPER ROUND

One of the things that I hear most often is "Why don't you have a panel of judges to weed through the contestants early on?" The Gatekeepers are that panel. Hand selected individuals that I trust to give me their honest opinions on what they see working, and what they don't. Every season there comes a time when I hand over things to people that I trust, to make the best possible decisions about who will be going forward.

(Note for clarification particularly for newbies: Once the Gatekeeper round is concluded I will announce, and thank, them in a public post. They will then comment as much or little, depending on their personal preference, about their decision making process. I don't even let Gatekeepers know *for sure* who the others are until I announce it to everyone.)

We don't do this early on, because no one is really ready for it early on. You are getting to know the process and each other. At Week 10? At Week 10 you should know to bring something you are happy with each and every week. You know that anything can happen and you might be going home at any time.

Compared to other eliminations, this one is going to be fairly on the brutal side.

I'm not going to lie about that. The Gatekeeper round always is. How many are going? I'll be honest- I've given them discretion. (like every other vote they vote FOR an entry, not against.)

I would say though that the chances are very, very good that at the end of this we will be at our Top 100.

I've given them until Monday evening to make their determinations. If I get in all of their votes before that point though, I will be posting them.

Good luck to all of you.

(The entries themselves - for people wanting to catch up and read for yourselves: http://www.ljidol.info/joomla15/current/topic-10-open-topic.html . Thanks to our friends at .info)