Green Room - Week 36 - Day 18

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

For those of you waiting for confirmation emails from me – don’t worry, they are coming later today. I have about 10 of them currently sitting in my inbox from the last 24 hours. If you sent it *before* that… well, then there might be a problem! ;)

For those of you *not* waiting for confirmation emails – what’s wrong with you???

Well, let’s be real – that “what’s wrong with you” pretty much applies to anyone who comes around here for any length of time! ;)

I will remind people though – because there seems to be a little confusion: there are THREE DIFFERENT sets of voting going on… the poll: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/595911.html, Gatekeepers, and the contestant/Home Gamer for Week 36 only.

How do you know if you are eligible to vote in any of these?

The poll: Are you a member of the community? No? Then join it. Now you are. I’ve seen LJ remove some votes in the past when you leave the community – so I’d stick around after the fact. (There was someone a few weeks ago advocating the “join, vote and leave” strategy. I know some people don’t want an extra group on their feed… and so it seems like a way of easing them into the process… but the whole point is getting fresh faces through the door. Which means I’m not a fan of that tactic.)

Gatekeepers – Have I emailed you about being a Gatekeeper? Yes. Then you are one. Did I not? Then you are not. It’s not personal, and there’s no sign up list. I appreciate the interest. But it’s not to be right now. However, you *can* still vote in the community only poll http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/595911.html and potentially in the Contestant Only one! (see below)

Contestant Only/Home Gamers vote – Are you a current contestant? Yes? Then you can vote. No? Did you submit a Home Game entry for Week 36? Yes? Then you can vote! No? Sorry, you are not eligible to vote in that particular poll. However, you *can* still vote in the community only poll http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/595911.html !

Did you go to college thanks to Social Security benefits after losing your Father – but now want to make sure that no one else can do that by cutting them? You may not be eligible for a special poll, but you could potentially be VP!

Comments

Ummm...

[drjeff.livejournal.com]

... hello!

Re: Ummm...

[drjeff.livejournal.com]

Oh, c'mon, I wasn't even trying!

Re: Ummm...

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

Holy Sh*t... it's the Ghost of Idol Past!!!!

Where have you been, young man???

Re: Ummm...

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

Why hello there!!!!

Welcome back :)

Re: Ummm...

[myrna-bird.livejournal.com]

Yay for the first and nice to see you here.

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

What's wrong with me? People have been asking that for ages...

But my votes will be in this evening since I'll be at work until the deadline tomorrow (story of my life...)

No worries, I'm voting. Have I ever missed a contestant-only vote? I don't think so! I need to finish reading. Since I read most as they went up (without commenting much), it's just about reading a few more.

This whole voting thing scares me :/

[n3m3sis42.livejournal.com]

This voting thing scares me too. I finished reading this afternoon! Now to wait...

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

What's wrong with me? I started my Monday covered in hot cat barf. Hows about you?

At least I finally got my vote in last night.

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

Ack.... Not a good way to start Monday! I'm sorry!

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

Oy. Yeah, that's a rough way to start the day. Been there, done that. I hope the day goes nowhere but up from here!

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

Eww! I got my votes submitted around 1:30 am!! I was determined to get them done and I did. Phew!

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

What's wrong with me? Hmmmm... alphabetically or order of importance?

It's hot here. Intense heat always makes me crabby. As a result, I've already exhausted my supply of "Give a F**k" on this Monday morning. I supose the good thing is that I sucked it up and tamed the front lawn on Friday... barely surviving heat stroke I might add... and won't have to do it today. So yay for that?

But it was another wonderful weekend with my dear pixie117. So woo hooo for that! It was just too short as they all are. Need to finish reading entries and submitting my votes tonight!

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

So who wants to diagnose my taillight issue? It's not the fuse. It was fixed before I had my car inspected back in May, and I didn't know it went out again until I was pulled over a few days ago. All the other lights work, no problem. It's not the bulb either :headdesk:

I'm making this (http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/lemon_herb_chicken_vegetables.html) for dinner tonight. Who's coming over?

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

Is there perhaps a bad wire? If the problem isn't electrical and everything else is working, there may be a bad/stripped out wire perhaps?

And I'm boarding a plane now, hope I'll make it in time for dinner!

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

I'm with Java... But I'm car stupid. :/

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

I got everything read and my votes tallied and submitted at 1:30 am! I am pooped but otherwise glad to have gotten through everything! Phew!

What's wrong with me? I'm sleep deprived, lazy, and usually very laissez-Faire about things, which makes for excellent blood pressure readings but not much else, lol.

[caile.livejournal.com]

That is a superb icon.

[ashgaelsonaria.livejournal.com]

Ha. I finnished early. I even.added junk and have a photos only post on my li - art deco junk.
As to what's wrong with me you really should elaborate on that question cause
1. There's the medical wroung with me crud
2. Then there's the issue of non medical which would depend entirely on who you asked.

Personally I would go with the generally looser answer. But that's just an opinion

[lilycobalt.livejournal.com]

I finished up my voting. I have somewhat of a rec list: my favorite entry from each of the Top 7.

alycewilson: Date Night (http://alycewilson.livejournal.com/478391.html).
java_fiend: Explode (http://java-fiend.livejournal.com/439087.html).
milk_and_glass: Pointing the Right Direction (http://milk-and-glass.livejournal.com/623988.html).
n3m3sis42: Patchwork (http://n3m3sis42.livejournal.com/1125705.html).
notodette: Pinnacle (http://notodette.livejournal.com/737942.html).
pixie117: Patchwork (http://pixie117.livejournal.com/680174.html).
whipchick: The Bakery (http://whipchick.livejournal.com/21077.html).

Excellent entries, everyone. I am not looking forward to eliminations D:

[n3m3sis42.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all the time you took in reading and commenting. :D

[alien-infinity.livejournal.com]

What's wrong with me? Hordes of certified professionals have had trouble figuring THAT one out! :P

[n3m3sis42.livejournal.com]

*waves at Alien's treatment team*

Let Me Get Real for a Minute Here...

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

I know that the subject of pimping is something that comes up every season. Different people have different thoughts on the subject. When I first joined Idol, I fell into the “pimping sucks” crowd. During that season, I was shown the… error of that sort of thinking. Now I see it for what it is… a tool that helps us in the polls yes, but more than that, it’s a tool used to promote this game we all say we love so much. Personally, I *do* love this game and this community that much. I want to see new people come in and fall in love with the game and the community, make it the vibrant place it is.

Idol doesn’t exist in a vacuum, it needs fresh bodies to keep the blood flowing and keep it lively and fresh. Bringing in new people puts new eyes on our work which, if we’re serious about writing, is ultimately what we want… to broaden and deepen our potential reading audience and to hopefully, help us grow and improve as writers.

Though, it appears that perhaps I’m being a bit naïve and idealistic with that belief.

I’ve seen over the last few weeks, as the competition has heated up some, a tactic that I find absolutely abhorrent. I’ve seen the plea to “join the community, vote for me and then unjoin the community” played out and personally, it disgusts me.

Does it violate any rules? Sadly, it doesn’t. Does it violate the spirit of the rules we do have? I personally believe it does.

What does that sort of tactic gain the community other than netting you a few votes? Absolutely nothing. Sure, it can push you through another poll and maybe that’s all that matters to you. And if that’s the case, I think that’s pretty sad. Pathetic even.

Look, at this stage of the game, we’re *all* thinking the “what-if’s” about winning and playing out a million different scenarios if only in our heads. And various strategies are being played out. It’s Idol, strategies are a part of the game. But if your strategy is to implore people to join the community solely for the purpose of voting for *you* and then leave the community right after they’ve done their duty… and asking them to tell their friends and their friends of friends to do the same thing… I think that is pathetically weak and absolutely Bush League. If you have to ask for people *YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW* to come in and pull your ass out of a fire, perhaps you’re not nearly as “deserving” of being in this stage of the game as you believe yourself to be and should maybe reassess that claim. To manipulate the poll by using a Bush League tactic like that, to me, is a slap in the face to everybody that’s played this game. Though perhaps some don’t see anything wrong with that tactic… and I suppose that says a lot about how they approach the game and the community as a whole. *shrugs*

My personal hope is that more people see this farce being created… namely, the contestant/jury voters as well as the Gatekeepers and run their ass out on a rail.

But maybe it’ll be my ass run out on a rail for approaching the subject this way. Gary mentioned it so I figured I’d throw my two cents in the pot. But my personal belief is that we should all be striving to make this community the warm, welcoming and fantastic place it’s always been. And if you’re encouraging, even begging people who have no connection and no intention to connect to this game but are merely pawns doing your bidding to get you ahead and help you “win”, then you’re not leaving this a better place. And if not, why are you even here? Oh yeah, to win.

There are more important things in life and in this game than “winning.” But hey, there I am being all naïve and idealistic again. Pimping is one thing. Enlisting the help of people you don't even know to help you advance is another animal entirely. But if those are the depths one feels they must stop to in order to “win” this game, well… congrats and I hope they enjoy a “victory” as pathetic and hollow is it surely will be.

Re: Let Me Get Real for a Minute Here...

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

Based on the vote as it stands, I don't think you have anything to worry about!

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

(There was someone a few weeks ago advocating the “join, vote and leave” strategy. I know some people don’t want an extra group on their feed… and so it seems like a way of easing them into the process… but the whole point is getting fresh faces through the door. Which means I’m not a fan of that tactic.)

I always find these types of discussions interesting. What do people think is okay strategy wise, and what's not cool with them? What about pimping? Is it anything goes, or what? I know we all have different views on right or wrong and I'm not judging anyone, I just think it opens up an interesting conversation.

So thoughts?

I'm not trying to cause drama or stir the pot any. I hope I make it clear that this is merely how I play the game.

My thoughts are as such. I am not going to pay attention to who does what or whatever. I also don't care what someone else does. I only know what I do and how I play the game.

The tactic mentioned above is not something I'm cool with personally doing, nor will I utilize it no matter how desperate I am. That's just me though. I'm all for helping the community grow and do well. I'm all for having fun. Would I love to win? Of course, I crave validation in my life and it would mean the world to me. However, I'm not one to want to win at all costs. I love having my friends join and play along, that brings me more joy than just poll numbers.

It also just seems to defeat the purpose for me when I'm hard enough on myself as it is. I want to feel like people want me to win more than anything else. It's about the validation more than the winning for me. There's no monetary prize, no book contract at the end....

It's about the community to me. I'd rather people tell me they'd like me to win and to not win rather than to win at all costs. It would mean the world to me to see other people fighting on my behalf willingly rather than bending every rule imaginable to make it one more round. Even if I didn't win, knowing that people liked me enough to fight for me would mean more than fighting to win for myself. Because honestly? I struggle with feeling like I'm worthy of anything. That's just me though.

It's also the main reason I very well could go out this week. If so? I'll be back next year to try all over again. Hopefully I've made some kind of impression and people like me, because honestly? It's all about people liking me more than anything.

If I win? That'll be the most amazing thing to happen because I've never won anything before and I tend to have low self-esteem. But it's not the only reason I'm here of course. Nor will it be the reason I stick around, winner or not.

I love it here, and I love watching Idol grow.

Everyone sees the game differently though, we all play differently and it means different things to us. And that's fine. I never hold it against anyone as long as it's not cheating. If I go out because of my own silly issues, so be it. I only have myself to blame, not anyone else and how they play.

[whipchick.livejournal.com]

I'm with you - I'm here to write.

Staying in this long=more writing. I'm terrible with getting work done unless I have a deadline, and I'm thrilled to have assignments and deadlines. I've promoted the community to my group of writing friends, and I hope some of them will join next year!

For me, getting new people to join the community is indeed self-serving, but in a way that goes beyond getting votes - these are now people who are invested in my work and want to read it, and to whom I can promote a collection of work, or a blog, or even a novel later on. You can bet I'm going to be scanning the community list for names I recognize when it comes time to promote future work - and I WANT those people in a place where I can collect names :)

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

What's wrong with me? I woke up with a headache, although I'm on vacation. I would be fooling myself if I didn't admit that a good portion of that is stressing over the vote.

This is the first I heard of a "join, vote, and leave" strategy, but I don't want to pick any fights with people I've truly begun to consider my friends. And yes, that means you. All of you. So please play nice, OK?

It always makes me wonder when votes for people jump up to the tune of 10 or more within a period of a couple hours, but I'd imagine a lot of factors may be involved: from people promoting the voting link to a group of people suddenly finishing the reading and placing their votes. Unfortunately, asking my personal group of friends for favors is a bit like herding cats through a marsh full of squirt guns, so any amount of "pimping" I've done seems to have amounted in a mere handful of votes.

I think I'm going to go enjoy a barbecue with my family and try to stop thinking about it!

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

::puts on some new age music and a pot of chammomile tea::


We have these conversations again and again. And it's been a stressful week and a half or so, and summer heat is hot, and we're getting close to the end.

People have different definitions and expectations of pimping. People have different definitions and applications of strategy. The rules are as open as they are because anything more restrictive would be impossible to enforce, and therefore meaningles.

Pimping is advertising for the community. There's a popularity and networking and marketing component, and SYTYCD is America's Favorite Dancer and not The Most Skilled or Well-Rounded Dancer.

I do think Gary has done a really good job this hell week at minimizing the random pimping impact. The poll is community only, which at least requires an additional step. Simultaneously there's a Gatekeeper round, which is much less likely to be influenced by popularity or personality, and the contestant/HG vote, which could be done strategically to some degree, but is again much less likely to be about popularity (and even as such there are only 20 community members involved. That's twenty actively involved people that balance against however-hundred-ish-many people vote in the poll).

So, while there's still the possibility of popularity voting, it's balanced with two other kinds of votes. (Plus the jury)

Some of us take this competition more seriously than others, and all of us disagree in various combinations on acceptable practices or which posts are better or which writers are more talented.

It's what makes Idol so unique. It's also what drives us crazy-er.

Because, as Gary said to someone yesterday or today, people look at the poll and think "X should have more votes than they do and why does Y have so many," and there are other people looking at the poll saying the same thing with different names in the variable spot.

Upthread there's a list of someone's (I forget who) favorite posts per person. I only agreed with them on one. We like different things. We see things differently.

Hang in there, everybody. We're almost at the end. Winter is coming. Group hugs. Kum ba ya. Have some tea.

[sarcasmoqueen.livejournal.com]

A pledge to whoever is left standing at the end of this round - unless Gary has a Hell Week, Part II, and has you all write 27 entries in 4 hours or some such thing, I am going to improve on my commenting. Commenting on 4 entries (or even 8 or 12) will be a lot easier than 100+...

Pimpage!

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

I'm going to post my favorite from each of the Top 7, as someone else has done, but they are all worth reading!

From alycewilson: Nostalgic: Days of Future Passed (http://alycewilson.livejournal.com/476462.html)
From java_fiend: Explode (http://java-fiend.livejournal.com/439087.html)
From milk_and_glass: Dedication: Rex's Story (http://milk-and-glass.livejournal.com/626941.html)
From n3m3sis42: Hold Your Tongue (http://n3m3sis42.livejournal.com/1123091.html)
From notodette: Explode (http://notodette.livejournal.com/741192.html)
From pixie117: Group Think (http://pixie117.livejournal.com/679097.html)
From whipchick: Waking Dream: Still (http://whipchick.livejournal.com/21683.html)

Re: Pimpage!

[notodette.livejournal.com]

Thank you!