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| Jan-16-13 | | Abdel Irada: Admins: For next year's competition, I'd like to suggest a new category: Best Punster. (I'd suggest Most Prolific Punster, but we all know who'd win that award hands-down.) |
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| Jan-16-13 | | Colonel Mortimer: You can't control the voters, but you can control the votes:) |
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| Jan-16-13 | | Colonel Mortimer: Or maybe scrap the Caissars altogether..
Actually a valid point - there may be those that feel that this site is unwelcoming - due to parochial chumminess and mutual elevation. ..and I'm not sure that I would be the first to wonder about that. |
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| Jan-16-13 | | Abdel Irada: <Actually a valid point - there may be those that feel that this site is unwelcoming - due to parochial chumminess and mutual elevation.> I'm not in favor of summarily scrapping the Caissars because of it, but that problem is a real one, and occasionally discouraging to those not yet incorporated into the social networks. I've noticed that if one offers criticism — however mild and well-merited — to certain popular users, one will be silently ostracized. This makes carrying on a principled debate virtually impossible. The feeling is rather like that of moving into a small and close-knit town where one is expected to "go along to get along." This way corruption lies. |
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Jan-16-13
 | | SwitchingQuylthulg: I vote <Phony Benoni> for Best Historian. When it comes to supporting one's friends in the Caissars overly much, while it may remain a problem, the situation is much better than it was several years ago. In the past, we've seen people organizing voting cliques trying to push friendly candidates through in many categories; there's been nothing like that this time. Most of those clique candidates were highly qualified, so there was plenty of actual merit involved, but the process still left somewhat of a bad taste in the mouths of many independent observers. Also, keep in mind that people tend to seek friends among those they respect and appreciate, and voting for such people is both right and natural. Mostly, even when voters support their friends they are voting based on merit... but it has to be said there's been one vote this year that really seriously makes you wonder. |
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| Jan-16-13 | | Abdel Irada: <...it has to be said there's been one vote this year that really seriously makes you wonder.> I know there are one or two choices that make *me* wonder. Which one makes you wonder? |
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| Jan-16-13 | | crawfb5: I vote for <Phony Benoni> for Best Historian. I vote for <Mira, Mira on the Wall, Houska Fairest of Them All?> for Best/Worst Pun. |
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| Jan-16-13 | | Colonel Mortimer: ..The <Stroganoff Page> for those who have too weak a stomach for liberated discussion. ..The <Insult Page> for those who perhaps feel that life is all about agreeing:) Such fragile crystals we are surrounded by..
However, and this is what it is called - whether you are week-at-the-knee folks or indomitable debaters - The Kenneth Rogoff Page |
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Jan-16-13
| | SwitchingQuylthulg: <Abdel Irada: I know there are one or two choices that make *me* wonder. Which one makes you wonder?> Out of respect to the voter - and I do respect the voter - I will not say which one it is; in any case, there's little to be gained from doing so. Suffice it to say it does not involve you in any way, and that quite a few people here would have found the vote more appropriate had the category been turned upside down :) |
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| Jan-16-13 | | Colonel Mortimer: <SwitchingQuylthulg:> <In the past, we've seen people organizing voting cliques trying to push friendly candidates through in many categories; there's been nothing like that this time.> Ok, I know people email each other privately on this site - and there are not an inconsiderable amount of back discussions. I myself have had the misfortune of being privy to some of them. What makes you think matters are different now? |
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| Jan-16-13 | | bubuli55: My vote. Best puns < Mira Mira on the Wall, Houska Fairest of Them All? (H Mira vs J Houska, 2007) > and < Control Ault Delete > |
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| Jan-16-13 | | bubuli55: My vote. Best historian. <"All Bistro Biographers collectively" > |
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Jan-16-13
| | SwitchingQuylthulg: <Colonel Mortimer> You're right, it <could> be happening - but there's no evidence, whether direct or indirect, that it is. Most of the winners - and their main challengers, too - have enjoyed widespread support, not just a heap of votes from one corner... and certainly not the same corner every time. Even where patterns can be seen (<Softpaw> receiving tons of votes for Most Informed from the Rogoff page, for instance) they are very easily explained (being highly respected by many Rogoff page regulars, he'll receive plenty of votes without needing any organized efforts to support him; indeed, he came close to winning Most Informed last year). By looking at what former lobbyists and "party leaders" are doing now, we can clearly see they aren't at it this year. Finally, given that voting cliques and lobbying are not forbidden (although lobbying in this forum <is> forbidden), it would be much more effective to lobby openly - which, indeed, we've seen plenty of in the past. Certainly many people vote for their friends, but they seem to do so independently. Since (as already noted) even votes for friends tend to be based largely on actual merit, just because known acquaintances support the same candidate does not mean they've agreed (or been persuaded) to do so. |
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| Jan-16-13 | | Colonel Mortimer: <SwitchingQuylthulg:> Thanks, you make some good points. |
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| Jan-16-13 | | hms123: Vote
Best Historian <crawfb5> Best Pun <control-ault-delete> |
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| Jan-16-13 | | wordfunph: my vote..
Best Historian <jessicafischerqueen> |
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Jan-16-13
 | | chancho: I vote <Jessicafischerqueen> for best historian |
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| Jan-16-13 | | mightor: <Abdel Irada: I know there are one or two choices that make *me* wonder.> Are you referring to <Southpaw> who won in the category you nominated yourself for? |
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| Jan-16-13 | | mightor: I vote <twinlark> for best historian |
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Jan-16-13
 | | WannaBe: My vote for Best Historian: <All Bistro Biographers collectively>. My Vote for Best/Worst Pun: <The $10,000 Game> I know that initially my nomination of the Bistro was for Constructive, but later realized it would be better served as Historian Section. |
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| Jan-16-13 | | Travis Bickle: I vote for <Benzol> for Best Historian. I vote for <control-ault-delete> for Best Pun. |
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| Jan-16-13 | | chesstoplay: My Votes:
Best Historian < crawfb5 > Best Pun < control-ault-delete > TY! |
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Jan-16-13
 | | Annie K.: I vote for <All Bistro Biographers collectively> for Best Historian. I vote for <In Soviet Russia Bishop Takes Pawn> for Best (Worst) Pun. |
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| Jan-16-13 | | Once: Let's not devalue awards that have been fairly won and well deserved. I can't see any winners here that we could or should quibble about. For best/worst pun, I vote for <Mira Mira on the Wall, Houska Fairest of Them All?> A rare example of a double pun, playing the names of both players. |
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| Jan-16-13 | | DcGentle: I vote for <All Bistro Biographers collectively> for Best Historian. I vote for <Vas Right Wing Conspiracy> for Best (Worst) Pun. |
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