MM's IBPC Nomination Poll for Sep (Oct comp), Votes are Anonymous - poll closes on Sep 28th Options

[Cleo_Serapis]

The time has arrived to choose the three poems that we'd like to represent MM in the October IBPC competition. I've set the poll up to allow you three votes (as separate questions) - the numbering rank does not matter in this POLL as we we net all cumulative votes from the three questions.

Please click on the reply that has the url's in the poem titles to re-read them all and then kindly select your three choices. PLEASE DO NOT CHOOSE THE SAME POEM THREE TIMES - choose three different poems.

The three poems with the highest cumulative number of votes will be chosen. In the case of a tie, the staff of MM will break it with a separate poll.

Just a reminder that in all our POLLS, your votes will remain anonymous so PLEASE, DO cast your votes today! This poll will close on September 28th.




The following poems have been nominated and 'accepted for nomination' by the authors for the October IBPC competition:


Ghost Under the Eaves by Kathleen Vibbert


The Last Bus Home by Judith Anne Labriola


Chime of Life by Lorraine M. Kanter


Out of View by Elizabeth DiBenedetto


Wedding Night by Mariana Snyman


Realities by Susan Eckenrode


The Crows by Eira Needham



Best of luck all.
~Cleo

[Cleo_Serapis]

I see the trend is continuing here 3 months in a row now folks.

I'm very disappointed that someone continues to vote for the same poem more than once even though our rules clearly state to choose 3 DIFFERENT POEMS. I've mentioned this the last two months in a row and obviously, whomever this person or people are, doesn't seem to care that they are being unfair to the rest if the membership. I'm going to have to take measures now and change the polling process next month because of this and only allow ONE vote per member.

With 6 voters tallied this morning earlier, Last Bus Home had (2) votes total. Now with 3 more voters, it has (7) - which is IMPOSSIBLE unless someone voted for it more than once as it shoudl only have a total of (5) votes assuming the 3 newest voters all chose it as one of their selections.

Ghost Under the Eaves [ 3 ] *was 2 after 6 votes

The Last Bus Home [ 7 ] *was 2 after 6 votes

Chime of Life [ 5 ] *was 3 after 6 votes

Out of View [ 2 ] *was 1 after 6 votes

Wedding Night [ 3 ] unchanged

Realities [ 3 ] unchanged

The Crows [ 4 ] unchanged


To be fair, the voting count is actually 5 at most for Last Bus Home.

[Judi]

Dear Lori,

I beg to differ with you, but I voted several days ago, and I had 5 then. Also, if you total the amount of votes up for each 1/3 there are exactly 11 votes in each which means that 11 people voted 3 times. I know I had 7 yesterday, and another vote today, making 8. ... I know For sure that I voted for three different people. Judi...

[Cleo_Serapis]

Hi Judi.

Thanks for your reply. I try to update the staff forum's polling tally each time votes are added. The last time I had done so was after 6 members had voted, which is what you see above, a total of 18 votes (3 each) with 2 each for Last Bus Home & Ghost Under the Eaves, 3 each for Wedding Night, Chime of Life and Realities, 1 for Out of View and 4 for Crows = 18 total/6 members. The next time I looked at the poll, 3 more members placed their votes and the only edits I made to the Tally's I've noted:
Ghost Under the Eaves [ 3 ] *was 2 after 6 votes - 1 more vote added

The Last Bus Home [ 7 ] *was 2 after 6 votes - 5 more votes added (impossible when only 3 more members voted).

Chime of Life [ 5 ] *was 3 after 6 votes - 2 more votes added

Out of View [ 2 ] *was 1 after 6 votes - 1 more vote added, for a total of 9 additional votes after 3 more members did it.

I can only assume when it had 5 votes, that you looked at the poll when the 7th or 8th member placed their votes. When I looked at it, 9 members voted and it changed from 2 to 7 somewhere after 6 members and 9 members, which again can only happen if one of them voted for it multiple times as it should have had only a max of 5 at that point assuming all 3 voted for it as one of their selections.

When you replied last night, 2 more members voted, now totaling 11/33 votes. So Last Bus Home now sits at 8 votes (technically 6 votes). I need to edit my tally again to account for the 2 additional members for all poems.

I do appreciate your reply. I'm just frustrated to see this trend - it isn't fair to the membership when someone doesn't follow the rules. Everyone will end up losing in the end if I make a drastic change to the polling process and because of what - one dishonest person?

I'll get off my soapbox now...
Lori

[Judi]

Lori,

I don't know how you talley them, I only know this is very embarrassing for me, because I have had 8 votes for at least 2 days, and because I KNOW I voted for 3 different poems, and if you want to know which ones, I will be happy to tell you in email. I would ask that if anyone voted more than once for my poem, to reply to this thread.

It could very well be someone new who doesn't understand the voting rules. There have been a lot of "newbies" these last few months. I would not mind losing 3 votes under those circumstances...Does this mean we have 3 dishonest people? You mentioned one before...I am so confused and distressed about this.

Also, I looked at all remarks for the last 3 months, and don't see you remarking on the talley being off..was it further back then 3 months? Again, I am confused, and I have to say that I am also distressed that several people have put me in this situation, however well meaning they were.

I think that the one vote per person is a great idea, Lori...it would eliminate the problem, and spare people embarrassment from something like this happening.

Respectfully, Judi

[Cleo_Serapis]

Hi Judi,

It is possible that it's a newbie however, the rules are clearly stated above in BOLD RED right there in the POLL > > ? ? ? ?

This is in no meant to be personal to YOU at all - please re-read what I wrote above. I take the votes to date each time I have a chance to log in and summarize them. At 6 members, there were 2, at 9 members there were 7 (which is two many too much). If all 3 added members who voted 7, 8 & 9 had picked that poem - the honest tally would have been 5 at that point, now 6. I am not questioning which ones you personally chose.

We mai have to change the voting - most of the other boards of IBPC actually only do allow eitehr one vote per member OR they only allow their staff to decide. I wanted to let our members decide, but if the rules cannot be followed, well, I'm left with one of the other options. It's shame really - because it is only harming the polling and whomever it is - isn't being fair to the other poets/poems that are in the poll.

I'm at work so cannot check - but I DO know that this is the third time in our polls this has happened. I'll check later if you like and reply.

[Judi]

Lori, I would have no objection to having a revote, with each having only 1 vote...that way everyone can vote for the poems they want to vote for....if I lose votes that way, I won't feel cheated.

I wonder if anyone else has noticed how long I have had 8 votes...I am sure some
one whose poems are there to be voted on would know, and I have had them longer
then you mention..! This is what I am trying to tell you...I know this for sure..I was showing my neighbor our Forum the other night (Monday Night) and showed her our Forum...and she saw how many votes I had also.

Judi

[AMETHYST]

Hello Judi,

I have just read through these last few post and specifically your most recent response to Lori and thought perhaps I might lend a hand in clarifying the situation.

First we certainly are not saying it is you who has done this. This is the 3rd polling to have someone place ALL 3 OF THEIR VOTES on the same poem. Because this month it happens to be your poem, doesn't mean anyone would think it was you. With that cleared up -

the second issue is someone is voting for 1 poem using all their 3 votes. Unfortunately, it detracts from the reason Lori polls it for 3 separate votes. When voting in Vote 1 area, that doesn't mean that takes first place ... as none of the poem take any place in our polls. It is just a simple and (on everyone's honor) way of selecting our 3 poems to submit to IBPC each month.

Sometimes we have so many great poems nominated that I find myself almost in tears, biting my nails and twirling my hair trying to decide which 3. I wish I could choose 4 sometimes. On that note, if we are forced to make our polling as a 1 vote for choice of best poem, the task will even be harder - just looking at these poems nominated here - I never vote for my own so that is an easy given, but there were 5 poems that I felt (deeply believed) they should go to IBPC ... but only 3 can go. So the one poem I felt was a shoe in I voted for first ... when I got down to the last vote, it must have taken me more than 2 hours going back and forth to and from my computer- walking a path way from my desk to my patio trying to decide which of the remaining 3 would do it... (Finally I just wrote them on a paper, closed my eyes and jabbed the paper with a pencil, many times till it fell on to one and waaaalaaaa) I made my 3rd vote. So can you imagine how difficult it will be to make 1 vote.

Lori puts all her energy, time and expertise in monitoring and tallying these monthly votes. It is clear that someone has voted for your poem using all of their 3 votes. That is a compliment to your poem and I certainly don't think you have any need to feel that anyone thnks it was you.

However, whoever it may be needs to reconsider disrupting the process. The voting process here is not to make 1 poem take a first place position, but to help us pick 3 poems to send to IBPC from a list of EXCELLENT poems (one just as powerful as the next) -

So to whoever continues to place 3 votes for 1 poem - Please refrain from doing this - As a member, you are suppose to be supportive to everyone's and each month our nominations are beaming with exceptional talent, skill and deserve consideration... It is the most fair way to do the polling ...

Otherwise, the other options are voting for 1 poem or making the polling a staff only decision. I know Lori has always been more leaning toward keeping the membership active with all polling, decisions, changes and possibilities pertaining every aspect of MM - I know that is not an avenue she is looking toward, however it may come to that along the way.




Hugs, Liz

[Judi]

Liz,

Thanks for your Input, and I believe that Lori does a great job with this board and I have nothing but the utmost respect for her doing so. I don't know how you would feel if it was your poem...perhaps like I do...

I will say that I do vote 1 vote for my own poem...and 2 votes for others....(a teacher of mine told me years ago, that if you don't believe in your own abilities, you shouldn't be in a position to be voted on.)..and I THINK that most others vote one vote for themselvs also...that should not make anything different on the poll and it is fulfilling the requirement for voting on 3 different poems, so that has nothing to do with the problem we have now. I am just caught between being flattered that someone liked the poem so much they voted for it more than once, or if someone is just trying to cause problems. This is not a good place to be in. I had thought about retracting the poem, but I did nothing wrong...so I will go along with whatever you decide to do...it is your board. I feel badly that this had to happen because I really like it here.
Judi

[Cleo_Serapis]

Hi Judi,

As to your query, on Monday morning, there were 6 members who had placed votes and at that point in time, your poem had 2 votes (see my above tally from a few replies ago). The changes happened later that day/evening when the 3 additional members had placed votes which bumped it up to 7 votes (wehich again, should onlt have made it 5 max). Then one additional vote was added late last night making it now 8 (really 6). I am extremely congnisent of the changes made to the poll as I update the tally in a staff only forum as often as I log in and notice more votes posted.

You shouldn't feel bad or retract anything - it's not your issue to resolve, it's mine. I will be posting some 'thoughts' on this in Nero's News in the next day or two for additional feedback.

[AMETHYST]

Liz,

Thanks for your Input, and I believe that Lori does a great job with this board and I have nothing but the utmost respect for her doing so. I don't know how you would feel if it was your poem...perhaps like I do...

Hi Judi,

I understand how it may make someone feel weird abit, what I am trying to say is that "if it happened to my poem, I don't know how I would feel about someone doing that, but I know I wouldn't feel guilty or responsible as I would know I hadn't done it. That is what I am trying to say, there is no need to defend yourself or anyone else, as no one is pointing a finger at anyone, we're just making it clear this is happening and we're asking 'whoever' is doing it please DON'T.

I will say that I do vote 1 vote for my own poem...and 2 votes for others....(a teacher of mine told me years ago, that if you don't believe in your own abilities, you shouldn't be in a position to be voted on.)..and I THINK that most others vote one vote for themselvs also...

I don't frown on others voting on their own work! I think for most they do and should. I only brought up my own process, first because I am an adminster to the site and like to give other members my votes, second because it visually can show just how difficult it can be to pick 1 poem from all of the poems nominated because most are so vital and worthy.

Anyway as for retracting or anything else - no need: what happens in this instance is that the person, who did this, loses their 2 votes because they can nolonger be counted. So instead of showing praise to 3 members and their work, this member is only validating the 1 vote. I guess they haven't realized this is NOT a RACE between poems, but poll to see which poems will go off to the IBPC competition.

Well, let's all get back to work... I've been working on a poem or two and hopefully my block will have been moved away ... so come on Judi, Lori and everyone and let's get our poetry out there! YEAH YEAH! :)

Hugs, Liz

[Judi]

I don't frown on others voting on their own work! I think for most they do and should. I only brought up my own process, first because I am an adminster to the site and like to give other members my votes, second because it visually can show just how difficult it can be to pick 1 poem from all of the poems nominated because most are so vital and worthy.

Liz, I agree that it is more "proper" for an administrator to try to remain separate from the voting process. I post on my own board at Euphoria, but Never include my work in any contests that we have. I don't feel a bit guilty about this, for as you say, I didn't do anything to feel guilty about, but I am upset that this it putting me in an unfair position...I will just have to bite the bullet and take the loss and try to convince myself that this is fair...if that is what it takes I will do it, and hope whoever it is that has cost me several votes is happy about it. Judi

[AMETHYST]

but I am upset that this it putting me in an unfair position...I will just have to bite the bullet and take the loss and try to convince myself that this is fair...if that is what it takes I will do it, and hope whoever it is that has cost me several votes is happy about it. Judi

Hi Judi,

I am not going to get into this any further because I don't think this is that much of a big deal. However, I cannot see where any of this is putting you into an unfair position, and I cannot see your loss or where you need to convince yourself that this is fair.

It happens to be your poem that someone added 2 votes more than they should have. That said, you cannot lose 2 votes that were not given fairly. The deducting of 2 votes that SHOULD NOT have been voted onto that poem is not costing you any of your fairly received votes. So I am quite left confused as to your thinking it is costing you and you are losing and it is unfair to you --

Your amount of votes received is the exact amount of votes had this person not added all 3 of their votes to your poem. So you have not lost anything, your voting status is exactly where is should be.

I wish there was something more I can say to clarify this fact. It is pretty simple -

if my poem had

3 votes
and Lori came into the voting and voted for my poem with all 3 votes
that tally would show 6 votes - what my tally should be is 4 votes (1 of her votes would be rightfully mine the other 2 were against the poll rules/regulations so there fore is not mine to keep or lose....)

Hugs, Liz

[Cleo_Serapis]

Congratulations all.

Here are the results:

Ghost Under the Eaves [ 7 ]

The Last Bus Home [ *11 ] *Actual tally = 9 due to one member voting all 3 votes for this poem

Chime of Life [ 11 ]

Out of View [ 8 ]

Wedding Night [ 5 ]

Realities [ 10 ]

The Crows [ 8 ]

Total Votes and Members: 60/20


Our three selections to represent MM for October are:

Chime of Life by Cleo_Serapis (Lorraine M. Kanter) - 11 votes

Realities by heartsong7 (Susan Eckenrode) - 10 votes

The Last Bus Home by Judi (Judith Anne Labriola) - 9 votes

Congrats!