Rainbow Awards Cover Contest

[reviews_and_ramblings]

This is a warning and a request to play fair: I closed the poll for Round 14. For the last two months, and exactly from October 17, an internal fight started during the polls, week after week. I don't know if you realized it, but I think there were at least 2 opposite sides, and they continued to vote to have "their cover" ahead of the other one. Now if the votes were coming for all the covers, maybe more on one cover, a little less on other covers, that would be normal. But ALL the votes for only one cover and then ALL the vote for the other cover? No sorry, I see something that is not right here. Plus sincerely, I don't like that many of the accounts voting were opened right at the moment to vote for a cover and let it go through the elimination poll.

I kindly warned people and introduced the Jury to help me rebalancing the situation and those people got even more angrier... When I investigated on the reason, the only explanation I got was, "we want to support the author we like". Guys, this is a wrong answer for all kinf of reasons, first of all this is a COVER contest, not an AUTHOR contest, and you haven't to vote a cover for the author but for the artist. By the way I have the evidence, no questionable, that at least 4 accounts belonged to the same IP address, many cover didn't pass the rounds for less than 4 votes.

So sorry, but I'm really tired, and almost harrassed, and I decided to give it a stop. I closed the poll, the final 10 covers will be decided on the total amount of votes at yesterday night on ALL the 14 polls plus the votes of the Jury for the last 5 rounds. I will not invalidate votes, not even the ones from the same IP addresses since actually, I cannot determine if they maybe weren't using the same internet point. But please don't consider me a fool and if you are not right on your complaints, DON'T make them.

I ask you to play fair on the next poll: 10 covers, you can vote 3, but please vote the ARTIST, please help me in making this contest a serious thing, otherwise next year I will not host it. I will open the poll on Sunday, meanwhile, if you have question, comment here.

Comments

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

> is there a way to blur out the author names?

ah well, I didn't think at that but it can be an idea for next year.

[evila-elf.livejournal.com]

It would also be fun to blur out the titles, but that would be way too time consuming

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

And sometime the titles are part of the cover art itself.

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

I don't much care if I tick cheaters off. It's much like e-book pirates--they're angry because they got caught. Too damned bad.

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

I don't think masking the author would make any difference--the people who gang-vote do so because they're going for a specific title, and they already know that.

Maybe requiring that all voters be registered before the start of the voting? That would block last-minute bogus accounts.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

The locking of the account will help me to at least avoid most of the bogus accounts.

[elizaben.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to read about that. I hope it doesn't discourage you, especially since the problem voters were a minority.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

At this moment I'm thinking on a way to avoid the same situation in the future, but not yet to stop

[swquill.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to hear about this, Elisa. It's like a slap in the face after all your hard work. It's shocking the lengths some people will go to.

Harking back to the few comments made about the recent ARe contest - I entered this and it never even occurred to me that some might cheat (naive I guess) and when I discovered what a certain author was doing I contacted ARe expecting some action of some kind, only to be told they considered it 'acceptable promotion'. I do believe they have changed their minds since though as they did receive a lot of complaints. Just wish they'd seen how unfair it was before they awarded the prize!

I'm not at all surprised you are doing your best to make your contests as fair as possible, Elisa.

Stevie

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Thank you Stevie. Truth be told, I'm in an easier position than ARe, but yes, I prefer to take action now than having people dismissing the contest later since the result was not fair.

[devonrhodes.livejournal.com]

I'm just baffled as to what these people were thinking (and yes, I've considered that they weren't). It was a very telling statement to say they were supporting their fave author...but that's not what this contest was about--it was a chance for those angels behind the scenes, the COVER ARTISTS to have their moment. I'm a huge fan of the awards you put on, as you know Elisa, and participate in all the voting possible. And it irks me that a few people have tainted this round (and possibly others) for the artists' sakes. I would hate to lose this event! But I don't blame you for feeling as you do, not one bit. ((hugs)) Dev

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I think to have found a way to "save" the contest. People will vote with comments, so I can log the IP address and they will have to choose 3 covers, so if they are here only to "support" an author, at least they have to recognize the work of other 2 artists ;-) I can be devilish...

[luvenck.livejournal.com]

I would be interested to know if the explanation was forwarded to you with the results found.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Don't start this, it's better. If you had your proves and your were completely out of any cheating, maybe I could have considered them. But you used 4 accounts (and maybe more), you voted and commented with that accounts playing the role of different person. I cannot trust anything you say since your behavior cannot support your words.

[luvenck.livejournal.com]

I explained to the other person, and I was hoping she would have explained to you. They were my granddaughters. Those 3 accounts ARE DELETED.(Just double-check) with LJ. I was trying to be nice here. I don't want to continue down this road. I hope my sincere apology is accepted. There is no other accounts. I had someone come in from the company of our service, and they checked out everything in my computer. I am so sorry, as I had no idea the kids were behind this. The "Vampire" name should had clued me in.
I guess I am still confused why you would think I'd be foolish enough to ask the same questions by different names, when I had ALL the answers from you already? But, they are DELETED. We will have no other trouble from them. I am so very sorry, Elise. Please accept my apology and we can go forward from here.

So Sorry for all this heartache.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

No, no one told me of any granddaughter. Again, and I think it's the third time, I will accept another explanation. Round 14 basically didn't exist. Round 15 has all 15 covers and people are voting through comment and not poll. They have to choose 3 covers, I cannot believe that in 15 covers out of more than 500 people cannot find 3 covers they like. In this way, I hope, any action to stuffing the ballot will be avoided.