Voting In The Contest

[northbeach]

How few the members vote. Something much discussed over the years yet still baffling that so many people post and view and yet so very few actually vote to determine the outcome...including people who find the time to participate in the contest but don't find the time to vote.

If you enter but don't vote why not? I would really like to have a sense of what stops people from participating in the voting.

If you don't enter and don't vote why not? You're part of this place.

I would like to encourage more people to participate and I hope we'll see voting numbers rise.

Sheila

[RTaylor]

I know I havent participated lately except for this week. So I never really noticed the counts in votes once they were revealed.

But I know when I was really busy, if I had time to pop in even once a week, I used to just quickly see whats up for voting, then pick my favorite and vote for it even though I didnt participate in any comments.

I already voted for the recent contest

Maybe some of the newer people who post pics havent made enough comments yet allowing them to vote?

[kasw3670]

point well made Sheila, and i only noticed this myself a few weeks back after a poll had ended. i think everybody who at least enters images into the competition has a duty to place a vote. i make sure i do every week, even on weeks when i have not entered images.

[pippafox]

good question..
i'm very glad of the opportunity to be able to vote - its a fun aspect to the site - i enjoy choosing my favourite image each week, and voting for it.
pippa

[TcJohnson]

Sheila, GreatTopic!

If more people were to get involved in the critiqueing and vote it does take 15 posts to comment and only 13 after you enter your images for the week. It could change the outcome of what is considered the top photo each week and if nothing else there voice would be heard. I make it a priority to choose and vote each week because, I for one like to see if I'm in tune and if my skills are improving at picking winners. Not just for byte but for myself in my own work. Practice is proven to make better results.

Tc

[skeuos]

Good thought for a topic, Sheila! I vote probably 90% of the time. I usually don't vote until the 3rd or 4th time I view the finalists because I want to go for the shot I really think is best. Once or twice, I think, that's bitten me in the rear as I've actually forgotten to come back and vote. And for the first 2 times I made finals, I abstained from voting; I haven't abstained since, though, and make it a point for voting now.

I do have one question (perhaps more for admin than anyone else here). It takes 15 posts to vote. Used to be that a comment on a photo counted as a vote, however lately it's only been forum posts that count (as recently noticed by Swackman), and so most odometers are stuck. This potentially blocks newcomers from voting as they don't post in the forums. Was this an intentional decision by admin, or a glitch that hasn't been noticed?

steve

[northbeach]

Steve, I hadn't noticed that point about how to get your comments counted.

I suspect it might be to try to make sure someone who registers is interested in being involved the whole of byte and not just here for the contest. I would be pretty easy to rack up fifteen by commenting.

I wonder if the rules make that really clear>

Sheila

[KHedquist]

I think there might be a misunderstanding about how many posts before you can vote each week. I just voted and I haven't made any posts this week. I think the confusion is you need to have 15 posts when you first join in order to vote.

I have never not been able to vote no matter how few or how many posts I have for a week.

Correct me if I am wrong.

I vote every week and feel I am obligated to do so because I am part of the community. I also feel the finalists should be rewarded for being picked. My biggest problem is deciding who to vote for. The competition is getting very good. That just goes to show how much we have benefited from the critiques and used them to hone our skills.

Voting is an important tool that we should always exercise no matter what the venue. Remember this is an election year. Sorry, didn't mean to get political.

Kevin

[JoeMc]

Great topic Sheila!!

I feel it is each and every members resposibility to vote... If they submit to the contest........ they should vote... I never miss a week.

This site is what "WE" make of it.
Cheers, Joe

[pippafox]

sometimes voting is very disheartening when obvious winners - you dont have to be an expert to work it out - dont even make it into the final six. both of Ruths images last week were superb and either a clear winner, yet neither made it to the final six. why is it that some clearly excellent images loose out. not to say those chosen weren't deserving.
pippa

[northbeach]

Yes, Kevin, it is fifteen when you first join and then you're good to go. I think Steve means that of that fifteen they have to come from forum comment. At least I think t hat's what he means.

Pippa, I took was surprised not to see Ruth's trees in the final six...or Andrew's Retro building...

A lot of good stuff gets passed over for images that are not, in my opinion, necessary of a high photographic standard. I sometimes think the judges say "okay, we've got two landscapes and a couple of macros, now we need a people, a b&w."

Categories, categories, categories....we need categories!

[skeuos]

Sheila, you've gotten what I meant regarding post counts. Individual critiques on shots no longer count towards your post total. Only posts in a thread like this one count. I have no problem with admin making that change - especially if their intention is to revive the forums a bit, and particularly if it generates more site revenue allowing for some of the changes we've lobbied for (while keeping the site free).

Categories is a good idea - do you think the contest gets large enough to support categories? I admit I feel a bit sheepish with my shot in the finals this week. While I like making finals, I agree that there were at least a couple shots more deserving than mine. Photography is subjective, so maybe there are some who disagree with me. Hope I didn't just cut open the golden goose . . . .

[Punwit]

I almost always vote but I know I've missed a few weeks here and there for various reasons. To be honest, I'm less driven to vote than I am to comment because, for me, the comments are the defining reason I post here. The quality of this community and the dedication of its' members to post useful and critical commentary make the site special for me. Making the cut for the final six is a nice pat on the back but I'd continue to post here even if I never made that cut because I'm getting quality feedback.


I can understand Steve's comment about feeling a bit sheepish for making the cut as I too felt there were more deserving candidates. Here's the thing though, I've been on the opposite end of that and felt that I did have a more deserving submission. Photography and the appreciation of it is subjective so someone is going to be disappointed every week. Let those that make the cut feel your appreciation and let those that didn't make the cut but you felt they did, know that. I've been gifted several times by fellow posters commiserating with me over missing the cut with an image that they felt was worthy.

A long and a bit rambling post but the basic message is that, in my mind, the input one receives and the input one provides are infinitely more important than making the cut and/or winning the POTW.

Reading this after I posted made me realize that I was sorta undermining Sheila's prompt to everyone to vote. That isn't at all what I intended. I would surely encourage folks to vote in the finals. I suppose the impetus for my rambling above was due comments by Pippa and Steve. Being disappointed in the selections that make the final six is the crux of what I was addressing. I guess I got a bit sidetracked.


Darren

[pippafox]

i'm so sorry Darren - in no way would i ever undermine your photographs - i was just so stunned that Ruth's didn't make the final six. of course if she had then one image which did make it, would not be there now. i am clumsy with words and i can imagine how one might feel a little guilty making it to that 6 while another excellent image didn't. i 'm sure i would (well i did, once upon a time )
still feel heartened, while everyone here feels their photography is improving as time goes on - i dont necessarily (my two good pics were early on), perhaps by experimenting more we tend to cock it up more.
alluta continua, in every way.
pippa

[Punwit]

Pippa,


No worries between us and I've explained (hopefully) my intention in a PM to you. For others viewing I reiterate my stance that the true value of this site lies in the feedback rather than the kudos.

Darren