Fic of the Month: July '11 Voting

[JX Valentine]

Welcome to the very first Fic of the Month voting booth! Here, we'll decide in a quick-fire round who wrote the most awesome fic of July 2011. For more information on the process itself, feel free to read the nomination thread.

The nominees for this month are:

Crushed by Misheard Whisper
My Reasons by JX Valentine
Rebirth of Sinnoh - Volkner's Tale by IanDonyer
Moonlight Heartbreak by Misheard Whisper
Mentor by Dagzar

You may vote for only one of these fanfics. Polls will be open until September 1, when we'll be tallying up the score. The fic with the highest number of votes will be crowned Fic of the Month for July, and it'll be put on a lovely stickied thread to be recced until forever. Runners up will be given pats on the backs.

Remember, all voting is anonymous. So don't worry about not voting for your best friend's fic or voting for what you might think is an underdog. It's okay! We won't know!

However, one tiny little rule before we get started: Misheard Whisper, IanDonyer, and Dagzar. All three of you are on the polls... and all three of you can't vote for your own fics. (This rule also applies to yours truly.) Obvious rule is obvious and full of "we're working on the honor system here," but hey.

So without further delay, get to voting (before PC crashes again)!

[IanDonyer]

Bust out laughing at the last line there. In the middle of class. D:

On another note, somewhat surprised I got nominated... ah, well. Not like I'll win against the likes of Misheard Whisper and JX, anyway. =o *votes*

[Daydream]

Good luck to the contenders! Any of the fics for this month deserve to win in my eyes, so my vote is based personal preferences rather than objective weighing up and whatnot.

Also, IanDonyer and myself are gonna know what the other voted for. The lucky position of voting first, I guess.

[JX Valentine]

Side note here that I didn't even think of before setting up this poll (just to show that we're still developing the system and whatnot), but in the event of a tie, which would you prefer:

1. Mods cast one last vote each as a tie-breaker.
2. Mods discuss which one to choose.
3. General public is asked to vote for which of the tied fics should win via...
- 3a. ...Another poll.
- 3b. ...A PM to the mods.
4. Both (or all) fics are declared Fics of the Month.
5. Jax flips a coin. (Please don't choose this option, you ridiculous commoners.)
6. Other. (Please elaborate!)

Personally, I'm leaning towards option four, but the only problem is knowing this section, it might not be totally unusual to see this happen frequently (which isn't exactly bad but cheapens the title of Fic of the Month in my opinion) or to see a three-or-more-way tie.

Not only that, but my opinion sort of doesn't count compared to everyone else's. I'm just saying.

Thoughts?

[Mizan de la Plume Kuro]

In my opinion, 3B sounds the most viable option because it puts the power of voting in the hands of the readers instead of the opinions of a select few, i.e. the mods. The only reason I'm not too partial on 3A is because we don't want to clutter up the Writer's Lounge with irrelevant threads. We could potentially just scrap that poll up there and replace it with the tiebreaker poll (I'm not sure how possible this is with VBulletin), but a) we run the risk of having another tie because of bias (whatever kind of bias) in that the poll results are visible, b) a public record of past scores would be awesome to have, and c) 3B adds a bit of suspense with the mods having the liberty of tallying up the scores and releasing it at the most dramatic of moments. :P

So yeah, basically I'm all for 3B

ALSO:
One other thing that I want to point out, which I guess I should've voiced earlier and has nothing to do with ties and whatnot, is that I have the feeling that chaptered fics like Mentor up there are going to be at a disadvantage compared to one shots and so on. I mean, shame on me, but I haven't read Mentor yet, despite it being such a long running fic and all (>.<), so I can't really trust myself to make a judgement with Mentor in mind. The same holds true for most chaptered fics I haven't read. In any case, I'm pretty sure this applies to those who just might stumble into the F&W from some other section, who haven't been following fanfiction, and need to make a decision in the one week the poll goes up. In which case, that's one week to read a possible 50 chapters on screen, plus other oneshots or chaptered fics, if you want to make a fair judgement. So yeah... just thought I'd get that out there.

[JX Valentine]

Originally Posted by Mizan de la Plume Kuro

In my opinion, 3B sounds the most viable option because it puts the power of voting in the hands of the readers instead of the opinions of a select few, i.e. the mods. The only reason I'm not too partial on 3A is because we don't want to clutter up the Writer's Lounge with irrelevant threads. We could potentially just scrap that poll up there and replace it with the tiebreaker poll (I'm not sure how possible this is with VBulletin), but a) we run the risk of having another tie because of bias (whatever kind of bias) in that the poll results are visible, b) a public record of past scores would be awesome to have, and c) 3B adds a bit of suspense with the mods having the liberty of tallying up the scores and releasing it at the most dramatic of moments. :P

So yeah, basically I'm all for 3B

Fair 'nough. I agree that the polls should be left alone for the exact reason you've mentioned (i.e., so no one can whine that they were cheated we can look back at shiny public records), and anyway, while it's possible for mods to edit polls (assuming that PC's settings have been played with), I'm pretty sure it's not possible for them to basically scrap a poll and start a new one on the same thread. So, there's that.

ALSO:
One other thing that I want to point out, which I guess I should've voiced earlier and has nothing to do with ties and whatnot, is that I have the feeling that chaptered fics like Mentor up there are going to be at a disadvantage compared to one shots and so on. I mean, shame on me, but I haven't read Mentor yet, despite it being such a long running fic and all (>.<), so I can't really trust myself to make a judgement with Mentor in mind. The same holds true for most chaptered fics I haven't read. In any case, I'm pretty sure this applies to those who just might stumble into the F&W from some other section, who haven't been following fanfiction, and need to make a decision in the one week the poll goes up. In which case, that's one week to read a possible 50 chapters on screen, plus other oneshots or chaptered fics, if you want to make a fair judgement. So yeah... just thought I'd get that out there.

This is a good point, but keep in mind that this is a quickfire round. The time frame that we're using right now actually doesn't reflect what we're hopefully going to do in future FotMs just because we started pretty late. In actuality, I was thinking of giving one process or the other (meaning either nominations or voting -- or even both) roughly two weeks to complete. This still seems like a bit much to go over fifty fics in a month for the nominations period, but at least for the nominations period, it's rather a moot point because no amount of time would be sufficient enough to read through all of a month's material before we'd be forced to move on to another month anyway. Luckily, the nominations period hinges on the idea that you've been keeping up with the fics that were posted that month anyway and that you'd just need time to skim through the ones you've read and choose from there which ones you'd like to nominate. The voting period would be boiled down to only four to six fics (for now, anyway), which means the only ones you'd have to worry about are the monster chapter fics you haven't been keeping up with. And even then, the minimum you'd have to look at in order to judge a fic would be the first few chapters. That and the voting period will probably be longer either way (taking up the amount of time left in the month that the nominations period doesn't take).

Tl;dr, good thinking, but keep in mind that what we're doing now is hopefully not going to happen again.

Sound cool?

[Astinus]

Originally Posted by JX Valentine

while it's possible for mods to edit polls (assuming that PC's settings have been played with), I'm pretty sure it's not possible for them to basically scrap a poll and start a new one on the same thread.

Nope. We can't. I tried playing around with this poll when it first went up to see what I could do, and except for adding/removing options and resetting the results, that's all. Only h-staff can change polls, and maybe I can ask a s-mod to do that, if need be.

As for what happens in the case of a tie, I like option 1. In fact, option 1 was always floating in my mind as soon as the poll went up. Which is why I haven't voted in case my vote and/or bobandbill's is needed to break a tie.

Haha at people thinking I can count.

[JX Valentine]

Just as a reminder, folks, but polls are closing on September 1 so we can get the August FotM started. As of this writing, we have a tie, and we currently have a bit of indecision about what to do in the event of one. Either break that baby or get in your two cents for what you want to have happen if you think multiple people are utterly awesome.

Or we can just count Asty's two cents as more like four cents, considering he is a mod and all. Up to you kids!

[IanDonyer]

Aye, at least two more people need to vote for me. Then we'll be set! =D

Personally, I'm all for just letting the mods let their votes be the tiebreaker. Astinus and b&b are certainly trustworthy enough not to be biased on anything.

[Astinus]

I am fully willing to accept bribes.

I mean of course the mods will be unbiased in their choosing of the first FFotM!

I only have two fics out of the list left to read, so I can make a fully informed decision if need be. I'll also poke bnb.

[bobandbill]

I too will accept-uh, I mean I also can vote as a tiebreaker if need be. But yeah, get voting other people!

[Astinus]

Here's a good question: What time zone are we going by? Because the poll closes on September 1, but is that September 1st midnight Eastern Time Zone? GMT? R5T?

Right now, there is no tie, but there's only one vote difference between the two leaders, so it could still go either way. And if I know what time (zone) the poll is going to end, we'll know better when the poll is going to close. And voting, when that needs to be done by since the poll isn't going to close on its own.

I hate being sick, btw.

[JX Valentine]

That is a classy question right there.

Mostly, I was thinking of going by EST, not only because it's easier for yours truly with her lovely amounts of fail at figuring out time zones to figure out but also, because I'll probably throw the August nominations up tomorrow evening, that should give others plenty of time to get in last-minute votes. (Australia is in the future, after all.) Even if I get bored and throw it up at midnight tonight, pretty much half the world would already be well within September 1, right?

Any objections to this idea?

[Astinus]

I can be even classier! :v

EST sounds fine to me. It's my time zone as well, so I don't have to figure everything out either.

[Misheard Whisper]

EST works for me, too. (Not that I matter that much, but y'know) I can keep track of it quite quickly because most internet things tend to go by EST and I've gotten used to it somewhat. also I went to New York once so now it's like my second language but in time zones. yeah.

[JX Valentine]

And polls are closed!

On behalf of the FF&W, congratulations go out to Misheard Whisper because with six votes, Crushed is our very first FotM!

Misheard, if you'd like, you can include a summary of the fic on the new rec list. Simply contact me or leave a reply here to let us know how you want people to see your fic from here on out. Just a couple of lines would do. The thread will abuse the spoiler tag, but we'd still like to keep things neat.

Congratulations also go out to Dagzar, whose fic Mentor came in second place by just two points. Of course, a round of applause for all the nominees as well as everyone who was included in July's batch of eligible fics!

Lastly, thanks to everyone who's helping to shape the FotM so far. You're the reason why it's going so awesomely. b)'')b

Keep an eye out for both the rec list and the August nominations thread. Both will be up shortly.

[Misheard Whisper]

Whoops, late. Thanks for everyone who voted for Crushed!

Summary, err . . . *racks brain to try and remember how that story went*

Let's go with: "That red curtain, it seems, is all she's ever known. People gawp at her every day and call her a freak, and she can do nothing to stop them. Can she free herself from the everlasting nightmare of pain and humiliation?"

Gawds, that's kinda depressing and emo. Oh well, it's the ff.net summary.