So…..seriously….

[Elsinore]

This has been irking me for some time, so I think it’s past time to bring it up for discussion. In the long long ago, Veruca used to do Fark thread congrats. I don’t think she did them at any particular time, probably just whenever it looked like the results would hold. At some point, the practice fell by the way side. At some point in the long ago (after Veruca stopped participating), people asked me to start doing Fark thread congrats again. Now, I didn’t mind, but it has presented issues whenever places changed after the thread was “called”. My own first “win” was a tie that Veruca called that later ended up as a second place 3 or 4 votes down by the time the thread actually closed, so I know that’s kind of a pisser. I generally try to do the thread congrats by 8 or 9pm Saturday, but quite often, the results are just too close to call, and anymore, it seems like if there’s a tie and I post the congrats, it’s practically a flashing neon lighted invitation for someone to come in and break the tie after the fact. This has happened whether I post at 8 or 9 or midnight or 1am Sunday morning.

So long post longer, what do you guys think I should do differently (if anything)? I kinda feel like a schmuck “calling” a contest where the results aren’t final and are definitely subject to change. I’m wondering if sticking to the official congrats after the thread closes, posting both here and in the Fark Farktography forum would be enough/preferable/acceptable? I’m also wondering if I go that route, should I still offer a thanks for participating kind of message Saturday evening, and maybe still post the next week’s theme as the head’s up (for those who don’t bother with the link). Or should I just keep on keeping on, continuing to note that the results aren’t final until the thread closes? I guess I”m just concerned this kind of thing is sucking some of the fun out of things…

What say you?

[nobigdeal]

Is there any way that the powers that be at Fark can give you the authority to close threads? That would seem to be the best way to stop any issues.

[linguine]

I don’t think there would be any problems if you waited an extra day until the thread closed to call it. Although if drew wanted to give you the power to close the thread earlier I wouldn’t have any problems with that.

[CauseISaidSo]

Maybe keep the same spiel in the thread (“preliminary congrats… results aren’t final… next week’s theme… yada yada yada”) but add something about official results/congrats being posted in the Fark forum thread and here after thread closing? I think we could all live with whatever you need to do to be comfortable with it. If it’s causing you unease, then definitely change it.

While we’re talking about these kinds of things, if you don’t mind, please allow me to throw out another… What do you think about adding to your closing announcement some kind of a welcome message for the newbs that week? Maybe even a “welcome back” for those we haven’t seen in a while. Do you think that would help any with retention? The FSM had the Boobies list for each contest and I could add something similar to cover both new and not-seen-in-a-while participants, in a format that would make it easy to copy ‘n paste.

[Elsinore]

The concern I’d have with closing threads myself is that it would either give me an unfair advantage or at least the perception of an unfair advantage as a moderator who still participates in the contests. If there were a tie between myself and someone else, or if were only a vote up when I closed the thread, then it could appear I was protecting my standing unfairly. That would make me even more uncomfortable.

What do you think about adding to your closing announcement some kind of a welcome message for the newbs that week? Maybe even a “welcome back” for those we haven’t seen in a while. Do you think that would help any with retention? The FSM had the Boobies list for each contest and I could add something similar to cover both new and not-seen-in-a-while participants, in a format that would make it easy to copy ‘n paste.

That’s easily done on my end if you’re not averse to it on your end.

[Yugoboy]

Until I start showing in the top 10 on anything like a regular basis, my opinion probably doesn’t matter much.

That said, if you waited 24 hours, you’d probably be safe. As long as the contest is off the main page, I think you have a high percentage of the congrats holding.

[CauseISaidSo]

The concern I’d have with closing threads myself is that it would either give me an unfair advantage or at least the perception of an unfair advantage as a moderator who still participates in the contests.

Make it part of the rules that threads close at a specific time every week and that should remove any hint of impropriety. Do it like midnight Sun morning (we don’t get many votes after then anyway) or something early enough for you to be able to make your announcement and then close the thread. As long as that happens at the same time every week, I don’t see how anyone could complain.

That’s easily done on my end if you’re not averse to it on your end.

I didn’t want to push it on you, just see if you (and others) thought it might help swell the ranks of the regulars any. If you wanna do it, I’ll put something together. It won’t take much but it’ll be a few weeks before I can get to it.

[ravnostic]

I’m very fine with things as they are (“results aren’t final till the thread is closed, but at this point….”)

Yugoboy, I disagree–you’re an asset to our community, for it takes new perspectives to keep the rest of us on our toes. Without you, and the likes of you, the whole point would be lost, as real life intervenes, farktographers get published and move one, and other things happen that subtract from the community.

You’re our fresh meat at the deli counter.

//not that there’s anything wrong with that….

//agree, Else, on the closing thread thing. Esp. like this week, where it went back and forth. But if anyone could wield the power with justice, it’d be you. Problem being some 1st timer with that ‘grand’ shot, in 2nd place.

[sleeping]

I don’t really understand why people needed that message in the first place – there’s a link to check the vote totals right there at the top of the page. I say post it in the Farktography forum after the thread closes and be done with the whole trying to call it before the thing ends problem altogether….

[Uranus]

Elsinore wrote:

The concern I’d have with closing threads myself is that it would either give me an unfair advantage or at least the perception of an unfair advantage as a moderator who still participates in the contests. If there were a tie between myself and someone else, or if were only a vote up when I closed the thread, then it could appear I was protecting my standing unfairly. That would make me even more uncomfortable.

Balls! I’m with CISS on this one. A quick statement at the top of the thread : VOTING CLOSES 7PM CST SATURDAY; Vote early, vote often. That would end any debate before it starts. Just be consistent in the time, and mr./mrs./miss/ms/whatever Whinypants won’t show up

This is the intertubes, and you (and others) wield the mod rod because we trust your judgement.

Furthermore, it’s Fark – YOU’LL GET OVER IT!

Other option is sleeping‘s simple solution 😆

[Choc-Ful-A]

I don’t really understand why people needed that message in the first place – there’s a link to check the vote totals right there at the top of the page. I say post it in the Farktography forum after the thread closes and be done with the whole trying to call it before the thing ends problem altogether….

I came here to post pretty much exactly that. If you want to post after the contest closes, that might be an alternative. But essentially I don’t think the moderator should have to post congrats messages for every contest. You do enough already without having to drag that anchor around as well, especially if the results are unclear at the end much of the time.

[swampa]

It is a tradition from the darker age of Fark (when Foobies links ran wild on the front page and no set schedule for Farktography links appearing – dark times indeed!).

The voting on contests didn’t end about 72 hours after it was posted like it does now, it would stay enabled for a couple of weeks. So instead of having everyone waiting around forever to find a winner, it was decided that whoever was winning after about 48 hours was declared the winner (being about the time it dropped off the front page). Now we can probably wait the extra day or two for voting to close before calling the contest but I think it is nice having someone put in a comment acknowledging the winner and reminding everyone of next weeks contest.

[Elsinore]

Until I start showing in the top 10 on anything like a regular basis, my opinion probably doesn’t matter much.

That said, if you waited 24 hours, you’d probably be safe. As long as the contest is off the main page, I think you have a high percentage of the congrats holding.

Well, as it stands now, the thread closes randomly sometime after midnight Sunday and before 2pm Sunday. I think CISS said it most often closes between 7-9am. I’m doing thread congrats between 8-9pm Saturday evening, though holding out till as late as midnight if it’s close, so I’m within 6-12 hours of the typical close time and long after the thread has left the main page. Even so, there are often votes that roll in after I put up the thread congrats, even if they don’t change the standings.

[SilverStag]

You’re our fresh meat at the deli counter.

//not that there’s anything wrong with that….

I guess that means I’m last month’s salami…
😀

[olavf]

How about changing it to something thanking the n00bs for coming out, acknowledging the winner (or potential winners) and move the ‘official’ congrats to that shiny new thread we have on the side bar?

[Author]

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