I'll be doing the statistics in a few days, showing how things have altered on the leader board with this month's voting, but first a post about voting itself.
When we create the polls, we include the words "Vote for your favourite story" and by "favourite" we mean, obviously, the one preferred. That might not be the best story in a technical sense, or the one containing the best imagery, much less the one with the best grammar, but it's the one that grips and holds you the most, or the one which makes you laugh the most, or cry the most, or the one which you can't forget after reading it. As in all things, taste will vary from member to member, and, indeed, from month to month. But the important word in "Vote for your favourite story" is not in fact "favourite" it's "story". We vote for the writing, not the writer.
As I say, taste varies, and we have our likes and dislikes. For me it's a rare month when neither TDZ's nor Phyrebrat's stories catch my eye, because they write in a way that resonates with me. But when I've voted for them, I've voted for the stories they produced that month, not because of their past work much less who they are. Similarly, a long while ago someone who shall be nameless (to protect the guilty**), confirmed he didn't much like fantasy, poetry, or things with hidden meanings. Since at the time I was producing poems based on Greek myth with hidden messages in them, no one will be surprised to hear I got no votes from the old curmudgeon, but as far as I know he doesn't have an effigy of me in which he sticks pins. He voted for the stories which worked for him, as he still does.
From time to time concerns are aired, rarely publically but more often in third-hand whispers, that some voting is irregular. Older members may recall that in the very first year of the Challenges a newbie in effect complained that votes only went to established members. I wasn't a mod at the time, but I was even then doing statistics so I was able to say this:
In November alchemist, who joined in September, got 4 votes. That was more than the total votes cast for Boneman, Mouse, HareBrain, me, Teresa and Parson ie 6 previous winners/tie-breakers. Sephiroth and chopper didn't enter, but of the 9 entrants on the "Hall of Fame" only Hoopy came in with more votes than alchemist. In this respect, I'd also mention Mag the Mighty. He failed to score last month but before that he had entered two Challenges and received 4 votes each time. As an average that was better than anyone, even HareBrain.
Those older members may also recall that at one time there did indeed appear to be a cabal of newish members where some collusion between them was suspected when it came to voting. That matter was cleared up, and since then we have had
no evidence whatsoever of any kind of conspiracy, collusion, quid pro quos, or you-scratch-my-back-etc agreements.
None at all.
However, regrettably and regretfully, this month we did remove a vote,
with the agreement of the vote's recipient, because it could too easily have been perceived as a vote not for the story, but for that recipient as an individual. We debated a good while about it, but the removal of the vote, no matter how intrusive, was to us a lesser evil than the damage of that perception taking hold of a large number of members, and accordingly of affecting the reputation of the Challenges. We took no pleasure in doing it. We don't want ever to have to do it again. But we will if we have to. That isn't to say we will listen to whispering campaigns and malicious gossip, but we will investigate any issues brought to us, and we will defend the integrity of the Challenges as a whole.
I know I'm preaching to the converted here, but to sum up, vote for the story which is best to your mind. Do not vote out of affection, sympathy, or for any other reason.
We vote for the piece, not the person.
Now go and do something useful, like giving me an idea for the 300 worder I've got to write today.
** no names, no pack drill. But his name has 6 letters, begins with "m" and ends with"x"
