OK. My thoughts, as if anyone gives a flying f&%#, but oh well.
1.) Some people are taking this *WAY* too seriously. No, I'm not just insinuating people on this forum. Maybe some of them. Heh. But people who register for the one and only singular purpose of voting? And, people who register multiple accounts to do the same? Really?
2.) But otherwise...
LJ Wrote:
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> I'm happy that the schedulers and scheduling companies
> are excited about it enough to advertise it. Who knew they'd
> care so much? I didn't. It makes me smile to think how happy
> they are to see their names mentioned and maybe a little sad
> that they so badly needed it.
^--- This. This 100%. Also, the point about almost no one remembering the simple 'Shout Out' thread, as well-intentioned as it was. It just didn't attract nearly as much attention. And, with a lot of attention, there's always positives and negatives.
3.) And then there's this, which doesn't have a lot to do with our contest, but is an excellent point:
BBird Wrote:
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> > (Jancyn wrote in their mass email
> > "Schedulers are often under-appreciated in this business... "
> > ======
> I dislike this part. I really do. Hate to see it coming from a company.
> They ARE under-appreciated. But the best way for a company to
> appreciate them is to pay them better, not send out an email asking
> their shoppers to cast votes in a free contest.
But I don't know if I'd go so far as to the part about "all sorts of negative feelings towards Jancyn". We don't know how Jancyn schedulers are compensated. Well, maybe some of us do if we're personal friends or family members with one of them or have been one ourselves. But there are plenty of people who are well-compensated in their work who *still* feel under-appreciated.
4.) It's absolutely essential that, in contest like this, there is a thread that is noms ONLY, and a thread that is discussions and commentary only. Otherwise, the nom thread would be entirely f&%@'d up and too
difficult annoying to deal with.
However, the two threads should be on the same section of the forum, stickied to the top of the page, one right under the other. So it's *totally* obvious what's going on, right from the get-go ~ even if some people don't bother to read the introductory post explaining the whole thing and how it works and what goes where. Having the two threads in two separate sections of the forum was a little discombobulating.
But, it still just appalls me how many people can't figure out that noms *don't* go here, in the 'Comments' thread; and commentary/discussion/complaints/whatever *don't* go in the 'Nominations' thread. I mean, COME ON, people... we are professionals who are supposed to read, comprehend, and follow guidelines ALL. THE. TIME.
We seriously can't take a few moments to read the introductory post and see what the whole thing is about before jumping in? That's just being like all the new people to the forum who post "What MSC shops Fatso's Donuts?" and we wonder why the hell they join in without bothering to read the rules first.
BTW, I would *totally* check out Fatso's Donuts.
5.) And then there's this:
LisaSTL Wrote:
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> I would have felt much more comfortable with
> schedulers encouraging shoppers to vote if they
> would have also encouraged them to join and
> participate in the forum. How hard would it have
> been to add a blurb to those signature lines or
> emails telling those shoppers the forum is a great
> resource? That could have been a win/win.
^--- Absolutely this, too. MSC's should have been a little more professional, and 'returned the favor' so to speak, by adding in a blurb about what a valuable resource the forum can be.
But that is on them, entirely 100% on them; and not on anyone involved with the contest or this forum.
6.) And finally, for now, this:
LisaSTL Wrote:
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> It may have been an exercise in futility, but I took
> it upon myself to send messages to many of those
> new posters encouraging them to return and take
> advantage of all the forum has to offer.
Good for you! I hope others have, too. I hope the new registrants happened to look around a little, get curious, and check out some of the threads. I hope most of them stick around.
But, much like registering for tons of MSCs who may not have work in your area can provide benefits later... some of these new people may not do much right now ~ but now they know the forum exists. They may be back.
Over-and-out, for the time being.
Practitioner of the Nerdly Arts.