Fortnightly Writing Competition: Faker's Gonna Fake (Results Again!)

Started by Baron, Thu 22/11/2018 04:48:28

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jahnocli

Quote from: Sinitrena on Mon 17/12/2018 15:15:47
Then pick between your own and mine. That would still be better than nothing at all.
I.Can't.Pick.Mine. Don't you see?
Life is a puzzle, a quest and an adventure

Sinitrena

No. No, I honestly don't. It feels like we're completely missing each other's point.


Let's try this again, from the beginning:

Voting, in these kinds of competitions has two main purposes:
1. Determining a winner.
2. Giving feedback to the artist.


Concerning 1:

That should be pretty clear. You (impersonal you) vote to decide who was best, either in general or in different categories (Which of those doesn't really matter.)

As a courtesy, it is usual to vote when you entered. That's least of all because those people who enter and do vote are in a mathematical disadvantage to those who enter and do not vote (because of the general rule that you do not vote for yourself.) That should be obvious.

You (personal you) say you would be happy to vote, but your votes could not be sincere under these circumstances. But concerning the "Determining a winner" point it is actually irrelevant if votes are completely sincere or not, at least when there are only two entries. In other words, and that might come across as rude: I consider it rather unfair if someone enters and doesn't vote (and therefore, I consider your behaviour unfair and rude), especially when there are only two entries and very few votes in general. Having more entries and more voters offsets this a bit.


Concerning 2:

Voting is never just there to decide on a winner. It's the most simple form of feedback. Comments, as a more eleborate form, are always nicer, of course, but you get what you get.

I completely understand that voting for something when you (impersonal you) don't think it was good feels false, insincere, maybe even fraudulent. But it's not like you have a questionnere here where you can only ever choose between two answers. This is a forum. You can post your opinion. You can say what you feel like saying. Is it more work? Sure. But you're not forced to do it. And really, it only takes a couple of minutes.

That's why I said you (personal you) can measure a story against the categories without comparing it to any other stories, or even compare it to your own. Who cares about unwritten rules of not voting for yourself when it's just about the feedback?

You say you can't pick your own. I assumed - so far in all I've written here - you meant because you're not allowed to vote for your own entry. I realize that there's another possible meaning: You think you don't have the necessery distance to your own work. That is a fairly solid argument if we are talking about actually comparing and deciding who should win. But I'm on my point 2: Feedback. It doesn't work as an argument here because technically, feedback doesn't require votes and decisions, just an opinion. Sure, I said at the beginning that voting is the most simple form of feedback, but it is not the only one.


In short, I really don't see what you're trying to tell me and the fact that you keep your answers fairly short doesn't exactly help.

For the record: I considered sending this as a PM instead of an open post, but it annoys me when people don't vote around here, so this is my manifest of why people should please, pretty please vote.

jahnocli

Ok, here's a longer answer.
Imagine we're still in the middle of the Cold War. I'm an East German, and I've saved all my marks, or coupons, or chickens, whatever, and I'm ready to buy a car. I visit the nearest car showroom, and the only car I can buy is a Trabant. I sit down in the showroom to fill in my party form. I'm asked for a review of the Trabant. What do I write? What makes the car stand out for me? What special characteristics does the car have that I feel would complement my lifestyle?

This isn't about you, or me. This is a dichotomy when there are only two (genuine(!)) responses to a contest, and one of those people is asked to comment on the other entry. This may be easy for you -- it's not for me. In the previous contest I entered I did indeed take the time to vote and comment. I respect your outlook -- can't you respect mine?
Life is a puzzle, a quest and an adventure

JudasFm

Well, for what it's worth, here are my votes and feedback and a HUGE apology for the delay! Blame the time difference. And maybe the Squid...

Best Character: I'm going with Grace. I felt she was a bit of a caricature, but she was the most interesting, so Sinitrena!
Best Fake: jahnocli. Grace's use of autotune and her bribing a hacker to turn it off remotely doesn't fall into the same level as grabbing a dead man, completely faking his identity and going to a lot of trouble to fool the enemy. And succeeding.
Best Plot: Sinitrena. Jahnocli's was interesting, but it wasn't so much a plot as a condensed history lesson. I enjoyed it - I'm a sucker for history, particularly the narrative sort - but it didn't strike me as a story in its own right so much as 'this is how they did it.'
Best Writing: Both were good, but I'm going to have to go with Sinitrena. The double-fake was a very clever idea and despite Grace being such an unsympathetic character, I really felt for her. I would have liked to see a bit more of the aftermath - maybe with Grace and her mother - but that's a very minor nitpick.
The Fake Vote: I'm taking this to mean best overall, and so it's going to be Sinitrena.

Sinitrena

Okay, jahnocli, your simile is pretty bad for various reasons that really don't have a place here, but I think I understand what you're saying. Let's agree to completely disagreee on that one. You still ignored my point 1, though.

Quote from: JudasFm on Wed 19/12/2018 12:32:31
Well, for what it's worth, here are my votes and feedback and a HUGE apology for the delay! Blame the time difference. And maybe the Squid...

Poor Squid. The Squid always gets blamed.

And the Squid can't even defend himself.  :~(

Thanks for your votes.

You're right, Grace is very much a caricature. I can't say it was intentional. I didn't want her to be a likable character or even a realistic one, just one whose struggles, while those of someone very privileged, were still recognizable as something understandable. I should have toned down her narcicissm a bit, but I originally didn't have her as the one orchestrating her own downfall just as someone who genuilly believes to be the best at something. In the original idea, the hacker acted completely on his own. I should have toned down her unappealing quilities a bit once I decided to have her aware of the discrepance between what people tell her and what they say behind her back.

JudasFm

Quote from: Sinitrena on Wed 19/12/2018 15:04:42
Poor Squid. The Squid always gets blamed.

And the Squid can't even defend himself.  :~(

Well, if the poem Ode to a Zlang-Zlang Squid is to be believed, the Squid does have one defense mechanism; anyone who kills and eats him dies of spontaneous combustion. Which, now that I think about it, is more of a revenge mechanism than a defense one, but over years it has ensured his species is kept off the menu :P (It's also given him a bit of an attitude problem, but people love him anyway ;) )

I love the graphic by the way; I'm saving it :D

jahnocli

I thought my simile was apt, and related to both of your points. But that's just my point of view...
Life is a puzzle, a quest and an adventure

Baron

By my calculation it's now a tie between the real fake entries of Sinitrena and jahnocli with 7 votes each, so I'm hereby invoking my right as contest administrator to break the tie.

I think in my comments above I indicated a slight preference for Sinitrena's work this round, but even without that being the case I would have to decide in her favour due to jahnocli's choice not to vote.  While I respect jahnocli's analysis that it is somewhat absurd to vote for the only option available, it has been the traditional thing to do in this contest when there have been only two entries.  Call it classy or call it totalitarian doublethink, it's still the way we roll around here.  Sinitrena's point that it places her at a distinct disadvantage, having given jahnocli 5 of his 7 votes herself, has greater weight than any philosophical argument against voting when there's only one choice.

Thus, the final official results for the fake contest are as follows:

Sinitrena wins first place with 7 + 1 votes.

jahnocli wins a close second place with 7 votes.

Mandle slips to third place amidst charges of massive electoral fraud....  :-\

I'd hand out the trophies at this point, but as I said before they were all fake as well.  :P  Actually, this whole contest has just been a massive head in Emerald City.  Actually, this whole contest has just been a wabbit dressed as a busty nurse.  Actually, this whole contest has just been a wow butter and spam sandwich.  I'd like to stay and explain myself, but I'd almost certainly just get tangled in my own web of deceit.  See you all next time in the next exciting instalment of....

...The Fortnightly Writing Competition!

jahnocli

In the spirit of dubious logic pervading this competition, I'd like to congratulate Sinitrena, and give thanks for finishing ahead of a serious case of administrative malpractice! Second place is more than I deserve...
Life is a puzzle, a quest and an adventure

Sinitrena

Quote from: JudasFm on Wed 19/12/2018 15:21:54
I love the graphic by the way; I'm saving it :D

Have fun with it, just don't lock the poor Squid up too often. (I would offer you the version with seperate layers, but I didn't actually save it. Uuups.)

Thanks for your votes, everyone and see you next round.  :-*

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