I reckon no voting for yourself is a good idea regardless of how many votes you already have
Should Contest Voting Be Anonymous or Transparent?
- Thread starter 420
- Start date
“True dat!”
Edit: I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that there could be some skullduggery with anon voting, but I try and believe people are basically good/honest (perhaps naively). So I can see both sides.
Zephyrs
Well-Known Member
I feel it should be as transparent as possible. I've entered some POTM, and BOTM on some Months. I never won. I never complained either. But I have seen some entries that Obviously break the contest rules. I have seen other members call that stuff out. Just to be slapped on the wrist by Administration for "being mean" or "disrespectful to another member" .Contest voting was always anonymous, until people started cheating. Members were getting caught, disqualified, upset and leaving the site.
So we made the voting transparent to allow the community to help monitor, so it wouldn’t be our word against theirs anymore. This resolved the issue, we’ve had hardly any problems since.
However, we feel that transparent voting may have impacted voter turnouts, because people don’t want others getting upset about who they voted for.
Requiring a fifty post minimum to vote, has also minimized cheating and we’ll always be watching in the back to make sure things remain ethical and legit.
We’d like to hear your feedback on the situation, in order to make any changes to improve the quality and credibility of the contests.
Please cast your votes now
Maybe if Admin added a couple more trust worthy, Long time members of this fine @420mag site to be Like a, I dunno a "Transparent Jury" of sorts?
Just my 2cents.
I've seen this.
A person actually apologized to me through DM for not voting for me.
I didn’t know until then, because I don't check who votes for me, and I don't want to know.
For some contests like member and grow journal of the month some people may want to see the member's conduct, or how the journal continues to play out before voting, but I see your point.
I like this.
I was all set to vote for transparency, but now I'm rethinking.
TheGrimReaper
Well-Known Member
Providing transparency with voting helps establish trust and confidence in the process. Voters have a means to verify that the results are an accurate reflection of the people.
- Thread starter
- #46
420
Founder
I've honestly never seen transparent voting anywhere but here, have you or anyone else?
I don’t really mind one way or another. I do like having a bit of fun predicting outcomes - some times you ‘know’ a particular person will bring the votes of xyz and yet sometimes you’re surprised. Just fun for me, I make no judgements on that. If people would prefer anonymous so be it.
But if one of the aims is to increase voter turnout then I’m all for it. I won my JOTM with probably the lowest voter turn out ever. 5-4-4 It sucked really, just felt like a bit of luck (and given I won my custom title in a spinning ball game and paid for the other actually I’m
a complete fraud
)
My suggestion for improving turn out is announcements or stickies. There are lots of different ways to navigate the site. 90% of mine is done through subscribed/watched threads. Not so much alerts.
Could a “Voting now open for contests” be put in a couple of places where everyone gets a glimpse of it? In each persons subscribed threads page, as an alert etc. Or even a group message to Inboxes It would be great for the dreaded ties.
“News flash we have a tie in POTM poll open one extra hour”
Otherwise you have to go hunt out the contests page each month.
Making stuff easier tends to make engagement higher.
Nick
But if one of the aims is to increase voter turnout then I’m all for it. I won my JOTM with probably the lowest voter turn out ever. 5-4-4 It sucked really, just felt like a bit of luck (and given I won my custom title in a spinning ball game and paid for the other actually I’m
a complete fraud
) My suggestion for improving turn out is announcements or stickies. There are lots of different ways to navigate the site. 90% of mine is done through subscribed/watched threads. Not so much alerts.
Could a “Voting now open for contests” be put in a couple of places where everyone gets a glimpse of it? In each persons subscribed threads page, as an alert etc. Or even a group message to Inboxes It would be great for the dreaded ties.
“News flash we have a tie in POTM poll open one extra hour”
Otherwise you have to go hunt out the contests page each month.
Making stuff easier tends to make engagement higher.
Nick
Send a notification to every single member (with at least 50 posts) via PM on the 15th and 28th of every month to remind them to vote in the contests, with a link (obv).
It can't be considered spam to come from you on your site, and it's just 2x/month.
Also seriously consider putting a permanent link to your Patreon page somewhere rather than just in the signatures of a few of us. Set the website to auto link the word Patreon as well.
Is there a store front to purchase shirts mugs and other goods? That would help with cash flow, for those that don't want monthly subscriptions.Send a notification to every single member via PM on the 15th and 28th of every month to remind them to vote in the contests, with a link (obv).
It can't be considered spam to come from you on your site, and it's just 2x/month.
Also seriously consider putting a permanent link to your Patreon page somewhere rather than just in the signatures of a few of us. Set the website to auto link the word Patreon as well.
Maybe have a donation section in the store too like a one off patreon payment.
- Thread starter
- #52
420
Founder
Maybe if Admin added a couple more trust worthy, Long time members of this fine @420mag site to be Like a, I dunno a "Transparent Jury" of sorts?
Just my 2cents.
For the record, we've never played favorites or fixed a contest in our entire history.
If we did, it would only take one two faced person to spill the beans about it, which has never happened.
There were only 3 or 4 of us who participated in voted anyway, not sure how it makes a difference against a couple hundred thousand members that have the ability to vote. But we listened to your feedback and stopped voting to keep everyone happy.
We have a squeaky clean record because we discuss things as a team and always do the right thing.
Unfortunately, we don't have the resources to cater to a jury panel who will most likely waste our time for a whole month while they wait for contest voting investigations. However, if you can talk some long time members into joining us in the back to actually work, please send them my way
Thanks Shed , @420 that should be plainly visible in the drop down menu without having to search for it . I looked the other day and couldn't find it
- Thread starter
- #54
420
Founder
But if one of the aims is to increase voter turnout then I’m all for it. I won my JOTM with probably the lowest voter turn out ever. 5-4-4 It sucked really, just felt like a bit of luck (and given I won my custom title in a spinning ball game and paid for the other actually I’m
a complete fraud
13 votes in 2 weeks for a transparent vote is pretty shabby, I agree 420%.
Meanwhile we've got almost 50 votes in 24 hours for this anonymous poll.
- Thread starter
- #55
420
Founder
Well I have never seen it in the U.S. Government.But that's a different Bear to deal wi
sorry not trying to be political, But this in a political nature of sorts.
It's all good man, we're all just having a friendly chat about it, no worries.
Government and a weed forum are two totally different things though, so let's compare apples to apples.
Zephyrs
Well-Known Member
Please don't take me out of context wi my honest opinion that was requested in this post. I never said anyone played games.
In All Honesty @420! I have been absent for a few months. I just dropped back in here to Show Case my @Mars Hydro FCE-3000 I won last year from your Great Sponsor. I have a very belated Grow Journal coming for @Mars Hydro way within days.
I didn't want a Political Argument. Peace Out Y'all
i think this should be more up front. there should be more promotion of 420 swag and lifestyle in both this forum and associated media. lifestyle branding is both positive messaging and a business way forward in our world.
there is an insane trove of co-branding and media partnership possibilities that cold expand the business of the board, business, and mag.
And @Regrowth has some good ideas he's mentioned in a message to me ,come on spill the beans
don't be shy
But you sent out an alert for it, right? I happened to see it but I read the site 98% on my phone. I look at the first alerts in the drop down, 10 or whatever then I’m mostly on the subscribed threads page. Its easy to miss stuff. No one likes spam but a couple of messages a month like Shed said would probably work wonders.
(NB Shed - no matter how many messages you send me I am not interested in apartments in up-and coming areas of Kabul, unlocking your Grandfather’s fortune in Nigeria and definitely not a copy of Equine Transport and Hydration, that is spam!)