More trouble than it's worth....

07/31/2006 10:56:15 AM · #1

Sheesh. Okay...some of you may recall that I was in a photo contest where the final standings were determined by online voting.

I got a call from the newspaper Saturday evening saying that I placed as the 3rd place winner and asking about timing to go to the paper's offices to accept check, have picture taken with other winners.

Of course I was happy, started telling some folks. Then I get a call from one of them saying....um, the website does NOT show you in 3rd? Sure enough, it's another person's name there.

I even got a call from the first place winner...saying he had done a screen capture 10 seconds after midnight on the final day of voting...and it narrowly did show me in the lead. He emailed it to me and wished me luck!

So I finally got a reply this morning from the editor of the paper saying that she had jumped the gun in making the phone call (a day AFTER the voting ended?) and the other guy had a last minute surge putting him in 3rd. She wants to send me a $100 check for the confusion. hmmmm....

I have emailed her back with the screen capture, and my opinion that with the notification confusion, the closeness of the vote, the screen capture and the timing of it, and the fact that they didn't even call to tell me about the mistake before they posted the results....I think 3rd should be called an even tie. I sure don't want to take anything away from the other person, but this does pretty much stink.

I told her I would take the $100 if they chose not to do the tie, but I would do it with a sour taste regarding the whole thing.

It's not really a big deal to me, but it's the principle of how this has been handled by them IMO. So now I'm just venting here. Thanks :)

Judy

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

07/31/2006 10:58:35 AM · #2

Just got an email back...they are declaring the tie. Gotta run...

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

07/31/2006 11:01:09 AM · #3

Sounds like they did not cut off voting at midnight; I'll bet it was a manual process and it just didn't get done until someone got to the office in the AM. It's too bad, they sure should have been prepared for the possibility of a close race and the need for close attention to the cutoff.

Canon EOS-20D

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

07/31/2006 11:09:47 AM · #4

Originally posted by jpochard:

It's not really a big deal to me, but it's the principle of how this has been handled by them IMO. So now I'm just venting here. Thanks :)

No offense but that contest didn't seem to be overflowing with principle from the beginning. Glad it worked out for you, though.

muckpond

Nikon D200

Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX Diagonal Fisheye for Nikon

07/31/2006 11:58:37 AM · #5

so what i read from this is that the first round is on judy. right?

07/31/2006 02:10:29 PM · #6

Originally posted by mk:

Originally posted by jpochard:
It's not really a big deal to me, but it's the principle of how this has been handled by them IMO. So now I'm just venting here. Thanks :)

No offense but that contest didn't seem to be overflowing with principle from the beginning. Glad it worked out for you, though.

Maybe I shouldn't be, but I guess I am a bit offended. Between that comment and some in the other thread, and then the mix up with the final scores, I feel unfairly judged.

Just like the contests here - the rules are there for a reason, and I did not set them. I abided by all the rules. I just wanted to take a good picture and benefit from what they were offering. I put a lot of effort into getting my shots...getting up at dawn to get early photos and waiting around when someone was blocking a good shot, checking out spots a few days earlier for the fireworks then getting there early that evening to stake out the smallish spot I wanted, coming home late and working on my editing and entries.

I also put some effort into getting the votes and I know for a fact the first place winner did also.

I wish the judges had simply chosen the "best" shots...but that's not how it was set up. I liked my photo okay, but I don't know that even I would have chosen it as the best. I have no qualms, however, stating that I think it is much better than the listed current third place photo. However, I never asked or considered asking that his victory be taken away...only that mine be acknowledged as well.

Maybe I'm really missing the point of something here, but I don't see anywhere that I have done anything wrong or anything lacking in integrity. It was just a contest. It had decent prizes. I attempted to win one of those prizes. Never once did I try to do so by undermining another competitor. As a matter of fact, I am pleased that the first place winner called me and talked about joining up with DPC and generally had a nice converstaion and made a new friend. Maybe I'm just overly sensitive at the moment. ~sigh~

Maybe a little strong on the self-defense posture here, but I really was feeling judged and I generally don't voice a lot of strong feelings here. I thought it was time.

I really like this community of photographers and I hope Bob does join us here.