Attempted to vote on Surreal contest and received message "Not on authorized Voting List".What the?????

unfortunately you can only vote on contests if you are invited to but you can leave comments

If you enter the contest you are also not allowed to vote.

I enter contests and vote. I just can't vote for my own piece.

I think it is rather strange one cannot vote on others' images....tells me we are not trusted (We may discover a means to circumvent voting method!).Akeraios has a valid point too.

Parasol, did you get a notification under your jobs to vote, or are you navigating to it by some other method?

Maybe this is useful: a discussion on contest voting some time ago:
http://www.caedes.net/Zephir.cgi?lib=Board::Topic&id=3216754
with an explanation how voters are selected. Although it seems the requirements have been relaxed a bit since then, it gives the general idea.

There is an explanation from Geri here:

http://www.caedes.net/Zephir.cgi?lib=Board::Topic&id=3049883

"The voters for each contest are chosen among the people who have entered one of the last 4 contests and received at least 5 votes total in those contests. If you are chosen as a voter, you will get a special PM that will link to the voting page. "

The system is automated so "trust" really has nothing to do with it.

"The voters for each contest are chosen among the people who have entered one of the last 4 contests and received at least 5 votes total in those contests. If you are chosen as a voter, you will get a special PM that will link to the voting page. "

I seem to remember that's how the system used to be, but some people found they rarely or never got to vote (never got more than 5 votes, I suppose). It was feared such a system would lead to the same people voting for the same type of images over and over, with nobody else even getting to judge... so the system was extended by Geri. At least that was my interpretation of events. I don't think he ever said what the new settings were, but since then I've always been invited to vote. :-)

If we have an image in the contest we can still vote... just not for our own entry.

I enter in the contest but not in the last 4 before this one (surreal) and I was allowed to vote too:o)

I still think it's not fair to have those who enter contests to get to vote also.. what about those of us who don't have time to create work for the contest but would love to be able to vote on the entries? to me that's saying well you couldn't get off your ass and make time to do anything so you are penalised for being too busy..

I think the system should be changed so it's random through out the members not just the little group who entered, the member can tick yes i'm interested in voting or no.. if no then another member can be chosen.. it might also encourage others to enter

I didn't enter this contest or the last few ones (definitely more than four), and I am now on the voting linst. So the selection process has obviously changed a bit. To me it seems that it has to do with the activity on the site (when I just looked by every now and then, I was never on the list, now that I post more again, I am). Generally, I wouldn't fret about it, sometimes you are selected, sometimes not - if not this time, then perhaps the next...

Why is it not "fair" to be entered in a contest and yet be chosen as a judge? I don't know the exact number of times this has happened, but I've been a judge at least a half-dozen times for a contest I've entered. Geri simply set it up (wisely so) so that if you are voting in a contest you've entered, when you bring up the list of entries, your entry isn't there in the list of choices. You're still in the contest but there's no physical (or digital) way to vote on your own. Which is only right. As for the selection process for judges, I'm guessing that Geri figures if your work is good enough to garner at least 5 votes in a previous contest, you probably know enough about quality and technique to be a reasonable judge for a contest and so are invited to do so. I don't know, folks; it's pretty simple and straightforward to me.

I'm not saying it's about whether or not your work is good enough to get 5 votes to be able to vote.. i'm also not saying that you can vote on your own image... i'm saying it should be random for ALL members NOT just for the members who have been entering the contests.. yes by all means include those who do enter but also include the other members who do don't like I said.. not everyone can enter the contests due to the real world taking over.. I get on here every day to read the discussions and do my council voting but I don't have time to sit and create something for a contest.. to me that is pretty straightforward and fairer to others ;)

I have an entry in the contest and was asked to vote. If they ask me vote in a contest I do if not I don't
The contest voting cannot be over soon enough for me...my entry is really creepy and freaky. I almost deleted it numerous times but
will just stick with my hideous picture to the end then X it forever

Another discussion thread:

"Contest voting etc"


Note, *caedes' last post to the above thread;

"We will be expanding the voters list for the next contest that is voted on."


In addition to his other post(s) to that discussion.

In which it is clear that the selection/voting is being monitored by him;

"We selected contest judges by the number of votes that there images received in the past contests. Therefore there was a chance that the total judge pool would gradually decrease (fewer judges beget fewer voting "points" beget few judges next time). By requiring fewer voting points to become a judge I have made this decreasing trend much less likely. We will see how it goes for the next few contests."

"I'm not saying it's about whether or not your work is good enough to get 5 votes to be able to vote.. i'm also not saying that you can vote on your own image... i'm saying it should be random for ALL members NOT just for the members who have been entering the contests"

Well, then, perhaps you should be talking to Geri in PMs about this rather than in a general thread with people who have no power, whatsoever, over the process? Here in this thread it just seems like wasted effort... I'm serious... if you want to make a positive change go right to the horse's mouth, the big kahuna...the main man... talk to Geri.

Oh i'm sorry thought it was a discussion so people could put forward their thoughts about the discussion.. why should I put this in PM's I'm not arguing or whatever just making MY opinion.. and i'm sure Geri will read these comments anyway... and NO I do not see how my opinion is a wasted effort.. and yes I do take offence to that comment..

Who is this Geri everyone keeps talking about? I don't recognize the name or maybe I just know him by his Caedes handle.

Geri is *caedes.

Geri IS "THE man" lol.. he is Caedes

Jacqueline, I was simply pointing out that we can expend as much energy as we want in these threads, exhausting ourselves in the process, and, obviously, taking offense at pretty much anything that is said here regardless of intent... it still doesn't make much of a dent unless we talk directly with Geri. If anyone has a beef, I highly recommend discussing it with him. I have in the past and found him to be a reasonable guy.

whatever.. I really don't care either way.. I was stating my opinion.. which isn't often.. and I don't see how one or two comments is expending energy.. you seem to be doing a lot more "wasting energy" by telling me not to basically have my opinion in writing on here.. it should be hushed up.. well you got your way... cya

one last thing.. seems everytime in these discussions if someone has an opinion and actually has the guts to say it they get told to "don't put it here send it privately" which I feel defeats the purpose.. oh well hope everyone has a fantastic one sided one opinionated discussion.. must be boring though.. good luck hope you get what you want,..

It's rather funny to be accused of doing something that gets shoved in my face every time I try to make a point on one of these threads. I agree that I'm wasting something with this discussion... and it's not my energy. I doubt it's the last thing... although it is for me. I would try to decipher your second paragraph but there really isn't any point. It would simply fuel more pointless and endless debate. So I'll end it now. Sayonara.