[Roger Slater]

There is a way to watch videos that are blocked in your country. You can set up a VPN. With a VPN, your internet traffic is routed through a server in the country where the video can be watched, then to your computer. The result is that your computer acts in all respects as if it had an IP address in the country of your choice. As an added bonus, you are anonymous.

Many companies offer this service, usually for a small fee, but almost all of them offer you a free trial period during which they do not ask for any credit card information -- enough to get you through the bakeoff. One such service that I have personally used and can therefore recommend is this one. You just download a simple program to your computer, sign in, pick your country, and you're good to go.

[Catherine Chandler]

Thank you for the info, Bob, but I think I'll just sit this one out.

[Marion Shore]

Regarding our technical difficulties – I have no idea how these things work, but I was wondering if there is any way to get the music onto the Cloud Drive which the Yodeler is using, and which no one seems to be having any trouble accessing?

[Ann Drysdale]

Can we have a recap on the timings? How long will the comment threads stay open and will there be a separate voting thread? I've quite lost track of the times, the dates and most of the rules. I'm enjoying the posts with the gobsmacked awe of one who couldn't carry a tune in a bucket but could do with a deadline for commenting.

[Brian Allgar]

Ann, this is what it says at the top of the thread:

"I shall post the first three finalists for discussion on Saturday (7 November), followed by two finalists each day Sunday through Wednesday (11 November). A voting thread will be opened Thursday (12 November) and will remain open until noon (Pacific Standard Time) on Wednesday, 18 November, to allow ample time for impassioned bickering in the entry threads themselves. Once the polls are closed and the ballots are tallied, the three winners of the popular vote and the three winners chosen by me as TSDG will be announced."


There is nothing in this to suggest that the comment threads won't remain open even when the voting has started - indeed, that is how I interpret the phrase "to allow ample time for impassioned bickering in the entry threads themselves" - but I could be wrong. (There's always a first time for everything, har-har!)

[Catherine Chandler]

I've been reading over the guidelines and have concluded that the TSDG must be British because of the way the dates are posted (11 November, for example).

And the Yodeler is definitely American.

Both are to be congratulated on their huge efforts to make this a very interesting bakeoff.

It's too bad there are so few Sphereans commenting.

[Julie Steiner]

Ah, that's just what we want you to think about our nationalities, Cathy. The fact that you do makes us chuffed off our nut and happy as a tick on a fat dog, respectively. The Yodeler worked particularly hard on perfecting those American Rs.

[Ann Drysdale]

Right, I'm taking it that the whole kit and caboodle closes simultaneously on the 18th. Cathy, I'm sorry about your last emoticon (the blue sadface with the query-hat) but I'm frightened out of my skull by the musical element because there's a whole new language to learn. Rubato, for instance. I'm stealing that!

My difficulty is trying to hear two tunes and read along. I've printed out one or two of the lyrics to help me. But I want to comment on the sheer amount of work the TSDG has put into this and the respect shown to all the entries, and to say that without the Yodeller I'd've been screwed.

I'm lurking and listening and I will comment, I will...

[Julie Steiner]

People will be able to continue commenting on the entries after the votes are tallied and the identities revealed.

Traditionally, at that point, the Bake-off contestants pop into their threads under their own names, and patiently explain why all the advice we gave them is no good.

[Marion Shore]

I also want to thank the TSDG and Yodeler for the work and energy and enthusiasm they put into this competition. I hope they are enjoying it as much as I am!