[Alex Pepple]

Originally Posted by David Anthony

Well, obviously, contests should be judged blind. It's not a gold standard, it's just normal practice nowadays.
David

David, that's not an accurate statement because there are several reputable and even high-profile contests that are not judged blind nowadays. I could list the many PEN poetry awards, the National Book Award, the Governor General of Canada Awards, the many state-based book awards such as Colorado, Massachusetts ..., the Griffin Prize, etc. etc. So, blind judging is not a given even for today's countless big and small contests. Each contest, well-known or little-known makes its own rules on the judging style -- whether to adopt a blind judging style or not ... and poets and writers still enter them in droves. Even though I can't be sure about it, I bet the above-listed contests and others like them not judged blind don't have to deal with any mass protest against their non-blind judging ways, and most of them have been running for years if not decades!

Cheers,
...Alex

[R. Nemo Hill]

Mass protest?! How flattering.
You got room in that boat to that island, Cyn?

Nemo

[Alex Pepple]

Originally Posted by R. Nemo Hill

Mass protest?! How flattering.

Nemo

Nemo, go count the endless complaint posts, and you be the judge!

...Alex

[Cyn Neely]

It's your site Alex and you can do things however you want. You have done just fine without my help (smile) If you don't want to judge blind, then that's fine, you don't have to. I am getting mixed messages I think. My post was answering what I thought was your request for "preferences" and specifically removed any past judging (including Catherine's and Gail's) in the comment. Therefore, when Cathy named me as a "whisperer" I felt that was inappropriate because I was not whispering to anyone or beating her up or any such thing and Nemo happened to agree with me. I had not (and have not) read the mile long thread (who has that kind of time?) to see that I was just trodding in the same old shit. My bad, I guess. Never mind. I will quit now. I just hate being mis-judged. Have a great summer everyone

[David Rosenthal]

Originally Posted by Alex Pepple

Nemo, go count the endless complaint posts, and you be the judge!

But don't just count them, read them. There is nothing like a "mass protest." There are some complaints, but they are mostly pretty mildly stated -- mostly people are saying the would prefer blind judging, giving reasons for that preference, and in some cases offer suggestions for how to do it. And I don't see much "insinuation" in most people's posts. If there is any "mass" sentiment expressed, it is praise for Cathy and Gail. Meanwhile, Cyn did seem to be unfairly addressed or misunderstood, as her post was pretty mild and reasoned, and contained anti-"whispering" language.

I am chiming in to say all of this because I don't think Cyn and Nemo should feel alone on their island.

David R.

[Alex Pepple]

David,

First, I'm glad to see you participating, despite your earlier declaration of abstention for bringing in outsiders!

OK, so, it's not "mass" -- which I should put to bed now before it too flames on out of control by declaring it as intentionally hyperbolic under the circumstances -- but, judging by your chiming in still, it's certainly persistent and endless!

...Alex

[David Rosenthal]

Originally Posted by Alex Pepple

David,

First, I'm glad to see you participating, despite your earlier declaration of abstention for bringing in outsiders!

OK, so, it's not mass but, judging by your chiming in, it's certainly persistent and endless!

...Alex

Alex,

Just like earlier in the thread when you and I were clearly not communicating well with each other, this response seems unnecessarily snippy and snide to me. I don't think my post earned it.

Also, I don't think I ever made any "declaration of abstention." I said I didn't like the way this bakeoff was arranged, and I still don't. I did come in a few pages back when the blind judging "complaints" emerged to praise Cathy and Gail and the entrants, and mentioned I hadn't participated much, which was an accurate statement -- aside from that post, our unfortunate exchanges in this thread, and a couple of posts in the "Mower's Song" thread's discussion of tradition and form, I have not participated in the bakeoff.

But my lack of participation is not because of "bringing in outsiders," it is because I have been occupied by work and family obligations for most of the last several weeks. By the way, my earlier complaint (which was really more of a lament) was not exactly about "bringing in outsiders," it was about the changing of the character of the bakeoff. But I don't think you understood that, and I suppose you still don't.

Anyway, I'm out.

David R.

[D.J.H. Bryant]

Originally Posted by Mary Meriam

Yeah, let me and Nemo select them next year. We'd rock the joint.

I think that's an excellent idea.

Devlin

[Tim Murphy]

I would like to see David Anthony judge next year. He is a superb writer of sonnets.

[Catherine Chandler]

Tim,
That's a great idea!