VOTE!!
 

~And now after a brief delay, it is time to get out there and vote!
Remember, we are voting for the best fics within each category. You may vote for your top three choices, but you may only vote once.
In order to vote in a category you need to have read all the stories in that category. I know this could mean a *lot* of reading, so for longer fics you need to only have read the first three or four chapters so you have a feel for the story. We're using the Honor system for that (how appropriate!) so be Honorable!

And now of course, no voting for your own stories.
Voting ends October 19, 2002.

http://www.behindthemasks.com/awards...les/voting.htm

*Bump!* Ahem. Just thought I'd put this a little higher up so that everyone would be reminded. :tsmile:

~Good idea! Thank you!

~GW

Yeah, well, I had to find it because I needed the link. Gotta do some reading before I can vote!

*BUMP* The deadline draws ever closer...

*bump*
I Totally agree... ;)

I need to get to work reading! I'm only ready to vote in about two categories!

mhh... after the craziness of this week, I don't need anymore reminders of how well I'm failing! :oops:

I voted... for what I could...
*ish now of to create some plot for shomething else*

*realizes she forgot to nominate Fantasim* :oops: Oops... well, I usually try to nominate all the fics I host on my that hadn't had a run at it before. Maybe next year!

~Well, if it's any consolation, I am nowhere near my goals in terms of what I wanted to have read by this weekend. Ack!
Remember, for those mega-long stories, you only need to read the first few chapters to get a feel for the story.
There have been a few objections to this, most notably Dawnatello herself, but personally I am really leaning toward the idea of placing the emphasis next year on *that* year's works. There is no doubt room to honor the oldies, but if we keep leaving the choices wide open like we had this year, this is going to become increasingly unwieldy.
I also liked Mikey QM's suggestion that we can only nominate one or two fics per category.
Most of that discussion took place on the mailing lists. What do you all think of these ideas?

~GW

I was thinking why not have a few categories that are "readers choice" and then the remaining be voted on by a panel of judges who have time to read all the stories. This would eliminate the "favoritism" complaints as well as being able to keep all the older stories in too. Everyone can still nominate but the final judging is by panel only and then of course a couple "readers choice" I dunno...just my thoughts

Hrm... gives me time to edit it

*clears throat... is glad MikeyQM doesn't frequent these forums* heh.. yeah, he's just gotten a liiiiittle touchy about them.

But yeah, I think we did to do something to better manage the reading load, and the numbers of fics that are nominated each year. I'll widdle my ideas down to (which can be one or the other, or all):

1. Having a Classic/Oldies fic section (which includes old incomplete fics)
2. Nominate just 2 fics per category, as Mikey said
3. And... an easier to use form for both Host and Voter :wink:

~That's an interesting suggestion-- it'd make it even more like the Academy Awards-- or any of those other big awards programs.
I liked using a panal of voters/Judges for the little Fan Fic Challenge and Mutant Hybrid Contests I did this year. Takes the pressure off people who feel they *should* vote but have a choice not to and then feel guilty...heh... or do a less than thorough job of it...hrmm......

~GW

I lurk on all the lists and have heard the...ahem...discussions and debates on the awards. I don't get into confrontations such as, because I'm not doing the awards who am I to criticize. But with every complaint, this was the one thing that kept running through my mind. I know there are a few readers out there who like me, have read dang near everything on the net whether on ff.net or private sites. So, if you go with that idea next year I volunteer to help.

~If I have a say in the matter, you're on, Terran!
Don't know that I will, though..... :wink:

~GW

Ooh.. I also agree with Terran's idea. :D

I would have mentioned it... but I remembered how Dawn's first intent for these awards was to get the general reading public to sniff out and read more fics. But as year year passes, that well-meaning intention is starting to fail... hence people run short on time and just vote for what they know.

So yeah, the reader's choice category(s) sounds good to make up for that, indeed.

I'VE DONE IT!! :D

I am really very proud of myself. :D Days of locking myself away and endless print outs later I have managed to read all of the fanfiction needed to vote!

*Pats self on back*

Mind you filling out the voting form probably took me just as long :lol:

Now I must really go and buy another ink cart for my printer

~Now that is dedication!
And thank yous to everyone who is participating. I really do appreciate all the brainstorming. (In part because my brain looks like an "After" photo of the latest tropical storm...)
Really, thank you all for your enthusiasm!

~GW

Hey all, for those of you who are planning on voting in the NC-17 or most shocking categories, my NC-17 stories are now available on my Skeletoncrew's Vault site. (See below for the link.)

Way ahead of you there! :lol:

I'm proud of you Nun! I need to get my butt in gear and do some more reading today!

*wipes brow* Phew! What can I say it wasn't easy. :lol:

Well, I'm ready in 6 categories...and I had already decided I wouldn't be voting in all. I must confess though. I know we're supposed to read at least 3 chapters of longer stories and all of short, but there have been a couple where I read a few paragraphs and knew I couldn't vote for it. I'm sorry, but even if someone's idea is sound; if they can't even spell the turtles' names correctly, I can't vote for them.

:lol: It's always those little things that getcha! (not to say I'm guilty of having a load of grammar problems myself)

Rafial.... :lol: one of the more unique ways I've seen it spelled. And for the record I still can't stop spelling Mike's name "MichAELangelo" although I am trying.

When I started writing waaaay back in 1991, I used to spell it as "Rafael" and "Raff". But then I decided that was more Hispanic than Italian, so I had to go through and change them all. :P

Though... Rafayel does have a nice ring to it. :roll:

Just lurking through my lunch...
 

*blink blink* You mean Mike's name ISNT spelled like that? Crud. I'm going to have to go and do a search and replace in all my stories...

So enlighten me...which of the following?

"Michaelangelo"

"Michealangelo"

"Mikhailanjello"

"Hey you!"

Heh heh..originally as far as I know Eastman and Laird spelled it Michaelangelo because they didnt have a spell checker. But since the new cartoon is coming out and the new comic they started spelling it Michelangelo which is how the artist spelled his name. Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Yeah, that sounds like the right explanation. Though I've never been able to keep from spelling MichAElangelo. It's in my spell checker like that.

huh...hadn;t even thought of that one. *shrugs* I'll keep it the way I have it. I like it better anyways.

And just to keep this partially on topic, yes I went and voted!

I've got a handful of catagories voted for, listed on my comp, and I'm gonna do more reading today. Promise.

No... it's Micahanjello, dammit! :P :lol:

Yeah, I also still like to spell his name with an A cause that's how I tell it apart from the painter's name. Of course, for the longest, I used to get the A and the E switrched around. I didn't realize that Michealangelo or Rapheal was wrong (the spellchecker wasn't that good then, and didn't recgonize the original names either). Then I had done a seperate study on angels... and noticed "all the good ones end in EL". After that, I was never confused again! :goofygri:

Of course, then came this occasional brain fart that left me wondering if it should be spelled Donnatello, Donatello, or Donatelo?

There's also a lot of really good stories that were nomanated. So many talented writers and such a variety of stories. Deciding on the three best in a lot of these catagories will be tough.

I'm going to keep spelling it "Michaelangelo" because thats the way I like it. Donny is "Donatello" according to my spellchecker.

I think the tough part is categories where there are less than three, or barely more than three nominees. Personally I'm just going to vote for my favorite of the few, and not necessarily vote for 3 in those categories.

I finally voted today!!!

Congratualtions give yourself a pat on the back!!

The last day is here! Go vote!

I already did a week ago... chill. :lol:

I just picked the easiest category where I already read pretty much everything there. :goof: