The nominations database has been exported to excel and after removing spam, there are still 2000 nominations. The sheer number of blogs that have been nominated is overwhelming and quite unexpected. What this means is that on average there have been 100 nominations per category. There is no way there can be a voting form with 2000 options.
As a result some categories are going to have to be culled. The main ones being Best Blog, Best Blog post, Humourous Post and Best Newcomer. For Best Blog and Best Newcomer, any blogs that only received one nomination will now not be included. I’m sorry about this as I am going back on what I said previously about one nomination being enough. I was not however expecting 300 different blogs getting nominated for Best Blog and over 90 different blogs for Best New Blog.
For Blog Post and Humourous post, some blogs have up to 8 nominations for different posts on their blog so I have asked the blog owners to choose two of their favourites and submit them. This will hopefully bring the options down to 50 or so in those categories.
Next year there will not be nominations for Best Blog (I’ve learned my lesson) but instead all the winners from the other blog categories will be added to that and the best of them chosen by a judging panel. I’ll need to consider merging the nominationa and voting rounds. The idea of the longlist/nomination round was to get everyone nominated a little recognition and have their blog details displayed on the voting form. It looks like the small group of bloggers last year has quickly surpassed the practicality of such a thing.
Now, the voting round will begin midweek this week (hopefully) and it will be all about numbers. The most voted for blogs or blog posts in each category will make it into a short list of 5 per category. After that judges will evaluate what the people have chosen and rank them on quality, audience interaction and other criteria. Stay tuned here for news when voting opens.
Seems harsh on the minority categories such as art blogs etc
While I can understand that you’re faced with logistical problems in sorting through all the nominations, this decision penalises people who have followed your previous request NOT to have multiple nominations.
If you’re going to be taken seriously, this decision must be reversed.
Well there goes my poor wee blog getting anywhere in the nominations.
I voted for myself once in two different categories – I don’t think anyone else would have voted for my humble blog.
So now the blog awards have turned into a popularity contest!… Oh dear..
i nominate this as the most amusing entry of the year. cull the entries? for god’s sakes lads – get a grip.
I can understand that some people may be miffed but, like Damien, I am stunned by the huge breadth of nominations. I knew the numbers would be bigger but I still expected the range to be mainly concentrated on the high profile bogs.
I think Damien should get a lot of thanks for the work he has put into this. He is being completely upfront about the process and the hiccups and I appreciate that. Compare that to any other awards in tech in Ireland.
> So now the blog awards have turned
> into a popularity contest!… Oh dear..
um, of course they’re a popularity contest… there’s a public voting round – which i would like to participate in without having to wade through 2000 blogs before i feel i can vote in an informed manner.
awards in techawards in generalI’d second what Conor says. To leave things as they are sounds unfeasible, messy and a lot more work for Damien, who, let’s face it, is already putting in a huge amount of time and effort (unpaid) in all the organisation.
I’d like to third what Conor said (looks like I’m following Conor around the blogosphere today saying “me too”!).
Kudos to Damien for coming up with the Blog Awards idea, for running (with) it and for making it the success it is now becoming a victim of!
>um, of course they’re a popularity contest… there’s a public voting >round – which i would like to participate in without having to wade >through 2000 blogs before i feel i can vote in an informed manner.
Ok – Good point…
“Piss up in a brewery” comes to mind. Always remember you only get what you ask for, and if you cant handle it, you should’nt be doing it.
Like punctuation, eh, bob?
Agree with Conor, by the way.
You could reduce stress for moderator and voter by chunking entries with the largest number of nominations at the top of a list and placing the other nominations inside a list that flies out when readers click a twistie.
That’s how we manage acres of data inside Notes databases.
No one said the nominees have to be in alphabetical order.
Again I’d like to echo remarks made by Conor and others. Damien is putting a lot of hard work and effort into making this thing work (as he did last year) and it’s a tad pathetic for people to be getting miffed about understandable logistical problems that arise along the way.
As far as I’m concerned this whole endeavour is about celebrating the Irish blog scene, having a (good) few drinks, doing a bit of dancing, chatting with like-minded people etc, etc. In other words, it’s supposed to be fun. Given the (rightly) informal, “amateur” nature of the whole thing, hiccups are to be expected, but as long as a fine time is had by all and talented people get the gongs then most of us (I reckon) will be more than happy.
Oh well, it might be more complicated than originally intended, but it’s still an awful lot better than the normal “Internet awards” game (pay a big pile of money, hope to get nominated, then get rewarded for your nomination by being asked for another pile of money in respect of the privilege of turning up at the ceremony…)
Interesting to note that a majority of the negative comments are anonymous or semi-anonymous. It’s very easy to snipe from behind a mask. Tut tut.
I think Damien is dealing with the overwhelming response in an open, transparent and fair way. And as several others have mentioned, this is a voluntary effort.
Even so, there are a couple of steps that could be taken to ensure even greater transparency. Why not list members of the judging panel? And explicitly state what the judging criteria will be.
Good luck sifting through those 2000 nominations Damien!
I have to say the amount of entries does not suprise me at all after all the marketing Damo did for last years and how it has begun again for this years, All credit Damien. It is, if anything great to see blogging taking off in Ireland.
But back to the point in hand and I think Damien has approached this correctly, and I think a lot will be learned from this year, but do remember as others have said he is doing this voluntarily and as Fustar says at the end of tehday win or lose the main purpose of the evening is to have a bit of craic anyhow.
So keep up the good work Damien looking forward to the long list!
I endorse Fustar’s comment, particularly the bit about drinks.
Gwan Kevin! You’re a holy terror altogether. Will you be bringing your old passport with you again this year as ID? If you do I’ll bring baby pics of me in the bath.
Probably not. Photos for a new one are to be taken tomorrow; perhaps I could style my hair and my demeanour based on that old photo. I have plenty of baby photos, too.
Well, this is nothing short of a thundering fucking disgrace. I am outraged, appalled, disgusted, flabbergasted and appalled again.
There’s to be drinking at the awards?
Damien,
If my site has not already been eliminated by you, please withdraw it from the awards.
Many thanks,
Twenty Major
Editor, Twenty Major
Fucking lushes the lot of you.
As a result some categories are going to have to be culled. The main ones being Best Blog, Best Blog post, Humourous Post and Best Newcomer. For Best Blog and Best Newcomer, any blogs that only received one nomination will now not be included.
WTF, over? How about culling some of the sillier additions to this year’s awards, like “Best News/Current Affairs Blog”. Can someone please tell me how this is different from “Best Political Blog” in any meaningful way? As Damian O’Broin notes, there’s a recurring problem regarding the paranoid secrecy surrounding these Awards in many respects, and the lack of accountability apparent.
(The irony of this, considering Damien’s claims to fame as a denouncer of such practices elsewhere,gives rise to particular disappointment. You could expect such behaviour from The Freedom Nobs, but not in a founder-member of DRi)
One particular example of the lack of openess was the unsettling manner in which we were misled last year about the role of Microsoft in the Awards. Despite a public promise by Damien Mulley that Microsoft had no hand in the Awards despite being a sponsor, it later emerged that one of their employees was apoointed a judge by Damien. Who the other judges were, no-one apparently knows, and Damien hasn’t seen fit to comment on the matter despite it having been subsequently raised.
p.s. I invite the person bitching about pseudonymous or anonymous critics to either pen a screed espousing similar disapproval of pseudonymous/anonymous supporters of this messing about, or STFU. Also, any subsequent Mulley ragegasms concerning pseudonymity are hereby referred to the unfortunate case of a certain young Udaras employee last year, a case upon which Damien apparently holds no opnions _whatsoever_ by the way.
That’s disappointing, but understandable, Kevin. You had a great look back when that old passport pic was taken, so don’t rule it out as a template for the Kevin of today. What goes around comes around…cyclical fashion and all that.
Twenty. I believe a mineral bar will also be provided. Stocked to the gills with Cidona, TK Red Lemonade, and Um Bongo. There’ll also be a Tom Cruise look-alike showing off his mad skills on a Sodastream. Could the divil possibly send anyone better?
there’s a recurring problem regarding the paranoid secrecy surrounding these Awards in many respects, and the lack of accountability apparent.
Yeah, I smell a conspiracy. Any theories on what it might be?
Fustar – well, if there’s Um Bongo then all is forgiven. It just shows how multi-cultural the Irish Blog Awards are when we can all share a glass of what they drink down in the Congo.
Who is Damian O’Broin?
Yeah, I smell a conspiracy. Any theories on what it might be?
Never underestimate the deviousness of the Cork mafia, Twenty.
Who is Damian O’Broin?
Look above?
Eh, I didn’t note any ‘recurring problem regarding the paranoid secrecy surrounding these Awards‘. I just suggested some improvements.
But if there is a conspiracy, can I be part of it? I’ve even been to Cork once or twice.
Oh, and I’m Damian O’Broin. Who are you, Larry P?
Damien,
If anybody else thinks they can do a better job, let them try and organize an event of this scale, on their own time. Having 2000 nominations is definitely a ‘nice problem to have’
Dealing with you both this year and the last, I’ve been impressed by your professionalism and the amount of time and effort you’ve put into these.
Paul
I am always careful of the Cork Mafia, in particular the ginger assassin Raftery. That happy family man cover fools most people.
And if you think that was controversial, wait until you see how this one plays out:
Free Beer at the Irish Blog Awards
Don’t get too excited, it’s only one beer. But it is open for anyone to enter.
Twenty,
I think it was the orange blog on the Grassy knoll that did it.
Paul
Look fair play to Damien and everyone else that contributes to these awards but before we lose sight of the fact nobody asked him and just because the work is voluntary does not mean he can’t be crtiicised. Actually I believe in Ireland the reverse is true the less you get paid for something the more people want to have a go.
Now that being said they are his awards and he can cull if he wants but it does make the whole nominations round seems wrong particularly when you consider his request for no multiple nominations.
Maybe it would be better to ignore all the nominations and have the vote round based on who the judges like and then the winner will be the most polular of the judges to 10 or twenty picks as opposed to them having the final say.
Seems fairer than going against what his own rules were a few days ago.
Regardless Damien should be thanked for all the work and wished success cheers too all
Being nominated shouldn’t mean automatic inclusion into the voting phase. Nominations need to be judged, then presented for voting.
Anyone with half a clue about things technical could nominate their crappy blog, with three readers, dozens of times from different email and IP addresses and make the voting.
The same way a very good blog might not receive enough nominations to be considered which would be a shame.
Obviously there’s been a massive growth in the Irish blog scene since last year – perhaps it’s only become obvious in light of the nominations received. I’m sure Damien will learn from this and make the necessary improvements for next year’s awards.
As it is I think he’s done the only thing he can to make it manageable. As everyone else has their own blogs and wants to be included in the awards he’s not likely to get many volunteers to help him out, is he?
Wouldn’t it be great if they introduced the concept of culling into the process for all awards.
The Oscars: “After failing to receive the required number of votes for their films Battlefield Earth and Pearl Harbour, John Travolta and Ben Affleck were culled today in a Los Angeles abattoir.”
Seems like a hard call for Damien to make, but, like any good gaffer, he doesn’t shirk the tough decisions.
I won’t comment as it most likely get me banned…
E.
Ah go on…
300 nominations for Best Blog? Damien is a victim of his own success but do you know who we should really feel sorry for? The blogs that didnt get nominated at all.
Lets just assume everyone with one nomination just nominated themselves and cull them for egotism (I presume that will include my blog). After all if they couldnt scrounge up a stray nomination despite the “one nomination is enough” announcement then they wont get enough votes to be Best Blog anyway.
Next, to balance things out, disqualify every blog that encouraged their readers to spam, they probably have an acceptance speach written already and we dont want to hear it.
Finally disqualify everone who comments on this thread, cause we care to much about the awards and not enough about the blogs 😉
I am always careful of the Cork Mafia, in particular the ginger assassin Raftery. That happy family man cover fools most people.
The effects of the Ginger Menace in holding back the progress of this great nation have gone undocumented for too long. If only we could get word to Tom Garvin that most gingers vote FF, maybe we could get him to write another expose. Dan Brown doesn’t have anything on this, the greatest historian of our generation.
Lovely to read such consideration: “a very good blog might not receive enough nominations to be considered which would be a shame….” Well said Boss.
I’d like to point out that I did not nominate “From Bath to Cork with Baby Grace”. If all single-voted nominations are eliminated on the grounds that they must have been put forward by a puffed up ego, Omaniblog is a gonner. That’s not nice and might just push me over the edge into that dark wood I’ve been exploring.
It would be unmentionably embarrassing to reach the final list in any category, if the blog has been as unreliable as I’ve been this last six months.
I resign from the Cork o’merta-gang: I never joined and was never part of their machinations. I’ve always loved Dubliners the most: they get my vote everytime. All the best bloggers live there, if not in fact, at least in spirit.
Am secretly very pleased at the huge interest this year… Fair play Damien! This doesn’t mean we have to start on time does it…? I still think the whole “when everyone’s rambled back from the bar” vibe should stay…
I’m buying the Um Bongo Twenty if you’re turning up… 😉 Bring that nice lad you sent last year too – he was cool…
R
A free Um Bongo bought by Rick O’Shea! How could I possibly stay away?
I’ll see if yer man wants to come along. Only because you asked now…
Perhaps Damien should have approached the makers of “Um Bongo” to sponsor their own category (it’s back on the market again you know). How about “Blog that most closely resembles watery fruit-flavoured piss”? It might give me a chance to win something at least…
Who the other judges were, no-one apparently knows, and Damien hasn’t seen fit to comment on the matter despite it having been subsequently raised.
You are so right EWI, we need the centre for public enquiry back. Tribunels, and a prime time investigator program. Hey we could even get back Hetty Wainthropp for a special Investigation. Maybe EWI you could lead a million person march on the Blog Awards. With burning effigies of Damien. As you are the defender of truth and transparency while annoyamous of course
(The rest I can go “enh” to, but I thought I’d have a bit of fun with this part)
As you are the defender of truth and transparency while annoyamous of course
On a hunch, I went over to “Dossing Times” to have a nose around. Eureka! as the ancient Greeks liked to say:
Simon
Location: Ireland
About Me
I like to be annoyamos it lets me be as candid as i like. Also i can’t spell well.
http://www.blogger.com/profile/9978354
So, as an “annoyamos” person (yourself) to a pseudonymous person (myself) maybe you’d like to comment on how
[Moderator Edit: Keep your unhealthy obsessions about Richard Waghorne to your own attack blog. This is not the place. Do it again and I’ll ban you.]
Um Bongo are sponsoring? (This is how rumours start…)
The only bad thing about making processes transparent is that you give visibility to everyone.
If there were awards just for blogs about blog awards, I presume they would be called the Blog Awards Blog Awards. Then those awards would have a blog. Called the Blog Awards Blog Awards Blog. Etcetera ad infitum until you have a mental fit.
An outdoor event next year? Or maybe even this year?
Well, if you do have to eliminate the one-nomination wonders then at least publish the list somewhere so that the blogs know that someone liked them – assuming it wasn’t the blogger author!
EWI. You can find my name out quiet easily if you want to you know. I make no secret of it. I have not updated my profile since I first started blogging under the pseudonym the saint. Which is why I used the term annoyamous. Which as you can see I no longer do. Yourself on the other hand. make sure that your name is not known. Not even your first name. While Damien here puts it out their for every one to see
But I was agreeing with you EWI we do need a prime time investigator program this is a very important issue. Mulley is a george bush lacky and we all know it now thanks to you.
Alan in Belfast that is actually a very good idea.
Simon,
Bitter, bitter, bitter… What’s the point in practising your invective here: “Mulley is a george bush lacky “.
Even if he is, what does it matter? why pick out that characteristic and present it as if it was the determining characteristic of the man?
Were you tongue in cheek with “we do need a prime time investigator program this is a very important issue.”? Surely this is teacup stuff. Whenever a few bloggers are gathered, they must start a fight, otherwise they might get bored?
I too like Alan’s idea of preserving a list of all the nominated blogs. That should be fairly to do… But it doesn’t seen right to expect Damien to do it. He’s done enought already.
Perhaps there should be a committe to do all the work in future years?