Do you vote? Did you nominate anyone? Do you wish they had a televised awards ceremony so you could criticize online journalists' outfits? Or do you not care at all?

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2001

Answers

I nominated Al and AB for Best New Journal. 'Cause I'm a groupie.

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2001

I always mean to. Honest. But then I forget and feel weird later when I see the awards and don't recognize half of them.

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2001

Ooh, I would be all about the outfits on TV part.

I started my journal so I could vote and nominate people, because I'm a nerd like that. So, yeah, I do. Nominate, vote, all that.

I think people tend to get too riled up about them, though--I mean, it's a fun thing to do, and a little recognition never hurt nobody. I just don't like it when they're taken so seriously.

And WG--thanks, man! That's awesome! (p.s. I nominated Al, too. If she doesn't get props, I will be mad.)

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2001

The thing that irritates me is that the nominations really have no bearing on the finalists. From my understand, Bert's journal could get 4 noms, and Ernie's could get 75, but if the panelists like Bert's more, then Bert would be a finalist.

Why even let people nominate? Just have a panel choose finalists and then let journallers vote. Or have the nominations actually reflect who becomes a finalist.

I nominate and vote, but I still think it's all hooey.

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2001

I think Bert and Ernie should keep online journals.

Um, anyway. I usually nominate, and vote, but I also usually see one or two real stinkers among the finalists and think of a zillion better entries/journals. That's what riles me up about it.

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2001

http://www.fractalcow.com/bert/bert.htm

You might want to rethink the Bert idea.

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2001

Dear God, Bert is evil! Man, that website is kind of scary--the cat poetry?

-- Anonymous, August 02, 2001

Well, the finalists are out and congrats to Allison and Pineapple who are both up for best new journal!

-- Anonymous, August 05, 2001

Congrats, Al! And also Pineapple and Jessamyn and Jen and Kristin and everybody else!

-- Anonymous, August 05, 2001

I know I'll be nominating Mike's newest entry for next quarter.

I forgot to nominate this time around, and I know it's my fault that some very excellent and wonderful people were not nominated. Blame me. Really.

And uh, as for the OLJ fashion critique, John Scalzi and I did this for a good hour at Journalcon last year. This year, I'll have a camera with me. Bwahahaaaa...

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

And uh, as for the OLJ fashion critique, John Scalzi and I did this for a good hour at Journalcon last year. This year, I'll have a camera with me. Bwahahaaaa...

Well, it's a good thing I'm not going then, lest my profile be seen on the "Don't" list in all the fashionable journals.

Hah!

Clearly there are some nominees that I just don't get, but that's true for the Emmys, Grammys, Tonys and ESPYs as well, so the DiaristNet Awards are in good company. Congrats to everyone who was nominated! The rest of us will just have to content ourselves with the Stoli Vanil and Dr. Pepper.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

I'm just shocked that Rob hasn't won the Legacy Award yet.

And bitter that I never ever ever ever get nominated. Pass the Stoli.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

WG, let's found a DNA Reject Club.

And congrats Al and Pineapple!

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

hi yall - thanks. I just want you to know that everyone that I read regularly, most of whom are here somewhere, I nominated for something. So, you are loved! and yes, the answer is Hooey.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

Keli, if you have time to look for tips on surviving LA without a car, I'd appreciate it.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

I keep an eye on several journals, and I rarely recognize the posted few.

Plus, didn't I hear that Gwentown has not ever been a finalist? I can't take them seriously if that's true.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

Dude, I totally meant to post that in Googlicious. I'm on crack.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

To answer my own question, Rob has been nominated for the Legacy Award before, and not won.

And I didn't see Gwen listed among the finalists through the fourth quarter of 1999.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

Well, clearly we need to start a Gwentown rally next time.

For the record, WG, you did get nominated. I ain't saying by whom...

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

That's my whole issue with it. Finalists clearly don't reflect nominations.

I just don't understand the process.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

Gwen's never been a finalist.

Here's the thing: Of all the nominations received, the panel then chooses finalists based on what they like, regardless of the # of nominations received.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

Anyone here ever been a panelist? I'm sure they could shed some light on the process.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

Awww, AB, thank you.

Let's be realistic about this: only a small portion of the "online journaling community" contributes to the Diarist.net awards. If you look at this year's nominees versus the finalist panel, you'll see that one is up for Best Overall (Kathy), two are up for Legacy Awards (Rob and Heather), one is up for Best Comedic Entry (Kristin), one for Best Dramatic Entry (Heather), one for Best Guest Entry (Melissa), and two for Best Account of a Public or News Event (Rob and Heather). Which is not to argue that the finalists are nominating themselves, choosing themselves, or voting for themselves; simply that there is a very small group to choose from, and certain journals come up over and over. And thus certain journals that we may think outstanding (Gwen, John Scalzi, etc.) don't make the cut, for not-very-clear reasons.

I'd like an award just because I'm an insecure writer and I crave recognition even for an anonymous online journal. But I realize that it probably won't happen unless one of the regulars finds and champions me. Which is really what open nominations are for: not to squeeze your favorites into the finalist ring by majority vote, but to call the panelists' attention to your nominee.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

I'm leaving the house in a few minutes, but I thought y'all might want to know that John doesn't *want* to be nominated for any of that stuff. He rejected his nomination(s)(?) and his award(s)(?) because he doesn't feel that he keeps an OLJ (hence the Daily Whatever).

It was a huge scandal at the time. The funny thing is that Diarist.net wouldn't let him reject the nomination or the award. Google it, kids.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

I stand corrected.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

I was also shocked to find out yesterday that Jette of Anhedonia / Celluloid Eyes had never been nominated.

-- Anonymous, August 06, 2001

If you look at this year's nominees versus the finalist panel, you'll see that one is up for Best Overall (Kathy), two are up for Legacy Awards (Rob and Heather), one is up for Best Comedic Entry (Kristin), one for Best Dramatic Entry (Heather), one for Best Guest Entry (Melissa), and two for Best Account of a Public or News Event (Rob and Heather).

That's certainly interesting, though.

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

" If you look at this year's nominees versus the finalist panel, you'll see that one is up for Best Overall (Kathy), two are up for Legacy Awards (Rob and Heather), one is up for Best Comedic Entry (Kristin)...",

I am not on, nor will I ever be on, the awards panel. It is very flattering that someone would take the time to nominate my site, and i appreciate the thought, but at the same time, I think awards like this tend to divide communities, rather than unite them. I would love to see a list posted of everyone who was nominated, because the real thrill isn't winning, I don't think, but in knowing that you put something out there that made someone else want to take the time to nominate.

Gwen was robbed! And Robyn's comedic entry is far, far funnier than mine. I am voting for her.

edited by AB to close a tag

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

I know that she means Bitchypoo Robyn and not Daily Dissection Robyn (me), but I like to read that and pretend that I don't know that.

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

I, too, would like to see a list of everyone who was nominated. Not how many nominations they got, or from whom; just that they were.

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

I wouldn't. This way I can just pretend that I received a gazillion nominations and was overlooked by the OLJ cabal.

Hee. Not really. I do wish the process was more democratic, less panel driven- I've nominated Gwen every single round, for instance, and know I'm not alone, and think she should get SOME recognition.

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

Obviously I didn't get nominated in the 'smart enough to properly close a tag' category!

I think the awards need to be much more Robyncentric across the board - there need to be a lot more Robyns among the finalists.

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

That may be true, Kristin, but I nominated you in the "Knows How to Make a Bed Properly" category, and isn't that what matters?

I'd like to see that nominee list, too, for my own selfish purposes.

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

After reading this forum, I've been thinking a lot about the awards procedures.

I think there should be two sets of "Best of" - one that is by popular vote, and one that is critics' picks (i.e. panelists). I'm not sure whether the combination of the two serves its highest purpose.

Also... I think the panel should be anonymous until after the nominations round is over, OR that panelists should be barred from receiving votes / nominations in that quarter. See, the only reason I can deduce for the consistently high number of panelists-also- appearing-as-finalists must be that some voters think that if they suck up and nominate panelists, they might get some back-scratching kudos of their own in gratitude? Because I hardly think the panelists are all nominating themselves - especially since that is a hard and fast no-no to others. In a logical statistical capacity, this is the only reason I can imagine for the correlation.

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

Well, I'm sure that all the people who are panelists would be nominated whether they were panelists or not, as panelists are usually active elsewhere in the community. (Whether they have popular journals or host forums etc.) So they wouldn't have to nominate themselves. But they could select themselves. Not that they DO, but that they could.

Pineapple, I totally agree. I think they should either have quantity of nominations (since you can't nominate someone for the same award more than once) create the finalists or do away with open nominations all together and just have panel select finalists. Then bar panelists from being finalists for that quarter.

Seems pretty simple to me.

-- Anonymous, August 07, 2001

From The Book of Rob today:

There is one thing I did want to mention about this. In the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I did in fact serve on the Awards Finalist Selection Panel this time. However, the rules are set up so that I did not vote in any of the categories in which I was nominated. I hope that puts all you conspiracy buffs in your places.

I thought as much.

-- Anonymous, August 08, 2001

That doesn't surprise me - that panelists can't vote. But I think there must still be some suck-uppage factor.

-- Anonymous, August 08, 2001

Has everyone voted? Is everyone voting? And why are the voting periods so long anyway?

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2001

I had already voted.

You said "periods."

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2001

I guess our very own Al is now part of the cabal. Congrats, Al! Don't forget the little people who helped get you where you are.

-- Anonymous, August 29, 2001

Yay for Al! Congrats girl, congrats.

-- Anonymous, August 29, 2001

Yay, my Al!

And also Jessie and Kristin!

-- Anonymous, August 29, 2001

Big ups to Al, and big ups to Kristin and Sara!

Pineapple, girl, I think you were robbed. Not that I think, you know, that that person who won was undeserving, because we all love that person and want happy goodness for her, too. But you deserve something, like The Other New Kick Ass Journal award.

-- Anonymous, August 29, 2001

Awwww! Robyn, how sweet are you? Seriously though - if there was Other Kickass New Journal I would have nominated Anna Beth anyway.

But no, I am here to say YAY! Allison and Kristin YAY! and Jessie and Sara YAY! YAY! Y'all are pretty fuckin' cool. And I can F-bomb you like that here in the Forum, because, well, I am unemployed. hee.

-- Anonymous, August 29, 2001

I guess our very own Al is now part of the cabal.

Yeah, congratulations Al! Be sure and let us know the secret handshake and password.

And can you swipe some cake and ice cream for us as well?

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2001

That's my girl! I am so proud! and no, the awards are in no way Hooie! I will be busy shopping and helping to create the best OLJ outfit ever seen. Wonder if they have "Mother of the Diarist's" gowns anywhere?

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2001

There's a whole section of them at the Brookwood Parisian's, Mother.

I think the awards are pretty strange, yeah. I mean, every single quarter? That's a whip.

However, I am extremely grateful. And extremely surprised.

I will let y'all know when I have my NY Times interview.

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2001

Phoo, New York Times? That rag?

Everyone knows People is the only print material worth reading. Except for, of course, TV Guide. But only because of the crossword. It's so hard!

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2001

From Diary-L:
The nomination period for the Third Quarter of Diarist.net Nominations is now open. The nomination period will close on October 15, 2001. The time frame for Eligible entries is July 1, 2001 - September 30, 2001, with the exception of the Best Outstanding Entry which can come from any time frame (and preference is given to older entries). Best New Journal can be no older than April 1, 2001. And, as always, no self nominations. Please, go forth and nominate! Thanks! Jolene Baldwin Diarist.net Awards Coordinator

-- Anonymous, October 01, 2001

I think they ought to have two sets of awards for this quarter: one for everything September 11th-related, and one for everything else. There's so much emotion invested in those entries, and so many people have read so many other people's entries, that I would put them aside in their own category, and give the regular awards to non-Sept.-11th entries.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2001

That's true, because right now there's only "best account of public/news event" and there are a million entries about the 11th. And a million good ones at that.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2001

I think they should just not give awards for any entries dealing primarily with September 11 and the aftermath. Because there are SO many good ones, so many different viewpoints and so many different lives affected in different ways. How do you say Rob's very well done "a pacificist sees a need for war" entries are better than Jen's from the heart of it? I think taking those out of competition will help keep the emphasis of those entries where it should be - on the events and the reactions - rather than on awards.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2001

Also, so many people have emotional investments in their Sept. 11 entries. I know I won't be winning any for mine, but a lot of writers put their heart and soul into those entries, and a rejection of those might sting more than a rejection of any old entry.

I say all that, and then I go ahead and nominate Miranda's "New New York" entry for Best Guest. (And I'm not saying anything more about who nominated who, because I don't want to pander to my own most juvenile instincts. So if you're nominating me, don't tell me, because I ought to be better than that.)

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2001

thank you so much for the nomination! that means a lot to me.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

Y'all feel free to tell me if you nominate me for anything. Oh, wait, I don't think they have a category for Biggest Diary Slackass. Never mind.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

And you'd have a hard time beating me out for that one.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

But I'm a lock for the new "Best Example of Having Other People Write Entries For You While You're On Vacation and Having Them Be Much Funnier Than You Are" category.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

Jolene posted on 3wa that making a new award for the 11th entries has been brought up, but it doesn't look like it will happen.

Isn't that the main problem with the diarist awards ANYway? That we can never see a complete list of nominations? And 3 finalists? Even the Oscars has 5.

I just made 0 sense.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

I understand not having a list of nominations -- wouldn't that be endless?

No awards process is ever perfect, but if I were going to make one change, I'd make the panelists ineligible to be nominated for anything in the quarter they select the finalists. That will prevent any conflict of interest.

Well, there are actually two things I'd do -- I'd have five finalists instead of three. There are too many outstanding entries to have only three nominees.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

For some categories probably, especially the entry ones. But maybe the site awards? Then again, people would get pissed that they were nominated but not chosen to be a finalist.

I just like to hear myself talk.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

I mean, as posted about the Quarter Two nominees: If you look at this year's nominees versus the finalist panel, you'll see that one is up for Best Overall (Kathy), two are up for Legacy Awards (Rob and Heather) ... one for Best Dramatic Entry (Heather), one for Best Guest Entry (Melissa), and two for Best Account of a Public or News Event (Rob and Heather).

Another panelist, Cricket, was also nominated for two awards (Best Writing and Best Comedic Entry)

A lot of the nominated entries were really good, but I think that allowing panelists to be nominated created a needless conflict of interest.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

I was talking about the "neverending" list of nominees.

I agree with you on the conflict of interest.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

I never pay attention to the diarist awards..heh heh. I'm never nominated :\

...and I've been journalling since 1997 (though archives were lost). man, yo!

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

An aside, is there anyway to turn off the feature that sends me email every time someone replies to this thread?

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

Other Hannah: Go here, and enter your e-mail address into "edit alerts."

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

I nominated Pineapple, too, for her account of getting arrested. 'Cause it was funny.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2001

Don't forget! You still have time to nominate!

So, you know, do.

-- Anonymous, October 11, 2001

Y'all don't forget, today's the last day to nominate!

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

Finalists for the recent quarter come out tomorrow.

Any hopefuls?

-- Anonymous, November 08, 2001

Ladies! Wooo!

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

Yay! Yay Hannah, and Allison, and Pineapple, and Jessie, and Miranda! (and me...heh.)

And everybody else I didn't say.

Whee!

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

And how could I forget sweet Rob, my bacon man? I do not even know.

Yay!

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

tank yeh, AB - yeh so cool.

And, our peeps represented! Big ol' YAY!s to AB, Allison, Hannah, Jessie, Miranda, Rob!

And, of course there are manys also here that so should be on the Hooey List... we know that the MATH+1 Forum rocks the free world.

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

Yay, all of you! Pineapple girl, and Allison, and Rob, and AB, my boo! You are all way cool and very deserving!

And yay for me, even though I know there's the whole weird thing about being on the panel AND being a finalist, but still! It's me, so I'm happy!

I do have one lesson that I've learned from being on the panel that I will put into action next quarter. When it's time, get out there and NOMINATE, NOMINATE, NOMINATE. If you care at ALL about the awards, nominate. Nominate. You can't win if you're not nominated. I, myself, have not done enough nominating, because a lot of times I think to myself, "well, it's this cool person or that cool person, and everybody loves her! or him! and so my nomination is not important! My nomination will only be the millionth nomination that person gets!" And so I allow myself to be lazy, and not nominate very many, or not spend much time on it.

Now, I'm not saying you should spend a lot of time on it if you don't want to. But DON'T (like I did) fail to nominate people because you are suffering under the delusion that if you don't do it, that somebody else will. There are not NEARLY enough people out there nominating the journals they love, and the chances are very high that if you don't do it? Nobody will.

Congrats to all the finalists this time! And next time you get a chance, go nominate!

-- Anonymous, November 10, 2001

thanks guys! i felt so special when i found out that i was going to ask the hannahs if i could borrow one of their tiaras...

congrats to everyone who's a finalist! woo hoo, guys!

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

Congrats to everyone! I've been out of town, but thank you to the great AB for calling and telling me.

Yay!

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2001

I finally had a chance to look through all the finalists, adn I think they were right when they said this was a very slow quarter because every single entry/site I nominated is a finalist. Every single one. And nothing I've ever nominated before has made it to the final round. Weird.

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2001

Wha? You tryin' to say you didn't nominate me for that last one? HUH?

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2001

Yeah, seriously. I feel so dissed!

Or I would feel dissed had I updated at all over the last quarter.

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2001

Oh yeah, wait. What I had meant to say was, except for last quarter when I did nominate Al for Best New Journal. But I had also nominated the shit out of a ton of other stuff that didn't see the light. For reals.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

Mike, you know your last entry was about antrhax. If you don't hurry up and update, people going to think you died.

Okay not really. I'm just saying.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

And I petitioned to have a new category, "Best Journal for Ghetto Dwellers", but until then, my dreams of DNA nomination will go unrealized. Oh well.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

No need for your dreams to be unrealized, NH, as you have been nominated, by me.

As for the finalistification, I cannot halp. But, you have reached the Nomination Station, at least as far as I can vouch.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

AND....

Congratulations to sweet Pineapple, and also sweet Hannah (and Miranda, too!)!

-- Anonymous, November 29, 2001

Congratulations to everyone - my partner in Crane, Pineapple, and the rest of you :)

-- Anonymous, November 29, 2001

thank y'all so much. i have had a really really shitty day, but this just made it. I didn't even know that the thing was coming out today - I wrote it off since it looks like I haven't updated in two months. Allison and Jessie and sweet AB - you were robbed. Pat down your pockets and look for your wallets, 'cos you were robbed. (I mean, not that I even considered the merits of the other nominees, because why?) Robbed.

I love y'all.

It's 3:00 am and I am tired as balls, and I don't want to get maudlin, but just take that for whatever it is.

-- Anonymous, November 30, 2001

Kristin, I meant to say but forgot:

"partner in Crane" - could I love you more? I swear I would register that as a URL if it wouldn't require me to out my inner snob. Heart.

-- Anonymous, November 30, 2001

I totally forgot these were coming out and haven't looked at the winners list. Wait a second... who won Best Design?!? Not AB?! So upset about that.

But, excellent, PG. I'm pleased about that one, and certainly Miranda's as well.

-- Anonymous, November 30, 2001

Yay you guys! Nominated folk, peeps who won. MATH+1 is a powerhouse of talent!

-- Anonymous, November 30, 2001