Idols and Twisted Gnostic Secrets

[aggienaut]

   Most recent LJ Idol poll is up. With 28 people remaining, its easy to read them all. I encourage doing so. And voting! (=

[Poll #1348977]

   I stared deep into the dark coils of lj, to understand its arcane inner magic, and lo, I was rewarded with gnostic secrets. Anyone can post any poll. I'm not a hacker, there is no secret. I simply questioned what I couldn't do and was rewarded.
   And I found this pleasing -- that specifically the kind of behaviour I thought most commendable (questioning your surroundings) yielded a reward of some usefulness. Personally I think the advantage gained by being able to post the poll in your entry was more deserved to those who found it and more proportional to the merits of earning it than nearly all the random "rewards" and "Special powers" that have been purposefully bandied about in this competition. In short, it made me feel like at least something was right in the world.
   However, all good things must come to an end. All too often good technology is eventually twisted, and this has happened.
   Gary became concerned and asked how it is done, and the knowledge was passed on to him. I hoped he would have the good sense to keep it under wraps, or at least would tell everyone about it all at once. Unfortunately however, he simply told two idolists, spydielives and kittenboo.
   It is no longer a slight advantage to those who have thought to question and investigate their surroundings on their own, it is now an advantage to those who asked Gary how to get advantages. That literally makes me feel sick, and I'll feel filthy until I rectify it.
   From here I'm quite clear that it will continue to spread, and until someone posts about it publicly the people who have gained the knowledge by asking others will do it under the table. Already today I'm seeing strange vote spikes NOT accompanied by a visible entry, that ARE accompanied by "last post: four hours ago," a spot I can't see an entry anywhere near.

   And so, I am levelling the playing field. I am telling each and every one of you that yes, you can post the poll. The method is shockingly, mind-blowingly simple, all you have to do is try. That or ask Gary.


PS: I thought I'd brighten your days with a visual representation of the poll standings. Please stand by, hopefully I'll have some charts converted to a postable size and form within an hour or two.

Comments

Re: FWIW

[spydielives.livejournal.com]

Because your message was poorly worded, and at least at first reading it looked like you were making an accusation.

As I make a very real effort to avoid drama, I am rather annoyed at being grabbed by the throat by it.

Re: FWIW

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately however, he simply told two idolists, [info]spydielives and [info]kittenboo. -my "poorly worded" sentence


Oh no, I did specifically tell those individuals. Because they asked. - Gary in a comment above.

He seems to confirm my sentence. Explain your complaint.

Re: FWIW

[kittenboo.livejournal.com]

odd because he really didn't tell me

Not going to argue my feelings with you

[spydielives.livejournal.com]

Gary became concerned and asked how it is done, and the knowledge was passed on to him. I hoped he would have the good sense to keep it under wraps, or at least would tell everyone about it all at once. Unfortunately however, he simply told two idolists, [info]spydielives and [info]kittenboo.
It is no longer a slight advantage to those who have thought to question...

[emphasis mine.]

Read this way, it would **appear** that you suggest that kittenboo and I may have used this information to our own advantage, because we apparently got it from Gary.

Now, if that wasn't what you meant, then it is poorly worded, since clearly at least ONE person has attacked and since retracted that attack based on your statement, and others are baring their claws.

And if it IS what you meant, then I would like to know what your basic proof is that either of us actually used embedded polls for LJI, including the current round.

Re: Not going to argue my feelings with you

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

I'm talking in general. If his POLICY is X, that makes the reality of the situation Y. I think any implication that you personally actually utilized the function is absolutely lacking in what I wrote. I suppose I could have put "***to my knowledge no one has done this yet***" but that would be a distracting tangent from my main theme, which is that if people are going to be telling eachother how, it ought to be out in the light.

I thought Brightflashes was responding to your "I already knew how to do this" comment.

Re: Not going to argue my feelings with you

[brightflashes.livejournal.com]

No; your wording had me reading it wrong and had I read it correctly (possibly my own illiteracy I don't know) I would have directed my uproar at someone else. Unfortunately, Spydie and kittenboo got it which neither one of them deserved. And I'm sorry for that.

Right now? Don't want to talk about it.

Re: FWIW

[crucibelle.livejournal.com]

It is no longer a slight advantage to those who have thought to question and investigate their surroundings on their own, it is now an advantage to those who asked Gary how to get advantages.

... is implying that spydie asked Gary about embedded polls just so that she could slap one up on her friends list to gain some advantage. I've been on spydie's friends list since she first started competing in ljidol, and she has never embedded an ljidol poll. One could say that I was personally filtered from such, but what would be the point? I don't compete in ljidol; I only vote.

Re: FWIW

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

I think that implication is a bit of a jump. I'm just saying that if as a matter of policy Gary is going to tell people who ask, then the advantage goes now not to "those who discovered" but "those who asked Gary", in a general sense. It wouldn't be coherent for me to be casting implications that Spydie posted the poll because I don't believe posting the poll is condemnable.

Re: FWIW

[spydielives.livejournal.com]

Enough. I said it was poorly worded. Clearly you disagree... while others agree with me. You don't want to water it down with clarifications.

No problem.

You also don't state in your POST that you condone this activity, only in the comments. The whole tone of your post is about exposing the lurid underbelly of LJI.

I hope that you reap the rewards you sought.

Re: FWIW

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

In my post I thought I was pretty clear that I had a very positive opinion of the activity, using phrases like "In short, it made me feel like at least something was right in the world."

The rewards I sought? Snarky much. The reward I sought was the publication of how to post the poll. I've been doubly rewarded by people hopefully reading this and putting it together, or at least learning how to do it from the green room. So yes, I feel rewarded, thanks.

Re: FWIW

[spydielives.livejournal.com]

I was actually thinking your poll numbers... you made a huge leap in the last couple of hours.

Re: FWIW

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Ah. Addressed in the greenroom.

Re: FWIW

[brightflashes.livejournal.com]

only commenting again for emphasis. I read your entry wrong and it ended up in me being angry with the wrong party. Interpret that how you will. I'm not angry now at anyone, but I don't want to talk about it.

So, the implication, while a jump, was one that I read.

Re: FWIW

[crucibelle.livejournal.com]

I shouldn't have come in here fanning the drama flame, anyways... I'm not even a part of lji, really. All I was doing was trying to explain how "I" perceived your post. Apparently my perception was off (wouldn't be the first time). In any case, I apologize for coming in to your journal, which I should have refrained from doing. I wish you much luck with the remainder of the ljidol competition. =)

Re: FWIW

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Its quite alright, I always welcome anyone to join into any discussion going on here! (Provided of course they're not being a socially maladjusted troll of course). I appreciate your participation.