Idols and Twisted Gnostic Secrets
Feb. 14th, 2009 11:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
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.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-02-15 03:18 am (UTC)2. Someone else has agreed it was you *grin*
3. Don't worry, it will give you lines.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-15 04:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-15 04:07 am (UTC)Very sociological. I like sociology.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-15 04:16 am (UTC)I do think it's funny that sometimes like to paint it like I've been stirring up people for years...or at least since I started Idol...though any of them would be hard pressed to find even a single comment from me in the Green Room until after I was in the top 20 last season. Other then to sometimes defend Gary when people were acting like someone had put a gun to their head and forced them to play and now he owed them a pillow to cry on and a foot massage every time they didn't like something that happened.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-15 04:19 am (UTC)It's like the good old Southern truism that you can insult anyone anytime and get away with it as long as you include "bless their heart" somewhere in your statement. You know, like "She's really not that bright, bless her heart."
Except here it's "snark claw snark claw smiley emoticon." The smiley emoticon makes it all better.
An Epic Truth
Date: 2009-02-15 04:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-15 04:22 am (UTC)but, really, I have nothing against Amy at all. I would just prefer NOT to be pulled into these cat fights unless given proper credit for things. I have no problem stirring the pot, but I want it to be for things I actually said.
In this case, I didn't even see his original post as really a starting shit post. I mean, it seemed it a little bit, but I'm not sure that it was clearly doing it. If so, it went pretty easy on people.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-15 04:32 am (UTC)I didn't get it. I got more annoyed.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-15 04:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-15 04:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-15 04:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-15 04:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-15 04:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-15 04:45 am (UTC)Because the important part is that people can embed the poll, right?
I think you won't... because you like the wiggle room of saying "I knew this and as long as no one knew I knew, it was cool... but then suddenly other people knew and now oh shit I should probably beat Gary to the punch"
You Probably Think This Entry is About You
Date: 2009-02-15 04:51 am (UTC)Re: You Probably Think This Entry is About You
Date: 2009-02-15 04:57 am (UTC)I told him I had heard it discussed on someone's journal. I told him I thought LJ had closed that loophole. He told me he had heard it was possible. I tested a bunch of things on my own journal and came back with... wow... didn't know that worked again.
I only think the entry is about me because you put my name in it. You didn't have to. You could have mentioned the person who TOLD you I asked Gary about it. You are protecting them, which is cool.
This was great fun, but really... I am tired now. Old person and all that.
Night.
Re: You Probably Think This Entry is About You
Date: 2009-02-15 05:06 am (UTC)Re: You Probably Think This Entry is About You
Date: 2009-02-16 12:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-15 04:30 am (UTC)I sincerely respect SHT. He is one of the few I think I can tease, have a little fun, and still escape with most of my skin intact.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-15 04:25 am (UTC)