That’s a odd request isn’t it?
Four days ago, nominations opened up for the 2012 Canadian Blog Awards. You may have seen these award designations proudly displayed on blogs you read – after all it’s an honor to be awarded the “Best Family Blog” or “Best Personal Blog”. In fact, the awards have several categories so everyone gets a turn to battle it out. “Best Food & Drink Blog” and “Best Music Blog” are also among the many categories.
Call me a crusty Canuck (I’ve been called worse) but voting contests like these smack of popularity contests and they’re something I want no part of.
The Blogosphere is full of drama, pointing fingers and jealousy and I struggle to see how a contest, putting blogger against blogger who then head to Facebook, Twitter, and of course their blogs to beg ask for votes can help unify bloggers and give us the tools and inspiration we need to work together as a group.
Still, many of my favorite Bloggers will be nominated in this contest and some may even win and display the badge on their site. Being told you’re awesome is always exciting. I had no idea that Reader’s Digest was going to list me in their article this month and you can bet I’m proud of that! If the article was the result of a vote, putting me up against other bloggers to determine which of us was worthy, you can be assured my name would not be in the magazine this month because I would ask to be withdrawn.
I have no interest in putting myself up against my fellow Canadian Bloggers to determine which one of us trumps all others. It’s not cool.
So, please don’t nominate or vote for me and don’t ask me to vote for you – because although I think you’re pretty fan-freakin-tabulous, I’m not going to pick favorites.
here here!
I dislike voting contests very much – I find them so jr. high. Treat bloggers like adults, if their worthy to be awarded the ‘best of’ on merit, then tell them that, without them having to nag and finagle votes out of everyone they can wrangle and then beg and bribe everyone else. Those that don’t win…well they have something to strive for the next year then don’t they?!
You’re pretty fan-freakin-tabulous yourself! I’m not a big fan of these contests either, but maybe that’s because I know I’d never win LOL
I don’t like them either. I especially dispise the facebook contests where you have to get your friends & family to like a photo and the one with the most likes wins.
I dislike voting contests – if someone thinks that a blogger is great, just award them and be done with it. I personally feel that the voting contests are just a way for companies to get visitors to their sites to vote. They are basically pitting bloggers against each other just to get them to send visitors to their site…free advertising.
This this and this. Pick a winner and be done. Who cares what other people think we aren’t in high school voting for prom queen
I totally agree. In fact when things tell me to go vote to get bonus entries I don’t. That doesn’t seem to be too realistic. I agree with Amanda – same thing with these contests on facebook “Oh if I know enough people I will win”. We all know you’re fab Tenille. 🙂
I’m on board. They are popularity contests and do not reward effort or content. And, yes, they do not foster cooperation or mentorship.
Well said! I think this is a fabulous post! I love your blog. I don’t like voting contests either. I don’t think they are fair or offer ‘real’ results.
Voting contests are so hard, especially when you have friends all competing with each other – who do you choose?
Hate them and will never ask for votes. It is all on popularity and just not fair for anyone. Why can’t these sites just choose who THEY feel deserves the best parenting blog, food blog etc. No voting of course when you ask hundreds of people a day we know who will win. BTW You are fabulous:)
Good for you for taking a stand against this. There has to be a better way and I know that voting is certainly NOT it! It is the same with voting contests and I found out the hard way the lengths that people will go to win. I will never cheat, period. So, I no longer take part in anything that involves voting. I am sure your readers, myself included think you and your blog is fantastic and we didn’t need to vote to tell you that.
Very well said and this post just goes to show everyone what a truly marvelous person you really are. Love your blog and hate contests.
I agree with you. I hate voting contests.
I agree whole heartily. I wasn’t even aware of these awards, not that it would matter as I’d have no chance of winning. Last week a magazine launched a contest for something that fits me and my blog perfectly (though being a blogger wasn’t part of the contest). Less than 12 hours into the contest a handful of people had well over 1000 votes. The next day these same people had over 4000. Not to be mean but I simply don’t believe these people (who I looked up and they are not “big”) really had that many true votes. It just stunk of cheating (you only had to enter an email address though they didn’t varify that the inputted address was valid) and totally turned me off. Something that would be a great opportunity has once again been ruined by popularity contests.
Blogging really does remind me of being in high school, so it really doesn’t surprise me that people cheat, that the “cool” bloggers stick together and that I’m a nobody. I’m much happier being a nobody than cheating in contests to try and make myself feel like a somebody!
I totally agree with you and BRAVO for you on taking a stand! I had a company ask me to participate in a recipe contest and I did. My recipe was nominated and then they asked me to ask my readers to vote on my recipe for bonus entries in a giveaway. Hmmm, NO! I will NEVER, EVER ask readers to vote for me in a contest and I will NEVER EVER give them extra entries to do so. That is bribery…plain & simple.
Well said! I hate all these voting contests that everyone has going on on their blogs! I think they are ridiculous.
Couldn’t agree more, Tenille. I turn down anything that has a reader/blogger vote involved. I haven’t cared about popularity contests since I ran for homecoming queen (not going to say how many years ago *cough*) And to me it always seemed odd: If you are popular enough to be called ‘The Best’….why do you need to beg for the votes?
I don’t understand why company have voting contest. I always though they were unfair. It doesn’t reflect on who as the best blog. Who has the best photo. Which dog look better. What recipe is the best. It comes down to who knows more people. Who knows more voting facebook groups.
What it’s done by votes. Forget that.
Can I be you when I grow up? I now have some editing to do, apparently. Eff.
To each his own I say but I applaud you for not begging for votes. I’m not specifically bashing “Picket Fences” but that seems to be the same way. Bloggers are begging for votes just to gain popularity. I’m not even sure what the reward is for it.
Amen!!
Well said! If people feel the need to have a contest that puts bloggers against one another, they need to be independently judged or something MUCH more fair than asking people to vote.
First off I LOVE your blog! I really appreciate this post. I am HUGE disliker of voting contests. They are basically popularity contests. The person with the most friends wins. Your blog is awesome! I totally relate to every post and read it religiously. I would vote for you in a heartbeat. That being said I appreciate you not asking for votes and I appreciate even more that you have not made that an option for extra entries into your contests as a lot of other bloggers have done. Super annoying! Thanks for blogging!
Totally agree! Great post!
You are absolutely fabulous and I agree with you! I hate the blogger popularity contests. All the awarding site wants is the extra traffic and I refuse to participate.
I couldn’t agree more. I hate voting contests. There are always acquisitions of cheating and people who may cheat and who cares we are all awesome because we are all different. I hate them and I hate when people tweet me or send fb messages asking to vote for them. It seems there is always a few people I am friends with the contest. I don’t vote and won’t pick favorites. Voting for everyone cancels out my votes anyways. So great post ma’am.
Being a US blogger, I haven’t heard of these awards but there are many others and well I avoid them just like you. It isn’t worth asking for votes. I turned down several opportunities just because it came down to voting. Maybe one day PR and our fellow bloggers will learn. Maybe.
Wow! I think that is impressive. I applaud you for being grounded and real. Good for you.