Contest Entry Discussion

[C.W. LaSart]

I'm mostly looking at IP addresses here. The people with only 1 or 2 other users with the same ip address will not have to worry. It's the people that have an overwhealming number of other users with the same ip addresss. I've found 2 very suspicious ones so far. I have to do a bit more research though as it's not an exact science.

Great idea Dan! I'm not a big computer person(I still do a lot of writing longhand), so I had to ask my boyfriend how IP addresses work (quit laughing) but that's a really good idea to cut down on outright cheating. Kudos!

[Craig Wallwork]

I'm mostly looking at IP addresses here. The people with only 1 or 2 other users with the same ip address will not have to worry. It's the people that have an overwhealming number of other users with the same ip addresss. I've found 2 very suspicious ones so far. I have to do a bit more research though as it's not an exact science.

Hi Dan - what will happen should you find multiple accounts all linked to the same IP address? Will those votes be nixed from the total amount?
That sounds a lot like the equivalent of the guy who turns up at the crime scene asking if the police have any leads, and sticking out of his pocket is a bloody knife and in his hand is a roll of duct tape.

[RichardThomas]

Maybe they live in a group home, Dan. Or have ten brothers and sisters. :-) Or they're standing in a Kinko's going "Psst, buddy, come on over here wouldja." Hey, that last one isn't a bad idea!

[Nik Houser]

I will totally volunteer the info that I live in a house with several people and a common computer. I told them about the contest and they promised to read the stories in my group before voting. I'm hoping they stick around, because they're good readers. However, I don't think their votes (if they vote for me) will matter since I'm getting beaten pretty well anyway. I'm also nagging them to read and vote in the other groups, and so far I think some have managed to vote in several places. My girlfriend (who is one of my roomies), has actually been really helpful. We'll read stories together and I'll begin to dismiss one because it sounds hackneyed, but it'll sound good to her and so we'll give it a chance, and it pays off. I tend to be hardline on first lines/paragraphs. If it doesn't grab me quickly, I have a hard time staying with it. But it's been a good exercise to be more willing to dig deeper into stories.

[Nik Houser]

Oops, I should add that I don't live in a frat house or dorm with 20 people or anything! Haha.

[Dan Hocker]

Hi Dan - what will happen should you find multiple accounts all linked to the same IP address? Will those votes be nixed from the total amount?
That sounds a lot like the equivalent of the guy who turns up at the crime scene asking if the police have any leads, and sticking out of his pocket is a bloody knife and in his hand is a roll of duct tape.

At this stage in the game I'm only look into those people who are currently wining in their groups. If someone has done this and comes and tells me they have done so, the only thing that will happen is they will be disqualified from the contest. Otherwise if I find them, and they can't come up with an excuse I believe, then not only will it result in disqualification from the contest, but also a permanent ban from these forums. Again though I'm only look at the leaders in votes, and I'm not really taking much into account for only 1 or 2 matching ip address as people do have "dynamic" ip addresses.

[Dan Hocker]

Oops, I should add that I don't live in a frat house or dorm with 20 people or anything! Haha.

Don't worry Nik, you where not on my hit list.

[Tree705]

At this stage in the game I'm only look into those people who are currently wining in their groups. If someone has done this and comes and tells me they have done so, the only thing that will happen is they will be disqualified from the contest. Otherwise if I find them, and they can't come up with an excuse I believe, then not only will it result in disqualification from the contest, but also a permanent ban from these forums. Again though I'm only look at the leaders in votes, and I'm not really taking much into account for only 1 or 2 matching ip address as people do have "dynamic" ip addresses.

Can you please list believable excuses that we can pick from.
Sorry I couldn't resist.

[Nik Houser]

Don't worry Nik, you where not on my hit list.

Haha, thanks.

[C.W. LaSart]

What's a dynamic ip address?

[C.W. LaSart]

Nevermind-I looked it up. Still don't completely get it, so I won't make anyone explain it to me I don't know if my IP is static or dynamic, but I'm not worried as there are only two votes out of my household, mine and my boyfriends (and he voted on more than my group!). Maybe I should take a computer class! Sheeeesh-so much to try to understand.

[Nik Houser]

Don't feel bad about not being up on technology, CW. I write my rough drafts in long-hand pictograms on papyrus.

[Draven Ames]

I'm glad so much is being done to police the contest. Kudos to you, Dan.

[Craig Wallwork]

At this stage in the game I'm only look into those people who are currently wining in their groups. If someone has done this and comes and tells me they have done so, the only thing that will happen is they will be disqualified from the contest. Otherwise if I find them, and they can't come up with an excuse I believe, then not only will it result in disqualification from the contest, but also a permanent ban from these forums. Again though I'm only look at the leaders in votes, and I'm not really taking much into account for only 1 or 2 matching ip address as people do have "dynamic" ip addresses.

Thanks, Dan.

[Nik Houser]

I think it'd be a fun exercise if, after the voting is done, those who felt constrained by the character limit finished "Author's Cut" versions of their entries and posted them.