Despite an understated (ie. I didn’t do anything) campaign, 6000 miles… is honoured to have been shortlisted as a finalist for not just one, but two 2010 South African Blog Awards. Unfortunately, it seems that both nominations are in the same category, which should split my vote nicely and allow others a chance to win.
The category in question is Best Post on a South African Blog and my posts that have been shortlisted are:
Dear Uruguay – an open letter to that country in which I explored the somewhat irrational reasoning behind the apparent South African hatred of all things Uruguayan during the recent (and epic) FIFA World Cup.
And Popular Cape Town Website Gets New Look – which was really just a brainfart, but which, for some reason, many readers took as being some sort of parody of popular Cape Town website 2OceansVibe.com.
Should you wish to vote, you can do so by clicking here or on the big icon in the sidebar on the right, which will remain there during the voting period. Then select the post (preferably one of mine) you wish to vote for (and see my other recommendations below), scroll down to the bottom for the verification bit.
You can vote once per day per email address throughout the voting period – so do.
Despite the fact that the blog has done really well in terms of visitors this year, I’m not expecting to win at all – it’s just nice to be read. I do appreciate the nomination and shortlisting, which means that I’m already in the top 10. In fact, since I got two spots in the top 10, I guess that means I’m top 5, right? Bring it.
Hopefully it will be a fair and transparent process this year, aside from my plan to smear each of my fellow contenders in the Best Post category with some sort of dirt. Once again, the Awards have already been coated in a nice sticky layer of controversy which has upset a few people (several of whom coincidentally didn’t make the cut), but you can’t please all of the people all of the time: “h8rs gotta h8”, or so I’m told.
I haven’t had a LONG look at the LONG list of finalists yet, but there are some that stand out immediately as being obvious choices and which I would like you to consider voting for in order that they can go up on stage to collect an award alongside me.
Up front, I’m going with Bangers and Nash for the Exclus1ve Best Entertainment Blog.
In Best Politics Blog: Jacques Rouseau’s Synapses.co.za
Miss Moss in Best Design Blog (sponsored by Havana Club Rum)
Joyanne’s Portfolio Collection Travel Blog in er… Best Travel Blog (sponsored by Kulula.com)
And for the “Ogilvy Microblogger of the Year” (ie. Best Twitter Stream) Mandy Wiener
All of which I nominated and all of which I will be voting for.
Consider yourselves endorsed.
Please feel free to add your suggestions (together with your reasons) in the comments below.
UPDATE: Must see video from GottaQuirk – Hitler doesn’t get nominated for the 2010 SA Blog Awards .
(sorry Geoffrey – I saw this and thought of you…)
yes, you deserve to win that category because your writings are simply phenomenal.
i must admit, i am one of those 7 that don’t agree with some of the noms. i am not upset. i just cannot fathom how the judges miss the urls that don’t point to posts, been dead for over a year, are not even a blog or have “dangerous” spyware in their blogs. do they even CHECK the urls and the content to see if they fit the categories or even that they are valid?
i do not care if i did not make the cut. i just simply don’t like to see things in there that don’t deserve to be there.
Thank you, so MUCH! For someone I’ve never met you’re terribly (wonderfully) supportive and it’s much appreciated 🙂
And I voted for your Uruguay post before I saw this, first thing this morning 🙂
Geoffrey > Thanks for your kind words.
And I think there are more than seven that disagree with the final line ups. There are a few anomalies, yes. Apparently one finalist is listed as “Blog Coming Soon” when you click through. Not sure which one – just heard rumours.
All the more reason to support the ones that do make the grade. (cough).
Interestingly, the “vote for me” button (specific to the posts) doesn’t even check the radio button on the voting form. You’ll have to do that yourself. Repeatedly.
Joyanne > My pleasure – though I have met your hot twin sister, remember?
Your vote made me laugh. From personal correspondence, I know I’ve got six votes so far – 3 for the 2OV post and 3 for the Uruguay post.
Meanwhile other candidates have just got 6 votes.
I was sent a link to your nominated post (http://6000.co.za/popular-cape-town-website-new-look/) after I posted my feelings about the SABA’s this year (http://www.lazygamer.net/forum/topic/my-bitch-about-the-sa-blog-awards),
Just wanted to officially say your post isn’t one of the ones I was bitching about, loved it 🙂
Actually I’m very surprised that a couple of certain people didn’t make the cut this year.
But since Seth and Tertia are still there, and will win, I’m safe from having to eat my hair.
One day maybe we’ll have someone who can organise this properly, have a decent nomination and voting process, sticking to their own rules and some transparency and then it’ll be worth supporting.
Gavin > That would be “…one of my nominated posts” (cough) 🙂
Many thanks for not including me negatively in your rant. Meh – if it just comes down to votes, they get slated, if it’s a judging thing, they get slated. They can’t win.
Just like me.
Tara > Not in my category, they’re not.
lol apologies for not pointing out the second nomination 😛
My complaints are more around the lack of professionalism shown by the awards and not by the judging process. Some of the nominations just don’t make any sense what so ever.
Nominating a blog that hasn’t had a new post in over 11 months as best new blog is bad no matter which way you cut it.
Thanks for the recommendation, 6K – much appreciated, seeing as everyone knows you’re the ultimate arbiter of good taste and sound judgement. I wish I could reciprocate by recommending that everyone vote for you in the best post category, but I can’t.
Because they should vote for my post, of course.We should really have rigged this thing to not be in conflict. Rigging seems to be allowed, judging by the history of these awards.Gavin > That’s true. But I would be interested in seeing their nomination -> finalist criteria (there’s that transparency thing again).
If it really was just straight numbers, then surely there’d be outcry if they removed someone with a lot of votes for [reason]?
Afterthought: But if it is just numbers, why so few 2OV appearances?
As for me – as I pointed out in the post above, I’m utterly buggered by having two posts in one category.
Great to be there twice, but it seems almost 50-50 on the voting, which means nothing for me this year. Again.
Jacques > I thought no-one would notice that you also had a post in the Best Post category. And now that I’ve subtly edited your comment, no-one will, unless some other idiot mentions it in a comment on here.
Doh!
Besides which, I can’t be seen to be condoning a campaign of civil disobedience, which is what you advocate in your post, now can I? Fingering JZ, indeed…
I never specified which category 😉
I actually really love how ticked everyone is about it this year – it was lonely being the only prat pointing out flaws last year.
And on that note…I take it since Quirk are in the finals again that mr Rob Stokes will be judging again? You know, like last year, despite writing on the blog and that neat rule about judges blogs not being valid.
Funny parody though.
The problem with just accepting a number of votes is that it can be easily rigged… So there has to be more to it and like you say some transparency would be awesome.
Chris got back to me, sort off, on my rant but I haven’t changed my opinion one iota.
As for your bad luck, that really does suck when you look at it that way. Maybe they’ll be smart and add your votes together
Tara > Indeed, you didn’t. Which is to your detriment and trichophagia is almost guaranteed.
Have you considered a side order? Onion rings? Monkey gland sauce?
Gavin > I don’t expect to win – it’s nice to be a finalist – let alone twice.
I thought I’d marinade it first and then fry it up with some onion rings
Tara > And have you decided which hair you’re going to eat yet?
It’s a toss up between nostril and leg hairs at the moment.
Trying to vote but it keeps telling me my confirmation link is wrong! It’s a conspiracy!
I’m having the same difficulties as purpleronnie – I reckon it’s a conspiracy to stop us from voting for you!! 😀
Just wanted to post a “back at’cha” comment. Congratulations on your double nominations. This (very flawed) contest is always a horrible self-esteem killer, but being nominated is always a wonderful thing. Good luck!
PS – you can delete this comment – just wanted to say that you can toss the RSS thing off the other one. I didn’t know it was doing that (is that a new WordPress feature? I’ve never seen it before.)
Tara > Much better that it could have been.
purpleronnie > I got that too. Try again today! (and tomorrow) (and… and… and…)
HH > Try voting for one of the others as a control for that allegation.
Unless it works, in which case, don’t.
mjw > Yeah – it’s nice to have the opportunity to have one’s hopes dashed… 🙂
mjw > It’s the commentluv plugin. (See Gavin’s, HH’s, joyanne’s comments).
Very useful for getting comments… luvved. But I have “removed luv” from your last comment as instructed.
Hmmmm….dirt on mspr1nt?
I’m already offering to pose naked if I win…and I’ve got tits.
Dirty enough?
mspr1nt > That would be a winner if you were female… 😉
Such a pity I am not female. Oh, sigh. Back to digging for dirt.
@Tara, you’ll be thrilled to know that I’m not a judge 🙂
mspr1nt >Please send photo to confirm. Thanks.
Rob Stokes > Thankfully, I am a judge, so I’ve got this one in the bag. Twice.
Yay! It finally worked!!