Pop-Up Submissions – Chat Room Voting

[AgentPete]

I’ve been thinking hard about the way in which we vote on Pop-Up Submissions, and I think we’re finally moving towards something that makes both a more coherent show and is more useful to the authors who submit.

Originally, the show started out by simply asking guests which of the submissions was their favourite. This developed into a set of categories to choose from (fond memories of “More Cowbell!”). Now, we have a rating system of 1 to 5 stars, which allows us to have a scoreboard (which is more interesting for the viewer) and also allows writers to come away with a specific percentage that they can use, if they choose, to give their submission more impact… e.g. “My submission achieved an 85% score on Pop-Up Submissions when Jeffrey Archer was a guest!” (we’re working on it).

Anyway please have a look at the new voting page:


vote – Litopia


And tell me what you think. There are now two voting areas – the main one at the top of the page, and the “Chat Room Vote” under it.

This will allow the collective voice of the Chat Room to have just as much sway as our guests. It will be shown on the scoreboard, and taken into calculation when working out a submission’s overall score. Hope you like it.

PS – feel free to test out the voting system as much as you want to, the votes will be reset before next week’s show.

 

[RK Wallis]

Looks great

The only thing I wasn't keen on was giving our guests a chance to cast a second vote at the end of the show...

 

[AgentPete]

Yes, I did that off the cuff, as you could probably tell

We had a tie between two submissions, both scoring 80%. Also, and this only struck me during the show, the one weakness of a scoreboard system is that it doesn’t permit an overall view of all the submissions. You rate each one as you go along. What could happen, and it probably did happen last Sunday, is that two submissions can achieve an equal score, but in fact people have a strong preference for one over the other.

Any suggestions on how to incorporate this factor gratefully received!

 

[Victoria Bastedo]

I really like the idea that although a guest might score a story a four, they still might choose one they scored a three as their end choice. They might give all the stories a four, and then choose their favorite out of that. The scoreboard should be one distinction, and the end choice another, for the guest's opinion on that matters. This gives the authors one more opportunity to feel good about their submission.

 

[RK Wallis]

Ah yes, I see the conundrum. Could it be left to voting? Or do would prefer two separate decisions?

 

[Jonny]

I liked the table idea on the live show. It added more meaning to the 'competitive element' and allows authors to see how they fared in a measurable way, both from the point of view of their own work and that of its competition on the day.

Also like the change where the 'geniuses' get a say too.

In passing, I also enjoyed the candid pics of the guests feature, although of course you need to brief the researchers where they should be trawling lest they expose guilty secrets by straying into the Internet's muddy backwaters.

 

[KateESal]

I like the new voting approach, it allows us to rate each submission as well as picking a favourite.


As for what to do in a tie-break...um, tricky. My feeling is @AgentPete should probably have the "chairman's vote" and it may be that his vote is influenced by his own preference (if strong), by the comments of the panellists (if persuasive), or by the preference of the Genius Room...as long as he explains what's behind his final decision so it's transparent, I don't have an issue with that, myself.

 

[Emily]

I like the visuals of the board, it's very striking and you can get an immediate grasp of where the score is at.

is that two submissions can achieve an equal score, but in fact people have a strong preference for one over the other.

Maybe if someone gets a 5 star their vote from that person could be highlighted? Or make it colour coded somehow: one star is white, five stars red; a graduated colour system that would be easy to see, visually? (not sure how you would go about that or whether it could be possible!)

 

[Emily]

(btw, It's very exciting and interesting to "see" how Pop-Ups is built and shaped, the back-end of operations as such )

 

[AgentPete]

In passing, I also enjoyed the candid pics of the guests feature, although of course you need to brief the researchers where they should be trawling lest they expose guilty secrets by straying into the Internet's muddy backwaters.

Not a regular feature I've done it once or twice before just to warm things up a bit. No-one knows when it will next appear... p.

 

[Eva Ulian]

Yes, I did that off the cuff, as you could probably tell

We had a tie between two submissions, both scoring 80%. Also, and this only struck me during the show, the one weakness of a scoreboard system is that it doesn’t permit an overall view of all the submissions. You rate each one as you go along. What could happen, and it probably did happen last Sunday, is that two submissions can achieve an equal score, but in fact people have a strong preference for one over the other.

Any suggestions on how to incorporate this factor gratefully received!

The Capo Famiglia has the casting vote!

 

[Eva Ulian]

Wow... what a site!

 

[Hannah F]

I didn't think it was fair that Kevin could change his vote to a 5 because he'd voted a 4, but what's-her-name couldn't because she'd already given a 5. It seemed an unfair way to pick a winner.
If the chatroom 1-5 scoring vote counts as well, that is bound to make a difference. If there is still a tie, I agree that @AgentPete has the casting vote.
I liked the % scoreboard on the show. My vibes told me the guests did too.

Will the chatroom-ers be able to go back and forth to the vote page and choose their 1-5 after each submission?

 

[Catherine Le Bars]

The chat room vote set up looks good and easy to use. When I cast my main vote, it sends me to another page, which prompts me to join.

 

[AgentPete]

Will the chatroom-ers be able to go back and forth to the vote page and choose their 1-5 after each submission?

Yes, you should be able to do that now. That section of the voting page (the chatroom area) is in test mode right now, so use it as much as you want, and let me know if any bugs. All those votes will be reset before next Sunday's show.

 

[AgentPete]

The chat room vote set up looks good and easy to use. When I cast my main vote, it sends me to another page, which prompts me to join.

That’s partly to discourage multiple voting or spamming, altho it’s not in truth a very good deterrent! I’ll be adding a more robust solution shortly.