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Yvettep
Veteran Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 1893
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 13, 2007 - 10:05 am: | 
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One of the readers to my blog let me know about this message on the Cosmo Girl film contest site (http://www.cosmogirl.com/entertainment/film-contest):
We have determined that the online voting has been corrupted as a result of one or more instances of tampering with the voting process by users. As a result, none of the online votes will be counted, and we will submit all three of the semi-finalists to our panel of experts for final judging and selection of a winner.
I have NO idea what that is about. Following the whole Imus fiasco, Kiri Davis' film ("A Girl Like Me") got increased internet attention. I hope this move by the magazine will not end up impacting her and her work unfairly.
If anyone has more info about this, please share! Thanks!
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Enchanted
Veteran Poster
Username: Enchanted
Post Number: 771
Registered: 11-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 13, 2007 - 10:38 am: |
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poor Kiri theyr going to make sure her black self dont win. SMH |
Yvettep
Veteran Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 1898
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 13, 2007 - 06:12 pm: |
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I don't know what is up with this, Enchanted. On another site I read that Kiri's film had gone from 3rd place to 1st place before Cosmo pulled the plug. I have not been able to verify that myself, but the timing is very interesting.
Guess we'll just have to see what happens. |
Yvettep
Veteran Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 1900
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 16, 2007 - 09:57 am: |
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As a follow-up, from http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2007/04/black-blogs-beef-with-cosmogirl-contes t.php:
Black Bloggers' Beef With Cosmogirl Contest
DISCRIMINATING CONTEST Cosmo
Does Cosmogirl have a thing against black people? Though it may seem unlikely, several African-American bloggers are now asking whether their influence caused the cuddly teen magazine to change the rules of a contest.
The contest, cosponsored by Take Action Hollywood, invited teenagers to submit short films about a social issue. Earlier this year, the films were posted on Cosmogirl's website, where readers were encouraged to vote for their favorites. The winner will receive $10,000 and be featured in the magazine's August issue.
On April 5, Patrice Elizabeth Grell Yursik, who writes the blog Afrobella, posted a message encouraging readers to vote for the film by Kiri Davis, the only African-American among the remaining three semi-finalists. "I'm guessing that Kiri's film might not appeal to the typical CosmoGirl demographic," wrote Yursik. "But if you ask me, Kiri is the future." Angel La followed up with a similar message on Concrete Loop, and within a few days Davis's film went from last place to first place in the voting. The rules, as they stood, allowed each person to cast one vote per day.
[Watch a featurette on Davis's short film after the jump!]
When Yursik went to vote this morning, however, she discovered the following message: "We have determined that the online voting has been corrupted as a result of one or more instances of tampering with the voting process by users. As a result, none of the online votes will be counted, and we will submit all three of the semi-finalists to our panel of experts for final judging and selection of a winner."
"I don't want to be a conspiracy theorist by any means, but could this be because Kiri was actually—gasp—winning?" wrote Yursik. "Is encouraging black women who identify with her film's message to vote for Kiri somehow against competition rules?"
La, meanwhile, responded by asking readers to write to Cosmogirl and complain. She tells Radar that she suspects the vote-tampering claim is bogus: "I don't want to speculate, but I personally believe that it wasn't going in the direction they wanted it to go in."
She says she has yet to hear back from Hearst Magazines, which publishes Cosmogirl, about why the contest was suspended. (A Hearst spokeswoman told Radar she would look into it.)
UPDATE: Cosmogirl responds. A spokeswoman offered this statement to Radar, "It is disappointing that people are jumping to conclusions and making false accusations before the winner has been determined. The Cosmogirl Take Action Hollywood Film Contest online voting was eliminated because it had been compromised by online voters. As has always been the case, the final winner will be chosen by a panel of celebrity judges. The films from the three semi-finalists are all incredible works of art and we know that the judges have a tough decision to make. The winner will be featured in the August 2007 issue of Cosmogirl."
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Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri
Post Number: 4528
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 16, 2007 - 11:42 am: |
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Yvette - A few years ago when I had the extra time, I was a professional sweeper. That's a person who enters sweepstakes to the point where their expenses (postage stamps and supplies) and earnings (wins) from this activity are reported to the IRS.
Sweepstakes and contests must be held in strict compliance with federal and state laws. I doubt very seriously that Hearst Publications would cancel this contest on a whim, or because voting wasn't going in accordance to their plans. If they stated that the voting process was compromised, I'm pretty sure that was the case - lest they have federal regulators upon their ass.
I don't have any insights into what really happened but I would venture to guess that people were casting more than one vote per day per ISP address. It's too bad that voters who meant to do well are actually cheaters who messed it up for everyone.
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Yvettep
Veteran Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 1901
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 16, 2007 - 12:45 pm: |
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Mzuri, girl, is there no end to the jobs you've held? You should write a book! LOL
By posting this I am making no accusations. The timing was bound to make many people frustrated and suspicious: Just when her little film is getting increased attention due, in part, to the Imus affair, this happens.
We've all heard the saying "It's not the crime, but the cover-up"? Well, I think a similar thing may be in play here: The action by the contest officials may have been 100% appropriate; however, it is the lack of transparency and full disclosure that is going to get tongues wagging. |
Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri
Post Number: 4533
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 16, 2007 - 01:37 pm: |
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I agree.
BTW - It wasn't a job, it was a hobby. I had always heard about all these people winning cars and cash and stuff and never knew how they were able to do that until one day I stumbled across a sweepstakes newsletter. They are published weekly and contain all the different sweeps and contests from the different companies. I used to do that ish while I was at work - handwriting my name, address and phone number on 3x5 cards and hand addressing envelopes since mechanical reproductions are not allowed. Got some neat prizes too 
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