Super Simple Voting
First off, sorry for the silence on the blog lately. I was actually hit by a car and took a little time off. No joke. Always wear a bike helmet (I was). Want to say hello to me during the event? Look for the guy in a Cubs hat with some tough looking facial scars.
Now, back to business. Last week, I posted ALL the different ways you can vote (and we’ve created several).
Some of you got the impression that you have to be “tech savvy” to be able to vote. Not true. If you have created an email address before, you can vote.
For those of you that would love to step up to a kiosk, punch a card, drop it in a box and call Al Gore president, I’ll give the super simple way to vote.
Voting Made Easy
- Register to vote (we create an artprize.org account using your email)
- Pick up an Event Guide
- Look at art, circle the artists in the guide you want to vote for
- When you’re at a computer, check your email (we sent you a password)
- Sign in to artprize.org with your email and password
- Find an artist you circled, type the name in the Search box
- Vote for that artist
- Repeat steps 6 thru 7
No, it’s still not punching a card. But with over 1,200 artists, do you REALLY want a punch card?
first!
Sorry you were hit by a car. That sucks! I wish you the best.
You didn’t get hit at the intersection of Wilson and 40th in Grandville did you? My father in law was the prime witness of someone getting hit on their bicycle about a week or two ago at that intersection.
Dos that mean the number we were emailed is not in force anymore? Vote by name and not number?
John,
Keep the voting numbers. Those are vital for texting by phone and they’ll be included in search (meaning somebody can search your number instead of name).
Matt,
I was actually hit at a future ArtPrize shuttle stop: Fulton & Ransom (across from One Trick Pony). According to people in the ER, there’s a daily flow of bike commuters hit by cars. Beware!
As a fellow bike rider I’m glad to hear you are ok.
Thanks for the very clear, step-by-step layout of the simplest voting method. I’m sure that will help many.
Is it possible to make it clear to the voting masses that they can vote yes, no, OR NEUTRAL(no vote)? Just because they don’t like it, the no vote may make them think they should vote no. I was under the impression that “no” is for the things that turn one’s stomach (you know what I mean).
I don’t like the fact that you have to have an email address to vote, this will exclude lots of people. And giving your ID number on-line. Not Good!
+1 to Nathan’s remark. How does my mother, who has no email address or even a computer, vote for her daughter-in-law? This is not a hypothetical.
Another closed loop in the open framework? democracy is in the details.
Matthew, do you have a computer? Obviously you’re using one if you’re posting on here. Would it be that hard to sit down with your mother for a little while, ask her for her information, and create an email account? I would say it takes less than 5 minutes. I mean honestly, I’m so tired of hearing about people without computers. It’s 2009 and every member of my family has access to one and an email address (from 12 to 70). If people WANT to vote, they will take the time to go through the process. Not educating yourself with the basic skills to use a computer is a HUGE handicap. It’s not 1950 anymore, and I don’t foresee any backslide in technology.
Liz,
Getting snarky about one’s mother does not help your cause. My mother chooses not to use a computer and that’s ok. She s able to drive, shop, pay her bills, vote and check out a library book without ever using the web, email, etc. That should be the same criteria for ArtPrize.
Matthew, I think unfortunately for this year there won’t be any choice in the matter. If your mother goes to the library, she could create an account on a computer there. I agree that it can be frustrating – my grandmother doesn’t even speak English and can barely use the remote control – educating herself on the computer is NOT the first thing on her mind… I can take her, get her registered, make an account for her, vote in her place, but she has no reason to pay attention to what I’m doing (I am unable to translate for her, so this whole process would take multiple members of the family); she won’t be all of a sudden eager to use such technology. It just makes her feel less engaged and less capable. (I personally think she deserves a little more respect, but that’s just me.)
Just because the winner of ArtPrize is determined by a public vote, does not mean that the rules for ArtPrize are decided through a public forum, which is what I’m hearing in a lot of comments.
These are the rules for the competition: Every voter is required to register an email and ID number.
I don’t find it very democratic that I have to buy a Pepsi in order to see if I win a prize under the cap, but guess what? Those are the rules. Just because the winner of this competition is determined by a public vote, does not mean the rules of the competition must be decided by congressional hearing.
Matthew, I wasn’t “getting snarky”. I was simply pointing out how easy it would be to get your mother registered. Take it or leave it.
@Gabreile: I know, just raising a point. I am sure there others out there like you and I. Good luck with your GM.
@Liz: Wow. ‘Take it or leave it’ crosses over to confrontational. If I met you in line while registering would you talk to me in this same manner?
@Paul: I can write Pepsi and get a bottle cap for free. On paper, with a pen. You are again avoiding the issue while being rude at the same time. If you all don’t want comments turn them off. If you all want feedback then roll with it, be nice and bank a few ideas for next year.
How is that confrontational? I’m not attempting to provoke you into anything, I’m merely commenting in this blog. Take it or leave it means you can either take my suggestion of helping your mother out, or not. In the end, what you do is entirely up to you. However, when you write and share something for everyone to see, be prepared for anyone and everyone to comment on it. And yes, if you spoke to me directly in person I would answer you much the same way.
Paul,
Don’t you have a contradiction in ideology here?. On one hand you design an art competition that places the publics opinion at the top of the pyramid of importance but then you turn around and say there will be no room for public input in regards to voting rules?
Your basically saying we want the public to decide the future of the artist’s business but we have no interest in letting you decide our (AP’s) business?
Maybe for next year you should either let the public help you decide how they want the voting to go…or you should let the artists help you decide who of the public they want to be able to vote?
Thanks for the clear, concise information. This technology is so easy my five year old can use it. This will also make the vote tally so much easier and fast! I’m very excited to next week! Can’t wait to check out all the great art in this great city! -Lindsay
Paul thanks for your time and effort. Its really to bad that some people always have to have another option for everything in life. It just amazes me on how much time one will spend to try and change what works well for 99% of the people. Instead of being grateful for having this in our back yard some have to nit pick the details. I’m not a big art lover, but I can appreciate the time everyone has put into this and I say Thank you very much.