The Kissan 100% Real Blogger Contest
Our first contest for 2012 is out - who wants to get in touch with nature this year? 
We are open to more suggestions on the prizes - as long as they are nature holidays, and within India, it's all good - so you can pretty much choose where you would like to go as long as it's within the budget!
http://www.indiblogger.in/topic.php?topic=50
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For those having doubts about this contest, here's clarification from Vineet:
Hi Everyone!
About the clarification on the contest topic - The topic invites you to share your stories where while growing up you had experiences close to nature or your roots. For example, maybe the walk in the park with your dad everyday when you were five. Or maybe even the stories that your grand mom used to tell you, and NOT watching TV. Or playing football in the heavy rains of Mumbai. Interpretation of nature does not have to be some exotic locations or your travel. These are all experiences that take us back to our roots. This is not a travelogue contest :)
The Fool's interpretation is correct: A memorable incident from childhood or involving one's children if one has any involving close interaction with nature". Nature having a broader definition of course!
Hope this clarifies!
About the travel, the dates are flexible and you can redeem those for a duration of six months!
When will this be Announced?
No date given at all
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Guess they don't want us to expect
Now that Expedia results are out and my tryst with failure continues, I am waiting for Kissan results eagerly :P :)
Aah, Participating is fun
Nice answer, PL.
@Renie: Any near by date when the results will be announced?
Curious to see votes or the post ruled this time:) ?
It must always be the 'post' that wins... credibility of any contest can be seriously undermined if 'votes' are made the basis for decisions!
any news on the result???
The News will come out SOON
+5 to this Seema!
Votes are an indication of how popular you are in the blogging circuit and how much your posts are getting noticed by others. If you sincerely follow other bloggers and interact on their blogs regularly, it is more likely that they will come back and interact on yours.This is nothing but someone recognizing you and that gets reflected in the votes.
But neverthless, I would disagree that people vote blindly on Indivine, I have seen the best of my posts getting the highest amount of votes which proves that voting depends on the quality of the post as well. A guest post or just a casual post has often landed up with half the votes I generally get.So if you write a quality post and you interact with fellow bloggers regularly, there is no reason for you to not get votes.
I would strongly disagree to the point of votes winning .If the Inditeam mentions everytime that "Votes don't count" then you need to take them at face value and believe them.If you see the recent results from the Expedia contest, Arvind got only a meagre 10% of the votes that Arti got and Arvind was ranked 2nd and Arti was ranked 4th, so I hope it clears your doubt or dismisses your claim about votes winning.
Thats quite a calculation, @Arnab! Never went so deep into the vote system here on indiblogger... i just write and submit.
I do read a few posts randomly and make it a point to comment on their blogs... never bothered to 'vote' here. This is what may give the impression that I do not interact here and am a recluse.
At times I have deliberately gone and read posts that tended to have more votes... and found a lot of them struggling with ideas, expression, and coherence.
You have just reitereted what I meant : Votes doesnt matter, but the content of the post does. Even if no one votes for a post, it still stands a chance of winning a contest
Sorry for the typo 
I meant reiterated
OK, Since this topic of voting is up, I would like to give my take.
When I first entered this space, I got few connections, somebody had added me to their network so I should RECIPROCATE since its a good thing. I reciprocated just the same.I got few votes and I voted them back. Then I went on to visit some blogs and voted for them and in return got some more votes.
Then I realised I was cheating, I was voting for blogs that wasnt so good and in the process being unfair to the good ones. So i gave up voting just for reciprocal. I would vote only if I found a post good. Then when I voted for a good post, I got some votes back (reciprocal) but I didnt like it, because people were just blindly voting back without even coming to my site, reading is totally out. ( I track my visits so I know if someone comes, reads or just votes )
So, I decided I would not vote at all. Like Arvind. I do read but dont vote even if i like some, sometimes though very rarely, I do vote when I find them really good. But my reading to voting ratio remains very much high reading and low voting.
:-)
It's simple everyone... Write your heart, be creative and hope to win hearts rather than contests. As a writer (by passion), I always rate a true comment higher than an iPad or any prize. Try to win hearts, if you are successful in that then you can win contests as well. I can list people who have done that (winning contest by writing quality post) in the past because I read almost all the posts participating in any contest.
I was happy when IndiBlogger Team started judging the contests to award winners rather than Votes. I was happy when IndiBlogger Team madeRandom Posts as default view rather than Popular ones. I will be happy if IndiBlogger Team remove ‘Promote’ concept for contest posts. When it happens people will start reading the posts instead of just promoting (only few people) to or sending mails requesting to promote (only few people).
Who am I to say this? If this is your question. Well, I am not a Buddha (Siddhartha) because I was obsessed with “Win Prizes”, “Get More Votes” in my early days of blogging but not anymore. Months back one of my blog reader sent a personal mail and that’s when I realized there is something more than priced possessions and that’s winning a special place in people hearts.
I’ve won many hearts so far, though they live miles apart, they do mail me now and then, and they share their updates. On my birthday some sketched my picture, some wrote few lines for me, some donated for the cause I represented, some sent a bouquet of flowers and some sent warm hugs, and they cherish my words, that’s what I want as a writer and that’s what every passionate writer will long for. Think about it… Don’t just write words, write with passion; I’m sure people will love you (your writing) then.
Rightly said... and well said. :)
:-) Arvindji...
There are so many bloggers out here that it is a difficult ask for anyone to actually get to read all of them. There needs to be some system whereby one gets a chance at reading the best. Indirank is probably one way for selecting which blogger to read and Indivotes, i suppose, was intended to help people select the posts to read.
I am a newbie - not even a month old on Indiblogger. I do go over and read posts - never have voted for one without actually reading the post - though sometimes I have read the post before without clicking on the 'Read to Promote' button and, thus, when I did promote I would have merely gone in and out of the blog.
I am not in full agreement with the I-dont-vote-even-if-I-like-it school of thought. Rightly or wrongly, the vast majority of readers would probably go for Popular posts when they are sampling other bloggers. If you like a post but dont promote, you are keeping the post down and, thereby, reducing the probability of readers coming over to the post through Indivine. If a blogger has given me pleasure or made me think, the minimum recompense to the blogger is that I do my bit to give him positive feedback and help him get more readers.
After all, all of us blog because we want people to read what we write!
Buddy, you may read 25% of the posts and promote at least 15% of them (good ones) but you've miseed 75% of the posts which may have better posts than the one you read, right? In that case you have put down a good post just because you have not read it. Moreover not all popular posts are better posts and not all better posts are popular ones. It is better to drop this popular category in order to discover better posts.
Dear friend... I at least never ever go for the 'popular' posts... i go by the title and the short intro given there about the post and ask my intuition to do the rest. Votes are never a guarantee of getting the best... if they were, we'd never be in the kind of political mess that we're now in India! :) Savvy?
Someone is Special! I do not quite get your point, if it is addressed to me. Quite true that I certainly have missed better posts than the ones I read. So, if you dropped the popular posts category, how is that going to help me find and read them in this sea of posts? Do you have an alternative way of finding them?
I quite agree that there is voting around that had nothing to do with the quality of the posts. But, as long as the only available criterion of selection of posts to read is votes, I am only saying that those who care for good posts should vote for them to enable other readers to see value in those posts.
This argument about I dont vote for posts that I like because other people vote for undeserving posts seems to mirror the attitude that stops us from voting in elections. Worse, because, unlike in elections where you may not like any candidate, you actually claim to like the post you did not vote for:). If you choose not to vote for good posts, then how can you complain about the popularity of posts that you do not consider deserving?
Answer me one other question. You read a post, you like it but you will do nothing about it. How is the concerned blogger supposed to know that you liked the post? Except, of course, if you bothered to comment about the post in his blog.
yes.. well bro it is addressed to you. No posts is worst because it is also a creation by someone and it is close to their heart right? I dunno why you want to fall in the group (popular), where popular is just popular, so an alternative way is, try to read the post suggested by your instinct, title and description. I'm sure you can read better posts than what you read now. I just responded to you because you first reply sounded genuine and that's pretty much the reason. enjoy blogging and enjoy reading..
bro one suggestion, click on reply to post your response.. Happy Blogging..!
but not everyone care like you bro.. if you write for your passion then you will rate comments higher than a vote.. agreed?? if not write for a contest, read the posts and see the response you get then you will learn by yourself. simple, try it out.
Let me tell you what is so terribly wrong with votes... I never ever go for the 'popular' posts... I go by the title and the short intro given there about the post and ask my intuition to do the rest.
Votes are never a guarantee of getting the best... if they were, we'd never be in the kind of political mess that we're now in India! :) Savvy?
:-)
I completely agree wiyh you Arvind Ji......I always go by the title and the short intro...If it clicks then I read the complete post....its not depend on the votes completely....and waise bhi agar votes ke hisab se dekha jaye to har bar muzhe 1st prize milta...hehehe :):):) but I am happy because I alwaye write with heart...no matters i won or not...but atleast contest ki vajah se maine likhna to start kiya....and atleast my husband is very happy with it....so I am already a winner:):):)
Love to believe that, bro:) Been writing for my passion thus far. Let us see where it takes me. Hassle is that for someone to even see a post - to let his intuition work on it - needs something!
Arvind, Quite true! The problem is that we really dont have a better system to suggest, yet. Intuition can be a good judge for you but I dont really know whether everyone has a trustworthy intuition...nor, indeed, can you say that you got to all the posts that you would have genuinely liked had you read them!
While we are all trying to find a perfect system, I am only saying that we could do our bit to make the current system work a bit better than it does. I do wish that all votes cast are for posts that the reader genuinely liked. If such is not the case I only want to ensure that posts that are genuinely liked also get votes. Let us not allow 'bad' votes to drive out 'good' votes!
And, buddy, I am not seeking popularity..unless it be for more people to read what I write. That is an ambition that, I suppose, all of us share:):)
:-)
Another point about the fallacy of vates... at least here on indiblogger -- if I have 20 votes or 'indi likes' I should also expect at least half of these bloggers to have actually commented on my blog.
I think most of us know what the answer to this is... I've compared the names of those who have commented on my blogs to the names of those who have simply 'liked' my post here and I was shocked to find that at times none of the 'voters' had the time or patience or the intelligence to comment. But then maybe the real reason was that they never reached the post... it is much easier to click and vote and feel that you've done your social obligation!
Have you noticed how we Indians tend to follow this dictum of lip-service in our lives too? One reason why nothing seems to be moving in this country. Our attitude on indiblogger is actually an eye opener... and can lead to some interesting research. :)
It is possible people have really read but not commented. One has to login and go through word verification and other ordeals. Also often one may like a post but not have anything intelligent to say.
Also in your blog, I see you often do not reply to comments. When a new commentor sees blogger not replying to earlier comments, he will assume blogger has no interests in comments. Then why will he take effort to post comments?
It could be argued Arvind that "Genuine voters decide not to promote posts because votes are no guarantee of quality. So the only votes that remain are of people who vote without even reading. Ergo, all votes are 'bad' votes and genuine voters say 'Look! Didnt I tell you votes are no use?' If genuine voters voted the percentage may improve."
Actually, our debating with each other is much like agreeing with each other vehemently. I agree with you that the voting system is not the greatest means to select good posts. Do what you will, you will never be able to avoid the majority of the votes being 'bad' votes. If there is an alternative system that works better I will be all for it.
Please, however, do not leave me at the mercy of my intuition. Yours works well but mine, unfortunately, may not be very merciful! At least using the Popular posts option I am hitting 2 in 10 good posts. Left to my intuition I may not even hit 1 in 100.:):)
What TF said holds true. It is possible people have really read but not commented because they may have words or anything to say on your post.
I used to leave comments with my link earlier but one of my blog reader mailed me stating, 'Are you reading for your satisfaction or to get back readers?' and many more stuff, that's when I realized leaving a link sometime gives a bad impression that I am desperate for readers. Later I decided not to leave comments unless I have something to say.. I'm following it almost.. :-)
The above comment mentions 'vates'... it is 'votes'...
Maybe one suggestion could work. What if you had a 'Contest Winners' category in addition to Popular, Latest and Random and put the the posts of 'Contest Winners' there for a fixed period after they win a contest? If you think you will have too few posts, then you could put up the next few after the prize-winners as well. Since the contests involve quality assessment anyway would it not ensure quality posts and save me the trouble of stressing my inuition?:):)
Don't make this as a School where people are classified as Toppers, Coaching class students and etc., It hurts a lot.. It is better not to have any classificiation, just Random and Latest will do.
@C Suresh... This is a good suggestion... and even I had been seriously thinking on this kind of action that indiblogger needs to adopt.
Yes, not just the contest winners, but the list can include 'recommended' or the 'long short-list' for helping intuition, so to say. :)
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