re-entry update
You may notice the total entry count edging upwards over the next day or two. After much wrangling and disentangling we were able to come up with a way to accept resubmission of entries that didn't get in last weekend due to the traffic overload.
We've contacted everyone whose submissions were already logged - we are not accepting any new entries - and have given them an opportunity to re-upload the audio they'd already created. My apologies for the delay and confusion in sorting this out. Onward and upward.
- Jake
delicious
diggI've logged in to see what y'all have been up to while I've been working (it's dripping here, but was hot and sunny in Geneva: knew you'd like the weather report).
Sounds like a sensible technology solution re entries. For your next grant proposal to CPR, ask for heftier software. And you ARE using Linux/Open Source, aren't you?
Christine
www.publicradioquest.com/node/1145
I don't know if Steve will consider this whining, but I think the re-entry question could have been handled better. I know we are all being super-positive cheerleaders for each other, but it would have been nice to know about the technical issue and the proposed remedy at the time of the problem, instead of trying to retroactively fix it a week after deadline. I do feel it is unfair for those who tried to upload within the deadline and couldn't, so I feel some action is appropriate to remedy it. On the other hand, I think it is unfair to give a week extension to a handful of people and also to spring this information much later when the entry totals have been well established. I appreciate that for some people this is all just a jolly good romp, but others are quite excited about the real possibility of being a radio host, worked very hard to put something compelling together, and care very deeply about the results.
Hopefully this experience will be an education for the next contest, assuming there is one.
That being said, it is interesting that my view is that those very same people that I sensed "are quite excited about the real possibility of being a radio host, worked very hard to put something compelling together, and care very deeply about the results" and the very same people who I sense as seeing this as a "jolly good romp".
Steve
It falls to the enlightened, and the intelligent and the sane to take responsibility for the deluded or doltish or insane.
And here it is! (shameless plug)
I agree - it's a fun contest, and should be viewed as such. At the same time, I do truly believe the PRTQ has the opportunity to be an important step toward finding new voices, new ideas, new formats. The sky's the limit. In that spirit, I welcome more entries, and Brendon's advice to "...vote and give people some feedback as a reward for their effort and willingness to expose themselves to criticism." I was slow to respond to people's entries; at first I was just rating them. But then I found it really, really enjoyable to take a few moments and write a few words of praise and encouragement. I'm taking about an hour a day to listen and respond. I'm actually enjoying it more than submitting and dreaming about advancing. Will I win? Naaah. Probably not. Odds are against it. But I'm digging all these voices, all these ideas, and reaching out and feeling people reach back. It's not naive to believe "the more the merrier." It's optimistic.
The digging of the ideas, reaching out and feeling people reach back: this is the nature of the creative~ of which every human is endowed.... to creatively say something that builds up, encourages, and guides. I think this is the creative role of "teacher", isn't it?
Ergo, we are all learning something of ourselves.
BarbaraAnnKaarina Turning-McCord, R.N.
"Nurse BK has your chart and is on the case"
http://www.publicradioquest.com/user/4165
www.thirdcoastlive.net
How many re-submitted entries will be added?
--------------------------------------
Please listen, then vote and comment if you are willing, to my 2 minutes of funk (sans funk)
http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/805
The total count is now over 1,400 entries
Valerie
I'm a music junkie
http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/1856
I meant several dozen! Who knows. I don't think it'll get as high as 2,000.
Valerie
I'm a music junkie
http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/1856
I just want to know how many more will be added. Folks are adding entries today.
Will it get up to 2,000? How much time do they have to re-submit? When is the last day for re-submissions?
--------------------------------------
Please listen, then vote and comment if you are willing, to my 2 minutes of funk (sans funk)
http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/805
What was the original count?
Valerie
I'm a music junkie
http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/1856
I still wanna know how many re-submissions are going to be allowed...
--------------------------------------
Please listen, then vote and comment if you are willing, to my 2 minutes of funk (sans funk)
http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/805
ehhhrrmm...sorry to ruin the "Quest Love Fest"...but, ummm, if I were in this contest (which I'm not)I think I'd need a little more of an explanation for changing the rules at the last minute than "traffic overload".
What about all those entries that went with what they had and didn't do those last little tweaks they wanted to do because they knew they had a deadline to meet? I understand glitches happen, but how can you know who was legitimately robbed and who just couldn't get it together on time? I mean, I guess what I'm asking is, can you REALLY know who's legit? And if you can, how can you know? I suppose an explanation of that would go alot further toward satisfying me as a rules-abiding, time-managing contestant than "traffic overload"...But hey, if it worked with you smart NPR types, maybe I'll try it with the IRS next year.
Are YOU on the PRTQ Team? Because I vote for you for President. That's all I was needing. Just a little more of an explanation than the almost supercilious "traffic overload".
And yet, sometimes life ain't fair, y'know? Ya gotta learn yer lessons the hard way.
I think almost 100 extra entries popping up as much as SEVEN DAYS past the deadline is a bit ridicuous, don't you?
While I agree that time management is an important part of the creative process, the extention makes sense from a tech standpoint. All websites are created with the ability to handle a certain amount of users requesting to download or upload data at any given time. When you create the hardware infrastructure (sever space and storage capacity among other considerations) for a website you have to estimate how many people are going to use it at a given time. Given that this is the very first year of the contest, all the estimates were just that. Its just like taking your car to the body shop. Sure, they can look at the outside and say that they think it will cost you X. But they will be the first to tell you that once they get in there, if there's damage to the frame or something they can't see, it will cost more, its not just because they are trying to scam you or your insurance company. So the unseen part of the talent contest equation is the estimated number of people who would attempt to upload at a given time. PRTC thought it would be X and created their infrastructure accordingly, but instead it was Y (a number greater than X). In essence, there weren't enough parking spaces for the cars circling the lot, even though there were enough seats in the auditorium once they got there. Because all requests to upload are logged with a time/date stamp (like a camera covering a parking garage), they could tell who tried but couldn't upload due to traffic. I was one of the people who had to try on three separate occasions before getting my data uploaded in the final three hours, and it wasn't procrastination, just technology that delayed it. I felt lucky to get mine in from a tech standpoint. But PRTC is actually being really cool. Most sites just walk away and say too bad, we'll do better next year. But PRTC is not only going to remember this for next year, they've fixed it now.
I believe in creativity in service to others. You can hear more at...www.publicradioquest.com/node/1855. Thanks for listening!
I understand your skepticism, but I have faith that this recalculation is on the up-an-up.
Why? When I entered the contest, I filled out the appropriate forms, hit submit, only to wait and discover that the audio didn't make it. Then, when I went to re-submit, I had to re-fill forms that I had already submitted.
I did this three times before my audio finally (thankfully) uploaded. It's concievable that this happened to other people, and their info uploaded on time, but their audio did not. I think that may be what Jake is talking about here.
-JRD
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/440
WJFF - Hydro Powered, Baby!
http://www.wjffradio.org
It's just a fun contest. Sure, a fun contest I'd love to win, but it's not worth getting all bent out of shape over. I've paid nothing, I've had a good time, and I have a chance to live out an incredible dream. The PRX folks have done a great job so far keeping everything fair and trouble-free. More power to them!
Rebecca
From what he stated above "We've contacted everyone whose submissions were already logged" I would say they have some kind of server logs to go by or at least emails from people saying they aren't able to upload. Works for me.
As for the IRS, they did indeed extend the tax deadline this year because of overloaded servers - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18171447/
--
http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/1406
http://musicNerve.com - strange music for strange people
Onward and upward indeed, Jake. This is excellent news. I just knew you folks would do the right thing. Good on ya. Slainte!
Will
This is great news for all those who worked so hard and were shut out at the last minute.
As I posted under an earlier forum topic:
http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/1866
I will say this - every one of my dealings with the powers that be (over this, that and the other) leads me to believe these are incredibly concerned, incredibly user-focused, and incredibly helpful people who try to level the playing field at every turn and encourage and nurture us as creative beings. So I have to believe they'll try to compensate for these errors and make it possible somehow for you all to get your entries uploaded and included in the Quest.
Another demonstration of the integrity of the Quest Team. Thank you for making this possible.
-- Linda
Visit me in my House by the Sea:
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/1432
http://blog.syracuse.com/communitycritics/linda_lowen/
is admirable. Instead of ignoring the situation, there was a willingness to hear out the people who were unhappy, followed by an honest attempt to set things right. Five stars!
I'm glad you folks found a fair way to handle things.
--
http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/1406
http://musicNerve.com - strange music for strange people
That sounds totally equitable.
Steve
It falls to the enlightened, and the intelligent and the sane to take responsibility for the deluded or doltish or insane.
A ha! I was wondering where the freak-show guy's entry had been hiding! Thanks for working overtime to figure out how to include more people despite the technical problems.
************************************************
Life is a matinee. BroadwayMatinee.com
Judge my hostiness in the PRTQ
I love wine and I recomend that everyone go out and get a glass of Pino Grecio to celebrate the entries and the great weather!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Two weeks is a long time to wait.
Vote and give people some feedback as a reward for their effort and willingness to expose themselves to criticism
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