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After careful review Crabby's Cowpie Field must regretfully give Blog Interviewer a unanimous "thumbs down" based on the following points.- An in-depth interview (possibly by web cam) was to be awarded to each of last months top 3 winners. Such an interview would have increased traffic and brought in new readers which in turn would have stimulated traffic and voting for this site. No such interview was done.
- Twice this month during an active competition The Cowpie Field was locked out of the Blog Interviewer site which made voting for this blog impossible. Once due to band with problems on the blog interviewer site. And once for, "suspicious behavior". Both of these times other blogs competing were able to continue voting during our forced absence.
- Suspicious behavior, a subject that without question should be addressed privately in email or by phone, was announced publicly on this blog not once but twice. *Publicly questioning the integrity of myself or the people who frequent this blog is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.*
- Any further public accusations WILL be deleted!
- In the opinion of this blog owner there has been a good deal of "questionable voting" from all top runners in this competition. It is currently impossible to completely control internet voting. This is the internet and people with access to more than one voting source will get, "creative". It would quite honestly be naive to think otherwise. To select one blog from the many, block those voters, then restore voting with a warning is, again, "unacceptable".
It is my opinion that Blog Interviewer has literally backed this blog into a corner and in the process insulted every person here and every person who voted for us.
I personally viewed the whole Blog Interviewer experience as a sort of game, not as any true measure of the worth or readership of your site. Your blog is one of my favorites - definitely my favorite when I'm looking for a day-brightener - so of course I tried to figure out how to vote as often as possible, finally realizing that once a day seemed to be all "he" would let me do. Okay, so be it. Is thirty votes in a month from one person cheating? Suspicious behavior? Maybe, but I figured that everybody else was probably doing it too. So do I deserve to have my integrity questioned? Probably, but in the bigger scheme of things, having my integrity questioned by "Him" doesn't bother me a whole lot. Of course, a more honorable/mature person hosting a worthy website wouldn’t have done so publicly.
"He" apparently has his own agenda, perhaps an empire to build, which I guess he's entitled to. If he abuses people in the course of doing that, if he led you to believe some un-truths or if he misled you, then may he step in a cow-pie and may his site be covered with flies.
I'm sorry this experience turned sour for you, and I would be angry too if I (and my friends) were publicly and wrongly accused of some kind of nefarious behavior.
You have a great blog, Crab. You don't need Blog Interviewer to prove it.
It seems it is time to finish out the month and toss in the towel. It is not worth all this BS. I know you have several loyal people that vote daily for you. That explains a lot of the votes that you have gotten. I have also been watching the voting as much as I can see and I am not sure I have seen any cheating going on. Of course I do not have access to any records. It seemed to be going up and a somewhat slow steady pace.
So has there been cheating going on? It might be nice for you to get some details about it and for that to be done privetly if there has been so you can try and stop it. I know you have never encouraged me or anyone that I am aware of to cheat. Actually it has always been the opposite where you almost chastized people.
It makes me wonder also, just like people were using thumbs down to vote a person down in the first month, if they know you will be penalized for voting irregularities, maybe some of their fans could add such votes to your total in an effort to get you thrown out and locked down. I mean look at the one anonymous person that said you were embarrasing yourself, give up now. Others are not playing nice I think.
It just does not seem worth it to me.
At 8/28/2007 9:59 AM, 
Spoony Quine
` Don't look at me. What makes you think I'm suspicious?
` Suspicious for seriously pestering you?
` Oh that's right, I was supposed to be gone for a while.
` K bye!
My apologies for insulting anyone. If I could have sent out a personal email suspicious persons I would have, but I only have their IP addresses.
I have emailed Crabby on this matter and unblocked everyone.
Anyone who voted once a day is not being accused of circumventing the system. That is perfectly fine.
Please understand that I am just trying to make the competition fair in our first month of cash giveaways. I appreciate your patience.
I know that Crabby would never encourage anyone to cheat. I read her blog daily and know that she is a dedicated campaigner. She has done nothing wrong.
And Barman, thanks for all your help with the website. You've been more than helpful trying to deal with issues of voting and letting me know when the site was going through growing pains. It's much appreciated.
Again, my apologies to those of you who have been so kind as to vote for Crabby daily and have had a good time on Blog Interviewer.
Best,
Mike Thomas
Blog Interviewer
Crabby the people that come come because they want to as simple as that.
The vote was more of a joke and for a bit of comraderie.
We don't need that comraderie - we're all still here - and why because we want to be.
You are the reason not the interview or the vote and if you don't want to be involved I don't think the hard core really mind either way!!
Crabby this is one of the bestest sites I ever visit, just don't change that thats all!!
At 8/28/2007 1:02 PM, GAB
Ebezp, only thing we're gonna change is...we are gonna get better. I have plans. (I know. that always scares you guys. LOL) But they're safe ones this time...pretty much.
Gabby, that's because it WAS a cheat. No matter how you spin it. If only people who cheated were blocked then why couldn't you get on? Or Nick (who by the way is a priest or is Nick a pastor? I'm Lutheran and our pastors also wear collar and robes) In any case, I'm doubting Nick cheats at anything. I had emails from a few people here who couldn't vote so...tell me, did all of these people cheat? or was a HUGE blunder made in the name of "fairness"?
At 8/28/2007 1:55 PM, Spoony Quine
` Yeah, who cares about awards? Shameless promoting never gets you anywhere whether or not you deserve it.
` Why would anyone do that? I wouldn't. Even if I made a blog post that is 1/3 just for you, I would never go on and on about it! That's just silly!
I think we've all over-dosed on words like thumb and vote.
Tomorrow, I say we get back to having fun and let this entire thing go with no hard feelings. I got my mad on, muttered some swears and did some finger exercises and now I'm over it.
my two cents for what it's worth. Stay off the interview site. Leave well enough alone.
Life is too short people. We have stuff to do! Places to go. People to bug. Pranks to pull. Let's get back to it!
I tried to remain nuetral in this because I had a feeling where this was going.
Blogging should remain fun and the merits of a blog are the content of the blog and in my opinion the comments left by others and the comment by the blog owner.
You are hilarious, there is no one like you and in my opinion you are a winner.
cow hugs
tc
does this mean I have to return your pictures?
*just kidding people*
Check your shoes before you leave.
Well Crab my dear, you know I'm right here and always have your back. You've had much more patience with all this crap than I would have.
So...up on to other fun stuff to tear up. LOL
Uh....got any suggestions where I can stick this thumb?