Rabbit Awards!

[annie]

In loving tribute and in honor of our Forum Father Rabbit1 two new awards are being introduced to the forum!!!

These awards will be given out on a quarterly basis, will be nominated by the staff (Greeters, Project Leaders, Writer Block Folks, MOD, Supers and Admins) and will be voted on by the forum as a whole!

*drum roll*

The first award is...

Rabbit Award for Best Contributor ~ Best Contributor nominations are based on the content/depth of the members posts, support of forums members (even if they disagree with the Mods/Admins), their overall involvement in the forums, their willingness to share information AND to ask questions... basically how well rounded are they as a member as a whole.

The second award is...

Rabbit Award for Best Introduction ~ Best Introduction nominations are for members who have joined the forum in the past three months AND posted an introduction. The member has logged in within at least the past six weeks from the date of the nomination. The introduction was informative and helped to display the new members personality!

Look for the first round of voting to start on October 1st!

[_ID_]

and you wonder why people thought that this place had popularity contests.

[cariad]

ID, I am really sorry that you feel like that.

We have given a lot of thought and consideration to both the annual awards and the Rabbit awards, hoping that they would be a mixture of fun and encouragement. I guess this just proves we cannot please all of the people all of the time.

cariad

[Rhabbi]

I personally like the idea of the best introduction, just wish I could go back and try again as mine was a bit lame. I already know a couple from the past few weeks that are really great.

[_ID_]

cariad, the idea doesn't displease me, but it just seems as though with the awards, this place has taken a feel of competition. who has the most posts, the best poetry, the best pics, the best introduction so on and so forth.

[wingsofanangel]

Does everyone want to be the best at something?

This is a place to have fun and show off and just be whomever you wish. I think it promotes creativity and getting to know one another-ness...

Most of the people who usually win things anyway are gone.. so it gives everyone a chance to get something too..

I've been here for many years ( used other names) and haven't won anything.. but it doesn't upset me. Of course everyone wants to be a winner... but I think its a cool thing.. and am happy for everyone that gets picked..

thats just me though

[_ID_]

wings, I don't care about winning or not. I've never been one to compete against others. It's just not something I find enjoyable.

However I personally think the competition could make others who do put value in stuff like this could feel ostracized/excluded. In a site like this, I would think that is the last thing you would want, but hey, what the hell do I know. Maybe the new site members enjoy that, maybe new people to the lifestyle enjoy feeling less than welcomed.

[rach]

I can see both sides to this- it is nice to see those who contribute to the site honoured and recognised, but I can see ID's view as well, that can make a place seem very cliquey.

Not sure there is really an answer to it either.

rach

[gagged_Louise]

Yes I'd agree cliques do form sometimes but that happens in most any forum, and isn't it a bit inciting to try to achieve something interesting? I'd hate it if the members here felt overshadowed by the Staff or by those who are old and recognized but it doesn't feel like they do, most of the time the Forum has a good and healthy exchange of friendship. affection, advice and useful information.

[crazy_grrluk]

why not intergrate them with the other awards? but still keep the name that you have given.

old and new members alike can then be recognised

just a thought

[annie]

Old members can be recognized with the Contributor Award. The only award that is exclusive to new members is the best introduction. And these awards are of a different nature and carry a different meaning and are intended to not be integrated into the annual awards.

[crazy_grrluk]

like I said..it was just a thought

[annie]

ID, I'm sorry you feel it is just another popularity contest. That was not the intend by any means. The intent was to honor Rabbit and the wonderful work he did on the forum and that is how the Rabbit awards came to be.

The Best Contributor award was designed not just to be a popularity contest but to recognize those who add to the forum through their posts, support of other forum members, etc, it is not intended to be based on post count or to be based on how much time they spend on the forums, or how long they have been involved in BDSM. The intention and design behind it was to recognize ALL members, from the members who have been here for years but only have a few posts... posts which are well thought out and made with meaning, caring and support to encouraging the newer members to openly share their experience, concerns and growth and to cover everyone in the middle as well.

The Best Introduction award was created to encourage new members to post and share so that those on the forums would stand a better chance of getting to know them. The intent was to encourage people to make that first post and to recognize the new members for taking the time to join in and participate if they so wish.

If you don't wish to participate with anything to do with the awards that is your right as a member, and I encourage you to exercise that right. But, some here do wish to participate, and have tried to create the Rabbit Awards in such a way that they would be as fair as possible and as open as possible to those who do wish to participate.

They were simply made to honor someone who did a lot to ensure that all of us had the opportunity to express opposite points of views in a friendly, civil, open manner. That being said, it saddens me that even something that was intended to be done as a tribute has created controversy...

[gagged_Louise]

why not intergrate them with the other awards? but still keep the name that you have given.

old and new members alike can then be recognised

just a thought

Well, we discussed them together but the main differences are a)the name and b) the two Rabbit Awards will be awarded every quarterly, not once a year. But there's nothing to stop anyone from nominating fresh members in the Site Awards, for, like, Most interesting Sub or Most creative person.

Reasons we didn't name the lot Rabbit Awards were, I think, the wish to keep a sharp profile for Rabbit's name plus we wanted to emphasise the link to the earlier Site Awards, last year. But I didn't follow the discussion from the start, so I hope the Supermods can make any clarifications they'd want.

[crazy_grrluk]

no... i wasnt suggesting the whole award system have a name change just the 2 new awards to be kept as the Rabbit Awards and I know the 2 are seperate. was just thinking about putting both together...

never mind...ill keep my nose out of this

[crazy_grrluk]

gr cant edit my post in here

was going to add...it was just a thought and nothing more

[Uncle_Ed]

wings, I don't care about winning or not. I've never been one to compete against others. It's just not something I find enjoyable.

Interesting. I competed when I took school exams-when I played rugby for the school and the City; when I got my jobs; when I got my promotions; when I got my girlfriends and wives-when I post here and hope they are good enough for people to read over other posts... It's called "Life"

[rach]

I'd hate it if the members here felt overshadowed by the Staff or by those who are old and recognized but it doesn't feel like they do, most of the time the Forum has a good and healthy exchange of friendship. affection, advice and useful information.

I think that's true. There is a thread for everyone I think.

They were simply made to honor someone who did a lot to ensure that all of us had the opportunity to express opposite points of views in a friendly, civil, open manner. That being said, it saddens me that even something that was intended to be done as a tribute has created controversy...

I think it's just there is as many opinions as people on the forum and as cariad said can't please everyone all of the time.

I think the Rabbit Awards are a good idea, especially the quarterly idea and the forum members voting. The qualifications for the award will certainly honour the man they are named for.

[_ID_]

I don't have issue in giving some sort of tribute to rabbit. The man did a lot of good for the site.

Ed, I did take tests as an adolescent, though not for the sake of competition, it was because I had to. I didn't participate in sports, not because I didn't enjoy the sport, but because I didn't enjoy the atmosphere accompanied with it. "Life" is something I enjoy a great deal, but it doesn't have to include situations that invoke feelings of inadequacy. Especially in an environment that is supposed to be accepting and open of peoples differences.

I don't mind having something to foster good contribution to the form, but this just seems like your giving the little gold star next to the kids name in grade school. Didn't see how it benefited then, nor do I now.

I am not the first person to bring up the notion that this place seems like a popularity contest, just thought this idea was another step in the wrong direction.

[DungeonMaster6]

The bottom line here is that this would be a fitting tribute to Rabbit, who did a fantastic job on this site.

Let's just leave it at that.

[angelic.zest]

i like the idea of best introduction, hopefully the new members come out of lurking and post their thoughts and feelings early on and feel welcome not just by the award but by apperication for joining our lil family here...

i dont have to much to say about the The Best Contributor award
im usually quiet in the forums anyway so i thought i will get it LOL...

[_ID_]

The bottom line here is that this would be a fitting tribute to Rabbit, who did a fantastic job on this site.

Let's just leave it at that.

That is strictly your opinion. Cause I don't view it that way at all.

I'm sure there could be other ways to show such thoughts without leaving people to feel like it's a competition to have their efforts recognized.

[fiosreach]

I'm very new here; I posted my intro a day or two before this thread was started, and while I'm a little reluctant to jump into this debate, I figure the best introduction award would be relevant to me.

I was very nervous about posting my intro, took about an hour to do it, whined to my friend on MSN that it was awful, and was worried about how it would be received. I had to give myself a good talking-to and remind myself that it's not a competition, I'm just saying hello. And then the next day I read this thread and to be honest, my first thought was "Well crap, now it is a competition." And I started feeling as though, by posting a bog-standard "hello", I was losing.

I can see the idea behind it, but I'm a little worried that the people the award would encourage to introduce themselves would be those confident enough to do it sooner or later anyway, while those who might be shy or afraid of what people think of them are unlikely to be encouraged by the thought that their post is being judged.

Just my two cents.

[moptop]

I like the idea of these new awards, both to honour Rabbit, and to encourage a) thoughtful, helpful, insightful posts (which can get a bit over-shadowed by all the fun and games) and b) to encourage people new to the forums to open up. But - I do feel that the sense of competition is growing here, and I do so feel for fiosreach and other new people who find it hard to introduce themselves. I found it hard.

I wonder if, rather than 'best introduction', you might consider 'best newcomer' - to be given after people have been here for 3+ months (quarterly still) - it gives people time to relax, and it lets them know there is something there that they can aim for, if that is their thing. If it isnt their thing, then they won't worry (I hope). What 'best newcomer' should be considered on should be entirely up to the voters, I think - not on specific criteria like no. of posts, usefulness of posts, sexiness of posts or whatever. Just what the voters consider to be 'best', without having to justify it.

I will say that I find things like 'choose your dom' or 'choose your sub' uncomfortably and excessively cliquey. Yeah so OK I can sulk because no-one's chosen me, lol - but really, even if they had - the list is so small, it is just an insider's club. I am not new here, I can take that with a pinch of salt, but others may not feel the same way. There are lots of delicate egos here, and whilst official site awards may be a good thing to encourage, I don't believe that a general sense of competitiveness and 'inner circle' is. It is becoming very exclusive. That is not what this site is supposed to be about at all.

[annie]

I wonder if, rather than 'best introduction', you might consider 'best newcomer' - to be given after people have been here for 3+ months (quarterly still) - it gives people time to relax, and it lets them know there is something there that they can aim for, if that is their thing. If it isnt their thing, then they won't worry (I hope). What 'best newcomer' should be considered on should be entirely up to the voters, I think - not on specific criteria like no. of posts, usefulness of posts, sexiness of posts or whatever. Just what the voters consider to be 'best', without having to justify it.

An award of that nature was discussed. The problem was the practicality/details of it... that is why the suggestion was made for the best introduction instead.

[just_desire]

I think this is a great idea! As someone who has been trying to find a place to fit in, I have visited too many places were people hit and ran. You would see them post once or twice and then disappear, or you have many lurkers who don't have the guts to jump in. I don't see this as a popularity contest at all. Face it, all places have people who are closer to some than others, there will be those who are more outspoken, those that feel they have the knowledge to help others, and those who just sit quietly and watch. Granted, I did have a slight advantage on this forum, because I know someone who is here, however, even without that connection, I have never been to a place that attempted to get the new people involved and where new and old members welcome people so warmly. I went into chat the second time without knowing anyone and had the most amazing conversations. If I don't get involved in a forum fairly quickly, then I'll leave because I don't feel like I'm part of the group. But at the same time, even my friend here is closer to others, and that doesn't bother me. I read the introductions on here and it was great to learn about others and to see "newbies" saying hi to other newbie’s right off the bat. It's hard living this lifestyle sometimes when your friends and family don't know, or where you just can't share some things about this lifestyle with other people. Coming here is a way of "being a part of it" even if I can't right now in r/l. And having this award is a great way of getting people involved and perhaps talking to people they wouldn't normally get to talk to. I will be nominating for sure, although I haven't "met" very many of you yet. I find a lot of message boards start up and die out quickly only because everyone lurked instead of posting. At the risk of sounding rude, if you don’t like it, don’t nominate and ask your friends not to nominate you. Whoever said you can’t please everyone is so right. You can’t. Someone will always get mad or upset or whatever. The mods can’t win. This gives you an incentive to post. In closing, I think this site is wonderful and so are the people who run it and help keep it going. It’s a thankless job, but know that some of us out here know how hard you work. Thank you for creating these awards. Ok, steps off the soap box and goes to find people to nominate.

[Logic1]

I'm very new here; I posted my intro a day or two before this thread was started, and while I'm a little reluctant to jump into this debate, I figure the best introduction award would be relevant to me.

I was very nervous about posting my intro, took about an hour to do it, whined to my friend on MSN that it was awful, and was worried about how it would be received. I had to give myself a good talking-to and remind myself that it's not a competition, I'm just saying hello. And then the next day I read this thread and to be honest, my first thought was "Well crap, now it is a competition." And I started feeling as though, by posting a bog-standard "hello", I was losing.

I can see the idea behind it, but I'm a little worried that the people the award would encourage to introduce themselves would be those confident enough to do it sooner or later anyway, while those who might be shy or afraid of what people think of them are unlikely to be encouraged by the thought that their post is being judged.

Just my two cents.

great thoughts here.

I definitely understand that posting an introduction can be hard and then saying to yourself that it isnt a competition and then finding out that it actually turned into one makes it feel even worse.
For me it isnt a competition and I dont really care about winning things like this. I just take it as a forum with people that I like and things I can learn and things I can teach others. Sure winning something like "most knowledgeable" is flattering but does it really change anything? I mean we all feel who has lots of knowledge and those who share their knowledge with us. Do we "need" awards? No not really but it is a fun thing to do anyways

This is for me a recognition of what Rabbit did for us and "best introduction" isnt a bad way. Perhaps it could feel like that for some but it does have its merits.

[cariad]

I am not trying to close this discussion, but the awards which we have announced are staying. They were very carefully thought out, and within the framework which I stated earlier of not being able to please all of the people all the time, they were the best we could come up with. I will be honest, we were actually pretty pleased with them. We would not have put our dear friend's name to anything them if we were not.

However, that does not mean that each of the views expressed here have not been very carefully noted, and they WILL be taken into consideration if and when we plan any other form of recognition of members.

As a general point. In my signature is my email address together with a note saying 'If you don't tell me, I might not know. Please use my PM box or email'. Nobody has ever said to me that they do not like site competitions or site awards. If I had had a body of constructive messages, rather than an odd moan, saying that this was an issue, then we would have taken it into consideration when we were planning these awards.

I am not going to jump each time someone says they do not like something, because with so many members and so many differing opinions nothing would get done. I do listen though, and I don't ignore.

cariad

[_ID_]

cariad - I posted what I said because I see a trend in the site, have for quite some time. I am not the first to mention it, and it has been mentioned at least 2 other times if I can recall correctly. I had no doubt that the awards would stay, as that is the status quo for here, so I had no illusions that I was going to change anything. Just hoping to give a perspective that may or may not have been considered.

[His_blizzard]

I am cool with all of this as long as I still maintain the title of :

***Submissive Goddess of the Universe****