Soccer Dad: JIBs with jabs

May 15, 2007

JIBs with jabs

I was going to write an extended rant at how frustrated I am that once again I am being shut out at the JIB's. It's not terribly surprising that I haven't one any of the regular awards. However I thought that a group effort that I was invovled, Haveil Havalim stood a chance. No such luck. Despite Sunday's effort at self promotion in the best contribution category, Haveil Havalim is still languishing in the sixth spot. Silly me, I thought that a contribution to the J-Blogosphere (especially one that was a group effort) would count for something. But the J-Blogosphere has spoken and said "We don't care." I'm angry about it, but there's nothing I can do.

Like I said, I was going to but then I read On running the JIB's and I realized that being dissed is not so bad as being impugned. With Mystical Paths in the forefront and a number of dedicated J-Bloggers on the board, those running this year's JIB's have been in for all sorts of abuse. (There is one board member who's an absolute jerk, and I shed no tears if the invective bothers him at all. But then I hardly suspect that it bothers him much.)

They've had their integrity impugned and their good names besmirched. These people are not self seekers. They did something for the community. They should be shown appreciation, not scorn.

They thought they accounted all the problems but one of the corollaries of Murpy's Law struck:

If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which something can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop

Not endowed with the gift of prescience the committee running the JIB's didn't foresee all the problems that could crop up. But that's hardly a crime or proof of malfeasance. That's being human.

And while they're criticized for not addressing problems this year, I suspect that when you have a system in place, it's not easy to change midstream. Saying "wait for next year" is not an excuse, it's likely the only choice.

I have some frustrations, such as the inability to vote or view the vote on my home computer. But the technical requirements of setting up the voting system were great and they didn't have the time or resources to test everything out. Still they tried.

Unlike a certain blogger who's been impugning them and saying that the vote should be about quality. The chutzpah here is that he complains that the JIB's are a popularity contest, but he benefits from that very fact. Since his is a high traffic site he wins JIB's each time out. I don't think much of his blog with its sloppy reasoning and poor spelling and general mean spiritedness. But he has the visitors, so he has the JIB's and will garner two or three more this year.

He's offered his services! How noble. He would like to join with other high traffic bloggers and be a judge for a quality award. But guess what. No one took him up on his offer.

Guess what big shot? If you want to get something done approach others quietly and ask for their help. Then when you've secured their help announce your plan. What you did - and I'm sure you're aware of this - is merely advertise your lack of respect for the JIB's. Your cynicism knows no bounds.

But then why is it that you assume that high traffic bloggers are necessarily capable of judging quality? May I remind you that you ran into certain difficulties this year? You inadvertently left out the sources of many of the quotes you included in your blog. No, I won't accuse you of plagiarism as others have. I can believe that you were sloppy. Still, even unintentionally, you took an unacceptable shortcut this year. Doesn't say much for your quality control. But hey, later this week you'll be able to put up you JIB award and cite it as proof of your superiority.

It doesn't make a difference that you criticized the committee and didn't lift a finger to help. You spit in their faces but you'll have no compunction about accepting an award from them. And no you don't know the meaning of the word quality. Your continued success says a lot about the J-blogosphere and it's not good.

UPDATE: Israelly Cool! before the creator of the JIB's reports that he also has been vilified. I viewed the site he wrote about once. I didn't have the stomach for more.

For all of you who think you can do this better, don't just gripe. Get out and do it. Think that the voting system is too easily rigged: develop you own. Don't like the categories: create your own contest.

Through Haveil Havalim I know that at the very least to get a blogging project off the ground requires persistence. It also requires the goodwill and hard work of a lot of people. But with Haveil Havalim I'm using existing infrastructure. Someone else created BlogCarnival. The entries were written for some other purpose.

An awards program requires a lot more. The infrastructure must be built. (The worst awards program was when the voting system was already in place but wasn't modified for the JIB's.) Checks must be implemented. Those who think they can do better are, for the most part, big talkers with no ability to back up their words.

JIB's.