Issues for Tuesday

AS USUAL THIS POST IS NOW CLOSED OFF AND ALL COMMETNS WITH IT AND THE DISCUSSION MOVES TO THE CURRENT POST.

20:02, London time: Just having a quick squiz at the sitemeter stats for this site, first time for days and my surmise was wrong. I thought that, as there are only three comments on this post, that people had left in droves. Not a bit of it - the stats are at the same levels as for the past few days - over 700 today at this point - the only thing is, they're probably not reading this post. Not to worry.

19:21, London time: Battle Royals just now. Keep your eye on:

Cat2: Jon Swift, Lord Nazh and Zaftig all level

Cat 4: Mr. Eugendes and Devil's Kitchen level pegging

Cat 15: Liam Murray, Istanbul Tory and Newmania almost level

Cat 17: Sicily Scene just ahead of Sallyinnorfolk

Cat 19: Bryan Appleyard and Captain Smack almost level

13:21, London time: As it all draws to a close, we are left in this position:

1] Those still vitally interested in having their noses in front at the end, in their category, are still polling heavily. The problem with this is that since the IP address anomaly became generally known, the contest effectively ended there and then and became, as Mr. Eugenides said, simply a "p--sing contest".

I myself am still interested in two categories but the greatest satisfaction was in being nominated the way I was. Hence:

2] Those who realized the voting anomalies and lost interest [although their supporters didn't] gained satisfaction that their supporters saw fit to nominate them in the first place and that people wanted to vote for them. They didn't need the Blogpower awards to tell them their place in the blogosphere and yet the Awards have been a further confirmation, shall we say?

"Blogpower Nominated" is a banner without taint which can be proudly displayed.

3] Those in the disgruntled category. These include the lady who accused Blogpower of strong-arm tactics at the beginning, those who stood aloof and didn't immerse themselves in the Awards and of course, our old friends the BNP, who are mightily p---sed off at my "groundless allegations" and have posted "the truth of the matter" on the Central News site and elsewhere.

4] Worth the effort? You'd expect me to say so and on balance, yes. The voting anomalies didn't really become a major issue until two days ago and the situation as of Saturday evening was probably fairly indicative of the true state of play.

Two nominees who stand to be swept past by tomorrow evening by "the obsessed" needn't worry their heads about that. Everyone knows you were the front runners all the way and you've proved yourselves beyond a shadow of a doubt.

5] Lessons? The voting system, of course. The eligibility criteria for voting - maybe only for bona fide bloggers of at least two months standing next time [thank you, Unity].

06:21, London time, Tuesday: Issues so far today

1] The Bournemouth Nationalist says the awards are insignificant and yet he keeps coming over "for interest sake". Curious that. The point is, it's like a soap opera all right and Big Brother all rolled into one. In other words, it's entertaining so why not? What's blogging for? What you read here is the grim side but the enjoyment a lot of people are getting hasn't been mentioned in my posts yet because it's been ... well ... a bit busy.

The thing is, from the e-mails which are coming through, there are a lot of people with advice and issues and most has been really good advice too. Strange that they've all been constructive. So what has come out of it?

a] Many more people have visited many more blogs than before and even made more blogfriends.

b] People's site stats have sometimes gone through the roof and sometimes quite significantly increased.

c] There's been a definite increase in many bloggers' understanding of the process and the difficulties in running something like this and many bloggers have become more tech-wise.

d] There has been a macabre fascination [in Bournemouth skinhead terms] in the process - many waiting for it to self-destruct and it never quite doing so. Blogpower has always lived on the edge and that's the way we like it.

e] As a result of the whole biz, the results are pretty fair just now [with the exception of me] and there were bloggers in this poll who wouldn't make it onto the shortlist of the large polls and yet they deserve to be there - they're damned good blogs. They've taken part in these polls.

2] Mr Eugenides is right when he says it's now a "p--sing contest" and that's what we're locked into and will learn for the next time. Unity has made some great constructive suggestions for next time and I feel we should take them on board or at the least discuss them after the polls close.

3] I don't know how it will all end up tomorrow evening. People with itchy clicking fingers will win and yet a look at the nominations again, together with the current polls, gives a good indicator of your place in the blogophere.

4] Information has come to hand and you would understand I can't divulge it, which partly exonerates UKN&P in the sense of his genuine popularity in the wider community but damns him in terms of his entering a 100 visitors a day competition. If he'd stuck to the main categories he'd have got away with it.

Yes, yes, I know now that his site stats put him under at the point of entry to the competition but his overall popularity from his other activities puts him way over and that's where his votes are coming from. Anyway, it's academic now.

What I have not revealed is the two BNP insiders who are feeding me info and that's why my anger of last night and that's why I acted with such disgust. However, you don't have that info and if I name the guys, they feel they're in serious danger from the thugs in the group. It's alleged that they play for keeps, this crowd. Perhaps they're really angels, I don't know.

5] Good luck today. We have a holiday over here but I have to work.