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mouser:
can anyone comment on the issue of keeping the review a surprise? is that a totally silly thing?
i think it's probably one of those vain/paranoid impulses where i think hmm i don't really want to reveal this secret best program that i have discovered until the final review when it will be made public..

am i the only one who kind of feels conflicted about revealing these "best" programs, like you've fought long and hard to find the best app for the job, and you kind of want to share it, but you also kind of want it to be a big deal when you share it :) lol sounds stupid when i put it down in writing..

bottom line question is this:
is there any reason that this ASRT section where award candidates will be discussed weeks ahead of time, should be restricted to only certain people?  or should it be open for commenting and viewing by everyone?  is there anything lost by having the winner of the award known to everyone on the forum before the review? does it ruin the surprise?

nudone:
how will it be decided on what is the winner. will it be put to the vote or will it be your own decision mouser?

why not let people comment as much as they want about the programs to be reviewed (someone may well highlight an issue with a particular piece of software that may have gone unnoticed otherwise) and then apply a voting system for the reviewers to adhere to...

the votes could be cast and then collected in private with the final result revealed at the time of the full in depth review. that way the final winning piece of software will be kept secret.

mouser:
i'm a little reluctant to put choosing a winner to a vote.
i can certainly see the merits in it, however i see a few problems.  first, we i don't think i'm yet comfortable with having the decision be decided by the board - when we get more people and i get to know people's views a little more, that may change.  right now i feel like there is some value in having a consistent flavor to the decisions.  it's very subjective some of the time deciding on these best-of awards.  i realize that, and i realize that my choices are not going to be other people's choices.  but at least when you read a review at this site you will know about my biases and tendencies; it also might be difficult for me (or any reviewer) to talk about a winning program that he/she didn't believe should be the winner(!).  if you read the guidelines i put up on the review page about UI design you may find that some people disagree with some of these, and i'm keen to have the reviews continue to reflect this consistent set of guidelines, even if majority opinion here might not always agree.

so at the moment what i would prefer to do is have me continue to make the final decision about a winner, but rather than the way i've been doing it, which is to evaluate all these apps can come to a decision in private, let me put it out there before hand, let people make their case about why they prefer another app, etc.  and let this all be part of the official record that anyone reading the review can see, just by one click on the "forum" button at the bottom of the review.  we can change it to "discuss this review and read dissenting opinions".

in this way, reviews would still have my biases and final judgement, and a consistent "feel" but it will be easy for people to read how other people might disagree or (agree).

i'm not against also having a vote in that thread where we could get a collective sense of what the board thinks is the best program, which could go against the reviewers final choice.

does that make sense?

tenseiken:
Well, one thing to keep in mind is that this is your site.  We of the peanut gallery have plenty of opportunity to speak our minds on the subject afterwards.  I think we should have a review that you agree with, even if it wasn't necessarily your first choice.

Here's an idea: instead of just telling us right out which program you're leaning toward, why not list your top three? Then we could easily discuss those three and any additions without actually knowing what you're going to choose.  That would also give us the opportunity to affect your opinion before you make the decision.  I don't think voting is really necessary--popular opinion doesn't always dictate the best choice.  Instead, open the floor to logical discussion, but simply refrain from telling us which program you're leaning toward most.

mouser:
well let's just start with this weeks upcoming award.
i will post in separate thread.

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