I come to the Dope to relax. I like reading posts, and in particular, like the ones that make me laugh. I have been kicking around the idea of a ‘local’ award for the funniest damn post of the year on the SDMB. I’m not talking about the cute little chuckle, the picture of the dog in a sunflower hat that makes you giggle, nor the one liner that makes you grin and snort. I’m talking about the kind of post so sardonic, witty, laconic or satirical that it merits a special kind of honor.
I’m talking about the kind of post that makes you think, “This is the reason I signed up for the Straight Dope in the first place.”
I hereby propose the following:
The Mechanical Plan:
- I nominate that posts can be nominated for three categories (consensus to be gained later, quorum starts at 10 Dopers to ‘yea’ or ‘nea’):
A) Best OP
B) Best Response
C) Best One-Liner
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**Posts will be ‘in the window’ for nomination starting at January 1, 2008, 12:01 AM “Cecil-Time” (as noted on the specific post itself), closing December 31, 2008, 11:59 PM. ** Now, I do note that there’s a discrepancy of a full minute there, but c’mon, that’s the exact New Year. I’ll take the chance that a majority of people have better things to do at that particular moment than post on the Dope.
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Voting (via a post in the thread) will take place from whatever point I get it all compiled (probably within a few days after the New Year) to Jan 15, 2009, 11:59. Over the course of the year, I’ll compile all of the nominees into all of the categories. Starting Jan 01, 2009, at 12:02 AM (or whenever I wake up the next morning), I’ll start compiling everything for voting. Afterwards, I’ll post the results for the categories, and announce the voted winners no later than the 31st.
3.1 I know that the number of nominees may far exceed a normal tabulated list, or people’s attention spans. I’ll start by opening a file on my computer, and just adding to the list; this’ll help maintain voting integrity. No hanging chads, no electronic voting machines at your precincts, no adjustment of files, etc. Bottom line: ‘Don’t go clutterin’ your mind with the inconsequentials.’
4. Voting will be open to everybody on the Dope, members, guests, mods, admins, ‘99ers, lurkers, Charter Members, etc. (i.e., “If you can laugh, you can post.”) Vote via a post in the thread. I fully realize that this may force the thread into many, many pages—I’m prepared for that! Having worked as a Very Special Forces Ranger in the XVIII Chairborne Corps (USAF), I’m good at checking and double checking electrons.
- The award: At the least, you can claim the credit. I’d briefly mentioned in my ATMB thread that I’d politely approach the mods to see if they’d be willing to do a member title change for just the year, but I can’t promise that—I only have certain mystical powers.
The ‘Cheat Sheet’: Posts made from 1/1/08 - 12/31/08 are eligible to be nominated. Voting will take place 1/2/09 - 1/15/09, and anyone can vote. Announcement of a winner will be made shortly after 1/16/09.
The Rules (also subject to a consensus):
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**It’s gotta be a post from the Straight Dope. And it’s gotta be from a Doper. ** (sorry Cecil).
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Since this is the first annual, it’s moot, but I’ll suggest it for following years: **If you win one year, you’re precluded from winning the next. ** You’re back in the race the third year. This is just to mix it up a little bit.
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**You can’t nominate yourself. ** If your post is that good, it can stand on its own two feet and win someone else’s attention for nomination.
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To nominate, do the URL link-thing in your post, and clearly spell out what category you want to nominate it for. This will make it easier for me to tabulate the nominations, and will give everyone a direct link to the thread and post (for context, too!).
The Miscellanea:
I was going to call it the SDMB “Best Joke of the Year”, but the abbreviation sent up red flags in my mind. This is a family message board, dammit!
I have also set up a provisional email account for this thing, but I don’t know if we’ll need it. If anyone’s got any questions, they can either PM me, or email me at my public address (just make sure you do the “Username from SDMB” thing in the subject line).
I’ve figured on the three categories, and the rules. Let the debates begin, but I move that the debates close out by August 31, 2008, so that Dopers know how to nominate, and what they’re nominating for. . .
Tripler
Cubicle Ranger, Very Special Forces, XVIII Chairborne Corps (USAF)
