How do you vote?

LYU370

LYU370

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I've always wondered how others vote for their choice in the throwdowns? If I have an entry in the throwdown, I never vote for it. I figure I've already tried it and know what it tastes like. I usually vote for the entry I'd like to try the most out of all the entries.

May not always be the best entry photo, although those do help, but sometimes you just see the pic, go look at the cook thread, and go... Damn... I WANT a bite of that! But sometimes I'll see an ingredient or a side... Nope... Nope... Nope... No thanks.

How about everyone else? How do you decide?
 
Sometimes I don’t vote because there are so many good entries.
I usually look at the photos and see if I can pick an absolute winner from there.
If not, some look interesting and then I go to the cook thread.
There have been a few votes I have picked from cook thread alone over the entry photo.

So, I guess it depends or me.
 
Andy, your timing on this is uncanny as I've been working on a general FAQ for the Throwdowns that covers this topic, among others.

I strongly suggest always looking up the original entry that is text linked in the vote thread, especially if when there was a dedicated cook thread. There are entries where a lot of time and creativity went into the creation of a Throwdown effort and the cook thread provides the "big picture".

This is how I vote, and sometimes that means I don't always vote for the best looking picture.

On a side note, we've been discussing the possibility of requiring a dedicated cook thread for Throwdown entries. We are getting a growing number(though not a lot yet) of entries with no cook thread at all, which is problematic in that voters never get to see the creation of the actual Throwdown entry, among other things.
 
Same as Ron. I vote for the one that really stands out as far as making me instantly hungry. If there are more than one, I usually don't vote at all. lol
 
I will look at all of the entries, if one stands out as far as making me want to do a face-plant, I will vote for that one. If there are more than one, I will go to the cook threads and decide from there.
 
I vote for the one that doesn't have any avacados. :p

I usually read cook threads anyway, so no need to do that again in the vote thread. Unfortunately, presentation matters (to me) and photography can make a meal look appetizing... or not. Blurry off focus "what the hell is that?" entries get overlooked.
 
I vote for the entry that is appealing enough to make me want to reach out and take a bite out of it, and if it's inspiring enough to make me want to emulate it.... that's extra credit. Since voting is totally subjective, if an entry does not appeal to my tastes it won't rank as high EXCEPT when the theme dictates otherwise. For example, I'm not really into sauce, so in a rib throwdown I might lean toward a dry rib or a pit shot rather than a saucy plate of ribs. But, in a 'show me the sauce' throwdown, I vote for the best use of sauce.

I do look at composition and lighting and I look at the 'cooks thread'. Sometimes creativity really stands out, so that might be something that I use in a tie breaker. Sometimes booze in the photo works, like a margarita in the background of some Mexican food, and sometimes it doesn't.

The Throwdowns have come a long way in the last 10 or 12 years. An early winner for me was a single ear of corn, roasted in the husk and sitting all alone on a plate with no background. I think there was some melted butter showing. It was an okay photo, but but pretty simple compared to current entries.
 
I haven't entered that many but like to think I'm pretty good at fairly evaluating the other entries against mine and therefore will vote for mine if I think it's the best. Thus far, that hasn't happened -- there have always been one or more that I thought were clearly better.

I don't actively look for the cook threads though many of them I have read. I don't probably weight that as much as I should -- as noted in other posts, there are some folks that really put a lot of time, thought and effort into it. The picture isn't everything but as someone who's a bit into photography it does matter to me -- particularly because it does help make the food look that much more something I'd want to eat.

Right or wrong, when I do have a few that all look good and have a challenge deciding I'll vote for the one that I don't see entering/winning a lot.
 
I really enjoy the cook threads however I vote based on the entry photo, I imagine I am at a restaurant ordering from a menu that is just photos.
 
Well, If you enter the challenge, then if given the option, vote for your entry. Maybe there should be a rule to not vote if you enter the challenge? I mean, your entering to possibly win prizes, why would you vote for another entry then your own? Because that single vote could be the difference between you or the other entry winning. But, i am sure there are others that just do it for the fun of it, and don't care if they win or not, so if they want to vote for another entry that they feel is better then their own, then they should be entitled to do so. I dunno, there's two sides to a coin.
 
SmokeRingsMatter said:
Well, If you enter the challenge, then if given the option, vote for your entry. Maybe there should be a rule to not vote if you enter the challenge? I mean, your entering to possibly win prizes, why would you vote for another entry then your own? Because that single vote could be the difference between you or the other entry winning. But, i am sure there are others that just do it for the fun of it, and don't care if they win or not, so if they want to vote for another entry that they feel is better then their own, then they should be entitled to do so. I dunno, there's two sides to a coin.
Click to expand...


There's no administrative function that allows for us to prevent someone from voting for their own entry, but it's considered by some to be in bad taste, and might result in not getting a vote from those that feel that way in the future, since voting stats become publicly visible after the poll closes.
 
Moose said:
There's no administrative function that allows for us to prevent someone from voting for their own entry, but it's considered by some to be in bad taste, and might result in not getting a vote from those that feel that way in the future, since voting stats become publicly visible after the poll closes.
Click to expand...


I checked the rules, and didn't see anything about voting for your own entry, but maybe i missed it.



I guess if there is no way to prevent it, maybe just putting it in the rules would help. Now that i know, it considered in bad taste, i'll make sure to not do it in the future.
 
Never vote for myself. Always look at the cook threads and always vote for the one that I would eat. I also appreciate a lot of effort in a cook so I vote for effort also and not just a pretty pic. If I lose my mind and can't decide because there are ton of good entries then I just don't vote. :becky:
 
SmokeRingsMatter said:
I checked the rules, and didn't see anything about voting for your own entry, but maybe i missed it.



I guess if there is no way to prevent it, maybe just putting it in the rules would help. Now that i know, it considered in bad taste, i'll make sure to not do it in the future.
Click to expand...


I said some consider it in bad taste. Whether you do it is up to you.
 
It seems to me someone that rarely plays the game wishes to dictate the rules those that do participate should follow.

My .02

PS....nobody is getting rich from participating in these. Often times the ingredients of the meal exceed the value of the prize, if someone even manages to get a win. We do it because it’s fun and keeps cooking interesting. There isn’t even a sponsor right now yet we still choose to play so...
 
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