ECF Player of the Year Award

[Nick Grey]

Feels improper to me too.
X factor voting is a bit more secretive.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"One might think if it's actually somebody's job within the ECF to dream up new ways of making them look organisationally incompetent. "

They don't seem to have advertised the post.

[Peter D Williams]

Did you give him any votes?

It is a top secret ballot after all...

I was hoping to see my name on the list maybe you could vote for me

Lamb curry tonight.

[Jonathan Bryant]

"One might think if it's actually somebody's job within the ECF to dream up new ways of making them look organisationally incompetent. "

They don't seem to have advertised the post.

Not incompetence necessarily but a curiosity ... it seems some emails have gone out to some ECF members soliciting votes/nominations in various categories. I know the ECF have my email address because they’ve emailed me in the past, ut I haven’t had a message about this vote.

Im not bothered particularly, it just strikes me as odd. Has everybody had this email and not me or are there many people who haven’t?

[David Gilbert]

I know the ECF have my email address because they’ve emailed me in the past, ut I haven’t had a message about this vote.

Jonathan - Check your "Junk" and "Bulk Mail" mail boxes. Mine was buried among emails from on-line casinos (mostly called "Golden" or "Lucky" something or other); banks suspending my accounts; BT; friends I saw this morning stuck somewhere abroad and needing cash; uncles of former finance ministers in African states; HMRC offering tax rebates; USPS unable to deliver my parcel; etc.

[Jonathan Bryant]

I know the ECF have my email address because they’ve emailed me in the past, ut I haven’t had a message about this vote.

Jonathan - Check your "Junk" and "Bulk Mail" mail boxes.

Ah, I didn’t think of that. Although there’s nothing there from the ECF in the last month.

[David Sedgwick]

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/player-o ... more-29692

Am I the only one who feels that disclosing the current outcome of a ballot still in progress is most improper?

The link has now disappeared.

Does someone in a high place agree with me?

Not anyone who counts, it seems. The running totals have now been published again.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

In an Excel sheet. Liam Varnam in joint 3rd place with Michael Adams... (and someone put in one vote for David Moskovic! So he is now tied in last place with Simon Williams and Daniel King among others). Arkell still leading.

[John Swain]

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/player-o ... more-29692

Am I the only one who feels that disclosing the current outcome of a ballot still in progress is most improper?

The link has now disappeared.

Does someone in a high place agree with me?

Not anyone who counts, it seems. The running totals have now been published again.

What on earth is the thinking behind publishing the votes so far?

Does it encourage participation? No, when the leader is winning by a landslide (as is the case this time); yes, had it been neck-and-neck. However, the person voting last of all should feel that their vote is as worthwhile as anyone else's and therefore should be in ignorance of how others have voted beforehand; equally, no one should potentially have a casting vote.

We have had a secret ballot in British political elections for good reasons since 1872. Prior to this, open voting, which was a fifteen day process, was accompanied by bribery and intimidation (hardly likely over the ECF Player of the Year title, I must admit!)

[Michael Farthing]

I was hoping Peter Williams would offer me a specially cooked dinner...

[Jonathan Bryant]

In other news: my email turned up in a junk mail folder after all. Just not the junk mail folder I was looking in.

Hey ho.


Like others, I also think publishing the ongoing count a bit funny, btw.

[Carl Hibbard]

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/player-o ... more-29692

Am I the only one who feels that disclosing the current outcome of a ballot still in progress is most improper?

Yes, but then Keith was always going to walk it.

See my comment above.

[Alex Holowczak]

Does it encourage participation? No, when the leader is winning by a landslide (as is the case this time); yes, had it been neck-and-neck. However, the person voting last of all should feel that their vote is as worthwhile as anyone else's and therefore should be in ignorance of how others have voted beforehand; equally, no one should potentially have a casting vote.

We have had a secret ballot in British political elections for good reasons since 1872. Prior to this, open voting, which was a fifteen day process, was accompanied by bribery and intimidation (hardly likely over the ECF Player of the Year title, I must admit!)

This post does not reflect the position of the ECF; it is not my Directorship. However, I make the following observation.

Derek Jeter is a the Short Stop and captain of the New York Yankees. He has been one of the best players in the game for the last 20 years. He is retiring at the end of the season. For all of these reasons, he is hot favourite to win the popularity contest that is the All-Star Game voting.

Major League Baseball published these a few days ago:
American League Voting Standings
National League Voting Standings

Lo and behold, Derek Jeter holds the lead at Short Stop in the American League; people have still voted for him. In fact, those who want to vote for him are probably only going to actually do so if they think Alexei Ramirez is likely to overhaul him. Voting is still open to anyone around the world. In fact, I might bother to vote soon...

Anyway, posting voting standings as you go along seems to work for Major League Baseball.

[David Sedgwick]

This post does not reflect the position of the ECF; it is not my Directorship.

Which Directorship is it?

[Roger de Coverly]

Which Directorship is it?

I would have suggested looking it up on the ECF website.
http://www.englishchess.org.uk/wp-conte ... g20121.rtf

The problem is that describes it as a responsibility of the now defunct position of Director of Membership and Marketing.