I missed the genesis of these new vote rules. What's the summary on how all this came to be? I don't get the politics thing. Bunch of politics section people coming over and acting like weens?

A politics mod who doesn't post in OOT posted in the politics forum that people there should vote for AOC in Ms. OOT.

And then, instead of simply disqualifying the votes of people who don't post in OOT - as has been done in virtually every other Ms OOT previously - Lektor arbitrarily decided to impose new rules mid-contest that disqualified literally half of the voters, including many longtime regs. And that in order for longtime regs to be allowed to vote, they must come in here and beg and plead their case. And even then, he's still not allowing some long time regs to vote, depending on his ever changing criteria.

Quite the hyperbole when tons of people have been reinstated after posting "Hey, I think I should be in" or even simpler yet because Howard asked Lektor to.

It's not hyperbole at all. A number of longtime regs have posted itt about how they were suddenly disqualified mid-contest even though they've been part of Ms OOT contests previously, have been part of OOT for years, with hundreds of OOT posts, including some in recent years and the past year, and yet they were unfairly disqualified.

They literally post the number of OOT posts they have and make their case, and sometimes they are reinstated, sometimes they are not, even though they are longtime OOT posters.

If you look up the words "beg" and "plead" in the dictionary, you can plainly see that I have actually literally described what is happening, with zero hyperbole whatsoever.

You, on the other hand, have been posting literally false information that fits your fake narrative.

Don't forget those of us who think this whole event is unseemly and dumb and would never want to have anything to do with it. That's another form of voter suppression.

Hillary Clinton for Ms. GrOOT 2020!

Your second sentence really doesn’t relate to your first. You’re free to ignore us and let us have our fun.

That is exactly the kind of exclusionary tactics I was talking about. I have been making fabulous, non-chumplike posts in OOT for years and I deserve the opportunity to vote in a contest that appeals to me.

I don’t know you well enough to offer an opinion on that point, but one wonders why you want to vote in a contest to which you object.

I don't want to vote in a contest to which I object. That's the whole point!

Call me dense or senile at your whim, but I’m not understanding how there are exclusionary tactics with respect to you when you wouldn’t vote in the contest in any event.

Howard particularly susceptible to trolling lately.

Trolly is probably one of my favorite posters, but that may be a ding on him. Most of his posts are amusing.

I’m often susceptible to trolling, simply because I tend to assume that people are decent and reasonable and honest unless I have some reason to believe otherwise.

His username has "troll" in it and--others can correct me if I'm wrong--it's widely known that it's another poster's gimmick account.

These insults are just further discrimination. My voice will not be silenced!

Howard,

I have seen you make light-hearted posts that were not serious many times (and have enjoyed them). Are you saying those efforts were not decent, reasonable or honest and by extension you are not?

YF,JT

One reason would be he has the word "troll" in his user name. Another would be that he has never made a serious post in OOT. A third would be that I got slow ponied on this by Rapini. I still think he's a decent person. Not sure how reasonable or honest though.

As ever, your logic needs a bit of an assist, JT. If all (or even most) of my posts were unserious, that would be a fair conclusion, but that’s not so.

This, by the way, is exactly how I feel about ScreaminAsian. His posts are often funny and interesting, but never ever linear or serious, and I have no idea what his actual real personality is like — he may be reasonable, decent and honest but there is no basis for me to know that one way or the other.

Your Friend,

Howard

I had no idea, nor could I now identify his alter ego. LOL, I was ponied by Rapini recently as well.

I would love to torpedo AOC, with her consent of course.

Just voted in the AOC/Beer thread.

My intermittent OOT posting and years on the forum should qualify me.

I wasn't on the list, but I think I have more than 500 posts in OOT lifetime (1000?) and have voted in years past.

Same for me, my contributions should lead to my vote counting this round.