Originally Posted by BIG JIM MERRILEES
My conspiracy theory is that people check the competition in the charts before judging and deliberately vote the better songs which threaten their song down.


Big Jim...I have thought that for quite some time. I try to ne honest with my votes. I have twice voted another song higher than mine because I honestly thought that the other song was indeed much better than mine. But, it sure is painful to do that! But, I think you are right about some (not all) folks in the Top Twenty or so will often check the raniking and vote down songs that are charted higher than theirs.

In an earlier post I had commented that I might not participate in the future. Mark's comment dissuaded me from that. But, I may not hold the contests in such high regard as I have in the past. I will stay and enter songs; but until something makes me think otherwise, it will be more for the opportunity to have my songs heard than for the sake of the contest.

I have experienced much the same thing that Bill has in his post before this one...some sonmgs coming up multiple times, others almost never. And I hasve the same observation that it APPEARS that the higher ranked songs do get more views. I haven't kept any "records" regarding frequency; but my memory tells me that. I hope I am wrong and that they will show me that I am wrong.

I am very open...even hopeful...to have my concerns disproved. I have been a big advocate and vocal supporter of OurStage up until the past couple of days. Just a few simple explanations could assauge my concerns. I leave the door wide open to have my percpetions changed back to 98% positive.

Alan