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Downtown 
"Welcome back, Billy Buck"
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 Posted - 04/08/2008 : 18:38:16
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quote:
Originally posted by Salopian
The MERPs are now amusing themselves, right? I have just had some Don't understands wherein (not for the first time) the only thing to not understand was what on Earth there was to not understand.
And could they please look up terms (e.g. on urbandictionary.com in the case of informal terms) rather than just guessing that they are two words?
When I complained about the recent trend of reviews being declined with no explanation at all (how can you say it's wrong if you can't define WHY?), I was rewarded with an immediate increase in the number of unexplained declines I was getting. |
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Downtown
"Welcome back, Billy Buck"
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Posted - 04/08/2008 : 18:39:04
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| Hmmmm...there seem to be some missing posts from this thread. Did I miss some excitement recently? |
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Demisemicenturian 
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 04/10/2008 : 13:26:43
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I think you're thinking about the fact that there are similar posts in the 'Title play only' thread.
Yep, the unexplained rejections are frustrating. Benj has sort of explained them before, saying that there could be a combination of factors or something undefinable. He probably didn't use that word, but it's hard to remember as (of course!) as it wasn't a very tangible idea.
If they do ever leave it blank because there are a combination of reasons, I think they should have to choose the most pertinent one. And for this undefinable thing, I think they ought to try to define it. I think it mainly applies to reviews which they deem too obscure (not that I agree that they are too obscure). Therefore, perhaps there should be a 'Too obscure' reason (which could also be used instead of 'Over four words' for intialisations that Benj in his inexplicable way judges to be too little known) and they should have to give a reason every time.
Another issue is that the MERPs can give different reasons. This means that e.g. one can not know what is one word and one can know nothing about a film, leading to a rejection without much of a basis. Benj has admitted before that the reason we see is random from a judgement point of view (I think it's whichever comes first). As I pointed out then, it would be much better to have a rejection hierarchy from the most objective ('Over four words') to the most subjective (probably 'Too generic'), and the most objective reason shown to us. That way, on resubmission we could deal with the issue most likely to be a deal-breaker. Even better would be just to show us both reasons.
I've always assumed that blank rejections mean that both MERPs gave no reason, but perhaps it is just the first one. Benj, please could you let us know about this? If a blank rejection could be hiding one MERP's proper reason, that should certainly be changed straight away.
Ideally, the MERPs would have to name a film that is at least as apt when selecting 'Too generic', but I know that's not going to happen. |
Edited by - Demisemicenturian on 04/10/2008 13:28:48 |
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Demisemicenturian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 04/10/2008 : 13:34:41
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quote:
Originally posted by Downtown
When I complained about the recent trend of reviews being declined with no explanation at all (how can you say it's wrong if you can't define WHY?), I was rewarded with an immediate increase in the number of unexplained declines I was getting.
On this, it is of course totally absurd that the MERPs should get to see whose submission is whose. That serves no positive purpose at all. They should not even know who each other are. |
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aahaa, muahaha 
"Optimistic altruist, incurable romantic"
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Posted - 04/10/2008 : 18:42:36
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quote:
Originally posted by Salopian
quote:
Originally posted by Downtown
When I complained about the recent trend of reviews being declined with no explanation at all (how can you say it's wrong if you can't define WHY?), I was rewarded with an immediate increase in the number of unexplained declines I was getting.
On this, it is of course totally absurd that the MERPs should get to see whose submission is whose. That serves no positive purpose at all. They should not even know who each other are.
I doubt if they get to know whose submission is whose. I'd be surprised if they know that. On the other hand, I do believe that MERPs would know each other because they need to discuss issues that arise in judging reviews. |
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Ali 
"Those aren't pillows."
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Posted - 04/10/2008 : 18:45:10
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quote:
On the other hand, I do believe that MERPs would know each other because they need to discuss issues that arise in judging reviews.
Yes. After all, it's serious business.
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Demisemicenturian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 04/11/2008 : 14:35:54
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quote:
Originally posted by aahaa, muahaha
I doubt if they get to know whose submission is whose. I'd be surprised if they know that. On the other hand, I do believe that MERPs would know each other because they need to discuss issues that arise in judging reviews.
Doubt all you like - I wasn't having a guess about it, or I would have indicated so. Benj stated when he brought in the MERPs that they would see reviewers' identities, although sensible people at the time pointed out that this was not reasonable.
The MERPs certainly do discuss things in the special secret Fourum that some people apparently accidentally saw into one day. Whether or not that is valid for them to do, there is no need for them to see each others' normal usernames there (unless the Fourum code would prevent this). They could just be MERP1, MERP2 etc.
However, I actually have my doubts about the propriety about these behind-the-scenes discussions. What I mean by that is that their opinions about what is valid can thus diverge from everyone else's opinions, but without people or even themselves realising this, thus leading to inexplicable rejections. It is not their job to develop any opinions about what is valid - that is down wholly to Benj with the input of general reviewer concensus. The MERPs should just be applying that to submissions. They should ask Benj if they have any queries, not each other, and he could send messages to any or all of them when decisions seemed to be going in the wrong direction. Better still, they should just have a process whereby any tricky cases are left for him to decide upon. This would not be adding to his workload since, apart from the fact that it would be a tiny minority of reviews, he processes reviews already and so it would just be a case of his getting through slightly fewer run-of-the-mill ones, which the MERPs would process instead. |
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Tori
"I don't get it...."
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Posted - 04/11/2008 : 14:46:06
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quote:
The MERPs certainly do discuss things in the special secret Fourum that some people apparently accidentally saw into one day. Whether or not that is valid for them to do, there is no need for them to see each others' normal usernames there (unless the Fourum code would prevent this). They could just be MERP1, MERP2 etc.
However, I actually have my doubts about the propriety about these behind-the-scenes discussions. What I mean by that is that their opinions about what is valid can thus diverge from everyone else's opinions, but without people or even themselves realising this, thus leading to inexplicable rejections. It is not their job to develop any opinions about what is valid - that is down wholly to Benj with the input of general reviewer concensus
But if there is a MERP forum, then it is their job because Benj put it there, right? Ultimately, everything, including what the MERPs do and don't do is up to Benj. |
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Whippersnapper. 
"A fourword thinking guy."
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Posted - 04/11/2008 : 15:05:37
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The debate takes an almost theological turn. 
Which brings me to the most important question, how many MERPs can you get on the head of a pin? 
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Demisemicenturian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 04/11/2008 : 15:06:13
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| Good point Tori, although I find it quite an awful concept that the MERPs could be secretly developing the parameters of what is allowed. Fingers crossed that Benj only intended their secret Fourum so that they could clarify with each other within his set parameters, e.g. by reminding each other of parallel examples. |
Edited by - Demisemicenturian on 04/11/2008 15:06:42 |
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Whippersnapper.
"A fourword thinking guy."
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Posted - 04/11/2008 : 15:14:16
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quote:
Originally posted by Ali
quote:
On the other hand, I do believe that MERPs would know each other because they need to discuss issues that arise in judging reviews.
Yes. After all, it's serious business.
We've hardly begun to scratch the surface, Ali. You have no idea. 
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chazbo 
"Outta This Fuckin' Place"
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Posted - 04/11/2008 : 17:41:41
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quote:
Originally posted by Whippersnapper
The debate takes an almost theological turn.
Which brings me to the most important question, how many MERPs can you get on the head of a pin?
As many as can pass through the eye of a needle?
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aahaa, muahaha
"Optimistic altruist, incurable romantic"
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Posted - 04/12/2008 : 05:40:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Whippersnapper
The debate takes an almost theological turn.
Which brings me to the most important question, how many MERPs can you get on the head of a pin?
I am sure the answer is 4. Isn't this the four word film review? |
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Canklefish
"Let's Get OUTTA Here!"
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Posted - 04/12/2008 : 06:34:27
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I always assumed(simply, of course) that the Merps could see my identity when approving reviews. The bias that would ensue seemed natural to me, though now I doubt my own existence as a reviewer...
So far as a secret thread allowing all the Gods of this site to gather and discuss whether or not my 'Platoon' review was suitable seems pretty sweet, while I'd also love for them to know and recognize each other as Merps... Puts me in mind of 'Superman'(1 or 2, I forget) where the judges hover above their subjects and declare...
Guilty!
(or, in our case, 'Too generic') |
Edited by - Canklefish on 04/13/2008 05:49:20 |
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Canklefish
"Let's Get OUTTA Here!"
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Posted - 04/13/2008 : 06:24:01
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I dunno who the new Merp is(and yes, I believe there's just one), but that person seems to work weekends, which pleases me just fine. Very active and damn near spot on...
Why is Merp-dom a secret society?(Other than the obvious, of course... to avoid inevitable scrutiny and suck-ass attempts at ca noodling). Did I just answer my own question?
Whoever you are, you frackin' rock! |
Edited by - Canklefish on 04/13/2008 07:10:03 |
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Benj - Is there a new MERP out there or something?
