The Book of Masks Homepage

Surprises All Around

The previous poll was closed early in a landslide. This one I wasn't sure who the winner would be until the very end, and it was a wild ride all the way.

From the start, "Jenna" and "Other girl" vied for first place in the Free Poll, with Jenna usually retaining a small but steady lead, and "Nathan" far in the rear. In the GP poll, though, "Jenna" got no love until late in the day, when some nervous Nellies started dropping GPs to secure her Free Vote lead. Instead, "Other girl" got GP love, enough to tread on "Jenna's" heels even when "Jenna" had her widest lead in the Free Vote, and sneaking past when "Other girl" was right behind.

But it was "Nathan" that got the big GP votes, and before the contest was half-run, those GPs not only put "Nathan" in the lead, they gave him more than 50% of the adjusted tally.

And he held that lead for about 8 hours, before voters for "Other girl" came swinging in with big GP votes to try pushing her past Jenna. In fact, they were already ahead of "Jenna" by that point, but the late votes did push "Other girl" past "Nathan," and obliterated "Jenna."

Yet even then, enough late GPs for "Nathan" might have squeaked him to a win. As it was, the final, adjusted tally was:

* Other girl: 46.9%
* Nathan: 33.3%
* Jenna: 19.8%

* * *

And so I hedged on the chapter. Today's chapter doesn't advance the story, and I've revised "Substitute Hitter" to end it with a "Continue" and moved its choices to the end of today's:

* Interactive: "Blood on the Mound" 
* Public: "Blood on the Mound" 

There will be no poll today, as I will write a chapter for tomorrow following the "Other girls" choice. Then we'll see what comes next.

* * *

Two incidental notes for "Anonymous" readers.

First of all, a huge thanks to the Anonymous reader who yesterday renewed my Upgraded Membership. It means a lot, less for the membership fee than for the tremendous vote of confidence that it represents.

Second, to those who voted GPs Anonymously in the poll. I am uncertain how to handle them. I cannot refund your GPs, or send you a dividend, as per the rules of the polls. At the same time, I do not want to distribute them to other readers as part of a dividend, as that might discourage people from voting anonymously (and perhaps from voting) in the first place, if they think their GPs are just going to rival voters. Yet neither do I want to keep them for myself, as these polls are NOT a "fundraising" device.

I think for now I will use bookkeeping to sequester the GPs that are voted anonymously in a poll, and use them some time as a donation to a good WdC cause.