Merry, thanks for starting this important thread. I haven't read through all the rules yet, but wanted to weigh in about Phoenix Rising. They haven't won anything yet but have supported all other candidates in past years. This will be the first time we can pay back Phoenix Rising for all the support, I would really like to see them win some money.
As much as I love PR and would love to see Cort win money for this site. I personally wouldnt like PRs chances this year with the vote changes etc.
There is also quite a few in the ME/CFS community on other sites who wouldnt support PR in the voting (and may go as far as try to presuade others not to vote for PR) and I personally think which ever orgs people are focusing on, will need all the votes possible if we have any chance of two or three of our orgs taking out the money. Last year it took many sites working together to get the ones who won to win... no one site alone will be able to do this.
(PR would have more chance if some of those other orgs, esp those who only just lost last year, werent in the running and hence may have more of a chance in a future year seeing those who win cant be in the comp again)..
I completely agree thou that international votes are extremely important thou (that is what got some of those orgs who win throu.. they were well known or internationally known.. Thou PR is internationally known to many, PR isnt something those in other places of the world would be able to get our local support orgs to put out anything asking members to vote for.
eg I I doubt very much that an org like the Sth Australia ME/CFS org would ask their members to vote for an online forum site such as PR .. but as far as a org who does research goes.. they may well put out something on their site about it and ask members to vote.. if asked. I think the international community can be used in this way, to really aid the votes to make sure a couple of our orgs can win, if the orgs are very carefully choosen to be ones which would be SUPPORTED ALSO BY INTERNATIONAL ME/CFS orgs. (there are several on that list which could be for various reasons due what they've done in ME/CFS history or due to being research orgs.. An international org could do a write up on them and how they changed history and then ask for votes etc
I dont really care which groups win as long as our groups are winning... I dont want to see a case where none of our groups get throu. That would be so horrible and a complete wasted opportunity due to poor organisation.
If we can get some of our orgs in each year.. I see that as a huge win for us. Each one which wins then comes off the list for this competition in future due to not being able to reenter..so those who miss out on being focused on there turn can come up i the future (including PR). (Do people really think there is enough people at this site who would vote and get PR throu just by this site alone? when even main American org know worldwide was lucky to win in the end and I think would of fallen out if that comp had gone another 24 hrs).
We know from the past that no group is safe in this competition even if it appears to be doing VERY WELL even at the last 24-36 hours of it. Hence I wouldnt trust to say to try to get a couple of our groups really up in front and then focus the voting on another group (I think one of ours was at about rank 24 to 36 last year at much of the comp but was wildly dropping at the last moment.. we were lucky all our orgs didnt end up falling out.. towards the end.. i was fearing for all our groups).
sorry if i seem to be knocking PR but logically I personally dont think that vote may work as I dont think enough people would vote there at this point of time with number of votes we will have and with the other ME/CFS orgs PR would be going against. (I myself wont vote for PR unless I saw other communities were also encouraging votes in that area ..wouldnt vote, only for the reason of my doubts that one site alone could get themselves enough votes to win this comp. I will save my votes like i did last time and vote on who has most chance of staying in the leadership board.. last minute votes were soo important last contest).