Vivint vote preferences

[helen41]

what approach would you prefer?

 

[SpecialK82]

Helen, I went to answer you, and it got more and more complicated for me.

This is probably not realistic, but it would be nice to wait about 1/2 day through June 12th to answer that question. I am really interested to see what our competition is doing, and specifically if Prader-Willi people seem to be voting as a block in one region. This might change our whole strategy if we don't have the numbers to compete with them.

It's muddy for me right now because I think we may have a better shot at winning Canada in light of the competition, but some people will never not vote WPI, even if it means going down with the ship. So Canada would be vote splitting. At this very point in time, that's the only two regions that I see any real possibility of winning.

 

[helen41]

I agree that we need to assess once voting starts, but I am concerned we may lose out if we only consider chasing the one big prize. Utah PraderWili is already giving gift cards for endorsements, and are promising more prizes to come. Cherubs gave away $1000 last year, and presumably are organized and will do something similar again. I hope we can do it, but I really hope people will consider all options if it becomes apparent it will be a touch and go race for the big win.

 

[SpecialK82]

I agree 100% Helen. I'm concerned people won't switch soon enough if our numbers aren't proving out. Even if we are developing a substantial lag within the first couple days, we should consider switching if it makes sense, because it becomes impossible to make up even after a short time.

Also agree the big prize could be beyond us. These other orgs that won last year have to be super organized and have had longer to spread the word. The fact that they are giving away great prizes is upsetting, I don't know how we can compete with that. I hope you get an email back from Vivant about it.

Maybe we should ask WPI and National ME/FM Action Network if they can put up any prizes while we are waiting for an answer from Vivant.

 

[Dolphin]

I agree 100% Helen. I'm concerned people won't switch soon enough if our numbers aren't proving out. Even if we are developing a substantial lag within the first couple days, we should consider switching if it makes sense, because it becomes impossible to make up even after a short time.

Also agree the big prize could be beyond us. These other orgs that won last year have to be super organized and have had longer to spread the word. The fact that they are giving away great prizes is upsetting, I don't know how we can compete with that. I hope you get an email back from Vivant about it.

Maybe we should ask WPI and National ME/FM Action Network if they can put up any prizes while we are waiting for an answer from Vivant.

I'm certainly not giving up that the top prize is beyond us; it looks like the winner last year got 500 or so votes a day (from what Helen posted) - that's certainly not beyond us. Prader-Willi have 8600 - but that's only a little more than 200 a day if got votes consistently since April 25 (they were winners last year so could have got going quickly).

But good if the WPI or the National ME/FM Action Network would put up some prizes.

 

[helen41]

I have been looking into options. If I don't get a response from Vivint, and I'm getting concerned that I won't, I would worry about officially using incentives, even if other groups are, and there is a precedent. It would be terrible to be disqualified.

On the other hand, I am not on the payroll or the board of either of the 2 charities. I checked with Wildfire, and individuals are permitted to use their app to run a sweepstakes. I haven't done this before, but would be willing to put up a couple of $100 gift cards and try to run a sweepstakes for the first month for votes.

If it works we could do it again. If there is an uproar, I did it entirely on my own, without the knowledge of the WPI. Does anyone see a downside, if I can get the app to work?

 

[Dolphin]

I have been looking into options. If I don't get a response from Vivint, and I'm getting concerned that I won't, I would worry about officially using incentives, even if other groups are, and there is a precedent. It would be terrible to be disqualified.

On the other hand, I am not on the payroll or the board of either of the 2 charities. I checked with Wildfire, and individuals are permitted to use their app to run a sweepstakes. I haven't done this before, but would be willing to put up a couple of $100 gift cards and try to run a sweepstakes for the first month for votes.

If it works we could do it again. If there is an uproar, I did it entirely on my own, without the knowledge of the WPI. Does anyone see a downside, if I can get the app to work?

It looks to me that individuals doing it is much safer than involving the charities.

I would likely be willing to give some money to a prize. I once knew a little about IT (well really programming and UNIX) but don't have any up-to-date knowledge so can't help there.

I wouldn't mind if one of the prizes were for people who signed up for an event - not saying all the prizes would be done that way. I think an event might be particularly good for the "ME/CFS market" - hopefully if we got people signed up, they'd be unlikely to unsubscribe and would then get daily reminders. If somebody votes every day, that looks like it's 75 votes! And get somebody with ME/CFS to sign up and vote regularly and there's a good chance they might encourage other people to sign up.

 

[helen41]

why not do both? We could also give a second entry for people who shared the contest on Facebook, and hopefully their friends would also vote

 

[Dolphin]

why not do both? We could also give a second entry for people who shared the contest on Facebook, and hopefully their friends would also vote

Sounds good to me. I can't commit (and would prefer not to for workload reasons) to running anything but feel free if you want to contact me re: a Paypal transfer or whatever.

 

[illsince1977]

I am interested in all this.

I am wondering, Dolphin and anyone else who copied and is using Dolphin's signature why your signature does not include a link to endorse (and I'm assuming vote for after June 12) WPI http://www.vivint.com/givesbackproject/charity/769? Strategizing about this is obviously problematic, but I know I'm preaching to the choir here. I'm worried WPI will fall behind at the last minute (can you really deny that possibility even though I understand it's unlikely?), so I still intend to vote for them daily.

Having had an extremely lukewarm, to say the least (completely apathetic bordering on hostility, let's say) reception to "inviting" "friends" to an "event" to vote in the Chase contest, I'm not very confident in that strategy, personally.

I'd really like to know if this "bribing" to vote other charities or private person's doing it in their stead is legitimate.

 

[Dolphin]

I am interested in all this.

I am wondering, Dolphin and anyone else who copied and is using Dolphin's signature why your signature does not include a link to endorse (and I'm assuming vote for after June 12) WPI http://www.vivint.com/givesbackproject/charity/769? Strategizing about this is obviously problematic, but I know I'm preaching to the choir here. I'm worried WPI will fall behind at the last minute (can you really deny that possibility even though I understand it's unlikely?), so I still intend to vote for them daily.

Firstly, I "copied" somebody else's signature and a few others have decided to make a similar signature so I would not be happy to be singled out as the culprit, in your eyes, for a particular signature.

I'm very certain that at this moment it is safe to not vote for the WPI given the numbers involved - I'd be willing to put money on it i.e. somebody gives me virtually whatever odds they like and I'll still bet that the WPI will get into Round 2. So that's the reason I have my signature. It's partly based on the fact that I imagine plenty of people would keep voting for the WPI (which they have continued to) and also the fact that only a small fraction of the voters are likely to be on Phoenix Rising and be influenced by my and other signatures. I'm checking the board reasonably regularly so in 24 or 48 hours I have the option of changing i.e. I can still respond if I think the WPI is at risk.

As the end of my signature makes pretty clear:
"Round 2 starts June 14: It probably makes sense for as many people as possible then to vote for the WPI so the vote isn't split", I'm going to change my signature for Round 2.

It should also be remembered that one's signatures can't be as long as you want them to be - you can only have a certain amount of characters in them.

But it's a free world and you're free to use a signature that has a link to the WPI in it. There is no "signature police" that will stop you.

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I think there is a big difference between the CCG event and this event - with this event, they'll get a reminder every day. Get one such person to sign up and it could be 75 votes. So if one out of my two sisters and my brother's partner were to sign up, I'd be happy.

With this one, committed people are the most important: in CCG, the WPI got just over 9000 votes. Last year the winner of this looked like they got around 500 votes a day or so. If we get 700-800 (say) daily/near-daily voters (less than 10% of the voters in CCG), that could be enough.

 

[Sasha]

I am wondering, Dolphin and anyone else who copied and is using Dolphin's signature why your signature does not include a link to endorse (and I'm assuming vote for after June 12) WPI http://www.vivint.com/givesbackproject/charity/769? Strategizing about this is obviously problematic, but I know I'm preaching to the choir here. I'm worried WPI will fall behind at the last minute (can you really deny that possibility even though I understand it's unlikely?), so I still intend to vote for them daily

Hi, Illsince - I made the original signature that Dolphin and others are copying. The WPI link isn't on there is because in the current round (til June 11), WPI only needs to be in the top 20 in its region to get through to the second (money-winning) round. WPI currently leads the Pacific region and is a safe 3,500 votes above 20th place. Theoretically they could fall to 21st in the remaining 7 days but after discussion (on another thread about Vivint) it seems so unlikely to us that we're using our votes to try to get other ME charities into their regional top 20.

Everyone is free to do their own thing, though - I think the most important thing is that people vote at all! So please feel free to copy or adapt the signature and to use/include the WPI link if you'd prefer.

In Round 2, I'll change my signature to push only WPI in the hopes of winning them the big prize (others may adopt different strategies).

 

[illsince1977]

Thanks both of you for the clarifications. I was trying to follow the other thread, but couldn't get it! Now I do.
Dolphin I wasn't singling you out as a "culprit", more as a lauditable example. I've been tired and it makes it hard to go back and examine the etiologyof the signatures before asking my stupid and possibly insinuating (though entirely unintentionally so) questions.

I saw "WPI & the National ME/FM Action Network look safe to qualify from Round 1 so endorse" in Dolphin's signature belatedly, but not in Sasha's, so i see my question should have been directed at Sasha strictly speaking. I'm just confused and trying to figure out my strategy with as much information as possible. Forgive my ignorance requiring more clarifying work on your part. It seemed better than not asking while scratching my head for another 10 days.

Thanks everyone who has taken this contest on as their cause/project. I am eager to contribute to the effort. Sorry I didn't post all this on the other thread.

 

[Dolphin]

No problem, illsince1977 - sorry if I've picked you up wrong: being snapped at one time too many on internet lists/forums means I sometimes unfortunately now take the approach of being assertive first and ask questions later.

Glad you're voting and are interested.