Album of the week

Voting on my own proposal... it just immediately brings to mind those political hacks who show up at the polls every four years just to vote themselves back into office. 😁

Voting for my suggestion on this thread basically means: I’m going to write the absolute best intro that album deserves!

And from what I can see, Casey Flores... you didn't even cast a vote for any of the options in the last round! 😛 how come?

It could even be gG, acting like a blown fuse... 😁 Something like 63 Amps. 🤦 😁

I didn't end up casting a vote because I was still just trying to wrap my head around how this whole thread works... I had no clue the poll would basically wrap up the very same day it was proposed. Or, well, the day after, but how much longer? Like, an hour past midnight?

But if I had, my vote probably would've gone to New York City or maybe Sonic Youth...

Right on. Yeah, the poll stays open for 24 hours. We basically just set it up as a formality so nobody can claim we're playing favorites with the album choice—we want everyone to hear what the majority actually wants!

We’ve gotten so used to the routine by now, so for us old-timers who have been here since day one, it’s honestly kind of weird how some things still seem so confusing to everyone else... 😁

Looks like I’ll have to go back and edit the intro post. I knew it would happen, but I'm already getting DMs from people asking about the topic, like they can't see what's staring them right in the face...

Casey Flores said:Watching people vote on their own proposals just reminds me of those local bureaucrats who show up at the polls every four years just to re-elect themselves. 😁

Do you honestly believe someone like a local mayor would ever actually circle a choice like the Democrats or the Republicans? 😁

Since this whole thread—and those other ones about games and music—is a bit of a mess, I’m honestly surprised there’s such a massive rush to talk about it. 🙂 So, does that mean we start pitching new albums tomorrow? Is there some kind of master list somewhere showing everything that’s been released so far? Or maybe just anything else I should be aware of? 🙂

northernangler8 said:Since this whole thread—and honestly, those other ones about games and music too—is getting pretty complicated, I’m actually kind of surprised by how much interest there is in it. 🙂 Does that mean we start suggesting new albums tomorrow? Is there some master list somewhere containing every single album that's been released so far? Or is there anything else I should be aware of before jumping in? 🙂

Everything you need is right there on the first page.

But also check out the tag at the very bottom of the thread 🙂

Look, things might be a little messy right now since the rules have been shifting constantly, so I totally get why people are feeling confused. Just jump in. Ask questions or suggest an album, and we'll figure out the specifics as we go. Nobody is going to think you're an idiot for asking, at least not me—and I can't speak for everyone else anyway. 😁

As for voting on your own suggestions, it’s a different ballgame than voting for yourself in, say, a US presidential election, which most people would call morally wrong. Voting for your own political party is usually seen as more acceptable, and from what I know, parties actually expect their members to do that 😁 because it's about the platform rather than just the individual. But this isn't a political election.

In this space, we aren't voting for our own work or ourselves. We're voting for other people's art that we find important or valuable for ourselves or the world at large, which is why we suggest them. Or maybe we're just trolling, but let's stay on track for now.

Personally, if I see someone skip voting for their own suggestion and vote for someone else instead, it tells me one of two things: either they're super confident their pick will win regardless, or they found something even better than their own idea. If that happens, it definitely makes me rethink my own picks too, especially if I don't already know the artist or the album.

Bottom line is, I expect the person making the suggestion to actually back their choice and stand behind it.

Honestly, I’d love to see some fresh faces around here bringing in new ideas; it would really shake things up, so I am fully behind anyone new who decides to 👍

Charles Ramos4 said:It’s hardly a secret since everyone can see the view counts on every thread. Unless those views mean something else entirely?

Yeah, I mean, you can see it in the numbers, sure, but I also know from experience. I know people in real life—not necessarily from this forum—who read this stuff constantly. They’ve told me themselves. They have profiles and everything, but for some reason, they just don't feel brave enough to actually post. 🙂

Jason Mendoza said:Honestly, I’d love to see some new faces and fresh suggestions around here. It would really shake things up, so I’m all for anyone new who decides to jump in. 👍

I totally agree with this! A little fresh blood would be great... 🙂 We occasionally see new people popping up in the newly opened threads, but then they don't stick around for the other albums... which is fine, I guess. But maybe Amanda Robinson4 and I should occasionally repost the rules from the intro, or maybe write a post every Thursday to kick off the week's album suggestions. Everyone would be invited to join in... stuff like that.

Hey there... hey, Fass! 🙂

Looking at the organized list of albums on the first page of this thread, it’s pretty obvious that our friend Squirrel hasn't stepped up yet. We have no idea when he might show up, and honestly, this album has been sitting there waiting for a while now... so I guess I'm wondering if you'd be interested in writing the intro? You seem to know the Mountain Goats pretty well, and maybe you've got some extra time on your hands. 🕺

Also, if any other experts out there feel like jumping in and writing about this one before the scheduled album, please just let us know.

I think the intro rules are pretty straightforward. Honestly, we all know the drill by now, and we definitely know what Thursdays are reserved for here... 😁 Anyway, (calling out the skydivers and the stalkers in this group!) if you're interested, feel free to drop an album suggestion—any album at all—as long as there isn't already a dedicated thread for it. Let's keep it to ten suggestions max, then we'll spin up a poll.

There are way too many people hanging around here anyway, so why don't we just get someone over here...

Mark Cruz15 said:There are way too many people hanging out here anyway. Someone should head over there instead.

Haha, and if you click that, a movie titled 'conformist' pops up. Nice try though. ☕ 😁

Gerald Jackson48 said:Haha, right when you click, a movie called 'conformist' pops up. Nice try! ☕ 😁

Wait, what's so bad about this movie? ☕

Steven Newman50 said:What’s so bad about the movie? ☕

It wasn't really about the movie. I meant more like this whole blatant attempt to steer people toward that other topic—you know, basically pushing everyone to just go along with the crowd, or "conformism." It’s kind of funny how life works, though, since there actually happens to be a movie titled 'The Conformist.'

Maybe I totally missed the mark on your irony there. I wasn't 100% sure, so figured I'd clear things up just in case. 😁

Gerald Jackson48 said:Am I totally missing the irony here? I’m really not 100% sure, so just wanted to clear things up just in case... 😁

Aha! Totally forgot to mention that—feel free to suggest something better then. 😛 But honestly, there's no point now... 😁

Steven Newman50 said:Right. I totally forgot to mention that, so you might want to suggest something better. 😛 But honestly, there's no point now. 😁

😁

Gerald Jackson48 said:The whole thing might be a bit messy... since the rules have been shifting around quite a bit lately, I can totally see why some folks are feeling a little lost. But honestly? Just jump in... ask questions, suggest an album... we'll figure out the specifics as we go. Nobody’s going to think you're an idiot for asking, at least not me... though I can't speak for everyone else here. 😁

And regarding voting for your own suggestions... well, it’s a different ballgame than when people vote for themselves in, say, a US presidential election, which is generally seen as a massive ethical no-no. Now, voting for your own political party is considered slightly less questionable, and as far as I know—though I haven't seen it firsthand in any specific 😁—parties actually expect their members to do that, because it's about the platform rather than just the individuals. But this isn't exactly a "political election," is it?

We aren't casting votes for ourselves or our own creations here... instead, we're voting for other people's work that we find significant or valuable for ourselves, or perhaps even for the world at large, which is why we put them forward in the first place. Or maybe we're just trolling... but let's not get distracted by that right now.

When I notice someone doesn't vote for their own suggestion, but instead votes for someone else's, it tells me one of two things... either they are absolutely certain their pick will win, or they've found something even better than their own idea... which, if anything, makes me reconsider my own choice too, especially if I don't know the artist or the record very well yet.

Basically, I expect the person making the suggestion to really stand behind the album they're putting up there.

Your analogy is a bit off base... I wasn't thinking about congressional elections where a bunch of corrupt local officials return favors every four years by voting for the party that secured them a cushy government job in some tiny town in the Midwest... I was thinking more along the lines of a presidential race where candidates run for themselves. To me, that's not necessarily immoral, but those politicians are total scumbags... and voting for an album I personally suggested feels a bit too much like them. So, I agree with Charles Ramos4... my suggestion is essentially my way of giving that album a voice, and it's up to all of you whether you decide to pick it or not.

Don't get me wrong... I'm not trying to stir the pot or argue that proposers should be banned from voting for their own picks... I'm just explaining why I personally would never cast a vote for an album I suggested myself.