2 weeks left to vote!

Discuss the latest news and rumors in the magic world.
Guest

2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Guest » April 16th, 2007, 10:53 am

Hey guys,

Just a reminder that my not-for-profit, noble cause project, :D , www.TheMagicAwards.com , has two weeks left to go of voting time.

The categories are

TMW Award for Best Trick
Which new magic trick has been your favourite?

TMW Award for Best Teaching Video
Which DVD or Video Download was really worth the money for you?

TMW Award for Best Book
Have you recently bought a new book that you found inspirational?

TMW Award for Best Magician
From a your point of view, who has been the magicians magician in the industry 06-07?

TMW Award for Best Website
What is your favourite magic website? Including blogs, forums and news websites.

TMW Award for Best Newcomer
Which new magician on the scene do you think has made the biggest and best impact to the magic industry?

TMW Award for Lifetime Achievement
Which magician do you feel has made the biggest impact in the magic industry?


And you can vote now at
www.TheMagicAwards.com

Edd Withers

Guest

Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Guest » April 17th, 2007, 7:48 pm

Looks promising, my vote's been submitted.

-Michael

Guest

Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Guest » April 17th, 2007, 9:34 pm

In spite of the fact that this is not an "industry" award and not remotely on a par with the Academy Awards, you persist in leaving that description on your website.

At the beginning I gave you the benefit of the doubt, that you were 20 and enthusiastic and just reached a bit too far, but you've been told that what you are doing is not "legit" in the way you describe it and you've left the dishonest descriptions up on a publicly asscessable website.

Now I'm of the opinion that you're just another jerk and not a particularly honest one, either.

Guest

Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Guest » April 17th, 2007, 9:48 pm

Well, if these are to be like the Oscars, they need a category for the best videographer, the best music track, and the best lathe operator.

Guest

Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Guest » April 18th, 2007, 6:47 am

Hi Guys,

Wow- a jerk? Really? I can think of much more 'jerky' things I could have done, rather than set up a not-for-profit awards system to reward and say thanks to those in the magic industry who don't normally get the praise and admiration they deserve. The oscars comparison is simply because most of the Oscars award catagories are 'industry' awards, such as those Bill Palmer mentioned. The average layperson isn't interested in who wins best cinematographer, or best grip... Just like the average magic layperson isn't interested in who wins best magic website, or best trick of 2007..

Thanks for your support Michael, and thanks for your feedback David and Bill.

Edd Withers
www.TheMagicWoods.com

Guest

Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Guest » April 18th, 2007, 9:15 am

Yeah...a jerk....really! And just because you don't do "more jerky things," doesn't make you less of one for blowing a tiny forum-based "awards" way out of proportion from what it really is.

My complaint is that someone from the media may stumble upon your site and think your nonsense is real.

Guest

Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Guest » April 18th, 2007, 9:50 am

Awards are (a-hem) "tricky" things. I recently watched an entertaining HBO presentation where Jerry Seinfeld was given an HBO Award for Comedy. The other comedians were very entertaining, but when Jerry finally said his piece you could tell he was grateful and had been honored and charmed by his colleagues, but he also said (very amusingly, I might add) that he thought that there are too many awards being bestowed and too many award shows. Ultimately, he thought that most awards are a crock...

He ended on a funny note (after excoriating everyone): "Of course I can say all this only because I've won all of the awards there are!"

Terrific irony...tongue firmly in cheek.

I think the best way to honor the "givers" in magicdom is to privately praise and promulgate their work and examples...and if you perform their stuff (as an homage or whatever), to do it in a manner that befits and honors the gifts you have received.

Onward...

Guest

Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Guest » April 18th, 2007, 9:52 am

Realistically there is nothing to stop anyone creating their own awards for whatever they want.

Having had a look at the categories and the entrants in those categories I am surprised. Some of the entrants/entries I've never heard of and of those that I am familiar with, some don't merit a best of anything.

And how can you vote for the best magic website and not include the GENII forum on the list? :eek:

Brad Henderson
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Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Brad Henderson » April 18th, 2007, 10:29 am

And the last thing we need is for some someone whose couldn't even get hired at the Magic Castle, whose life's work is a collection of bad variations of variations, to start believing he is "magician of the year." We already have one David Williamson, we don't need to encourage someone else who is trying to be him!

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Dustin Stinett
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Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Dustin Stinett » April 18th, 2007, 11:12 am

Edd,

Since your nomination and voting process is not closed to a members only organizationas are the Oscars and other academy awardsyour awards are more on line with Dick Clarks People Choice awards which pretend to be nothing more than what they are: A fan-based popularity contest. I suspect that David wouldnt care if you compared your venture to those. But you claim on your publicly accessible site that these are the magic worlds [sic] equivalent to The Oscars.

Your awards are not sanctioned by any of the recognized organizations in the magic industry (the Academy of Magical Arts, the Magic Circle, IBM, SAM, or FISM), so they are not representative of the industry. Doesnt that make your equivalent to The Oscars claim at the very least inaccurate or at the most a lie?

I would also remind you that nine days ago you said, Comparing it to the Oscars was a mistake. Yet you continue to make an analogy that you admit was wrong. Guess what? Telling lies and not correcting an admitted mistake does make you something of a jerk.

Dustin
(Has only one word for Internet-based voting: Sanjaya.)

Guest

Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Guest » April 18th, 2007, 2:53 pm

The bullies are at it again, tra la; the bullies are at it again....

I don't think the young man needs to get anybody's approval to run an on-line voting poll, nor does he have to ask anybody what to call it...

I do not understand this picking-on-kids trend...

opie

Guest

Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Guest » April 18th, 2007, 3:10 pm

opie, I agree about the trend to pick on young people. I say live and let live and people should find more important things to get all offensive about!

Leave Edd alone and find a more worthwhile peeve to vent your frustrations.

Guest

Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Guest » April 18th, 2007, 3:34 pm

Dustin is absolutely correct. I have no problem at all if Edd called his awards the "Magic Woods Forum Awards or something that is in keeping with what they are: nominations by a handfull of kids on his website, but they are advertised as "industry awards" (which they aren't by any stretch of the imagination) and on a par with the Oscars which Edd himself acknowledged was a mistake...but he didn't correct it. So, without the correction, what are we to think?

Well, we can conclude that Edd is stubborn and/or doesn't wish to learn from people who've been around and know what they're talking about and/or likes lying...gee, it could be several things....maybe he's taken an ethics class from Opie R 'cause Opie seems to think Edd's done nothing wrong and that people who point out other's lies are "bullies."

That tells me a lot about your ethics, Opie, or lack thereof if you don't see a problem with what this guy is doing. I guess lying, admitting the lie, and then continuing it is OK in your book. Sure hope you never had anything to do with educating kids as it would be a sad thing learn that you were fostering such values on young people.

Guest

Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Guest » April 18th, 2007, 3:43 pm

oboy......now anyone who disagrees has an ethics problem...

...spin guys, spin.....opie

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 18th, 2007, 4:39 pm

Gentlemen, I've deleted what was certainly an inappropriate remark by Opie, and also some well-deserved heated responses to it.
Let's keep it clean.
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Dustin Stinett
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Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Dustin Stinett » April 18th, 2007, 5:03 pm

Opie,

This has nothing to do with his age. It has to do with his actions. I am not being a bully; I am being critically honest about something this person chose to bring to this forum.

Fact: He is misrepresenting his awards as something they are in fact not.
Fact: He agreed he made an error, but clearly has no intention of correcting it.

It is my opinion that anyoneparticularly those who should know betterwho gives a pass to (or worse; encourages) such behavior, is doing a disservice to the craft and also to the person who exhibits it. They will merrily go on thinking that what they are doing is okay when, in fact, its not okay.

Its not me applying the spin here, Opie, its you. (And I know what Im talking about in this regard: Part of my job is making bad data appear good.)

Dustin

Guest

Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Guest » April 18th, 2007, 5:13 pm

Thank you Richard....cannot believe I said something inappropriate...

And now for the "E" Card. This is the new infinite regress that folks use when they have no arguments.

Is it wrong for a kid to run a poll/favorite magician inquiry? No, not unethical either.

Is it wrong for someone to disagree with a bunch of grown men who are stomping on a kid? No, and it is certainly not unethical.

I spent 26 years in the military, under an honor/ethics code that some of the people on this thread could never understand.

Edd has done nothing, at least on this thread, that would justify questioning his ethics, and there sure as hell has been nothing on this thread to warrant questioning mine. Let us not bring ethics into a simple poll....That is just childish, in general...

opie

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 18th, 2007, 5:32 pm

I'm going to lock this thread and, before I do, I have a few thoughts:
1) I understand quite well the urge, when young, to publish, write, and do things that you think will interest other people. Been there.
2) I also, now at almost age 50, realize that when you're 20 years old, you're just not the best judge of what's a good idea or a bad idea.
3) The internet has compounded (and in fact encouraged) the urge to put your thoughts out there, or create websites for various reasons.
4) We already have an "Oscar" for the magic world--these are given out by the Academy of Magical Arts.
5) While I appreciate and understand Edd's idea, I also think it's a bad idea for many of the reasons already noted in some of the other posts:
1) The "awards" are unnecessary
2) The people voting on them are unknown and therefore probably unqualified to make an educated judgment.
3) The nominees are a complete mystery, which brings the entire enterprise into question.

And so on. I could go on, but I won't.
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Re: 2 weeks left to vote!

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 19th, 2007, 7:38 am

Edd asked me to post a note from him to close out this topic:

"Thanks Richard for locking the thread. I do value everyone's advice - you are all very knowledgeable people - but there are things I can change straight away, and things I can't, such is the nature of web design (something I know little about!). Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any more advice or criticism, it would be much appreciated.
(edd@themagicwoods.co.uk)
Thanks again guys, and I am sorry about the
upset I have caused some of you. Edd"
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