The voting lines have now opened for Category 13: Member of the Year. As usual, you can PM/email me with up to ten votes for this final category as to who you think deserves this honour. Remember to rank your nominees in order of preference if voting for more than one person so I know how many points to give them. The person for whom you give 1st place to will get 10 points, regardless of how many other people you vote for. Remember you cannot vote for yourself, and only those members who have posted since July 1st 2008 are eligible to receive votes.

I will publish periodic league tables in this thread to give everyone an idea of how things stand. A final league table will be posted on this thread when the voting lines close at 2130 BST on Sunday 4th October, when the winner will be announced depending on who's top of the league table at the end of the week.

For more details on the awards, see the main awards thread.

Car Expert

Votes have been received from: dcmbarton, heslop01, Voltron, JoMook, DawnF, skylark, PianissiMole, The Old Lady, Susie, fsharpminor, barry-clari, HenryJ, LooneyTunes, gedall40, CrotchetyMum, cambiata, noodle, JohnBH

No hello_cello, I haven't finalised my list yet...

I haven't either yet!

It'll probably end up being someone else voting first!

"Member of the year" means something entirely different to me

Excellent... that makes it a whole lot easier to vote.

Damn it, I nearly spat my drink out all over my screen!

And so it came to pass!

Still haven't finalised my list...

Right, my shortlist is down to about 50 people...

That actually makes it quite a long list...

It's not like you to take ages to decide

Car Expert

I'm going to feel bad leaving 40 people off the final list...

You'll have to go for some decimal places, Barry.

Car Expert, will you allow me to go 10, 9.9, 9.8, 9.7 etc?

Ok.... thinking about this one.

What do you have to do to be member of the year???? Something extra special or out of the ordinary? Support events? Achieve something huge (like a diploma or something) or just be around to support others and the forums? Contribute a lot? Be a dominat presence (i.e post a lot)???? New members? old members?

To get my vote for member of the year, used notes in a brown envelope will work quite nicely

I think the whole point of member of the year is that it's not specific about what it's for and you can vote for people for whatever reasons, in your mind, justify them being member of the year.

I suppose everybody will have a different view on this, but this is mine FWIW...

I see member of the year as someone who has had the most beneficial effect on forum life generally. One of the people I will be voting for isn't a particularly frequent poster, but when s/he does post, it's considered, balanced, polite, is not afraid to put forward their own views but is respectful of other people's views and what makes them stand out for me is that I've noticed s/he has often tried to discreetly calm down discussions when they become heated, which in my view is a big asset to the forum.

On the other hand, I'll also be voting for someone who is a more regular poster, also puts forward their own views albeit rather more forcefully than the first member I mentioned, but I don't mind that - I would rather know what someone's views are even if I don't always agree with them. The reason I'm voting for this second person is because s/he's a very advanced musician, but is always willing to help beginners and is generous enough to share his/her knowledge with those of us who are still at the bottom or lower rungs of the ladder. But in their different ways, each of these two have a particularly beneficial effect on the forum generally - I'll have others on the list too, for other different reasons, but these are just a couple of examples as to what, in my opinion, merits member of the year

if i was going to vote, i think i'd use Time's definition for their Man of the Year; not the best person, but the most influential person. previous "winners" included Hitler and Stalin. seems like a more interesting vote than just a generic best person...

I like this idea!
Starts considering skylark, Mad Tom...

*awaits retribution*

Wow, me and MT in the same awards list




I'll probably spin it out...

*is scared*

I'm sure it will be nothing compared with MT's retribution, if his mean rockstar photo is anything to go by

Hmmm ...

which of us is Stalin, and which is Hitler?

(for anyone feeling left out, we could extend the list with Mao, Pol Pot, Pinochet, Suharto and Than Shwe)

Starts consdidering maledictis ...

*awaits certain death by PM*

First league table of the week:

barry-clari = 16
Solari = 12
BerkshireMum = 10
hello_cello = 10
katyjay = 10
Mad Tom = 10
Voltron = 9
Cyrilla = 9
Bagpuss = 8
Celeste = 8
kerioboe = 7
skylark = 7
CrotchetyMum = 6
rosfrog = 6
andante_in_c = 5
The Old Lady = 5
sbhoa = 4
lizbun = 3
SueHM = 3
cambiata = 2
mwl1 = 2
ad_libitum = 1
notmusimum = 1

Car Expert

Nah, she's Boadicea

...and thanks for the votes! although I honestly think there are people far more deserving of them

OK thanks for that. that's very helpful.... starts to compile a list

Right - I've submitted my votes. I've voted for people that have affected me personally: offered me support and encouragement, people who have believed in me when I've doubted myself, people who've answered my endless questions people who have offered a touch of light hearted humour and people who are generally nice, helpful, supportive or who I feel make this forum a nice place to be

Edit: But unfortunately I couldn't vote for as many as I would really have liked to...

Thank you for my votes so far!

What do you have to do get a vote round here streak around the Houses of Parliament, or do you have to offer not to do it get even more votes? I'm beginning to feel insignificant!! Throws temper tantrum, but will anybody notice?

Oh thank you!

Is there an award for the most imaginative use of smileys?

I'm sure someone would notice me going over the top with those in some of my posts?

Don't be silly - you know I only do "la petite mort" by PM

Wouldn't mind a vote or two

Moi non plus!



(...je t'aime...)

How kind of you to say so!

I have done a vote list, and will think about it through the day today. In case I change my mind. Again...

know a lot of people personally? bribe a lot of people via pm? hang around the cafe a lot? be silly? be serious? be quiet? be loud? sell your body?

still trying to get behind it myself - but then again: does it really matter?

It's all a bit of fun, so shouldn't be taken too seriously

Have voted. Will be waiting outside the Houses of Parliament!

Mole

Why are people voting for me? There are certainly better people than me on the forums.

You are certainly one of the more memorable people on here this year! I'm guessing that's why.

Everybody please don't vote for me because I'm funny rather than serious reasons.

I didn't think that these voting things were serious...all just a bit of fun

Well thanks for the tips, I'll run them by my husband to see what he thinks . . . just as well I can run fast

Still think there should be a category for the person who does the mostest with emoticons, come to think of it will go off and badger car expert about that one.

Post. A lot.

Thanks Maledictis, I've also had a chat with my hubby who is of the opinion that we could do with some extra cash . . . but quite what he intends me to do about it, well who knows

Wednesday update - Barry and skylark now share the lead, with Mad Tom close behind.

barry-clari = 39
skylark = 39
Mad Tom = 37
Solari = 26
katyjay = 24
DaisyChain = 21
BerkshireMum = 20
petrat = 20
Cyrilla = 19
Celeste = 18
anacrusis = 16
andante_in_c = 14
kerioboe = 12
CrotchetyMum = 11
gedall40 = 10
hello_cello = 10
Jane S = 10
The Old Lady = 9
Voltron = 9
Bagpuss = 8
DawnF = 8
Flossie = 8
sbhoa = 8
dcmbarton = 7
oldnotes = 7
Aquarelle = 6
Car Expert = 6
lucky045 = 6
notmusimum = 6
PianissiMole = 6
rosfrog = 6
Amber = 5
Lucid = 4
SueHM = 4
Digby = 3
lizbun = 3
maledictis = 3
cambiata = 2
mwl1 = 2
ad_libitum = 1
maggiemay = 1

Car Expert