Frequently Asked Questions: answered here to prevent mistakes.
GENERAL
Q. Posts show up at the oddest hours. What time zone do you operate on?
A. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). All posts here go up at 12:01 AM or (in the case of "Voting Closed" posts) 12:01 PM, GMT.
Q. My email address is not public. Can I still participate in 10thDoM?
A. Yes, but if there's ever a problem with linking, voting, etc., admins will have no way of contacting you to get it fixed. Maybe they'll leave a comment on your entry, but they probably won't. Public emails are preferred here.
ENTRIES
Q. I linked a post, but it disappeared. Why?
A. It was either a link to an old post (not allowed here) or a link to a blog front page (please link directly to the entry). Sometimes the admins are nice enough to email a reminder, but sometimes they're not.
Q. What's considered an old post?
A. If it wasn't created for 10thDoM, it doesn't link from 10thDoM.
Q. Can I post more than one entry per Muse?
A. Yes, just make sure they're labeled differently using alphabetic identifiers (A, B, C, etc.) in the link widget (they are voted for separately). Posting more than one entry does NOT give you an extra vote.
Q. My entry is really long and I want to post it in multiple parts. How should I link it?
A. Link each part of the entry. Label them (1 of x), (2 of x), (3 of x), etc.
Q. Some of us are collaborating. How should we link the entry?
A. Collaborations, like multiple-part entries, are considered a SINGLE entry (regardless of how many collaborators are involved).
- ONE of the collaborators should link ALL of the collaboration (if it's in multiple parts), regardless of which blogs those links go to.
- The linking collaborator (decide who that is among yourselves) is the one who votes and the one eligible to win.
Q. I have a collaboration linked and some of my collaborators want to post their own individual entries. Can they?
A. Yes, but they can not vote for the collaboration. They can vote for each others' individual entries.
Q. I have multiple online identities. Can I submit an entry from different identities?
A. We prefer you don't, but yes, you can. Just be sure to notify the admins prior to doing so. Anyone caught submitting from more than one identity without prior disclosure for the same Muse will be banned from 10thDoM, even if the alter egos didn't vote for each other.
Q. I linked an entry, but now I don't want to play. Will you remove a link for me?
A. No. We'll fix links and remove accidental links, but if you submitted an entry with the intent to participate, it stays. Sure, you can delete your post or change its link, but we'll give you a Finger of Aidos.
VOTING
Q. Can I vote for more than one entry by the same participant?
A. Yes. Vote for entries, not their creators.
Q. I want to vote for a multiple-part entry. Do I vote for each part?
A. No, vote for the entire entry as a single entry.
Q. I still don't get it. How do we vote?
A. Oh, for crying out loud... check our Sample Vote.
Q. I didn't vote. Is there a penalty?
A. Yes, you will lose points equivalent to a 1st-Place vote on all of your entries the next time you participate. These lost points are known as Fingers of Aidos. Fingers are cumulative, so if you fail to vote twice in a row, you'll lose points equivalent to two 1st-Place votes (and so on). For every subsequent Muse you participate and vote in, you eliminate one (1) of your accumulated Fingers.
Q. I got a Finger of Aidos, but I voted! I swear!
A. You voted incorrectly. Sometimes the admins are nice enough to let you know you need to resubmit your vote, but sometimes they're not. Or voting closed before any of them caught the error.
Q. Can we get Fingers for The River of Mnemosyne?
A. No, and neither can you work off Fingers by participating in The River of Mnemosyne. In short, Fingers of Aidos only apply to normal Muses.
WINNING
Q. How do tie-breakers work?
A. Ties in voting go to the participant with the most 1st place votes (then 2nd place, etc.). If still tied, ties go to the participant who linked first.
Q. I tied a multiple-part entry. My entry posted after their first part, but before their second part. Who wins?
A. You do. The LAST part of a multiple-part entry is used to determine who linked first.
Q. I won. How long do I have to pick a new Muse?
A. You have until the "Reminder" post (which goes up at 12:01 AM, GMT, on the 7th or the 22nd) of the subsequent Muse to pick.
Q. What the Hell are the Labors of Heracles for?
A. When a participant wins, their blog is placed on our blog-rolls. There are 12 labors according to the myth. The blog-rolls correspond to the number of times a participant has won a Muse, which corresponds to the the appropriate Labor of Heracles (defeating the Nemean Lion, for example, was Heracles' first labor... cleaning the Augean Stables was Heracles' fifth labor). We have no idea what we'll call the blog-roll for people who have won a 13th time.
Q. I didn't win, but I'm curious how I placed in voting. Is there a way I can find out?
A. Absolutely. Email an admin and they will happily let you know.
MUSES
Q. Are there any rules or limitations concerning Muses? Anything taboo, off-limits, or considered in bad taste?
A. Nope.
Last update: 14 May, 2011
