I've struggled with finding a way to automatically identify the effect of slates on the nomination numbers. The problem is the Best Novelette category, where the slate numbers don't look that different from a regular year, perhaps because there aren't that many novelettes published each year. However, a proposal has emerged on Making Light that ( Read more... )

I've been reflecting on my proposal for making the Hugos less gameable. I think the principle is correct, that the number of nominees should automatically increase in categories where an algorithm detects slate-like behaviour. I now favour reducing the number of nominations per nominator to four, and having between five and ten nominees per ( Read more... )

Having posted a proposed solution to the issue, and a couple of analyses arising from it, here are my actual thoughts, in no very coherent order. Non-friend comments are screened ( Read more... )

Here are the 2013 Hugos (for 2012), revisited using the same rules as I just did for 2014. The sad puppies were just getting going, and basically consisted of Larry Correia asking people to vote for his novel (which he did to a degree that I find distasteful, but nothing worse than that; it certainly wasn't an organised slate like the later sad ( Read more... )

OK, so tweaking the numbers a little, what would the 2014 shortlist have looked like if we shortlisted everything getting nominated in at least 10% of the nominating ballots, after subtracting the number that nominated the most popular item (but not more than 25%), with a minimum of 5 nominees per category and a maximum of 10. I'm using Larry ( Read more... )

I shall not rehash the Sad/Rabid Puppies Hugo award debacle here - the best summary is probably Mike Glyer's, here. I want to move on to possible solutions ( Read more... )

Just to observe that the latest forecast on ElectionForecast.co.uk is for 295 Conservative MPs and 24 Liberal Democrats, a total of 319, which is enough for the Coalition to stay in power with DUP support. At least until they lose a few seats in by-elections. It seems that the Tories have been picking up a bit in the polls recently. (Broken down by ( Read more... )

So, the 20 minute free on-street parking in Canterbury that I use occasionally is about to become 30 minute parking. Which will actually be handy, since I park there while getting my hair cut, and 20 minutes is touch-and-go. But what happens now if I'm there for 30 minutes and 5 seconds -- can I claim over-zealous enforcement, and should there be ( Read more... )

In the unlikely event that anyone else is considering buying a horse, and for my reference in case of future need, here's everything we've bought for Bugsy since getting him. Except that I've probably forgotten something. Horses are quite complex animals to keep and look after.

• Saddle. We paid extra for the one he had, and our saddler has now had a ( Read more... )

Today feels like the first day of spring (with apologies to my friends in Boston, where it definitely isn't). The sun is shining and feels quite warm, our crocuses are coming into flower, and there are daffodils flowering nearby.

Also, we have a new horse. Here's Bugsy. It's not quite clear yet if he'll be flickgc's or my horse, as we both really need a ( Read more... )