Voting has begun for the Homeschool Blog Awards. When the nominations began, I never would have imagined the controversy that would ensue over two little words: family-friendly. Rule #9 on the nominations page states:
If your blog violates the rules (no cussing, no photographic nudity, your blog must be a homeschool-related blog), you will not be added to the nomination list. Only family friendly (G-rated) blogs, please!
I really thought this was a no-brainer. Apparently there’s a misconception that the HSBA team members had some kind of agenda that would result in the disqualification of certain blogs. In reality, I’d never heard of these blog who were disqualified by their content.
Next came the notion that the team members shouldn’t be allowed to participate in the contest. The following comment was left on the HSBA site:
Dear,
I want to be helpful, and due to some discussions on my blog, I wanted to pass on some comments/thoughts to you.
Have you considered that you are running an unregistered contest/raffle in each of the states?
Have you discussed your legal ramifications with a lawyer if you and any of your ‘helpers’ should win? That’s illegal as far as I know, but I’m not a lawyer.
I’m not a lawyer, either, but I know a couple, and this is feedback I received from a lawyer :
From a legal standpoint, I must tell you that I am not sure at all about the idea that the organizers in something cannot be selected… Normally when we see disclaimers about certain people being ineligible for winning something, it has to do with a competition or contest sponsored by the company for the purpose of getting extra business for that company. That is not the case here – I am assuming that there is no fee to be part of the homeschool online blogging community, and this is just a fun award and it is not really promoting anything.
Who would be sued… the organizer/winner? For what? Fraud? But nobody expended any money to enter? See what I mean about there having a big commercial element missing. Plus – it’s like, where would the lawsuit take place? I’m assuming the group is from all over the country. It’s not like a singular entity that has a business somewhere is benefiting from the competition.
There is nothing wrong with excepting blogs with profanity, nudity, or comments that would be patently offensive to the homeschooling community as a whole.
The 10 team members found in the sidebar of the HSBA site received a total of 17 nominations. It is possible if not likely that there would have been winners among them. In light of the controversy and to remove any appearance of impropriety, their names have been removed from the polls. These ladies individually and voluntarily removed their names from the nominations post; two of them are teens. I’m proud to be among them.
Without the HSBA team members, there wouldn’t be a 2007 Homeschool Blog Awards. There was only 1 remaining contributor on the site. I’m not sure how they managed with only 3 of them for the 2006 awards, and I would like to publicly thank them for a job well done. Winning best blog design for 2006 was a great boost for a fledgling web designer, and I appreciate the opportunity their efforts afforded me.
Unfortunately, there are people in this world so offended by moral decency (the family-friendly requirement) that they’ve turned the 2007 awards into a controversy that resulted in the elimination of the people who cared enough to keep it going in the first place.
Woot! You’re awesome. I did my own venting about this too. Hey, these are our personal blogs, no? And you can just delete nasty comments all you want.
I for one have been thankful that God led you to our team. Thanks, Dawn. You are a sweetheart. I’d share a pitcher of Southern sweet tea with you any time!
Dawn-
I am proud to be on the HSBA team with the likes of lovely homeschool moms like you! Stepping down wasn’t hard when it came to facing the decision; yes, winning prizes like the ones gifted for the winners would mean a lot to our family, but it isn’t always about prizes, and it isn’t even always about winning- though I do hate it for Amanda and Jocelyn. Like Heather keeps saying – you are all already winners.
This was very nicely-said. Thank you.
blessings~
-J
I wish you guys didn’t have to step down.
All of the legal fine print I have ever seen on contests, etc., really seemed to be to protect the company. Some was tax related, but a lot of the excluding of those associated had nothing to do with legal issues but theft issues.
After all, if McDonald’s employees were allowed to win that Monopoly game, they’d be stealing box loads of fry cartons to take home for their tickets!
Thank you all for all you did with the awards.
The gracious character of the HSBA team shines through. I am sorry you all are no longer in the running. May you be blessed for your sacrifice.
Thank you very much for all of your work.
Dawn,
Amen sister ~ and amen to what the above sisters’ comments! 🙂
I for one appreciate the hard work that all of you do—I know it isn’t a small task to pull off the HSBA.
Now, that said, I’m not going to call this thing a controversy. I am going to try and point out some “reservations” that I have personally had with the whole thing. I’m nominated in 5 categories and very proud to be so. I appreciate it, and I think it is an honor.
But truthfully, I think more people are concerned about the sponsors than anything else. It is basically a “Chrstian” homeschool blog awards, unofficially.
While I am a Christian, I don’t like to continually label myself, my homeschooling, my blog with it. It seems to cheapen it and commercialize it, but those are my personal feelings.
There are some of us out there who have GREAT concerns about Vision Forum and their “message” and thus, having them as the premier sponsor of the HSBA makes it feel like it is not only the Christian blog awards, but the ultra-conservative Christian blog awards. I know of several wonderful Jewish homeschool blogs. They probably wouldn’t want a prize from Vision Forum.
Please know I don’t say any of this to get your dander up. I just want to be honest and let you know where some of the “controversy” is coming from.
And then, there are just some plain mean people out there, bent on making mountains out of molehills.
Know that you’re doing what you think is best, and that most of us out there appreciate it.
I second what you said near the end. I was really looking forward to just being in the race, but standing by Sprittibee and the rest of the team was more important and nothing will ever be more important than friendships and peace – not even a award that says “Best Teen Gal Blogger”.
I am glad to have you and the others on the team.
And, I think I am gonna check out your barefoot blog. I just got a wordpress blog and I need some help setting it up – CSS and everything. sigh.
Blessings!
Jocelyn
Lindsey said, “There are some of us out there who have GREAT concerns about Vision Forum and their “message” and thus, having them as the premier sponsor of the HSBA makes it feel like it is not only the Christian blog awards, but the ultra-conservative Christian blog awards.”
What in the world is wrong with Vision Forum? I haven’t ever heard anything bad about them. Granted, I only have a couple of their books (Mother and Home Making) and one that they distribute for another ministry (Grand Canyon), but I have read Doug’s Blog and haven’t seen anything “extreme” or divisive.
Can someone please explain what the VF issue is?
Secondly, I am a Christian – no problem admitting it. In 2006 when I originally took up the idea of keeping the awards going that Spunky had started, it was done in a rush. Spunky stopped blogging in December. The awards for 2006 got dropped. In February, I spent a month trying to find a blog designer in the HS community that would help me for free to put together a site. When Heather and Laura accepted, there was only a matter of weeks to get the awards started and get sponsor donations. I emailed as many sponsors as I could think of at the latest book fair I had attended that I myself might be interested in winning books from. Of course I’m not going to seek out secular stuff – especially in a rush, at the spur of a moment. Vision Forum was one of the very first vendors to email me back. Not only did they generously offer to donate last year, but they told me “Vision Forum would like to be a major sponsor for the awards.” What am I going to do? Say No? And why not? I like them. I haven’t read ALL their material and had no idea anyone (besides maybe an athiest) disagreed with.
I think that people are assuming that a WHOLE lot of thought went in to the awards so that people could be alienated purposefully. And that is just crazy. I have a life and could care less about trivial controversies that people have with curriculums. I just wanted to keep something going that I thought was fun, beneficial, and unifying for our community. It is only through all the negativity and hatefulness that I have learned to be more aware of people’s problems with vendors, each other, and Christian homeschoolers in general. Not that I ever wanted to be aware of it. I was quite happy not knowing that there are people out there who have such a problem with those of us who display any sort of “all that sugary-sweet Jesus-induced goody-two-shoe-ness” (comment by Nance on Oddonnellweb).
I tell you… maybe if they want some books by secular publishers – maybe they should start their own awards and contact their own vendors. I bet you won’t find any Christians trashing them or asking them to contact their lawyers. I think I can speak for all of the Christian homeschooling blogosphere by saying that we could care less for their prizes and don’t give a flying pancake if they exclude us.
Dawn, I heard about this controversy from carrie at the gremlin wrangler. Silly! That’s all I have to say. Not real witty or insightful, just wanted you to know there’s one more person who agrees with you all.
beth
sprittibee…you aren’t getting what I’m saying.
Try and set aside for a second all the hard work you’ve done. I sincerely DO appreciate it! Go back and reread everything I wrote. I never asked for secular prizes. I admitted that I am a Christian!
I just said there are quite a growing number of folks who have deep issues with VF (Spunky, a very respected blogger for one) because they are hyper-conservative and do not represent many of the typical “Christian homeschoolers.”
I never said you guys didn’t work hard or put the time in. In fact, I applauded you for it. I am just trying to CLARIFY part of my personal reservations and that of a few others I’ve spoken with. I think you’re making out the “controversy” into a bigger thing than it is.
If you’d like specifics about the VF issue, feel free to email me (or do a google search on Doug Phillips). I don’t mind discussing it, but in respect to Dawns blog, I don’t feel it is appropriate to take over the comment box either.
I can be reached at coxclan5@northstate.net
In the end, I think you ladies do a GREAT job with the whole thing. I appreciate your hard work. I just think the prizes might want to be reconsidered if indeed this is a homeschool competition open to ALL homeschoolers everywhere. Otherwise, just call it the Christian Homeschool Awards and solve the problem right there as well. I have no qualms with it either way. But when you look a the prizes and sponsors, it is very exclusionary.
For what it’s worth, not all the prizes are from a Christian bent. My portraits obviously aren’t going to have I Love Jesus watermarked in the background and there are several blog designs offered. Also Blue Thistle Books offers many good non-Christian curriculum books and she’s a sponsor.
All that said, however, and I think the rest of the prizes are a reflection of what the majority of the participants in the blog awards would want. Obviously we can’t please everyone. And if you really want to start a controversy, then we could slap the name “Christian Homeschool Blogs” on there next year.
People have said that’s what we should do, but I’d wager that naming it so would definitely cause some problems and result in mayhem.
Hey, I’m not trying to stir the pot. I’m simply letting you know what some of us see as the “controversy” 🙂
Don’t shoot the messenger!
Lindsey – I didn’t mean that to come off as an attack on you. I’m just so sick of dealing with this mess and although it may not be a big “controversy”, it isn’t nice when your name is highlighted on anyone’s blog with profanity, slurs, and general tackiness attached to it. There are plenty (as Carrie mentioned) of “secular” prizes as well… GeeArt (Creativity Express) is offering 5 CDs – they have not a peep about Jesus that isn’t related to art history in their products. I would be more than willing to offer more such prizes if there was a civil secular bloggist who 1. offered their time to help locate them, 2. offered their time to help with the awards. To be honest, I have certainly considered changing the name of the awards. But it won’t happen this year.
And P.S. I would looooove for you to email me with information about the trouble you see with VF. I’ll take you up on that. Having read only three of their books and drooled over their Henty Library for some time now… I would love to know what the fuss is about. I seriously have no clue.
No matter what we try to do to encourage others and support our fellow sister, there’s always a critic. Just do what you do because you know the Lord would be pleased. ((hugs))
You know what…I have been nominated three years running, have promoted the HBA on my blog and have encouraged people to vote in all the categories. But I’ve never paid much attention to what the prizes are or who supplied them–to me that was never what it was about. (Besides the fact that I never win any. grin) I would be happy with a little button for my sidebar.
I’m linking to this post.
I think I might have missed a step. I’m not clear on how the notion that the founders of a contest shouldn’t participate and the perception of “cooking the books” with entry requirements are related.
The final statement of the post reads: Unfortunately, there are people in this world so offended by moral decency (the family-friendly requirement) that they’ve turned the 2007 awards into a controversy that resulted in the elimination of the people who cared enough to keep it going in the first place.
This implies that the issue of the founders’ participation was raised to be retailiatory in light of the existence of certain entry requirements. But the text earlier in the post (“Next came…”) indicates that the two issues were separate issues vexing the HBA folks, each adding separately to the trauma and drama.
If the issues are, in fact, known to be related (since I don’t like X, I’m going to say Y) then, yeah, that’s pretty sucky. If they’re just two things that happened along the road,though, then one can’t equate a lack of “moral decency” with the feeling that something doesn’t meet the minimal standard of not having “an appearance of impropriety”. In other words, just because someone felt the set-up didn’t meet the “sniff test” doesn’t mean that they’re running people out of town because they object to family friendliness.
Unless of course they are. I guess what I’m saying is that the line between A and B isn’t drawn all that clearly in the post.
(And I’m another Christian blogger who would pause in light of the Vision Forum thing.)
I am also somebody who isn’t exactly thrilled with everything that comes out of Vision Forum and I have serious reservations about their vision.
I have enjoyed being nominated to the HBA, it’s been fun. I think I’ve won a couple of times, but I’ve never followed up on getting any prizes. No particular reason. I just haven’t. I don’t even know what the prizes were that I missed, except that the first year I know it was a subscription to a hsing magazine.
And you know what? I am 100 percent behind Spritteebee on this. This is what I see- Lindsay, you may not be saying anything negative about their hard work, but you and others ARE demanding that that their hardwork look different, more like how you and others want to see it. And that’s just, well, I cannot think of a nice way to put it. It’s rude, basically.
If somebody doesn’t like any part of the way the HSB awards are done, you do not have to participate. You don’t contribute anything to the project, so what makes you think it’s okay to tell others how to run it? I don’t like VF any more than Lindsay does (and I am pretty sure my issues have been a concern of mine for much, much longer since my kids are so much older), but I don’t feel the need to carp about it and gripe to people about their project that they donate thousands of man-hours (and woman-hours) to developing. It’s out of line.
If you do not have anything invested in the project, either start your own, make a contribution, or just be gracious about the work others are doing. Nobody is forcing you to participate.
Nobody can please everybody all the time, either, so if the organizers of the HBA listen to you, you are pushing a bucket load of additional work onto them while at the same time alienating other homeschoolers who won’t be pleased by your preferences. Why should they do that?
It’s like they made a bunch of dresses and offered them as prizes for some contest that they also designed. And people came and said, “I hate red, and these dresses are red.” And other people came and said, “I think these dresses are too long and dowdy, and it’s wrong to be dowdy. You need to understand my point of view and make your dresses snazzier and more fashionable.” And other people came and said, “I do not want a dress, I want a strip-tease outfit, and you are discriminating against me by not providing one.” And others said, “You did not use organic cotton and this harms the environment,” and they wrote letters to the editor criticizing the dress makers for not doing things just the way they felt they should be done, and they accused the dress-makers of breaking the law because they gave some of the free dresses to members of their own families.
If you don’t like what they’ve done and how they’ve done it, make your own dresses that suit your expectations. Develop your own give-away with your own work. Quit trying to commandeer somebody else’s volunteer time and work, demanding that they take *additional* time to study your point of view- it’s basically high-jacking is what it is. It IS an ungracious response to their work, and inasmuch as these complaints and demands all require MORE work from these volunteers, it’s self-centered and taking for granted their time and work.
Spritteebee, et al, I am sorry that you are being harassed this way. It’s not right. And it doesn’t matter what might be wrong with Vision Forum, this response is not right. You do not need to defend what you’ve done. People with no time or work invested in your project should have no more of a voice in how you spend your time than any other total stranger.
Please do not let the naysayers get you down. Your hard work is appreciated, and nobody has the right to demand anything from you.
Carrie, Sprittibee, Jacque, Trish, Jocelyn – I’m enjoying getting to know you ladies more every day, and I’m glad to be on the team with you.
Dana – excellent points! And we don’t even have our hands on the fry cartons! 🙂
Renae, Beth, Sisterlisa – thanks for your support; it is appreciated.
Marsha – this may be purely my opinion, but the dissent seemed to originate with the family-friendly requirement. I wasn’t aware that the nomination of team members or the legality of the awards was in question with the 2006 awards. We’re just trying to keep the awards going. I don’t think there would be any discussion of legal issues or the impropriety of our nominations if the family-friendly requirement weren’t in place, but maybe that’s just my opinon. I really do feel the requirement is a no-brainer considering the awards are for homeschoolers and three of the categories are for teens.
Mama Squirrel – no matter what, you can display those nominations buttons in your sidebar. 🙂
Lindsey – you clued me in that there were concerns about sponsorship. From reading your comments along with the others that address sponsorship, I’m just not sure how to make everyone happy on this issue. Removing all sponsorship from the awards would avoid offending anyone and nullify the question of team member participation; however, since most winners will receive more than one award, a gracious alternative would be to pass along any “unwanted” awards to the runner-up in your category.
Deputy Headmistress – thank you for your thought-provoking and supportive comments. The running of both the site and the awards are quite time-consuming, and we’re all just volunteers.
Ladies, thank you all for a polite discussion!
I voted a few days ago and only just read about this controversy today on one of blogs I read regularly. I am not Christian, and in fact am not homeschooling at the moment although the possibility is raised from time to time. I am a volunteer with a children’s youth group so do understand a little of the time and energy that goes into voluntary activities and, sadly, the way it can be taken advantage of.
I am so very sorry that you are going through this. I read a lot of HS blogs – including many Christian ones – because my thoughts on education do tend towards home education. If I did home educate it would be along secular lines. However ultimately I believe in my children being exposed to a range of beliefs and being respectful of others in religion as in all else.
I am sad to see the lack of thought and the level of disrespect that is being directed towards your team.
You are all doing a great and valuable job to support the homeschooling community.
Arohanui.
That’s really sad that someone would raise such a huge stink over this. You know I think you’re tops in blog design!
Dawn, is the HBA site down? I clicked over there this morning and all I see is a “this account has been suspended” message. I hope everything’s ok!