. . . who really, when having their poem voted front page poem, other than the vain, or tiresome self-promoter, wants to log in and see the f**king thing day in and day out.  I say it is overkill.  Why not allow the winner of the front page space to promote a selection of his work or share some of his favourite media.  Who actually reads a poem anymore that appears for a week on the front page, it becomes just a meaningless blur in the ocean of repetiveness!

I love the sense of entitlement. Really. You should make this a poem.

Well, Joe, I replaced my frontpage poem with a love poem to celebrate St. Valentine's Day and the fascists have deleted it

 . . who really, when
having their poem voted
front page
poem,
other than the vain
or tiresome self-promoter,
wants to log in and see
the f**king thing
day in and day out.  

I say it is overkill.  

Why not allow the winner
of the
front page
space
to promote a selection
of his work
or share some
of his favourite media.  

Who actually reads a poem
anymore
that appears for a week
on
the front page,
it becomes just a meaningless blur
in the ocean of repetiveness!


Oh well, I guess I couldn't help myself. Here you go. I did it for you.

Peter, I think it is your business as a member and "stake-holder." You raise a good point, thank you. A week may indeed be too long a time, ideally, to feature a single poem. Other sites have a "featured writer" - i.e. multiple poems - periodically. That means a bigger commitment of editorial time, but not necessarily prohibitive. Or changing the front page poem say every 5 days...what would be the harm of that? Let's see if your suggestions generate more discussion.
Discussing change is always salutary.
Let me also remind all members, while I have the floor here, that while the author of a featured poem does have the buttons to change what the editors placed on the front page, they do not have carte blanche to do so. That front page represents the whole site, and making sure that it does so to good effect is the editors' responsibility. -Tom

It was I who deleted the Graves poem and replaced the poem of yours that was chosen to be featured this week - so it is my fascist credentials to be burnished here! If you want, I will replace your poem with another member's writing. Tom

so what is one week on the front page ?

I think my point, SL, is that being read, a poem has the beauty of a dead newspaper; it's just a blur of words.  I feel there could be far more aesthetically pleasing ways to enhance the front page than having to re-look at the same stale poem for its remaining 6 days waiting for it to go mouldy

Slow down, Peter. Who cares? Quit being a drama queen about the whole shenanigan.

The Front Page poem is chosen to represent the site for a week. It's purpose is to show the quality of the site to the world outside and to prospective members, not as a prize. These other viewers do not tune in daily (nor do all members), but do comprise a large part of our audience.

milner

i agree with tom.  the week is just fine as not everyone tunes in on a daily basis.  and Peter, you need to relax.  if you're happier with the way other sites operate, you know what you can do.
john

... i wouldn't mind having one of mine up for a week. 8)

LOL Daryl - Thanks for volunteering! :)

 ;D

John, although my question was aimed at the upper management, and thinkers of the group rather than the thuggish element and cling-ons, thanks anyway for your response.

Ok as the current holder of this honour I'm going to stick my oar in.
Being 'vain and a tireless self promoter' (Peter's words) I'm very happy to have a poem chosen and feel suitably flattered. Any poet who puts his work out there through whatever medium is asking to have it read - and therefore is courting an opinion and probably cares about that opinion..whatever he/she may say.

Secondly, I stongly disagree that a poem read once is of no more interest than yesterday's newpaper. I can think of poems I've read many times and still enjoy. I suspect that there are some for whom poetry is a modern disposable art form where shock or instant reaction is more important than clever construction or original writing carefully expressed. I'm not of that view.

Thirdly, I think it's good for the site to have a home page that shows off the work within the site - we all benefit from a site that is well regarded. it will attract better writers and better critics so everyone gains.

Not of course that i'm holding my poem in such high regard - I'm just honoured it got to wear the crown for the remainder of Peter's reign following his abdication (and decaration of support for a republic!).

Marc

Pete, I have to blunt and say I disagree with you.  I think the key words here are 'chosen by'.  I've had one poem on the front page and I wouldn't have changed a word of it for anything--because it was 'chosen' that way, and I'm not an editor or the editor that chose it.

I won't even change a poem when it's moved to 'picks' unless recommended by an editor.  I think I may have changed a couple of them when they were quite old and not noticed much any more, just for my own satisfaction, or to make a copy of it.

If I don't want to honor editors choice here, why am I even a member here?

The reason I stay here and do honor what the editors mention is because I've learned more about my own poetry here than I have at any other site in over 10 years.  I accept what they have to say and do, and enjoy it.

cheryl

is this a joke thread? if you don't like the way the forum operates then exercise your free will to vacate the building. some of us are longing to be picked for the front page. it means a lot - shows we are respected by our peers.

I'm respected down the pub, Daryl, so I don't need any more respect than that.   I take it you're not going to bear arms with us?

ummm... no! and at the rate of pub closure in britain, that respect will soon disappear too.

Pete, you're just silly.

I do what I do because I want to.  Not because I feel forced to.