Hugo nominations closed over the weekend, and I can confirm that neither the Sad nor the Rabid Puppies put up a slate or indeed anything at all. So hey, nominations should be a happy thing when they come.
@pzmyers Rules changed last year. They had one list shot and realised the rules changes worked and they couldn't do anything but waste their money, so they gave up.
@pzmyers or even last shot. Grrr.
@po8crg That was a good rules change, then.
@po8crg I would say that last year's nominations were a pretty solid joy for me, even if not everything on them qualified (which, to be honest, could easily happen regardless of slate-like objects). I'm looking forward to seeing what comes up this year.
@dotless_i I'll be happier that all the creators will have got their nominations and Hugo pins as a result of fans liking their creations, rather than some of them getting them from one guy running a slate.
I'll be particularly happy with the long-form dramatic presentation award where it's been impossible to unpick the slating because VD nominated a lot of things that other people liked too.
@po8crg Yes to all of that; but, given that slates are always a possibility (barring much more drastic rule changes), I've worked hard, for myself, to accept "a mostly great set of finalists" as a success criterion.š
If this year is apparently slate free, then WOO! bonus!š
(Alternately phrased, the harder it is to rank the finalists, the happier I am.)
Just a clarification - at least not in public. I don't think there are anything like enough people involved that they could keep something silent, but I'm not on the inside enough to know if there was something on Vox Day's "Vile Faceless Minions" email list.
(yes, he really calls it that!)
@po8crg Good.
But what happened to the Puppies? Just slackin'?