Why Aren't the Recipe Contests Anonymous for the Judges?

Very interesting thread! If it were tech-possible, I think it would make the contests more open.

The goal of these contests is for A & M to compile their cookbook so maybe seeing the same group of names gives them the confidence to choose certain recipes.

I think it would be really interesting to see a contest without names. It seems the really new folks might be discouraged playing in the contests at first with no traction while the folks who have been around a while and participate in many ways would continue regardless. I know I felt that way when I first started- that there was a tight knit inner circle- but I stuck with it and got some traction and many of the inner circle engaged with me and I them which creates such a different level of participation and satisfaction. But to the casual person dropping in I can see how it might seem intimidating. Perhaps once you enter a contest, your name is hidden, but once it is over it is displayed again. It is certainly worth a ponder.

Another thing I have wondered about is a contest where you can only submit one recipe. How difficult it would be to choose what you consider to be truly YOUR BEST. I both like AND dislike the idea- especially since some of the topics really spur some creativity for me resulting in several recipes. But the results might produce a more qualified list of recipes for that topic if you could only submit one.

brilliant, bevi. will do.

http://food52.com/blog/6186-what-do-you-want-to-see-on-food52

Sorry Folks, this link works.

Actually, the editors encourage us to write to them directly with these types of issues; however, I and several of my friends have written directly to the editors and have never received a reply, unless I report spam. Then I get a thank you note. So although the hotline is not being used for its intended purpose, it is the only venue on the site for members to discuss community topics related to the site that do not cover food. If you want a discussion board, please post this on the features board where the editors have asked us what changes we would like to see on food52.

i completely agree with you that a Site Talk Board is badly needed on 52. IMO, it's an essential element of any online 'community'

This is a Hotline, not a discussion forum, why doesn't the site offer places for discussion? I find it a tiresome format for discussion. It dilutes hotline purpose, most often when people get into tangents. I don't mind tangents in discussion, (see other interesting site's discussion boards, I have favorites I've been on for 12+ years) but not for hotline and answers for OP's to have to be dragged into protracted additional comments, just to just applaud others and make private and personal comments within someone's question thread. I think it is appalling that some members are highlighted as 'trusted sources' when I think they suck. I think this board sucks pretty much lately, which is why I haven't been on it much. Meanwhile, it IS hard or impossible to criticize a recipe very candidly when you are ID'd, so that's why I stopped doing reviews for CP's. That's my tangent and I'm sticking to it.

Technically speaking, it would be out of the realm of possibility for Food52 to keep contest submissions anonymous to Editors. There are too many simple workarounds.
But that's beside the point... it seems like the underlying issue is that some folks feel like the playing field does not feel wide enough? Tough issue to address and you'll never make All The People Happy All The Time no matter how beautifully you design things or how much money you spend on computer coding. But this kind of open debate is great for the site because it increases page views = better advertising stats = more revenue to help pay for talented people and everything else.

Along that line, the old site had a running log of how many cooks were looking at what recipe, which I always found interesting.

On another thread -- a recent conversation in comments to the what-would-you-like post -- this might interest you: http://food52.com/blog/6186-what-do-you-want-to-see-on-food52 I recently suggested there that a "Tried" button, similar to the "saved" button, would be helpful. Someone chimed in with "how about "tried and recommended"? Yes, that would be great, but how about also providing current, say weekly, information on what recipes have received, during the preceding week, the most tried/recommend tics? That would show us what people are actually making. It's really hard to figure that out, except when you see a comment pop up on the activity log, or when you look at a particular recipe. There's no way currently to see what's "trending," which to my mind would be a great way to find out what the community thinks about the recipes here (without regard to their status as CPs or not). Just an idea . . . . ;o)

I agree -- this is a really interesting thread. I am a food52 veteran, but not quite an old timer. I test a fair number of recipes for the contests because it's fun and I learn a lot. I also try to communicate my notes to a cook if I really love his/her recipe and it isn't selected for a CP or if I test a recipe and feel that I can offer some supportive, but constructive feedback and the cook will be receptive to it. However, if a recipe has really serious flaws, then I may refrain from commenting at all. I guess that I am too nice too!

I do like the fact that testers are anonymous now -- in my opinion, it allows for more honest and frank reviews that get submitted to the editors. However, I think that it would be very interesting if food52 posted more than just one tester's notes (or even some selected excerpts from other testers' notes) to accompany the CP and finalist recipes. This would allow users on the site to see a variety of more nuanced feedback because not all of us have uniform thoughts about each recipe and we will often approach recipes in a slightly different way, depending upon such things as our comfort level with the techniques described in the recipe and how our pantries may be stocked on any given day.

While food52 is community-based, I often feel there is an 'unspoken' elite.

But I come here for more than the contests, and make a conscious effort to value what I get out of it. Frankly till I'm asked expressly for my opinion, I'll mind my business! For after all, I didn't have the initial food52 dream that has resulted in this great site.

The only cure for those "gifted children" is tough love, and you do cure them well. Do you believe that UEFA had figured out to "deal" with elites? ;)They surely give out some big bowls.

Pierino, whoever said political science has nothing to do with elitism :)

Wow, what a great thread. I've been here almost since the beginning, too. I think the contests are a game, and in creating recipes, it's fun to try and figure out what the editors are looking for. Like AJ, I try to gently let a member know if I tested their recipe and had problems with it. I also am happy that the testers are anonymous because it's easier to be very frank in the review. i realize the editors have more than enough to do, but it would be nice if we got feedback from all the reviewers when our recipes are tested--even when it's less than positive. I've sent notes privately, but I've hesitated to do that when my result has been really awful--which I guess puts me in the "too nice" category, and probably isn't all that helpful. Like boulangere, I only vote for recipes that I feel like I would want to make and eat--so there are some contests that I don't vote in. We're not in high school, so I think the risk of this being merely a popularity contest is minimal. But I do think that the longer you've been around, the more aligned you are with the editors' way of thinking (and eating), so you're more likely to figure out the game and come up with a chosen recipe. I know that some of my first recipes were just terrible (and have been blessedly deleted), and that I have become a much better cook and baker since I joined this site and have been cooking from it regularly. And it's fun. And I've been fortunate to have met a lot of you, so I feel like I have a new world of friends. So I guess I'm kind of glad that the entries aren't anonymous, because that would take some of the community aspect out of it, which I think is a lot more important and valuable than the competition aspect.

Bevi, indeed it has been interesting to listen to the various points of view, and listening is what matters. As one of the geezers here I've been trying to offer some perspective and I honestly don't believe that there's any bias toward an elite. I studied political science in college.
A few weeks ago a newcomer came in essentially stamped her foot on the floor and practically that the whole community judge her recipe before the community picks phase. I did try, as a geezer, to offer advice along the lines of "make your recipe title snappy, and make sure that your headnotes are as important as your recipe itself." Well, she went all Columbine. Some people just see advice as criticism. Last week's contest was "cereal". Do you think that if a recipe was just tagged "oatmeal" that it would be a CP?
I do know a lot of people here now. I respect and admire them. Sometimes I'm surprised when a recipe I've read doesn't make the cut. But oh well, it doesn't mean the recipe is dead, just dormant. I had a wild card winner a couple of months back and my recipe was three years old. An editor pulled it out of the slush pile. This week I do have a community pick out for testing, which really surprised me because I made deadline by only 15 minutes with no time for a photograph. Call it reciprocity, but I will be testing someone else's. I have all the ingredients and I intend to prepare it exactly the way it was written so that the author has his/her best shot in the competiton. Integrity matters.

This is a marvelous thread. It involves honest dialogue that we are engaging in. As a community, I feel we have an obligation to have open, honest discussions about what works for us on this site. We are the backbone of this site, and it's great to see real discussion taking place.

I love your response! There have been many contests where I haven't voted for either finalist because neither is one I would dream of making, for one reason or another. And when I do vote, it is for the recipe and its outcome, not for the author. Not cheesy at all!

This is a great thread.

I see both points, as someone who is new (ish? I've been on here for just over 1 year..), there is certainly a family of users that is hard to penetrate. True anonymity would be nifty, but I think it would be difficult to pull off and probably more bother than it's worth. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! I never vote for a recipe because someone "well known" was behind it, I think about "Would I cook it? Does it look good? Are the ingredients accessible or a reasonable price?" I hope people don't vote for one user over the other, but at the end of the day, it's the internet, a contest, and if the recipe is truly fantastic... well then, don't worry. It might not win, but people will make it, eat it and hopefully be pleased that they did. Isn't that what cooking is all about? Wow, this got cheesy, fast! ;)

I concur on that, AJ. An honest dislike has much more value in my eyes, than a poetical niceity which many of the reviews appear as.

Incidentally, am I the only one here who is finding the recipe reviews on CPs to be increasingly not very useful? Okay, I guess it helps to know that someone tried and liked a recipe. But so many of the reviews lately have all been sounding alike. Just sayin' . . . . ;o)

just to clarify, in my comment, I was referring to the community pick testers. I trust the food52 staff to select the best recipes to be photographed and tested, but I think If community testers provided comments anonymously, that would be helpful. I guess I'm still on the wanting honest recipe reviews.

The photography *factor* of this issue has not been brought up previously, to my knowledge, and plays a huge part in what recipes are featured again, and again, and again. So it adds yet another layer to the favorable promotion of a small minority of community cooks on this site. If we are taking the trouble to test recipes, wouldn't it be fairer for all recipes chosen by the community to be nicely photographed and displayed? Not only that, it is tedious to see the same recipes showcased, but under different ingredient categories.

Very true, AJ. Yet the intrinsic value of a recipe hardly ever is to be seen in the amateur photograph that many otherwise great cooks submit along. That moment comes when the recipes experience the wonderful signature Food52 pictorial treatment.

It seems that it would be difficult for recipes to be truly anonymous, at least the ones by people who submit regularly, as there are unique, identifiable styles of writing (what makes the recipes interesting!) as well as backgrounds and props in the photos that surely must be recognizable. E.g, nearly all of my breads are photographed on the beat-up crumb box on which they're always sliced, many dishes are shown on the weathered teak table on the deck right off my kitchen, etc. ;o)

Even though I am not necessarily convinced the contests should be anonymous, I do see how it could be beneficial. I hardly ever participate in the contests, but if you spend long enough time on here you just can't help but notice favoritism. It seems as if, if someone wasn't one of the first 100 people to join the site, you simple can't quite be accepted in the family. I often see submitted recipes in the contests that are strikingly similar, yet the one that does get attention belongs to an established member. It would be interesting to see if the editors can blind guess whether the recipes they choose come from those whom they know.

As many who have been a part of food52 since the beginning Pierino has been there and back and survived!

Personally, I think the whole idea of a food community is to get the "know" the other people in the community! I mean, how boring would life be without Pierino? :)

So you don't want to see all of the recipes being submitted for the contests until they are scrubbed of all names, then you don't want the editors to see the names when they look at them or any of us to see them when we review them as a community pick or vote at the end. I just don't see that as an issue. I am a major lurker here, but I look at the contests for ideas. I don't know anyone personally but I have come to know little bits about individuals and cooking styles. Don't change it

I don't think it would be such a bad idea to have anonymity. It does make all seem more objective. And I think it would contribute positively to the Food52 community.

I see both points of view. I do, however, think anonymity might allow for more honest and helpful reviews, where people don't need to be worried about giving constructive critique when necessary.

Please allow me to speak from experience here, and I do understand your point. Myself, I've been a contributor to Food52 almost since its inception four years ago. Early on, once you were chosen as a finalist in a competition it became like running for high school class president.Now the community has grown so large that I don't see that as an issue anymore. I have faith in Amanda and Merrill and the editorial SWAT team to chose appropriately. After that it's turned over to the vox populi to decide the winners. And please remember that none of us get paid for this---okay, sometimes we get some swag---so being recognized by your user name is not a bad thing.