The Person Has Spoken
At the Mobile HCI conference this week, the poster that Samantha and I worked on won the Best Poster award. If you didn’t get to see it yet, here it is zoomed way out. The file is large, so you’ll have to take my word for it that it’s really nice. =P
The Best Poster judging was an impromptu competition, announced Thursday morning in the session before the formal poster session. “Please take time to look at the posters over lunch. You can then vote for your favorite poster as part of the Best Poster competition.”
The voting box sat on a table across from the posters. There was not much indication of what it was from afar, you had to really be looking for it. I forgot about it since I was busy explaining my posters to passersby. I even forgot to vote myself. However, a friend I made at the conference swung by during the poster session. We didn’t talk much about my poster, but I told him to go vote for it.
Throughout the poster session, I kept an eye on the voting box, but never really saw anyone over there. My poster was right across from it, so I had a pretty good view… which makes me wonder, who actually voted for the best poster, besides the guy I told to vote? Nobody I talked to actually voted, so it makes me wonder what the Best Poster award actually means at this conference. But nonetheless, the honor will adorn my academic vita going forward.
Since my poster was about using mobile phones to enable citizenship and participatory democracy, this situation got me thinking. Maybe this is the new wave of democracy. Announce elections very quietly, so people don’t realize that they are happening. Then, ask people who support you to specifically go to the polls at the right day. I can see this happening in 2 years in some red states, where the only people on the ballot will be GWB and Mickey Mouse. What slicker way to get a third term?
Congratulations! I’m sure more people voted than you think.
Did you also happen to win the phone throwing contest?
Comment by Eric — September 17, 2006 @ 6:48 am
Are you suggesting that George W would make a better president than Mickey Mouse? That’s just crazy talk brought on by jet-lag.
More importantly, though: Congratulations on the poster! And I agree with Eric–I’m sure more than one person voted.
But think of it this way: if only a handful of people took the time to do it, then those who felt compelled to take the time to do it are probably exceptionally opinionated and analytical, which makes your win more of a compliment than if everyone had been forced to vote.
Last opinion of the evening: I think you should organize a global Human-Hopscotch Interaction Conference, invite me, and hold it in Hawaii.
Comment by Sarah — September 17, 2006 @ 11:41 pm
Thank you both for your support. I’m sure more people voted too, but it’s funny that most of the attendees claimed to not have known about the competition.
As for the mobile phone throwing competition - I didn’t win. I wasn’t even able to participate… by the time I dragged myself there after a day of tutorials, I could barely keep my eyes open. I just bailed and took a taxi back to the hotel.
Comment by zaiss — September 18, 2006 @ 12:29 am
Congrats Sam! That’s exciting! =D
Comment by Kayre — September 18, 2006 @ 3:24 pm