Did you get busy signals while voting for American Idol final round?

[DianaMo]

Did you get busy signals while voting for American Idol final round?

[photoshopgrl]

You forgot the option for

I didn't get busy signals because I texted my votes in :)

[Cearbhaill]

My Dial Idol dialed 960 times and registered 579 busy signals.
My husbands line dialed 942 times and was busy 553 times.
My mothers computer dialed 956 times and was busy 559 of them.

[JLucPicard]

These issues are just symptoms of a voting system that seems to grow more and more unjust every year. Simple land line "one at a time" voting with 95% busy signals feels inconsequential next to power texters able to fire off tens of thousand of votes with no busy signals, so fewer and fewer people are able to vote more and more.
If it wasn't for that I think even the most rabid fans would let it go.
Sorry - after reading the above in the results thread with regard to a mini-controversy about 'power-texting' or something like that, I just had to laugh when I read your above post in this thread! :D

[Cearbhaill]

Sorry - after reading the above in the results thread with regard to a mini-controversy about 'power-texting' or something like that, I just had to laugh when I read your above post in this thread! :D
Hey, if I can still feel inconsequential after voting like that, I stand by my point :D
I still got in far fewer votes than a power texter could have in way less than one hour.

[dthmj]

My daughters and I each tried on our phones about 20-30 times to vote for Kris and got a busy signal every single time.

[JLucPicard]

Hey, if I can still feel inconsequential after voting like that, I stand by my point :D
I still got in far fewer votes than a power texter could have in way less than one hour.
Agreed! And it pretty much puts the nail in the coffin for me that I may as well not waste my time anymore dialing my ten votes - granted, using the "Redial" button. :D

Not that I ever felt my votes made a difference anyway. :eek:

[Steveknj]

It's all rigged :D

[NJChris]

Agreed! And it pretty much puts the nail in the coffin for me that I may as well not waste my time anymore dialing my ten votes - granted, using the "Redial" button. :D

Not that I ever felt my votes made a difference anyway. :eek: Isn't it just for fun anyway? The show is entertainment. Sure I might want someone to win over someone else, but I've got just a few other more important things to think about than American Idol Conspiaracies. :)

[MickeS]

I have not voted at all this season because last season I barely got a vote through because of busy signals, and once I found out how meaningless it was to just call in a vote I lost interest in it anyway. Basically, only AT&T cell phone subscribers matter.

[MickeS]

Isn't it just for fun anyway? The show is entertainment. Sure I might want someone to win over someone else, but I've got just a few other more important things to think about than American Idol Conspiaracies. :)
For us as viewers it's entertainment, but for the contestants it's quite serious business.

[Alfer]

No vote from me.

[NJChris]

For us as viewers it's entertainment, but for the contestants it's quite serious business. Agreed, but their job will be entertainment. :)

[Alfer]

Agreed, but their job will be entertainment. :)


To some folks it may be entertaining...but not to all.

:)

[Sirius Black]

I didn't get busy signals because I texted my votes in. No trouble there.

[BrandonRe]

For us as viewers it's entertainment, but for the contestants it's quite serious business.

I imagine for the final two it's not nearly as serious as it is for some fans (remember the girls who were devastated last year after Cook beat Archuleta?). Both will make plenty of money from being on the show.

[DevdogAZ]

I have not voted at all this season because last season I barely got a vote through because of busy signals, and once I found out how meaningless it was to just call in a vote I lost interest in it anyway. Basically, only AT&T cell phone subscribers matter.
I think the effect of text votes is being greatly exaggerated. When people can use DialIdol to get in several hundred votes, there's no reason to believe that phone voting has any less of an effect than text voting.

But what really doesn't matter is the person who calls/texts in his/her one vote for their favorite contestant.

[MickeS]

I think the effect of text votes is being greatly exaggerated. When people can use DialIdol to get in several hundred votes, there's no reason to believe that phone voting has any less of an effect than text voting.

Cearbhaill above used her computer to call 960 times, and only 381 votes were registered. There are just a few thousand DialIdol users, which might be enough for their statistics to be fairly accurate, but they barely even make a blip on the vote radar for AI.

And then consider that pretty much everyone else who calls in to vote would do so manually - I don't think enough people are going to sit and dial manually, enduring 60% or so busy signals, for it to make any sort of impact compared to how many votes a person who texts can send in. If Cerbhaill had instead sent text messages, every one of her 960 votes would have been counted.

Consider that the number of total final votes in Season 2 was apparently around 25 million, and in the current season, it was around 100 million. I sincerely doubt that all of a sudden there are simultaneously fewer viewers of the show, and 4 times more callers.

I'd wager that almost all the added votes are because of text messaging, and that the people who call in are rendered insignificant for the determination of the end result.

[DianaMo]

It seems to me that if they wanted a really handy email list for each singer after the competition, they should have votes emailed in.

Then they can keep the voters updated on album releases, etc. in the future from the artist that they voted for.

Just an idea...

[ebockelman]

It seems like the easy solution is to just eliminate the phone voting and go text only.

[Cearbhaill]

It seems like the easy solution is to just eliminate the phone voting and go text only.
Then we would only have an AT&T Idol.

[sushikitten]

I tried to vote in previous weeks and never got through, so I didn't even try for the finale. Well, I take that back - I tried to text and it didn't work.

Apparently I need someone to walk me through text voting like I am three years old...

[MickeS]

I tried to vote in previous weeks and never got through, so I didn't even try for the finale. Well, I take that back - I tried to text and it didn't work.

Apparently I need someone to walk me through text voting like I am three years old...

Do you have AT&T as your cell phone provider? If not, texting in your vote will not work. :(

[sushikitten]

Do you have AT&T as your cell phone provider? If not, texting in your vote will not work. :(

Ahhhhhh.

Doh.

:o

Well that's asinine.

[DianaMo]

Do you have AT&T as your cell phone provider? If not, texting in your vote will not work. :(

What does AT&T charge for sending a text message?

Verizon charges I think a quarter, so I don't send them unless I really, really need to.

[Cearbhaill]

What does AT&T charge for sending a text message?

Unlimited is $19.99/mo.

[ebockelman]

Then we would only have an AT&T Idol.

They are a national provider, so what's the issue? If you want to vote, go buy a GoPhone. It would at least cut out the autodialer shenanigans.

[Cearbhaill]

They are a national provider, so what's the issue? If you want to vote, go buy a GoPhone. It would at least cut out the autodialer shenanigans.

That's just like saying only people who drive Fords can vote.
Or drink Coke.

They may be a national provider but that doesn't mean that every area in the country has decent coverage.
Maybe I don't want AT&T.

Voters should not be required to purchase goods or services of an official show sponsor in order to be able to cast votes, not if they want to be able to claim the results as being representative of "America".
I see that as a conflict of interest.

[Jesda]

I got zero votes in.

[ebockelman]

That's just like saying only people who drive Fords can vote.
Or drink Coke.

They may be a national provider but that doesn't mean that every area in the country has decent coverage.
Maybe I don't want AT&T.

Voters should not be required to purchase goods or services of an official show sponsor in order to be able to cast votes, not if they want to be able to claim the results as being representative of "America".
I see that as a conflict of interest.

This is a TV show. I have no problem with interactions from the viewer happening over a sponsor's service.

[DianaMo]

'American Idol' sets Chicago auditions
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/06/american-idol-sets-chicago-auditions.html

[Alfer]

So I see Adam finally outed himself...sad he couldn't do it during the whole buzz during the show.

[That Don Guy]

'American Idol' sets Chicago auditions
Fox also has put the release and audition/eligibility forms online, and they're keeping the rule from last year where everybody who didn't make it as far as a live show (even those who lost the "sing-offs") is eligible for the upcoming season, assuming they didn't turn 29 on or before June 12.

-- Don

[Cearbhaill]

NY Times article on powervoting. (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/arts/television/10idol.html?ref=arts)

[DianaMo]

SEASON 9 AUDITIONS
http://www.americanidol.com/auditions/season_9/chicago/

'Idol' makes first pass through Chicago's talent
But few are called back for second round of 'American Idol' auditions

By Mark Caro | Tribune reporter
June 23, 2009

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-0623-idol-auditionsjun23,0,5322571.story

Photos:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-090620-idol-chicago-2009,0,6354758.photogallery

Video:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=f9a468ab-d4f0-4501-ba0a-ca0624d7355c&cat=d3f6f830-04b5-4416-9fc1-d59ac92b4b8a&src=front

Daily Herald photos
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=302038

Sun Times article
http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/television/1623060,w-american-idol-auditions-boston-061509.article

Newsday photos (some look familiar)
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/chi-090620-idol-chicago-2009,0,7513736.photogallery

Interviews w/ contestants

Links to videos of :
Aerials of hopefuls waiting in line.
10,000 Idol hopefuls show up to Chicago auditions.
Hopefuls line up days in advance for an audition spot.
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/entertainment/American_Idol_Chicago_Auditions_Preview

Go to the Front of the "Idol" Line!
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/entertainment/Private_Idol_audition_KISS

Google Blogs search : Keywords: American Idol Chicago
I imagine someone brought a camera...
http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=American+Idol+chicago&btnG=Search+Blogs