So here's the first poll. Should the cels and sketches be put back together for the annual awards OR should they be split into 2 separate awards each year? You are free to vote without posting an opinion if you choose or feel free to post an argument in your favor.
I went ahead and voted to merge the awards. The reason is that most series these days are created purely by CG. If we had an awards with strictly cels (and only production cels at that) then we'd be looking at the same cels from the same series each year. By adding sketches were are able to add more variety and more series to the awards.
"Life can only be lived looking forward. It is understood when looking backwards" - Hadji From Real Adventures of Jonny Quest Gold Knight's Cel Gallery - Rubberslug
Goldknight wrote:If we had an awards with strictly cels (and only production cels at that) then we'd be looking at the same cels from the same series each year. By adding sketches were are able to add more variety and more series to the awards.
That is what relizu are for - fresh blood.
ALSO: I voted last night (when the vote count was around 5) and made a post right after Alyssium. This morning, both my vote and my post were gone (hence, this new post). I talked to another person who also got logged out and their vote disappeared.
I voted to separate. The reason is simple: cels are the end product of a long process of studio planning, and they impress through a combination of artistic design factors, especially color.
But the actual object is a "paint-by-numbers" job done on an assembly line. (Jan Scott Frazier, who worked for an animation studio during the high point of production, observed that cels were typically subcontracted overseas and painted under sweatshop conditions. One batch came from a political prisoners' compound in the Republic of China. So in some ways cels are like licence plates in the US.) So a cel is not so much an art object as a corporate product.
Sketches, by contrast, are art objects, the result of a single artist putting pencil on paper. The roughs and gengas are, for that reason, much more important in understanding how animation works, and for appreciating their actual aesthetics. But unlike cels they are "monochrome" objects, much less immediately appealing than the colorful, multifaceted cels. When the two contests were merged, I felt that the rules of voting inevitably discriminated against the sketches, which take more discrimination to view and judge than the "street-appeal" oriented cels.
Don't get me wrong: I collect both and love both. But I think they make their impact through such different artistic media that it would be a mistake to try to judge both in a single contest. It would be like trying to judge a stage play vs. a movie (same issue: individual artistic effort vs. corporate studio product).
ReiTheJelly wrote:ALSO: I voted last night (when the vote count was around 5) and made a post right after Alyssium. This morning, both my vote and my post were gone (hence, this new post). I talked to another person who also got logged out and their vote disappeared.
That's what happened to me -- normally, I remain logged in, but when I visited Beta this morning, I was logged out and when I logged back in and came to this thread, it was as if my vote was never recorded. Also, all the posts I read last night were marked as unread again O.o. Weird. Though some of that could be explained by cookies, but the vote not being cast is strange.
Anyways, I voted to keep the two separate for the same basic reasons as others have mentioned.
I see my post disappeared as well. I had responded to Rei's questions. Hmmmmm
"Life can only be lived looking forward. It is understood when looking backwards" - Hadji From Real Adventures of Jonny Quest Gold Knight's Cel Gallery - Rubberslug
To quote The Offspring, "...You Gotta Keep 'em Separated..."
More Chances to be a winner!!!!!!......or is that more chances to be a loser??!!! .....Can I change my vote? ......Self......worth......in .......question.......
...... These are fun activities(or at least they should be, since this hobby should be for enjoyment) Who wouldn't want to have twice the fun? Ooooohhh, maybe a year end event where we combine winners from both events and have a best of year event?...Is is that counterproductive? Separating them just to bring them back together?......hmmm now where can I plant these seeds?......
HA! Oh my. Y'all crack me up. Anyhoo........ I think it's safe to say that the people have spoken and thus the awards will stay separate. I don't see an additional 50 votes coming in the next few day. So if it's alright with everyone else I will move on to the next poll.
"Life can only be lived looking forward. It is understood when looking backwards" - Hadji From Real Adventures of Jonny Quest Gold Knight's Cel Gallery - Rubberslug
I would suggest letting this poll run for at least a week.
A-B has enough members who don't visit very frequently that this would be a good courtesy to them. But perhaps some time this weekend we can begin the next poll, seeing as how this year will see the need for many and we certainly don't want to take forever in making these decisions. However, the last thing these threads needs are people complaining that not enough notice to vote was given...
.....Can I change my vote? ......Self......worth......in .......question....... 
...... These are fun activities(or at least they should be, since this hobby should be for enjoyment) Who wouldn't want to have twice the fun? Ooooohhh, maybe a year end event where we combine winners from both events and have a best of year event?...Is is that counterproductive? Separating them just to bring them back together?......hmmm now where can I plant these seeds?...... 
So if it's alright with everyone else I will move on to the next poll.
For Uchiha (I didn't see a hugging emoticon...but you catch my drift.)