Guardian Playoff

I am as puzzled by this as you Ralph, and can assure you that it's nowt to do with me. I've told about 15 or 20 friends, as I'm sure anyone selected would, and that's it. None of them have got the nouse to bombard the Guardian's system! Like you, I'm sad that a good idea seems to have been spoiled.

Maybe you met 1,650 people yesterday for the first time Ralph?

John Of course I know that you were not involved. I have my suspicians and thats all I am saying. Anyway, It looks like you have won, and you problerey deserved to. Don't take it as a hollow victory, because I voted for you and some of my fair-minded pals at UCL did as well. Cheers Ralph

And there is my suspician. I think Mr Wise One has returned to the scene of his crime. Nice one mate Ralph

Where's the link to the guardian playoff thing? Just been to the guardian website and can't find it...

Problerey? And no, it wasnt me. It was just a simple explanation of how it might have happened.

http://books.guardian.co.uk/games/playoff/0,5917,94815,00.html There we go Jon. Hope that your cookies are ok oh Wise One. Ralph

Never been there before. Looks kinda fun.

Cookies? Can you enlighten me Ralph?

Of course I can enlighten you. It appears that if you disable your cookies on your computer you can vote as many times as you want. A friend told me this. I will not do that of course but I feel that someone has (ohh I wonder who, suggestions are most welcome). I may be a bastard sometimes but I am not a cheating git. Ralph

Dear All Just recieved this from The Guardian. A reult for all concerned I feel, except the possible cheaters. Ralph Dear Ralph Thanks for your email. We are looking into the unusual voting patterns on this month's poetry playoff as it is possible that it is a technical fault. Given that there were also problems at the beginning of the month, we may well run the three poems again next month, having set the votes back to zero for all. I hope this is acceptable. Best, Michelle Pauli guardian.co.uk/books

Such gall you have Ralph.

I'll be very happy if they do this - I phoned them to tell them that I didn't want to win if someone had been fiddling the books and they suggested the replay as a solution, which I agreed with. Let's hope that either the technical fault or the meddling is booted out!

If cheating and fiddling the figures is good enough for pop idols and US presidential elections then ... ... I'll get me coat ...

cheating eh? bugger .... if i'd known that i would've panned that tom saunders good and proper ...

Well how strange that you know how to fiddle these things Ralph, but then we all know a man of YOUR integrity would never stoop to anything so low as skulduggery don't we poppit.

I think Ralph's been a bloody good sport with barenib over this. They both have. It will be a damned shame if the things scrapped. Good luck to both of oyu and whoever the third person is, if there are three.

Thanks Sooz.

Mmm... Methinks I smell a dog in a manger.

This is horrific.

No Pal, it is terrific. Thanks for your thoughts Nonne Entity. x

[Someone really hates the hell out of me. ] Someone Larph? You're wrong again me old sosage, it's nearly everyone! I was hoping when you said tata you actually meant it, but then you always were a forked tongued tosser.

don't worry about it ralph, probably some silly little nerd who's got nothing better to do than sit in their darkened bedroom in their mum's house with their PC on. Probably got bored of Ma****bating into a sock over low-grade european porn sites, and decided to set a robot to vote against you. Good poems dudes - both of you

Thanks Jude A friend indeed. R x ps I am more worried about them than me.

Ralph, I hope that the problem will soon be resolved. When I gave you my vote two days ago you were in the lead with 46%. Good luck.

I see old mart is back in business. I think I'll usurp him/her and do a bit of that meself!! Who gives a @!#$ about the Guardian thing anyway?

er... writers.

Well ok, a few writers. Who else?