[Joel]

Different voting system could save fallen idols - November 3, 2005

Australian Idol’s random voting system is leading to the demise of hot favourites – as seen by Ricki-Lee’s departure from the high-rating program.

According to Tristan Barnett, a PhD student at Swinburne University’s media statistics unit, Ricki-Lee could have stayed in the competition if there was a cumulative voting system where votes from previous weeks were totalled.

Barnett said this voting system would have almost certainly ensured Ricki-Lee’s place in the competition up until at least the top four contestants, given the amount of votes received, and the fact she had never been in the bottom three prior to being eliminated.

“Put simply, the public couldn’t be bothered voting every week. In last year’s Idol series Guy Sebastian was in the bottom three for one week and could have very easily been eliminated from the competition at that time,” Barnett said.

Under the current voting system, the votes are tabulated only on the present week and don’t take into account how well the contestants might have performed in prior weeks.

Barnett suggests an even better method would be to use exponential smoothing – a forecasting technique used in Swinburne’s sports predictions that takes into account past results but ‘weights’ performance in more recent weeks more heavily, lessening the chance of consistently good performers being kicked out.

For instance, a contestant such as Ricki-Lee could be cruising along for the first five weeks and then be eliminated the following week as a result of the public tired of voting for an apparent hot favourite on a week-to-week basis, instead preferring to vote for the underdog.

While the current voting system and its unpredictability adds to the appeal of the program, Barnett said an improved system would lead to a fairer result.
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I know its old but its damn interesting hey! She had enough votes tallied at week seven to get her up until it was down to four contestants (according to their research)

[<SiMoN>]

yer i think thats right people are onli voting for the weeks performance...

[katty]

Geez thats interesting..if only they had of introduced a different voting system during idol 2

[milsy_dm]

I know its old but its damn interesting hey! She had enough votes tallied at week seven to get her up until it was down to four contestants (according to their research)

Damn! Sure know how to bring up old wounds Joely I thought I had that awful night suppressed into the deepest darkest area of my soul.

Anyway, this voting system he speaks of would have been nice, however, if the public had knowledge of this I'm sure the voting would go down every week and whoever would be recieving the money for votes would no longer be recieving as much. We know they would never let that happen.

[Viv]

Wow... Thanks for that Joel.

Luv VIv

[Joel]

Haha, sorry D!

I'm glad she got out when she did. Otherwise she would have been signed to SBMG and treated like a peice of cr@p!

[Amyx]

Have A Look At It Like This, Guy, Kate, And Casey, Some People Dont Even Know Who These People Are, Everyone Knows The Runers Up, Shanonn, Anothy And In Some Cases Emily, (Kate Is Much More Known Than Emily Though.)
If Ricki-Lee Had Won, She Would Have Been Chucked To The Curb And People Would Have Forgotton About Her.
But Her Elimination Was Such A Sock That People Remembered Her, And Brought Her CDs.
So Im Glad She Was Eliminated When She Was.

[Hayley]

That's very interesting.

Thanks for posting Joely!

[Joel]

Amy, every word you post starts with a capital letter

Doesn't it annoy the hell out of you?

[Rosco74]

Ricki-Lee's success thus far has proven that she has suceeded more with the benefit of time.

The fact that she had alot of creative input into her album, singles choices & promotional abilities has really paid off for her.

Let's face it Australian Idol has outlived it's usefulness as far as I am concerned and I have no doubt that this years winner will struggle to maintain their profile/success post Aus Idol 06.

In saying that Aus Idol has succeeded in giving young australian artists the opportunity to creat a career within the australian music industry. But in my view enough is enough and the show should have been ditched at the end of 2005.

At the end of the day I am so glad Ricki-Lee lived up to that old saying "GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT".

Rosco 74

[westywoodle]

Haha, sorry D!

I'm glad she got out when she did. Otherwise she would have been signed to SBMG and treated like a peice of cr@p!

so true i think she's done heaps better on her own anyway

[Talula]

lol.... interesting yes.... but... I dunno...
Thanks for posting that JOEL.

[Soph]

that's interesting sad in a way, i reckon the votes for any show like idol (dancing with the stars, it takes two etc) should be like that, totalled every week :yes:

it's also really good, cause we know that ricki's super loved

Soph

[{zoe}]

I think that they should change the voting system, it would make it much fairer.

[anniex]

wow, that was interesting. but i think she was better off coming out when she did. then she didnt have to rush her album, and could write her own songs and stuff if she wanted to.