SMS voting - some further thoughts

I know the debate about SMS voting is hot at the moment. We put it out there to get everyone's thoughts and thanks for the comments...it has been interesting. I thought it best to explain some of the reasons ... see below

1. We looked at other voting models such as Australian Idol, So You Think You Can Dance and Australia's Got Talent. They work well and the public gets to have their say.

2. Limiting the voting to one per email / mobile / code makes it harder for entrants who don't have a large network. If you have Entrant A who lives in a small town and has a network of 10 people then it is unlikely that you will beat Entrant B who lives in the city and may have a huge family network. We may still go down this way though ....

3. Internet voting last year was sometimes difficult for people, especially towards the end of the competition when they wanted to cast some last votes but they had issues with internet access - hence the mobile option.

4. Having judges view entrants over the internet is something we have considered but is also difficult. We are trying to make it 'real' and if judges are only looking at some photos and a few words how do they know the entrant would be a great 'real' model...personality is a huge part of the process. This is why there is a judging panel at the final event - SMS voting determines the top 10 finalists and then judges choose the Next Real Model winner.

5. We will also promote the voting to general public more than last year...and make it very attractive by offering a cash prize for voters. This will be a random draw, not the person who votes the most!!!

6. If we held actual auditions similar to other competitions, then we would limit the number of people who could enter - this way anyone, anywhere in Australia can enter...without travelling

Hope this clears up some of the issues that have been discussed on our Facebook page. We are trying to make if fairer for everyone.

Thanks for the comments.