Hi, all, there have been some questions about when Week 1 Christmas Countdown finalist announcements will be made, how they will be determined, and whether people can still submit photos for Week 1. So I will attempt to clarify here. If you have additional questions, please leave them below or email me.
- Week 1 finalists will be determined by the site trending algorithm, which factors in likes, views, and comments on each clip. Those photos that are trending highest (for each of Days 1 to 7), as shown in our Hot Spot, will be dubbed Week 1 finalists.
- Week 1 finalists will be selected around about 5 pm central time tomorrow (12/7), depending on my schedule, However, it may take me a few hours or more to write the post and post it, so don't be surprised if the actual announcement appears on the site after 5 pm central.
- You can submit Week 1 photos up until the time I select the Week 1 finalists (based on the site trending algorithm), but, in all honesty, it's highly unlikely that any Week 1 photos submitted this late in the game would trend to the top by tomorrow at 5 pm central.
- However, people can "vote up" existing Week 1 entries until 5 pm central (when I make the final call) by viewing, liking, and commenting on photos. If you find yourself in the middle of a tight race, now's the time to coax your friends and fans to jump on Cookie Connection to give you a "vote". (Remember, people must be Cookie Connection members to comment on or like anything on the site.)
- Though people can continue to like and comment on Week 1 cookies after the finalists are announced (and rankings may change), the finalists indicated in the Saturday Spotlight will remain the finalists going into the final voting round starting on December 28. Once finalists are named, they are the finalists throughout the duration of the contest.
- Week 2 to 4 finalists have yet to be selected, of course, so submitting into those clip sets now presents the best chance of winning. Those finalists will be selected according to this very same procedure per the schedule laid out in the graphic below.
Many thanks and best of luck, everyone! The entries have been so fun to see!
