Italian Table Contest Week 3 Winner Announcement

Congratulations Elinor!

Congrats to the winner but does anything else thing it's weird that the winner for every single week has been someone who has just joined Gather and has only posted pictures and not done anything else on the site? I'd like to see someone win who has been a member longer and actually participates. I thought this was a contest for real Gather members? There have been several longterm Gather members that have posted pictures and their pictures look just as nice and look more real, as in an actual setting in their home, not for a fancy event.

That's a very good point, Cimmorine Cimm.

Oops, I noticed my typos but it's just something I have wondered about. I've seen several entries for the contest but only the perfect looking restaurant type ones are winning. It'll be interesting to see who else wins, if it's along those same lines.

I agree Ciommorine...I just posted a few photos for the contest too, and I was thinking the same thing, I won;t get picked because I am actually a participating memeber of Gather! HA!

Congratulations Elinor! ANd I agree with Cimmorine & Holly. This happened in the AArp contest too. New people won & new accounts carried the vote never to be heard from again. I posted pics the first week and quickly realized that was the case again here. I do hope the winners stay after the contest to become interesting connections As a contest drew me here for the first time. I did not win that time either but I liked the site so I stayed.

ANd I checked and at least the winners are on the site daily but still have not postd anything but there winning photos No articles no pther photos either.

Thanks for the congratulations--best of luck to all the other entrants!

Congratulations Elinor.

Hello Everyone,

Many new members have learned about this contest through The Celebrity Italian Table website. But we encourage all members, both long time and new, to enter this contest. We do not give preference based on enrollment date on Gather.

Thank you all for your hard work and for sharing your photos! There are still two more chances to win a weekly prize. But everyone can get a FREE copy of the The Celebrity Italian Table Cookbook through the month of February. Barilla will donate $1.00 to America's Second Harvest for every cookbook downloaded, up to 100,000 downloads!

Actually, I just want to say that I have been a member of gather for quite some time and just became active when I retired. I was week one's winner and I HAVE posted other photos....my dog had nothing to do with this contest and his pictures are here. And I did in fact, learn about this contest throught the Celebrity Italian Table. My table also was for a dinner I was having, not a "fancy event"(although of course, I try to make all my dinners a relatively "fancy event" so to speak b/c I care about my guests.

Oops..I don't know why it says I've been a member only since Jan 31 of this year? I've been signed up here for probably over a year? Maybe b/c that's when I finally filled out my profile or something? And maybe that's why it looks like some people just joined.

I am a newer member, and I do not see anything wrong with somebody who enters this contest because of another venue. Borders Books sends out promotional for Gather contests.

I don't think the people who are busy with careers and family, etc should be penalized b/c they do not have the time to sit on their computer and post oodles of comments, pics, etc. - it is a competition about beauty in table settings - and they should look fancy and appealing! This is not a popularity contest between the long-standing members of Gather and the newbies to this site.

I do hope the winneres who recently joined like Gather as much as I did and stay and become great members. I was once drawn here by a contest as I stated above. What is annoying though our those that win and then do not continue with gather as happened in another contest here at Gather.

I agree, April~ I can imagine it's disappointing to be part of the group and see new people swoop in and win things, but we all have to start somewhere I guess. I am enjoying being here and find it very stimulating intellectually and creatively, so I will stay whether or not I win.
Not to offend anyone, but I think it would help if people who HAVE been here and sort of "know" each other, didn't grouse about newbies to the site winning. I know I entered because I was sent an email about it and because tablesetting happens to be something I absolutely am passionate about, so I thought it would be fun to enter. Not to just come and take what I could get and then kick the site to the curb, so to speak. I have to be honest and say that I was a little taken aback when I read a few of the comments here and it hurt my feelings. Maybe that's why some of the other people didn't come back. Just a thought.
Personally, I don't think I'd even notice whether someone had just joined or not. It's a way for the site to increase their visibility and once someone is here and sees what great site it is, they'll want to come back. If they don't, then; do you really want them?

Congratulations to all the winners.

Reese, I agree. Some people are just finding out about these contests from their friends, and just finding out the website. And, like you said, not everyone has the luxury of time to devote to commenting on tables or articles. I'm glad I don't have to judge this contest because there are some beautiful tables featured!

I totally agree with April, Holly and Cimmorine.