DialIdol

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DialIdol

Screen shot of DialIdol software
Design by James Hellriegel Jr.
Latest release v3.5.0.0
OS Windows ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista
Website http://www.dialidol.com

DialIdol is both the name of a computer program for Microsoft Windows and its associated website that tracks voting trends for American Idol contestants. The program allows users to automatically vote for the American Idol contestants of their choice using their PC's modem. The program then reports back to the main website, which keeps track of the results based on the percentage of calls for each contestant that result in a busy signal. DialIdol assumes that more busy signals means more callers are attempting to vote for that contestant.[1] DialIdol was created during the fourth season of American Idol and was released to the public at the start of the fifth season.

Users can choose to vote equally for their chosen contestants, choose to keep certain contestants "safe" (by voting for their chosen contestant who is ranked the lowest), or choose to keep certain contestants "unsafe" (by voting for the lowest-ranked contestant who is not on their list).

In addition to American Idol, the software may also be used to vote for Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. In 2006, DialIdol also supported Celebrity Duets and Canadian Idol.

Contents

[edit] American Idol predictions

[edit] Season 4 predictions

With a limited number of callers in Season 4, DialIdol claimed an accuracy rate of 65%.[2] Contestants Constantine Maroulis, Scott Savol, and Anthony Fedorov each were listed second to last in the weeks that each was eliminated. DialIdol correctly predicted that Vonzell Solomon would be eliminated in the week with 3 Idols, and also correctly predicted in the final week of the season that Carrie Underwood would win over Bo Bice.[3]

[edit] Season 5 predictions

DialIdol was 87% accurate for Season 5 of American Idol. The accuracy climbed substantially when the formula for weighting the busy signal ratio was altered to reflect the U.S. population distribution (higher weight for the results from the Eastern and Central time zones than for the rest of the country).[4] This formula was first put to the test on April 6, 2006; as a result, the newly-weighted results correctly listed the bottom three contestants (Mandisa, Elliott Yamin, and Paris Bennett) hours before the official results show. The correct prediction spawned national attention as a result.[5][6][7]

By the middle of the season, the show's producers added additional phone lines for each contestant sooner than ever before in the show's history (final six). DialIdol successfully incorporated the additional lines into the overall calculations and released a new version of the software with a refined formula on May 9, 2006. Following these changes, the site correctly predicted Chris Daughtry's elimination on May 10, 2006[8][9] as well as Yamin's elimination on May 17, 2006.[10] In the final week of American Idol Season 5, DialIdol also predicted that Taylor Hicks would win over Katharine McPhee.[11]

[edit] Season 6 predictions

For the sixth season of American Idol, DialIdol made 21 correct predictions and 2 incorrect predictions for an accuracy rate of 91%. On April 18, 2007, when LaKisha Jones, Blake Lewis, and Sanjaya Malakar were in the bottom three and Malakar was eliminated, the website ranked them in fifth, sixth, and seventh place, respectively.[12] Chris Sligh, Chris Richardson, and Jones were also listed as the lowest-ranking contestant in the week that each was eliminated. In the Top 3, DialIdol was not able to make a prediction as the three contestants' scores were within the margin of error (see below}; in its listings, Melinda Doolittle was ranked first, followed by Jordin Sparks second, and Blake Lewis last. Doolittle was eliminated that week.[13] In the final week of American Idol Season 6, DialIdol predicted that Jordin Sparks would win over Blake Lewis.[14]

[edit] Season 7 predictions

For the seventh season of American Idol DialIdol made 30 correct predictions and 1 incorrect prediction for an accuracy rate of 97%.[15][16] In the second through fifth weeks of the competition, David Archuleta was the only contestant predicted to be safe each week. In the first week as well as in the Top 10 week, three of the remaining contestants were declared to be safe, with the rest in danger of being eliminated. DialIdol listed Chikezie, Ramiele Malubay, Carly Smithson, Brooke White, Jason Castro, Syesha Mercado, and Archuleta as the lowest-ranking contestant in the weeks in which each was eliminated. In the Top 7 week, DialIdol incorrectly predicted that Kristy Lee Cook would be safe; instead, she was eliminated that week.[17] In the Top 4 week, Castro was the first contestant of the year to be definitively predicted to be voted off, which was proven correct when Castro was eliminated on May 7, 2008. In the Top 3 week, Mercado was correctly and definitively predicted to be eliminated on May 14, 2008. For the finale of the seventh season, DialIdol correctly predicted that David Cook would win over Archuleta.

[edit] Controversy

[edit] Legal challenge

In March 2006, DialIdol received a "cease and desist" order from Fox, who alleged copyright infringement. According to the site's creator, Jim Hellriegel, Fox's lawyers also told him that his site was acting as a potential "spoiler," as they claimed it posted results. The site was taken down temporarily. After consulting with lawyers and determining that what they were doing was legal, the Web site, with a redesigned logo and other cosmetic changes, was put back online.[18]

[edit] Contestant rankings

Because DialIdol does not take text messages into account, and because of other problems with measuring busy signals, there exists a margin of error for each contestant's score. Because of this, often 50% or more of the contestants are predicted to be in danger of being voted off.[1] Also, DialIdol has been criticized for its impreciseness in ranking the contestants; however, the program's creator has asserted that DialIdol "was never designed to get the results slot for slot right."[6]

[edit] Power dialing

According to the American Idol producers, monitors are in place to identify and remove "power dialers," which use technical enhancements to their phone systems to allow for multiple votes.[19] DialIdol is not a power dialer, according to Fox spokeswoman Jennifer Sprague. "Using a modem dialer is not the same as ‘power dialing.' A person manually using a redial button on a standard telephone can generate as many call attempts as a modem dialer.”[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c "'Idol' Maker", The Plain Dealer, April 29, 2007
  2. ^ DialIdol.com FAQs, DialIdol.com
  3. ^ DialIdol Season 4 Predictions
  4. ^ "Ringing true", Boston Globe, May 2, 2006
  5. ^ DialIdol Predictions, Season Five, Week with 9 Idols, DialIdol.com
  6. ^ a b "Website Bucks Odds, Nails 'Idol's' Bottom Three", L.A. Times, April 6, 2006
  7. ^ 'American Idol' Contestants Attract Web Handicappers and Pundits. New York Times (2006-04-11).
  8. ^ DialIdol Predictions, Season Five, Week with 4 Idols, DialIdol.com
  9. ^ "DialIdol.com had Daughtry's number", USA Today, May 15, 2006
  10. ^ DialIdol Predictions, Season Five, Week with 3 Idols, DialIdol.com
  11. ^ DialIdol Predictions, Season Five, Week with 2 Idols, DialIdol.com
  12. ^ DialIdol Predictions, Season Six, Week with 7 Idols, DialIdol.com
  13. ^ DialIdol Predictions, Season Six, Week with 3 Idols, DialIdol.com
  14. ^ DialIdol Predictions, Season Six, Week with 2 Idols, DialIdol.com
  15. ^ Official Comments On Season 7 Predictions, DialIdol.com
  16. ^ DialIdol Update Page, DialIdol.com
  17. ^ DialIdol Predictions, Season Seven, DialIdol.com
  18. ^ "Idol Tries To Disconnect Speed-Dial Predictions Site", MTV News, March 23, 2006
  19. ^ American Idol: FAQs americanidol.com

[edit] External links