The Gadgeteer’s HP Magic Giveaway Contest Winner Chosen!

congrats on your prize winning entry, your talent has served you well.

Congrats

A small suggestion from me to Julie.

Could you comment on each picture you recieved with your impressions on the picture or why it was disqualified? It will be good i think for them to improve, including me.

Congrats, Lloyd! Great painting!

I sure wish there were prizes for runner-ups. I really wanted that mini-note… 🙂

Thanks for not even including me in the top 42 when I TATTOOED MYSELF WITH YOUR LOGO! Seriously…..You’ll be hearing from my fans….

Zane

Not saying I should have won, but really? Several people who took 1 hour to photoshop a picture made it to the top 42 when I, whom tattoo your EXACT logo on my leg FOR LIFE only makes it into the top 82. It’s logic people…. Obviously, I was discriminated against for winning an HP Dragon last contest…. it’s plain as day…

Zane:

I’m sorry that you’re not happy. But your idea was not original (as I specifically asked for in rule #1 of my contest details page). You used the same idea in a previous contest and then just sold the prizes on eBay. Come up with a new idea next time :o)

I congratulate the winner and this contest

I think the judge missed the boat on “unique”

JULIE:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thegadgeteer/3092654634/in/set-72157610578359785/

Could you atleast comment on the above. That was submitted by me. Atleast I can know why it didn’t get into the first cut even?

Zane:

Actually, I had learned about the tattoo contest entry from the 31 Days of the Dragon contest before I even posted my HP Magic Giveaway contest. All 50 site owners have been discussing this and the previous contest on a special private forum that Buzzcorps set up for us.

Although your contest entry was extreme, it just wasn’t original and creative enough for me to move it past the first cut.

Thanks for the great contest. Congratulations to the Winner!

Congrats Lloyd! I knew as soon as I saw your painting that it would win (though I hoped my entry would 😉 )
Enjoy the prize and I’m sure that whoever you share the love with will as well.
Peace to all!

You know, Lloyd, I would be quite happy to help you spread the love… 🙂

(Cough) HPMini (Cough)

sego:

You should not feel foolish at all. :o) You did a great job!

why do people get angry?? the prize was a computer package, not the cure for cancer.

you nearly won the contest and now disparage the judge for not selecting you, despite her kind and encouraging remarks, what are you thinking?

i enjoy these contests, from coming up with a unique idea, to seeing it come to life, to waiting for a decision to be made. i, too, become absorbed by them and let them consume way too much of me, BUT i don’t let them get the best of me.

the part i don’t enjoy is the aftermath and the inevitable cacophony of criticism about the winning entry. i don’t enjoy reading demands for explanations or independent interpretations of contest rules.

and since i appear to be in the midst of a rant on the topic, i’ll add that i find it both objectionable and inappropriate for entrants, or their drones, to attempt to influence the judges decisions with posts or comments. magnanimous promises and innuendos and sympathy eliciting posts are inappropriate and have no place unless specifically called for by the contest. by engaging in the aforementioned tactics, to win a “prize”, you cheapen some of the most noble of all human attributes.

when charity is genuine, it is sacred and private to the giver. it should never be part of a contract ie.- “if i win, i will…”. if it’s truly in your heart to give then you will give regardless. At least that’s my take on charity.

exploiting your condition to evoke an undeserved sympathetic response should be a criminal offense. if things in your life are bad winning a computer(s) will not help. you need to ask for a kind word or a hug or prayers. posts such as “i am typing this at the public library, with the one finger that the incurable flesh eating virus did not devour, because my house burned down while i was feeding the needy with food left over from my parent’s wake” really disgust me. if its true, its tragic, but you should be seeing a therapist not entering contests.

and dont even get me started on “i deserve it more” or “i need it more”. if thats not what the contest is about, don’t make yourself look petty by using such phrases to try to put yourself at the front of the line.

Let these contests bring out your best, not your worst. I’m always confused about how a person is seemingly kind and considerate only to be transformed into a venom spewing cobra when things dont swing their way.

my oldest son was angry when he discovered i hadn’t won. he asked me “aren’t you mad?”. I told him i was disappointed, but not mad, and added the old pearl of wisdom that if you can’t change it, you have to accept it. so rather than take a prize package from this contest, i take knowing that i set a good example for my son, an example that will serve him far more than any computer ever will.

remember, while it is discouraging to lose, losing does not make you a loser.

my rant is now complete!

[Edited at December 09, 2008 13:47:54 PM.]

Hi Julie!

thank u for the wonderfull contest, i think that i got to much “into” the contest. 😛
Anyways, of all the contests i have seen so far, definitely, urs was the BEST, becoz u atleast did not go for some crazy random draw, the prize went to a deserving person and i am more than happy 🙂

And the way u chose the winner, cut after cut..oh man..deadly!

But i realised that i completely enjoyed myself in this contest.

How are u now? u said u were not feeling well the other day

Hi,

First, it’s unfortunate there was not more competition, because it would have been good for both you and your site. All these contests should have been given info by these corporations about gaming laws.

By the way, that’s a problem that HP regularly has, as witnessed by Carly Fiorini who had been told that electronic eavesdropping was lawful! ;<). Every state has
gaming laws. Many countries outlaw different things. Many of these HP contests do not appear to be conforming to the law, and HP should have provided more guidance on this issue. I am not an attorney and am not giving you legal advice, just bringing this to
your attention if you should do more of this in the future.

For instance: http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/legal_guides/u-3.pdf

That is the link for the State of California. It get more complicated as you consider other states have different restrictions. International is a whole different ball game. I find these things interesting, which is the sole reason I'm posting this here.

 People are perfectly correct to expect consistency from you because you are now playing with the "big boys". HP does have corporate and shareholder responsibilities related to how they

conduct business. I found some confusion in your explanation of what you expected as opposed to what you picked. But, I never expected to win, just practicing as I have thousands of ideas for set designs and props as an aspiring film director.

 Microsoft has been having server problems or hacker problems,

if you believe the posts in England. I’m pointing this out because
as you grow, the international legal aspects also draw you into the international war on rights.

Microsoft has recently lost one of those battles in France.

 You seem nice, I hope you find your future corporate sponsorships less controversial. But, there is always risk of

being caught in the middle, so get used to it and enjoy.

[Edited at December 10, 2008 19:10:03 PM.]