[Jason Dunn]

When I announced the big contest last week, there was a little confusion about how exactly it was going to work. This message should clear everything up. First up, the timeline for each giveaway will be as follows:

• September 12th: ViewSonic V35
• September 19th: ViewSonic V37 (donated by Viewsonic)
• September 26th: Iogear Bluetooth CompactFlash Card for PDAs (donated by Iogear)
• October 3rd: Pharos Pocket GPS Navigator for XDA (donated by Pharos)
• October 10th: Iogear MicroHub USB 1.1, four port hub (donated by Iogear)
• October 17th: Sena Dell Axim cases (x2) (donated by Sena)
• October 24th: Adaptec Ultra Wireless Access Point (x2)
• October 31st: RoadWired Podzilla (Olive colour) (donated by RoadWired)
• November 7th: Pretec 128 MB SD card
• November 14th: Fellows Stowaway XT Folding Keyboard (donated by Think Outside)
• November 21st: Microsoft Pocket Paks x3 (donated by Microsoft)
• November 28th: Colorgraphic Voyager VGA Output Card (x2) (donated by Colorgraphic)
• December 5th: Handango Mobile2Market gift cards - each card contains a free coupon code for any one Mobile2Market Pocket PC or Smartphone application x 20 cards ($10 to $30 USD value each, donated by Handango)
• December 12th: 256 MB CF card
• December 17th: 1 GB CF card

If you're a subscriber, you're automatically in the drawning for each prize. I considered trying to filter for device type (because some of the prizes are device-specific), but ultimately decided it would be too complicated. So if you win a prize you can't use, it's up to you to sell it, give it away, offer it back for another prize drawing, etc.

If you're not a subscriber, please mail a postcard depicting a scene/attraction/something from your home town to me. It's worth noting that the cost of buying and mailing 15 post cards is probably more than becoming a subscriber and being entered automatically.

On this postcard, be sure to include the Web site where you saw the prize (Pocket PC Thoughts), the prize you want to be in the drawing for, along with your valid return email address, and the answer to this mathematical equation: 4 + 81 x (20 / 4). If you're entering multiple contests, you'll need to send in one postcard per contest - each postcard must state the name of the prize you're trying to win. Entries missing any of the above information will be excluded from the drawing, although we'll keep your postcard if it looks nice and hang it on our wall. :-)

A random drawing will be held from a pool consisting of all the postcard entries and the subscriber entries. Because the first drawing is in less than two weeks, international non-subscribers should start sending in their postcards immediately.

[Jason Dunn]

When I announced the big contest last week, there was a little confusion about how exactly it was going to work. This message should clear everything up. First up, the timeline for each giveaway will be as follows:

• September 12th: ViewSonic V35
• September 19th: ViewSonic V37 (donated by Viewsonic)
• September 26th: Iogear Bluetooth CompactFlash Card for PDAs (donated by Iogear)
• October 3rd: Pharos Pocket GPS Navigator for XDA (donated by Pharos)
• October 10th: Iogear MicroHub USB 1.1, four port hub (donated by Iogear)
• October 17th: Sena Dell Axim cases (x2) (donated by Sena)
• October 24th: Adaptec Ultra Wireless Access Point (x2)
• October 31st: RoadWired Podzilla (Olive colour) (donated by RoadWired)
• November 7th: Pretec 128 MB SD card
• November 14th: Fellows Stowaway XT Folding Keyboard (donated by Think Outside)
• November 21st: Microsoft Pocket Paks x3 (donated by Microsoft)
• November 28th: Colorgraphic Voyager VGA Output Card (x2) (donated by Colorgraphic)
• December 5th: Handango Mobile2Market gift cards - each card contains a free coupon code for any one Mobile2Market Pocket PC or Smartphone application x 20 cards ($10 to $30 USD value each, donated by Handango)
• December 12th: 256 MB CF card
• December 17th: 1 GB CF card

If you're a subscriber, you're automatically in the drawning for each prize. I considered trying to filter for device type (because some of the prizes are device-specific), but ultimately decided it would be too complicated. So if you win a prize you can't use, it's up to you to sell it, give it away, offer it back for another prize drawing, etc.

If you're not a subscriber, please mail a postcard depicting a scene/attraction/something from your home town to me. It's worth noting that the cost of buying and mailing 15 post cards is probably more than becoming a subscriber and being entered automatically.

On this postcard, be sure to include the Web site where you saw the prize (Pocket PC Thoughts), the prize you want to be in the drawing for, along with your valid return email address, and the answer to this mathematical equation: 4 + 81 x (20 / 4). If you're entering multiple contests, you'll need to send in one postcard per contest - each postcard must state the name of the prize you're trying to win. Entries missing any of the above information will be excluded from the drawing, although we'll keep your postcard if it looks nice and hang it on our wall. :-)

A random drawing will be held from a pool consisting of all the postcard entries and the subscriber entries. Because the first drawing is in less than two weeks, international non-subscribers should start sending in their postcards immediately.

[Wuss912]

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

one postcard per contest - each postcard must state the name of the prize you're trying to win. Entries missing any of the above information will be excluded from the drawing, although we'll keep your postcard if it looks nice and hang it on our wall. :-)

i wonder what the postman did to you? cause you just made his life that much worse

[GoldKey]

Originally Posted by Wuss912

i wonder what the postman did to you? cause you just made his life that much worse

I would think the extra business would be welcome to their bottom line. If he wanted to make the postmans life worse he could have had each person mail a brick! :twisted:

[upplepop]

Originally Posted by Goldkey

If he wanted to make the postmans life worse he could have had each person mail a brick! :twisted:

No way am I mailing him my Axim! :lol:

[GoldKey]

He could do one of those contests like they do in Wired and did in Games magazine (do they still publish that?). Where you had to make your mailer something interesting.

[David Prahl]

Jason, how are you going to randomly select winners? I'm guessing you're not going to write every member's by hand on a ping-pong ball, dump them in the family vacuum and see what comes out first.



Just curious - I'd like to know how you're going to combine the nice, clean subscriber list with the snail-mail entries and then fairly choose one.

[Jason Dunn]

My, my, aren't you just full of questions!

Originally Posted by David Prahl

Just curious - I'd like to know how you're going to combine the nice, clean subscriber list with the snail-mail entries and then fairly choose one.

I have a database dump of all the subscribers in a list, and each subscriber has a number beside it (let's say 90). I'll count the number of post cards that I have per contest and randomize them in their own pile (let's say 91 to 100). Let's say I have 100 in total. I'll then use a random number generator to pick a number between 1 and 100. If it's within the numerical bounds of the subscriber list, I'll pick the number. If it's within the numerical bounds of the post cards (numbers 91 through 100), then I pick from the previously-randomized post cards.

Sound ok to you? :-)

[David Prahl]

I knew you'd thought of something, I was just curious!



In case you can't tell, I'm in an unproductive, image-sorta-mood tonight! :mrgreen:

[Wuss912]

Originally Posted by Goldkey

I would think the extra business would be welcome to their bottom line. If he wanted to make the postmans life worse he could have had each person mail a brick! :twisted:

postalworkers = goverment employees so they dont really care that much about saving money or being busyier cause they dont seem to be able to be fired

[GoldKey]

Originally Posted by Wuss912

postalworkers = goverment employees so they dont really care that much about saving money or being busyier cause they dont seem to be able to be fired

Come down to Florida, the current governor just loves getting rid of state employees and hiring private industry to do the same job at many times the cost.