EEVblog Giveaway Contests

[EEVblog]

I'm thinking about having a kinda-regular giveaway contest thing on the blog.
Ex-review multimeters, kits, or whatever I have at the time.

Any ideas on how best to run this? I want to give everyone a fair go, but only those who bother to enter.
i.e. I don't want to randomly pick a forum user and find they haven't logged on for 6 months or something.

And BTW, it looks like there will be a Rigol DS1052E up for grabs shortly as well!

Dave.

[scrat]

Why not something like you've done some time ago, when the challenge was to understand what a board was intended for? I visited too late it, because at the time I was not a member, but I enjoyed reading the posts of people, and hoped to be in such a contest. Perhaps it could be something easier..

[Kiriakos-GR]

Well , if this offer has to do mostly with the regular members ...

The messages counter, its your helper ...

You have only to set the number of minimum messages , that qualify s some one as " participant  " .

It will be always an announcement of the board ,  about the item and an period of days ,
so any one who needs this item , to show his interest with an message like " Me too " .
This member will receive instantly an email with an 4 digits number ( lottery number ) .


The last day of the predefined time period ,  one moderator it will select an number , and it will become an public announcement  about it .

That's  my thoughts so far .  

 

[cksa]

Some kind of a challenge to make it a bit more interesting rather than just a random draw would be nice!

[orbiter]

Once you know who has taken part you could always enter the names of those who have given it a fair crack into 'list randomizer' to get a result.
 
http://www.random.org/lists/   

[XynxNet]

You should think about the handling of shipping costs. Many of us live overseas.
I suggest that the receiver pays the shipping costs. The question is how. Paypal? Unfree postal service? (Does something like that even exist for international shipping?)

[Hypernova]

You should think about the handling of shipping costs. Many of us live overseas.
I suggest that the receiver pays the shipping costs. The question is how. Paypal? Unfree postal service? (Does something like that even exist for international shipping?)

If the receiver really want it I'm sure they will gladly pay.

A pure draw would mean that those who don't really need it may get it, while with challenges if the bar is set too high the "young players" who can really use them might lose out.

[cksa]

Could be an "easy" challenge.

like...guess how many resistors are left in this reel...or something "non-technical" like that to give everyone a chance

[Mechatrommer]

who would be able to generate the fastest oscillator/PWM through IO pin using pic10f202/206! i'm in!

or at least make the most challenging EE contest ever, but yet using not so expensive components. at least something to be proud of as achievement for EEVBlog community, something that will attract outsiders and be kept talked about. its not like designing the fanciest 32x32 leds project , hackaday or ladyada will make fun of us. its more like something that closely related to EE subject or more generic design that can be utilized on top of other design (think open source and open hardware!).

Well , if this offer has to do mostly with the regular members ...
The messages counter, its your helper ...

i dont agree, even if i'm more eligible than you are . basing on how long a person become a member will be more relevant, since there are alot more lurker expert here than you can think of that can suddenly pop out with excellent design. but sadly they are not so good contributers. high contributing factor should be counted in the election better, but i dont think there will be an easy way to find out who.

If the receiver really want it I'm sure they will gladly pay.

i agree

A pure draw would mean that those who don't really need it may get it

i agree too

while with challenges if the bar is set too high the "young players" who can really use them might lose out.

they deserve to lose, as u said it yourself, if the receiver really want it, he can buy from somewhere else.

i'm insisting on high standard, but dont let the cost factor influences the decision of a member that could do the contest better, but unluckily dont have enough fund to do it.
considering the cost factor will automatically prevents the standard to become too high (such as FPGA+MCU+LCD etc project will cost something significant! and too complicated too! to be achieved by young players)

[Strube09]

How about a question regarding the Video the product was featured in. This would ensure they watched the video.... Then if they get it right then they are in the drawing and a random pick of the right answers would win.

Or you can say that you have had atleaset X amount of posting in the past week to be in the drawing. This ensure people are always adding value and content to the forums.... however I can see this back firing from people posting random junk just to keep and "Active" status.

Just some ideas.
good luck

[adam1213]

Well , if this offer has to do mostly with the regular members ...

The messages counter, its your helper ...
You have only to set the number of minimum messages , that qualify s some one as " participant  " .

please don't encourage people to write spam bots.

who would be able to generate the fastest oscillator/PWM through IO pin using pic10f202/206! i'm in!

that actually has a few uses - if you can do it fast enough you can generate colour tv patterns :O (well maybe with a different pic and with it overclocked)


How about having more than one way of giving things away. (even if some ways of giving things away don't work out you might get an idea of which ways work best)

[Kiriakos-GR]

who would be able to generate the fastest oscillator/PWM through IO pin using pic10f202/206! i'm in!

I can learn that, with just a phone call at Hong Kong ..  

The lottery idea still sounds more "practical " .
But I am not going to write an third message on this thread, about it .

I am out    
  

[Kiriakos-GR]

please don't encourage people to write spam bots.

Well , you are truly new around , and I can verify from my experience ,
that no one survives in this forum with spam bots.

 

[migsantiago]

 

Whatever contest you organize, I'm in!

I want a new DMM... or a used one... I don't care. 

[.o:0|O|0:o.]

I like the idea of the raffle because it give everyone a chance.

Like in all raffles, participants should have to sign up in some way for a metaphorical ticket.

I think you would also have to make sure that a member doesn't enter under multiple accounts in some way. Giving the home/postal address details in advance would ensure this, I think.

Also, the participants should have logged in a minimum number of times since the previous contest/ raffle/ prize give-away in order to be eligible. This shows that the prize is of value/ relevant to you, it encourages new members to join and stay on and it prevents hordes of people swarming to EEVBlog only for the prize (though it would be funny to see what would happen if anyone was eligible!)

The selection criterion could be a random draw on a live show (that would be awesome!) or the prize could be awarded to the member with the most original idea for some sort of problem, the best idea for a design, or something like that (not necessarily involving technical detail or the veterans will win every time). Another entry criterion would be to post a short video clip of why you need the prize and what you would do with it if you won it, but you don't want to encourage stories of hardship and begging, and for a lot of people they already feel uncomfortable posting their name or photo.

I would definitely sign up as I really need a scope! But I think the idea is fun and exciting even if you don't win! (Oh, and an FPGA programmer....  )

Anyways...  

.o:0|O|0:o.

[orbiter]

Could be an "easy" challenge.

like...guess how many resistors are left in this reel...or something "non-technical" like that to give everyone a chance

^^ This.

Because if the challenge is too hard.. noobs like me won't have a chance And the EEVblog as far as I am aware is for noobs also

John

[mikeselectricstuff]

You want the selection process to be interesting, entertaining if possible, and not have to deal with large numbers of entries, and it should make entrants have to make some effort, so I suggest a question/challenge to which there is no 'right' answer, just the most interesting/unusual/funny, judged by Dave's entirely subjective opinion.

Could be as simple as a sentence on why you want this item.

[scrat]

You want the selection process to be interesting, and not have to deal with large numbers of entries, and make entrants have to make some effort, so I suggest a question/challenge to which there is no 'right' answer, just the most interesting/unusual/funny, judged by Dave's entirely subjective opinion.

Or, simply, one would have to answer an easy question to participate in the raffle...

[Strube09]

You could also do a your live show and give it away to people who are attending. Ths would encourge more viewers to your live events.

Just another idea.

[Mechatrommer]

Because if the challenge is too hard.. noobs like me won't have a chance And the EEVblog as far as I am aware is for noobs also

it will push us harder, but to improve, this can be a drive/purpose for a beginner to improve themself... including me

You could also do a your live show and give it away to people who are attending. Ths would encourge more viewers to your live events.
Just another idea.

so to encourage people to become imsomniac like me, and wake up late to work, but Dave's live is around 4am our timeline, somewhere in the middle of my dream/sleep. a major adjustment is needed for that. (th non EE'wise stuff)

[scrat]

I think Dave is gonna have another headache, when he will read all of our posts, everyone with his proposal for such a simple thing... 

[Nermash]

Could be as simple as a sentence on why you want this item.

I kind of like this proposal. Not too hard for beginers, should be enough to weed out spammers and bots with minimal human (Dave's or admin's) review time.

[Mechatrommer]

I think Dave is gonna have another headache, when he will read all of our posts, everyone with his proposal for such a simple thing...  

let his brain keeps running. who ask him to ask?

[orbiter]

I think Dave is gonna have another headache, when he will read all of our posts, everyone with his proposal for such a simple thing... 

For SuperDave it will be simple

[Polossatik]

You want the selection process to be interesting, entertaining if possible, and not have to deal with large numbers of entries, and it should make entrants have to make some effort, so I suggest a question/challenge to which there is no 'right' answer, just the most interesting/unusual/funny, judged by Dave's entirely subjective opinion.

Could be as simple as a sentence on why you want this item.

^I dig this. Seen the EEvblog is just about that , a personal totally subjective ramble, then it would only be right to hold contests with the same basic rule "Dave decides on possibly totally irrelevant things and is always right."

As for who can enter, how about everybody who's registered and has 1 post?