We're Giving $2,000 for the Best How-to Posts!

[gm0n3y]

[citation][nom]Vampyrbyte[/nom]Why is Rhode Island always omitted? It seems stupid, like a competition in the UK omitting people from Norfolk. Or like a website shunning a good 95% of the english speaking population with its US only competitions. Nice business guys.[/citation]
I think its a little stupid too, but the US contains more than 5% of the world's English speakers. The US has ~307 million people, the majority of which are English speakers (around 99%), the entire rest of the world would have to speak English since the US is close to 5% of the world's population.

And yes I'm being pedantic.

 

[tburns1]

I have no friends. I would lose. 🙁

 

[barryegerber]

Why we have to limit the contest to US residents only and exclude Rhode Island.

1. Rhode Island's requirement that an contest holder register before each contest and pay a $150 fee puts prohibitive limits on our resources - both human and material.

2. Every country and often every government entity in every country (the Rhode Island factor) has different rules on contests and especially on taxing prizes. Just to make a survey of all those rules and keep them up to date would cost us a great deal. Also, we have to deal with all the shipping rules, costs and someone would have to pay the tariffs. It's not a pretty picture.

As many of you have noted at one time or another, we are in business to make money. We don't make a ton of it, but we do have to answer to shareholders if we don't make any. We do a fair number of contests each year and messing with Rhode Island's laws, or ,worse, the whole world's laws on contests would be prohibitively expensive. Not only would we need to come up with any required fees, but we'd need to engage our lawyers every time. I can assure you that they would cost a lot more than any fees we might have to pay to a government entity.

 

[stoppard]

[citation][nom]Sihastru[/nom]You lost me at "it's your job to get your friends, family and co-workers voting for you by popularizing your how-to on Face book, Twitter, MySpace, etc."$1500 is not enough for such an extensive advertising campaign. [/citation]

Ditto.
I love this site and I have no problem with a little advertising, but the popularity contest aspect is insipid. How is this in any way a good idea?

 

[dirgle]

Man, this is getting frustrating. I have to decline participation in this event due to the Facebook, Twitter, Myspace account requirement. I despise and refuse to participate in those annoying social networking sites. And it's not just Tom's, more and more sites are getting on to the "interact with us through Facebook" band wagon. I was really hoping this was just a passing internet phase. But this phase is lasting way to long for my comfort.

 

[Supertrek32]

I was going to enter - this is the type of contest I'd actually be interested in - but then I saw it's little more than a popularity contest. I only add people I know personally on my facebook which means I only have 100 or so friends. Meanwhile Joe Shmuck adds everyone he sees and has 1200 "friends." I might write the best guide in the world, but it won't even get looked at because of people like Joe Shmuck.

 

[dannyaa]

yeah everything sounded good until the social networking part... smart advertising but I am not willing to advertise my nerdiness so extensively to all the hot girls on facebook... sorry Tom's...

 

[Guest]

So it is based on social networking popularity and not on actually being a good How To article. Pass.

 

[rockhome6]

i could write about How to - hold a contest and not announce the winners!!

 

[joytech22]

Freaking US only again?!

Come on! I know people who contribute SO much and don't live anywhere near the US.
I see how it is, Tom's is US therefore the rewards for contributing are US only, you KNOW not everybody who contributes is from the US and pretty much just kicked them out the door.

I hate websites that do this.. You could easily do this worldwide:

PayPal\Mail\Wired

And probably many other ways..

 

[joytech22]

Just adding that AUSD is worth almost the same as USD, $2000 in USD is about $1980 AUSD
Wait a minute, AUSD worth more than USD? Awesome.

 

[Mike00]

I also think it's kind of dumb to subject a how to, the same way you would subject a video or music for a contest, getting people who have no idea to vote on it, on most of them if it's to long, they will just skip it, no matter the content, it will loose.

Any who for those wondering why the contest is only US and why Rhode Island is excluded, it's all legal stuff and the cost of running the contest. It would take to much time and effort and money to make sure the contest suits all laws around the world, and the the fine print would be insanely massive and everyone would have to abide by all of the regulations that other countries would want, it would make it difficult as well, and they would end up paying more than the prize itself or what the contest is worth. For those that live in Rhode Island and are always pissed that the contest is not within your state and constantly blame the company running the contest, you may want to send a letter to the governor of your state, as it has to do with the laws regarding contests in your state and not the company, there are fees and other regulations that only Rhode Island has, the only state that has the most restrictions and fees.

If you want more info, read this (it's short):
http/www.howstuffworks.com/question541.htm

 

[alyoshka]

That's really very little money for a very good guide on how to anything and such a lot of advertising..... yeah I bet the site and the magazine are run by Shylock.... of Venice...
And the worst part of it is it would have been better if the guy's just asked straight for help instead of the stupid prize thing, I have to agree with pandemonium_ctp......

 

[Kileak]

[citation][nom]computerlame[/nom]Rhode Island is unique because the state law actually requires the company to file a legal statement before it can run a contest in that state. The statute, Section 11-50-1 of Rhode Island General Laws, reads:

"Any person, firm, or corporation proposing to engage in any game, contest, or other promotion or advertising scheme or plan in which a retail establishment offers the opportunity to receive gifts, prizes, or gratuities, as determined by chance, in order to promote its retail business, where the total announced value of the prizes offered to the general public is in excess of five hundred dollars ($500), must file a statement with the secretary of state."

The statute then details exactly what information must be included in the filed statement. In addition, the law requires the company pay a $150 filing fee. If a company runs a contest in Rhode Island, and fails to file a statement correctly, the company is actually guilty of a criminal misdemeanor...[/citation]

Did you read it? It says "...as determined by chance..." This contest is not the case. Some people just fail @ judicial understanding...

 

[wh3resmycar]

guru3d have been doing global contests the past 3 years.

thg sucks at this one.

annisman does better at giving away prizes than THG itself.

 

[LORD_ORION]

[citation][nom]barryegerber[/nom]Why we have to limit the contest to US residents only and exclude Rhode Island.1. Rhode Island's requirement that an contest holder register before each contest and pay a $150 fee puts prohibitive limits on our resources - both human and material.2. Every country and often every government entity in every country (the Rhode Island factor) has different rules on contests and especially on taxing prizes. Just to make a survey of all those rules and keep them up to date would cost us a great deal. Also, we have to deal with all the shipping rules, costs and someone would have to pay the tariffs. It's not a pretty picture. As many of you have noted at one time or another, we are in business to make money. We don't make a ton of it, but we do have to answer to shareholders if we don't make any. We do a fair number of contests each year and messing with Rhode Island's laws, or ,worse, the whole world's laws on contests would be prohibitively expensive. Not only would we need to come up with any required fees, but we'd need to engage our lawyers every time. I can assure you that they would cost a lot more than any fees we might have to pay to a government entity.[/citation]

What you need to do is pay people to do these kind of things.

Of course this probably doesn't jive with the whole baby boomer mentality of "not only do we get everything for free, we expect to be paid for offering you this opportunity to be our slaves"

 

[speedemon]

save the money and take a few adds down from this site