Hello.
We thought it was about time we had a competition. We like competitions. But ‘proper’ competitions. None of this “we’re all winners”, liberal hogwash, we want to engender the sort of feverish, salivating, chest beating mentality where people strive to win at all costs. The sort of behaviour that’s only evident now by parents on Schools Sports Days where genteel people become animals. THAT.
Anyway, the competition is simple:
- Create a MAKE that either includes some form of technology (lights, noises, wires!) or that compliments a ‘piece’ of technology, things like ipod covers, ear muffs with headphones inside, laptop bags, laptop adornments etc. etc.
- Your Make must not have been published elsewhere – it can be similar to one you may have made and published elsewhere but your entry must be original to you
- Tag your Make “fashioningtechnology” so we know you wish to enter.
- Entries need to be in by the 31st May
Prizes and Judging
- Entries are going to be judged by Suw. Suw is a internet guru and jewellery maker and has a keen interest in technology stuff, so we thought she’d be an ideal judge.
- First prize is a (new model) 2gb iPod shuffle and a copy of the O’Reilly book Fashioning Technology (also see the associated website which is choca full of ideas).
- Three runners-up will receive copies of the same O’Reilly book Fashioning Technology
- Winners will be announced on the 6th June
- The first qualifying entry will also receive a copy of the book – and we’ll get that out as soon as the entry is made!
The competition book prize has been kindly sponsored by O’Reilly and the Make team. Thanks guys!
Please do put any competition questions and comments you have in the comments here.
30 Responses to Fashioning Technology Competition
Forget about competitions – go and sort out your unhappy customers!
I have to agree with Jo – if you have time to organize this competition, surely you have time to pop over to the forum and answer some questions?
I’m with Jo and Kate, maybe you should look at the many threads about problems problems with this site, and what you are/aren’t doing about them!
It is all very well saying that ‘someone’ will be looking at out issues, but when is this going to be!
ooh now that is interesting I am actually making exactly such a thing as we speak – spooky!
Quickie re above comments – isn’t one of the queries over PR and publicity? that’s what these competitions do, so it is addressing one of the concerns as far as I see it. Doesn’t get much better than a tie in to Make / Craft:/ O’Reilly
Sally that’s great that you’ll be entering. I think many of us are more concerned that the site doesn’t work very well still.
Sally – PR and Publicity aside – The main issue for me is that Admin do not Communicate with their customers – They do not talk to us and that is annoying!
Hello.
We said last week on the forum that we would be “resourcing up” and dealing with the issues that exist around the functioning of the site. I appreciate there are issues and we are dealing with these… as well as doing LOTS of good stuff to promote Folksy in the coming months.
James
I think the main bug that many of us have, isn’t just about PR and Publicity, though I tie-in with these three groups isn’t really going to spread the word further than it is already! It is the fact the site is not working as it should, and it is also turning people off, not sellers but customers!
So if they don’t want a blog post like this hijacked by people like me and others commenting about pretty simple issues, then maybe they ought to at least leave some comment on the forums to EVERYONE who uses Folksy!
Haven’t we just had a competition which was to do with wires and technology or something?
How about ‘Best Bunny’ or ‘Funkiest Fish’ competition?
:D
the competition link on the folksy front page still links to the Howies one from last year.
that’ll be the front page that is the first thing that potential customers see then
ho hum
I keep trying to comment but nothing is happening…..
the competition link on the folksy front page still links to last years howie’s comp – is this going to change anytime soon?
A lot of issues do need to be fixed and it would be in your best interest to at the very least acknowledge that you have seen them and something will be done about them.
As far as Make/Craft.O’Reilly goes, its all very well and good but still hardly “mainstream” is it. It seems to me that spending huge chunks of time targeting crafters is a waste of resources.
Hello.
We’re feeling the love today, which is nice. Competitions can’t appeal to everyone! We’ve done this one because it’s potentially quite distinctive and different. There will be others that are more ‘traditional’, of course.
distinctive and different? it seems to me to be exactly the same as the last one, http://www.makersandhackers.org/
It seems I’m a little out of the loop with both gripes and competitions…..but this looks like one I could manage by the end of May! :)
Hello Heather,
makerandhackers.org was a co-sponsored event rather than a Folksy comp. This comp is about giving crafty people a brief that will challenge them. You *do not* have to be technical or even geeky to take part. You just have to be up for it :)
I like the idea of this one. It is SOOOooo far out of my comfort zone that it is really challenging my thought processes. There may be some ideas forming on the horizon. Of course I won’t actually get round to entering, I never seem to have time, but I like the way it’s making me think.
Blimey! I wouldn’t want to be admin right now. It seems that they are getting attacked at every turn.
If I have the time, I will be entering, as I like the look of that book!
Thanks for the post, James & co – will definitely be looking at my current projects that I can adapt to this comp. I see you mentioned Makers & Hackers – will this comp get more publicity? There was no mention at all on the blog or elsewhere about the outcome of the comp – my team won the London Judges prize and went off to Maker Faire – a bit of PR on this would have been nice. I felt very miffed that I was the only folksy maker that turned up on the day AND my team won – surely a little mention wouldn’t have been too much (and good PR!)? Right, I’ve finished ranting – off to have breakfast – see you in tweetland.
K :D
@kali – did you make the bracelet with zolty? I didn’t know it was you, sorry. The comms with London broke down on the day as the London space didn’t have wifi. We did get quite a bit of PR for it but we should have done more to tell you and point to your work.
gosh there seem to be precisely 0 entires so far, is that right or am I doing it wrong? am onto a sure fire winner at this rate!! Could I put in a request this time that the deadline is the deadline, no ‘due to popular demand’ extensions (ie people missed the deadline and asked for longer). It can be a tad frustrating when other people went to the trouble of doing it on time. Meanwhile… c’mon people surely you’re going to put up a fight for this ‘ere prize?
I have entered with a make for leather, tech covers.
I completely agree with Sally that deadlines are meant to be kept. I think I might have a go!
I’m confused – you say it’s a “make”. Does this mean you’re only interested in instructions, or is the competition for things we have actually made? I was planning on entering something I’ve made, not instructions to make it. Please clarify for me.
Nearly finished mine :) Is there a special group pool to submit it too?
FINISHED!! And just entered! xxx
oh I’m confused now too – if its a Make I’m out; if its a product listing I’m in (or I will be shortly anyway)
Hello all.
Yep, the comp was a Make. Only around 2 hrs to go now and precisely 3 entries! Cripes, we must have missed the boat a bit on this one, or there’s a last minute rush about to happen.
Oh, woe is me! I’m still pretty new to Folksy and hadn’t ventured into its darkest corners (like this blog) until just now.
“Fatema”:http://www.folksy.com/shops/Fatema pointed out the competition to me this morning after she’d seen what I have just put on my shop shelf. It would have fitted into your competition really well.
Never mind eh.
Oops; I have also learnt that I can’t do a live link to Fatema, Still, I think it makes sense.