WANTED: Contest ideas!! aka "excuses to send you free b

Moon Knight · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:17 pm Post subject:

I like the essay contest idea. Perhaps it could be designed to coincide topically with one or more of the books being read monthly/bi-monthly?

Chris OConnor · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:29 pm Post subject:

Yes, I think essay contests are ideal for a community based on writing about books and the ideas found in those books. But not many members have shown an interest in the "On The Importance of Reading" essay contest, to my dismay.

tarav · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 5:51 pm Post subject:

How about a contest for best avatar? (Yeah, I'm still in love with my new avatar.)

Seriously, though I am trying to think of some good contest ideas. I am not saying this is great, but it just came to me. How about we give books to winners of polls that ask yearbook-like questions.
eg. most funny BT contributor,
most eloquent poster,
most knowledgeable about the environment,
most knowledgeable about the classics,
most knowledgeable about religion,
most knowledgeable about memes,
most knowledgeable about evolution,
most welcoming to new members,
best avatar,
best intro. thread,
best blog

Anyway, you get the idea. Would this be fun and uplifting or would people get their feelings hurt if they weren't an option on the poll or if they didn't win the poll?

Penelope · Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 5:03 am Post subject:

Tarav

I think this is a great idea!

We could then vote for people whose knowledge we admire without sounding too fawning. I like it. Wink

Chris OConnor · Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:27 am Post subject:

Tara, this is a great idea. And we don't have to put names on the poll. We have 1200+ members so creating a fair poll that only includes a small fraction would be difficult. We could simply ask everyone to nominate their fellow members for various awards.

Example:

We have a contest thread here in this forum asking the community to nominate a few members that they feel deserve recognition for X, Y or Z. We could either award free books to all, some or one of the members on this list of nominees.

Let's give this a shot soon!

Penelope · Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:29 pm Post subject:

Chris, I am glad you agree with this......Gosh....we agree on something at last!!!!!!!!!!

And I don't want any books......I could send you some......but at least you will know I am not voting with ulterior motives.....

Love Pen x

tarav · Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 4:04 pm Post subject:

Yay! I am glad you two think it is a good idea! If anyone has any other possible awards they'd like to add to my list, go ahead and post them here. I will keep thinking about it also.

hegel1066 · Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 6:35 pm Post subject: Comment on Tarav's suggestion:

I think Tarav has a really interesting idea, in theory, but for the purposes of practicality, how is one going to be able to judge who is most knowledgable about "memes," or "classics," or anything else without name-dropping?

I can tell you about all the ancient historiography that I've read, and that I can name all the Roman Emperors in chronological order and how long they ruled, et cetera. I can tell you about my thorough knowledge of Hellenistic sculpture and pottery, and write for hours and hours on ancient maritime civilization. But who on earth wants to listen to me go on and on about such things?

And since the average thread doesn't allow a member to display knowledge in such typically arcane areas, how is one supposed to be able to display all that they know?

Just curious,
-John (hegel1066)

tarav · Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 9:33 am Post subject:

John, I appreciate your feedback. I understand your concern. I have been at BookTalk for a long time so I may know some things about members from posts throughout the years that new members may not. The "meme" award was actually alluding to a member here, Monty aka memewars, who is our resident meme expert. There are some members that I can see obviously being in the running for some of the awards I proposed. That said, you raise a valid point in that other members, especially newer members, may not know about the experts at BookTalk and also may not have had the chance to let others know about their expertise. However, I do beg to differ on your assessment of member interest in things like Roman emperors and maritime history. We have had members interested in Roman civilization. I would strongly encourage you to post on anything that you are interested in! You never know who might share your interests!

Penelope · Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:24 am Post subject:

John, suggested on the Poetry thread (Hegel). That we post some of our own poetry. Mine would not stand scrutiny as Poetry....

...but it would be a good idea for a competition don't you think?

hegel1066

Oh, Penelope! Penelope, Penelope, Penelope!

Posting your work, whether it be your prose or your poetry, isn't about it "passing muster." No decent person is going to single you out if they don't appreciate your work. It is my hope that the ones that are engaged by it and enjoy it will tell you so. In short, my idea behind posting poetry is much the same as it is posting book reviews or political commentary, or anything else that you can do on Booktalk.

Come on, I dare you...

I'm headed over to poetry right now to post something. Maybe I can convince you to dig up something and share it with us.

-John, the poetic enabler (hegel1066)

jaywalker

Seen tonight on Dutch TV. a little game-You look in your bookcase and take the titles of three books that are arranged underneath each other and see if the titles make something poetic. Just done one of my bookcases and got -'The Phantom of the Temple' 'A Walk among the Tombstones' and 'Happy Days'.
My apologies to Chris -if it's a bit difficult to understand ! J.

Penelope · Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 4:52 pm Post subject:

Jaywalker!!!! Stoppit!!!!

Or you won't just be allowed to 'enter the chamber' we will lock you in there and throw away the key!!!

My three books read:-

Truth Dare or Promise - Girls Growing up in the Fifties:
Heroes and Saints
Hamilton

These are the nearest to hand from where I am sitting now. I am looking forward to reading my other piles!!!!

jaywalker

Penelope, OK. {hangs head and looks furtive}.

Penelope · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:18 am Post subject:

Jaywalker!!!!! I have been looking at, and answering your posts elsewhere on here!!!!

For God's Sake don't go away!!! (and I am not being blasphemous).

How do you like that inovative spelling????

Stay around....if only to correct my spelling mistakes. Embarassed


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