Paul Walsh

And the winner is…

 Posted on January 30, 2008 at 6:37 pm |  By Paul Walsh
 Leave a Comment, 37 Comments so far

Snowboarder

I recently solicited your help with the renaming of our browser extension as Search Thresher is too much of a mouthful. 88 comments and dozens of suggestions later and we still didn’t manage to choose a winning name. I’m sorry (really I am) to say that nobody has won the iPod Touch.

Aido and I came up with the name in under 10 minutes. It just made sense to call it POWDR.

Why POWDR?

Well, our browser reads Content Labels (files that contain Metadata) in order to display more information about Web sites from search results. Content Labels will be a ratified W3C standard very soon but before it was accepted to move onto a Full Recommendation track, the W3C felt the name ‘Content Label’ gave the perception that we wanted to police the Web instead of enabling ‘better content discovery’. So members of the W3C team, including Tim Berners-Lee (inventor of the Web) suggested POWDER. It stands or Protocol for Web Description Resources, obviously.

Powder is also a term used by snowboarders. Riding powder is the ultimate in snowboard experiences - like surfing clouds.

Rise and steer, rise and steer, until you are carving smoothly back and forth

So, using POWDR will be like carving smoothly through the Web.

We decided to drop the e as it seemed to be the right Web 2.0 thing to do :)

Hope you like it. Thank you so much for taking the time to enter our competition. It’s very much appreciated.

So, I still have an iPod Touch to give away. I don’t want to be perceived as link baiting so I’m not sure what to do. Suggestions welcome. Should I give it to a member of staff, or give it away on this blog, my personal blog or on Twitter?

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  • 4Avatars v0.3.1
    shane
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    January 30, 2008 @ 6:42 pm

    another comp!!!

  • January 30, 2008 @ 6:54 pm

    Bwaah, serious cop out!
    When we ran a competition for a new name some months ago we promissed to give the best entry a prize even if we choose none of the entries.
    Really, give the best entry that you received the iPod.

  • January 30, 2008 @ 6:56 pm

    The competition was an enjoyable diversion last week so thanks for that. I wish you best of luck with POWDR.

    You could donate the iTouch to a charity raffle, perhaps.

  • January 30, 2008 @ 7:01 pm

    ok ok before the rants come flooding in, I’m not suggesting I run another competition but as I said, I’ve got an iPod Touch which I need to give away. I thought it was polite to ask you for your opinion.

    @Evert - it’s not a cop out. Nobody won because nobody came up with a name that we wanted to go with. Read the instructions again as I made my intentions perfectly clear to dissuade very negative/pessimistic/cynic people comments such as yours. There were about 3 or 4 which were ‘ok’ so I can’t break the iPod Touch up so that each of them get an equal share.

  • January 30, 2008 @ 7:51 pm

    Maybe gather the names of each entrant to the name suggestion post and draw one out of a hat.

    That way it’s rewarding people who took part in your company’s brainstorm and it won’t be about what entry was best or worst (Which you said yourself you can’t decide).

  • January 30, 2008 @ 7:54 pm

    And why the hell are the comments saying I’m in France? Did the French buy Dublin recently or something!

  • January 30, 2008 @ 8:17 pm

    @Adam I was thinking of doing something like that. I’ll choose the winner tomorrow at a networking event call OpenCoffee Dublin.

    Regarding the flag, it’s picking up the IP address from what looks like a proxy via France. I’m located in the UK but have forced the Irish flag.

  • January 30, 2008 @ 8:48 pm

    OK, I stand corrected. Didn’t read the original post so missed the “In order for you to win, your nomination must be used in full.” bit..
    Also it’s cynical rather then pessimistic or negative. That will save you a bit on the typing next time ;-)
    Doing a raffle or donating the iPod is indeed a good idea. People used their brains and creativity to help you so at least let someone have something in return.

  • January 30, 2008 @ 8:51 pm

    @Evert I agree. I’ll pull a name out of the hat or something like that, at OpenCoffee Dublin. I’ll stream it live on http://qik.com/paulwalsh too.

  • January 30, 2008 @ 8:58 pm

    Can I enter by proxy?

  • January 30, 2008 @ 9:01 pm

    @Evert I’m going to give the iPod to one of the people who entered the competition. I’m simply going to announce it at OpenCoffee as I might get someone to choose a winner - not sure how yet. Suggestions welcome.

    The worst/most silly name?

  • January 30, 2008 @ 10:11 pm

    I don’t like the sound of giving it to the worst name…some of us won’t be in with a chance then!

    On a serious note, I think it should be drawn out of a hat if you want to give it away, it will be fair on everyone who’s taken part. It’s nice of you to still give it away by the way…I’m sure people appreciate it considering you did say you would only give it to a winner - so thank you!

  • January 30, 2008 @ 11:07 pm

    @Paul: re: the flag - fair enough, was just curious… don’t think I have any kind of proxy set up and an IP check suggests a Dublin location, but what the hell… hardly a big deal!

    As said above, it’s good to see you decide to give the device away even though none of the entrants met the criteria of the original competition.

    Best of luck to those involved, I’ll keep my fingers crossed for my own sake!

  • January 31, 2008 @ 8:14 am

    @Adam re: the flag, we are using ip2nation’s data. Which certainly isn’t complete and updated as often as it should be? :)

    I will check out with them if they have new updated IP list.

  • January 31, 2008 @ 9:57 am

    @Paul:

    I think the idea of pulling the name out of a hat is the best and fairest option - that way there can be no claim that someone lost out… Congratulations in the name by the way - it’s quite snazzy! :)

    Cheers,
    Chris.

  • January 31, 2008 @ 10:02 am

    I like POWDR… it’s relevant via acronym and POWDR.co.uk is still available.

  • 4Avatars v0.3.1
    Richard Smith
    flag

    January 31, 2008 @ 10:26 am

    Great to hear you’re still going to reward our efforts by giving it away even though you’re going with a name that no one suggested.

    I agree that the fairest way is to draw a name out of a hat!

    All the best with POWDR :)

  • 4Avatars v0.3.1
    Eoin O Suilleabhain
    flag

    January 31, 2008 @ 3:05 pm

    I would have gone for ‘SWIZZ’

    As in what a SWIZZ.

    Or you could have gone for any of the following.

    Hoodwink
    Dupe
    Pull a Fast One
    Inveigle
    Swindle

    Or you could have equally gone for.

    Dissatisfaction
    Displeasure
    Discontent
    Disillusionment
    Frustration

  • 4Avatars v0.3.1
    Eoin O Suilleabhain
    flag

    January 31, 2008 @ 3:37 pm

    And the winner is…. segala.

    Exposure?….check
    Hits?…..check

    What a swizz….

  • February 1, 2008 @ 11:05 am

    @Eoin We didn’t get a name that we thought was suitable. The rules dictate that nobody should win the iPod. Yet, I’m going to give it away to one of the entrants to show my appreciation for the help everyone showed. So, why the negative comments? I’m surprise. I thought you’d have been pleased.

    I’ll draw a name out of a hat, so to speak, this afternoon.

  • 4Avatars v0.3.1
    Eoin O Suilleabhain
    flag

    February 1, 2008 @ 12:02 pm

    Mostly to guilt you into giving me the Itouch!!…. Naaa Paul only messing…fair play in deciding to give the ITouch away anyway and good luck with INSWT….I mean POWDR…

  • February 1, 2008 @ 5:17 pm

    You might want to revise how you make people feel guilty…you don’t just insult them!

  • February 1, 2008 @ 5:21 pm

    @Simon - you’ve lost me. Who did I insult and how did I insult them?

    @Eoin - thought as much regarding the guilt ;) It’s amazing how negative/cynical people can be sometimes, thereby giving the wrong impression.

  • February 1, 2008 @ 6:35 pm

    I didn’t mean that at you Paul! I meant in for Eoin - he started out by having a go about the competition then said it was meant to make you feel guilty…just didn’t think it was a very good guilt trip, nothing meant by it :-/

  • February 1, 2008 @ 6:38 pm

    What are we all like. Let’s blame the real hill trolls for all of us making silly assumptions. You’ve all been great and nothing short of helpful :)

  • February 2, 2008 @ 10:52 am

    Yup - the hill trolls!
    Just wondering Paul, you said you would do the draw yesterday afternoon…will you post the winner on here?
    Thanks!

  • 4Avatars v0.3.1
    shane
    flag

    February 2, 2008 @ 9:54 pm

    You could always give to a family member Paul, maybe even one with the same namesake as myself :)

  • 4Avatars v0.3.1
    Eoin
    flag

    February 3, 2008 @ 6:26 pm

    @Simon

    Where’s the insult?

  • February 3, 2008 @ 11:09 pm

    Hey Eion,
    It’s wasn’t meant to be anything serious - it just seemed that you had a go about the competition…things like Hoodwink, Dupe,Pull a Fast One etc. It just seemed to me that you were having a go because the competition gave advertising, but that’s what a competition is meant to do!

    Having said that, you said it’s a joke, so I’m happy!

  • 4Avatars v0.3.1
    Eoin
    flag

    February 4, 2008 @ 5:02 pm

    So was there any winner or wha? Or was this just a publicity stunt after all?

  • February 4, 2008 @ 5:59 pm

    I promise to announce the winner tonight - sorry for taking so long!

  • February 4, 2008 @ 11:52 pm

    Looking forward to seeing who wins.

    I’ve had my fingers crossed since the 30th of Jan so hopefully that’ll count for something!!

  • February 5, 2008 @ 12:16 am

    Mike Butcher has won. I listed everyone in a word document and assigned each one a number. I then asked my Twitter friends to choose a number. Pat Phelan chose Mike Butcher - the lucky number was 16.

    Thanks again to everyone who took part. I’m very sorry for taking so long to come back with a winner. No excuses, just haven’t been able to make the time.

  • 4Avatars v0.3.1
    shane
    flag

    February 5, 2008 @ 12:23 am

    For the sake of argument Paul, do you care to mention which suggestions you found most appealing???

  • February 5, 2008 @ 12:25 am

    Congratulations to Mike Butcher.

    I’ll get my hands on a iPod Touch or iPhone some day!

  • February 5, 2008 @ 12:27 am

    @shane - you won’t believe my answer - writing a new blog post now!

    BTW I hear you’re off to Australia for a year. Do you want me to find out if I know anyone over there with whom you’d like to meet?

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