And the winner is…

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?

37 Comments So far, Leave a Comment.

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shane

January 30, 2008 @ 6:42 pm

another comp!!!
Evert Bopp

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.
David

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.
Paul Walsh

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.
Adam

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).
Adam

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!
Paul Walsh

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.
Evert Bopp

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.
Paul Walsh

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.
Evert Bopp

January 30, 2008 @ 8:58 pm

Can I enter by proxy?
Paul Walsh

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?
Simon

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!
Adam

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!
Kamrul

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.
Chris O'Prey

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.
Dr Spain

January 31, 2008 @ 10:02 am

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

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
Eoin O Suilleabhain

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
Eoin O Suilleabhain

January 31, 2008 @ 3:37 pm

And the winner is…. segala.

Exposure?….check
Hits?…..check

What a swizz….
Paul Walsh

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.
Paul Walsh

February 1, 2008 @ 11:30 am

An easier competition for some conference tickets
Eoin O Suilleabhain

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…
Simon

February 1, 2008 @ 5:17 pm

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

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.
Simon

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 :-/
Paul Walsh

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
Simon

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!
shane

February 2, 2008 @ 9:54 pm

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

February 3, 2008 @ 6:26 pm

@Simon

Where’s the insult?
Simon

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!
Eoin

February 4, 2008 @ 5:02 pm

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

February 4, 2008 @ 5:59 pm

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

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!!
Paul Walsh

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.
shane

February 5, 2008 @ 12:23 am

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

February 5, 2008 @ 12:25 am

Congratulations to Mike Butcher.

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

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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And the winner is…

Why POWDR?

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