Contest: What can you do with a $30 case*?

[Daniel ~]

Originally Posted by Azriel

This contest is a feeler of sorts. If this goes well, there will be more. I have some ideas brewing. One theme I want to keep to if this turns into a series is low cost, skill oriented. If we can get enough people into these things, I will see about getting sponsorship for possible prizes. For now, only count on bragging rights, or maybe something silly hand crafted by me.

We might ask those among us with considerable skills to give a siminar on a particular tool, then have a contest to see who can best imploy it...just a idea.":O}

[PorPorMe]

Originally Posted by Azriel

This contest is a feeler of sorts. If this goes well, there will be more. I have some ideas brewing. One theme I want to keep to if this turns into a series is low cost, skill oriented. If we can get enough people into these things, I will see about getting sponsorship for possible prizes. For now, only count on bragging rights, or maybe something silly hand crafted by me.

Don't you think this contest is kind of like a virus in that, by it's very nature, is self destructive? The people that build today probebly won't build tomarrow.
I can't speak for others of coarse, and I am happy and thrilled with this contest, I doubt I would do another one for a while. Just my 2 penneys.

[captaincurran]

are we able to enter 2 cases? i've got just under 5lbs of case creation material that'd make an interesting case. but i also want to do my original idea as i've already put work into it. and the two ideas are TOTALLY different from each other.

[Gizmo]

I would tend to think that it would be unfair to let a person enter more than one case, but as this is Azriel's baby, it's his shout.

[Azriel]

One entry per, please. In the interest of keeping it fair for people who can't afford to do two. Choose the one you like best, sorry.

[Daniel ~]

Seems right.

[PorPorMe]

Ditto.

[Azriel]

in the interest of allowing people to get in a bit late and still have time to finish, and in response to Booman's initial request for more time, the deadline will be extended for two additional weeks. The opening post with the rules reflects this change. Don't add two weeks to it.

[Azriel]

Daniel, I'm going to be doing a little write up on working with thicker plastics. It will encompass some do and don't points of table saws, jig saws, scroll saws and some air tools, along with avoiding cracking while drilling large holes. I'm going to start taking pictures as I do these things so I can fit them into a tutorial.

I will not be doing the PSU pruning write up, as I have found that it can go horribly wrong in some high end PSUs. I had to do a couple hours of soldering to make a PSU work again after a poorly planned pruning. As a general rule, if you are going to prune a PSU, do it by decreasing the connectors on a run, not by opening it and cutting runs off the board.

[Daniel ~]

Excellent! In all ways Excellent! ":O}

[Daniel ~]

Originally Posted by PorPorMe

Don't you think this contest is kind of like a virus in that, by it's very nature, is self destructive? The people that build today probebly won't build tomarrow.
I can't speak for others of coarse, and I am happy and thrilled with this contest, I doubt I would do another one for a while. Just my 2 penneys.

We can go for" best Improvement in an existing case mod"...and tempt everyone toward a bridge to far! ":O}

[booman]

Originally Posted by Azriel

Daniel, I'm going to be doing a little write up on working with thicker plastics. It will encompass some do and don't points of table saws, jig saws, scroll saws and some air tools, along with avoiding cracking while drilling large holes. I'm going to start taking pictures as I do these things so I can fit them into a tutorial.

I will not be doing the PSU pruning write up, as I have found that it can go horribly wrong in some high end PSUs. I had to do a couple hours of soldering to make a PSU work again after a poorly planned pruning. As a general rule, if you are going to prune a PSU, do it by decreasing the connectors on a run, not by opening it and cutting runs off the board.

Submit it to Daniel for the site and you'll get $25 for the article

[booman]

If we want more traffic due to the contest I suggest allowing the modders to post their log as they go so viewers will return to see the progress. I know Azriel wants us to wait until the contest is over but maybe AOA traffic is more important than the "Wow" factor of the log.
I certainly love updating my thread as I go for hype and for returning views.
By the way, I've been waiting 2 years for this kind of contest at AOA!!!

[Azriel]

Logging as you go can go either way really. Yes, it's more eye candy for generating traffic, but at the same time, it would give away all of you ideas. You are right I guess. Feel free to decide individually if you want to be secretive, or public. Realize, though, if two people do the same thing, we have to treat it as if they both came up with it on their own.

[robbie]

Originally Posted by Azriel

Logging as you go can go either way really. Yes, it's more eye candy for generating traffic, but at the same time, it would give away all of you ideas. You are right I guess. Feel free to decide individually if you want to be secretive, or public. Realize, though, if two people do the same thing, we have to treat it as if they both came up with it on their own.

Or which one came out better.

Tough call. The staffer in me wants the traffic. The judge in me says wait and see.

[Daniel ~]

Originally Posted by booman

Submit it to Daniel for the site and you'll get $25 for the article

Best sent to Danrok or Gizmo...They are more talented with our Front page back end ... But we ARE still good for the 25 bucks! ":O}

[Daniel ~]

I guess it may come down to what we want of this gathering of modders?
It will very hard to judge in some ways if we post progress. Does the idea belong to the first to post it? What if one person get credit for the idea, but another for it's best exicution?

I'm inclined toward Azriel's approach...seems prone to few disagreements and hurt feelings... Az, It is my assesment that this, as with most other things connected to our contest, should be your call, your the one what brung us, your the one to take us home.":O}

[Azriel]

I would prefer that people kept it a supirse. One person sent me a picture of what he was doing, and it's so far out of the box, you wouldn't believe it. I'm afraid that we'd lose this element if everything were public as we go. I like the idea of people all blindly flying off in different directions.

I've changed my thinking a little bit over the first week of this, and I think that after this one, rather than having more "contests", we should bring back the "member of the month" that we did way back in the beginning.

I did some really outlandish mods back then, and I was very happy to recieve a celeron 300A keychain from Surlyjoe, when I got member of the month.

On the articles: I'm going to start devoting some time to writing them, but I don't want to be paid for them.

[robbie]

Ok, here is my thought. If we are SERIOUSLY going to do more of these. (which I hope we do) then I would want a wait and see approach. That way the next time we do it people will know what too expect and if they'll have to "try harder" next time (I'm really hoping some people really surprize us with some VERY nice work)

If this is a one time only thing... I say we show the progress as it progresses.

[booman]

How about we all vote. Azriel can do another thread with a vote on if the contestants should post their progress or keep it a surprise....

I'm leaning toward posting progress because I know it helps the forum and people can't wait for the next picture. So if we vote, I'll abide by the majority. I'm not worried about someone stealing my idea because usually no one has my ideas, but then again I did a blow-hole just like Weldzilla with the same case...