Neowin Giveaway: Windows Vista Ultimate Boxed (RED) Edition

[Richard Hammond]

Dont bother then no one will miss you, big bunch of babies throwing their toys out of a pram, no one owes you anything if you want Vista go buy it.

Sick of going on forums and having a bunch of elitist members thinking because theyve been here longer they are more entitled to win something.

[Calum Veteran]

I'm not complaining because personally, I don't care, but I think the Neowin handled this competition all wrong. It should be a reward for the hard working members who contribute at least occasionally. It should be an incentive to keep on posting here, and then all the other members could look and say "hey, that guy worked hard and got something out of it, maybe that could happen to me"

Giving it to someone who only joined and posted, really, to enter the competition (nothing against the winner here, like he said it was Neowins choice, not his) is a bit demoralising IMO. Just makes me think "what's the point in trying?" That's why I think the minimum post count idea would have been a much better. I'm not a sore loser but I think Neowin should have used this comp. as a prime opportunity to give back to it's more helpful and contributing members.

I'm not speaking on behalf of Neowin here, this is my own viewpoint from what you just said -

What about new members who join for the competition and then continue to post? Doesn't competitions like this help the website and forums grow? Personally, I think they do.

[FreqFace]

Dont bother then no one will miss you, big bunch of babies throwing their toys out of a pram, no one owes you anything if you want Vista go buy it.

Sick of going on forums and having a bunch of elitist members thinking because theyve been here longer they are more entitled to win something.

I don't even WANT Vista.. I don't care who got it. I'm just saying Neowin staff should have used it as an opportunity to increase moral. I know that's what I would have done.

CalumJR - actually a very good point, which I agree with. However if this is the angle Neowin are going for they should increase the amount of competitions exponentially, since at the moment they are rare and do little to increase growth. Let's be honest, how many new members did we have because of this comp., and how many will actually continue to post.

(not aimed at anyone in particular) I don't wish to start a flame war, so please don't spout insults at me because of my viewpoint. I will offer you the same courtesy.

Well done to the winner, I hope you continue posting here at Neowin.

Edited March 2, 2009 by FreqFace

[Crazysah]

I'm not speaking on behalf of Neowin here, this is my own viewpoint from what you just said -

What about new members who join for the competition and then continue to post? Doesn't competitions like this help the website and forums grow? Personally, I think they do.

Yeah I totally agree here.

[Sethos]

Yeah but how many of the previous winners are now regular posters, I haven't seen many of them. They grab their prices and leave again.

[Brad.]

Yeah but how many of the previous winners are now regular posters, I haven't seen many of them. They grab their prices and leave again.

Until the next competition :)

[sundayx Veteran]

I can't believe this argument comes up everytime. Let it go. The winner deserves it.

[Calum Veteran]

Yeah but how many of the previous winners are now regular posters, I haven't seen many of them. They grab their prices and leave again.

That may be the case with some of them so far, I don't know the details.

However, even if it has happened in the past, you cannot predict what may happen in the future. A member may register for the competition and then become a very frequent poster - it could happen.

Also, it seems many of you are forgetting lylesback2 won the competition before this. Now, look at his post count and look at the quality of his posts. Not just that, but he then went on to apply to become a member of the News Staff and now writes excellent articles for us.

Again, I am not speaking for Neowin, here. This is me stating my opinion as I would if I was a regular member.

Edited March 2, 2009 by CalumJR

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

That may be the case with some of them so far, I don't know the details.

However, even if it has happened in the past, you cannot predict what may happen in the future. A member may register for the competition and then become a very frequent poster - it could happen.

Also, it seems many of you are forgetting lylesback2 won the competition before this. Now, look at his post count and look at the quality of his posts. Not just that, but he then went on to apply to become a member of the News Staff and now writes excellent articles for us.

Again, I am not speaking for Neowin, here. This is me stating my opinion as I would if I was a regular member.

Lyle's post count was high before he won the last event.

[Sethos]

Lyle's post count was high before he won the last event.

Aye, he was an active poster before he won. He's almost the exception to the rule in all of this.

[Rappy Veteran]

Aye, he was an active poster before he won. He's almost the exception to the rule in all of this.

He also used his precog skills :p

[Calum Veteran]

Lyle's post count was high before he won the last event.

Aye, he was an active poster before he won. He's almost the exception to the rule in all of this.

I knew that, I was just pointing out to everyone that it's not always new members, who don't post, which win.

[Copoboxx]

Guys just let it go, It's an Giveaway to show how much Neowin values their members and to keep this place fun.. It just shows how much Neowin is good ;) No matter who got it, they got it and it's done now so you can't change that.. It was selected as Random :) If it was only people who were contributing then that's not a Giveaway it's a Reward

Let it go! Enjoy neowin :p

WOOOHOO *Pops out the Champaign* Turn the music on!

[Steeley]

Let it go! Enjoy neowin :p

+1

You're going to have to suck it up, guys. Mummy can't kiss this one better.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

I knew that, I was just pointing out to everyone that it's not always new members, who don't post, which win.

New members that don't post. OK :x

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

New members that don't post. OK :x

Why does it matter whether the winner has 1 post or 16,000? The giveaway threads are supposed to attract new members, not alienate them by introducing silly rules like 'Sorry, your e-peen post count has to be this big to enter the competition.'

[Raa]

This happened before (a few times), and will happen again.

Either have a few ground rules, or don't hold a compo.

TBH I think this alienating existing members as their long term support isn't being... well.. "rewarded" so to speak.

Anyway, been over this, nothing came from it, and won't come from it. (Except one part of the reason I resigned as a subscriber)

Congrats to the winner, btw.

Edited March 2, 2009 by Raa

[what]

Jesus guys, giveaways are exactly that. I hate using analogies like this but you don't get clubs and societies handing out free stuff in town or whatever saying you need to already be a member to get it - they're used as promotional materials to encourage new members to join.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

Why does it matter whether the winner has 1 post or 16,000? The giveaway threads are supposed to attract new members, not alienate them by introducing silly rules like 'Sorry, your e-peen post count has to be this big to enter the competition.'

Most contests do have rules. If this contest was designed to solely inflate the real number of members then it should have been limited to new members only, but to carry on a discussion on this subject here is useless.

[david]

The world is not ending!

It was Vista anyways :|

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

This happened before (a few times), and will happen again.

Either have a few ground rules, or don't hold a compo.

TBH I think this alienating existing members as their long term support isn't being... well.. "rewarded" so to speak.

Anyway, been over this, nothing came from it, and won't come from it. (Except one part of the reason I resigned as a subscriber)

Congrats to the winner, btw.

[Denis W. Veteran]

Wow people, come on.

Those who are complaining, please search these forums for the past competitions Neowin has held. Now note the join dates and post numbers of all the winners. If you can prove that most of Neowin's competition winners were one-post wonders or close to being them, or lurkers, please share.

[Chris-Gonzales]

Dont bother then no one will miss you, big bunch of babies throwing their toys out of a pram, no one owes you anything if you want Vista go buy it.

Sick of going on forums and having a bunch of elitist members thinking because theyve been here longer they are more entitled to win something.

and I'm sick of hearing people like you make useless posts by complaining that others complain. If you are "sick" of this, then why respond?

I'm in the middle of this one. I fell a member who has been here for years, should be entitled to win something. People who win these prizes that just joined the site, seem to have just joined just to win something. They may or may not come back, and thats a huge chunk of database space wasted on the server.

But really, I could care less. Yes, it may be unfair, but its the staff's call. All we can do is, move on from it, and provide neowin with feedback in a constitutive matter. Complaining wont cut it.

Ever thought that this may reduce your chance in feature contests? All your complaints?

I personally think the topic served its purpose and should be closed. But thats just my personal opinion.

[tomwarren Veteran]

Bunch of bloody moaners. How about in the future everyone who has moaned on here we'll exclude you from the draws and keep an updated list each time? It's a competition, competitions are fair in the sense anyone can enter, get over it if you have been here for years or not. We made that clear at the beginning of the competition so if you were so concerned it was "unfair" then don't bother entering. We reward long running members in other ways like our MVC group. We appreciate all our members whether they have been here 5 years or 5 minutes and it's unfair for us to give an advantage to those who have been here longer.

End of discussion. Again, the minority of moaners manages to spoil it for everyone else.