Sadie is HUGE! On a more serious note, great website, and blog. I like your value proposition. Back when I first joined KW that was something we talked about a great deal. I think yours hit it on the head perfectly.

The closing was not geared towards you or anyone particular poster.

The problem I had with the comments’ tone is that I am not in a position to add value to the discussion. When the tone went sour before it was usually due to something that could be discussed and using the Contest’s Web site as a guide figured out.

This is a situation where only a hand-full of people know the answer to who won the prize. I have never met these people, short of a couple of conversations with Tabitha via e-mail, and don’t have anyway to answer the questions about what has happened.

I’m glad that people have found my site as an informative forum for the contest however it was nothing more than a report of the contest.

I’m sorry that they are not keeping up their Web site, I can’t do anything about that.

Toby

My name is Randy Halverson. I left one of the last posts to your site about the essay contest. I’m sorry you closed it off. I hope the tone you referred to wasn’t directed to me. It is reasonable to question the legitimacy of the contest if no one is ever publicly announced as a winner and/or winning essay posted. Where else would the entry fees have gone? If you are opposed to my raising the question in a positive way that gave the sponsors the benefit of the doubt (perhaps it was the others’ comments to which you were referring) why didn’t you close the post long ago when things had such a negative tone to them? I believe there were still many of us who were visiting your website to learn what we could because there is no activity or indication on the contest website itself. Isn’t it is a matter of fair and honest dealing for people to desire to know that their entry fee for the contest wasn’t thrown away? To some of us it was a lot of money. Those who were getting nasty and using words like “epic scam” and “amen, I’m on your side” might have been steered in line. Unfortunately, now this avenue of learning anything about the contest outcome is closed — leaving none unless something is yet to be posted on the contest site.

I’m curious, did you happen to know the people who sponsored the contest? Do you know if a winner was truly selected and the prize money awarded? I’d be glad to know just to put the question to rest. Thanks — if you can help with this one.

Randy

One more thought: if there is never any acknowledgement of a winner receiving the prize money for submitting a winning essay, it will have a negative impact on all the other contests like this one that are being held both now and in the future.