Dissapointed

[Kdarmy]

I figured this big contest for the Spydie Bucks would have been used to reward the person that gave Spyderco the most useful insight as to how they may improve their product offerings, I figured wrong.

The winner turns out to be one of the people who helped instigate the contest in the first place (search forum : red mag).



With the question, "What factor(s) have ever kept you from buying a Spyderco product?", he won with - "because i have that particular model already". Oh yes, a very insightful and useful response indeed, worthy of reward. I think not.



I'm not irritated/disappointed by the fact that someone else won, I'm irritated because nearly 90 of use took the time to give worthy, thoughtful answers and the entire thing appears to be a sham from the start.

[Joyce Laituri]

WTF,

My apologies if you feel the contest was unfair. The contest was instigated by two people only, Sal and myself. No one else.

Our intention was to welcome everyone to the new forum and ask your opinions on how we can improve on our products. Everyone's answer was greatly appreciated and valued.

For the drawing we put everyone's name in a fish bowl and chose the most impartial person we could find to draw. Sal's two year old Grandson.

Respectfully,
Joyce

[Joyce Laituri]

FISH BOWL!!? Good Grief
Next time (if there is a next time) have everyone pick a number between 1-200 in their answer so that it is clear the winner will be random and not based on the answer.
OR at least make people give a worthwhile answer to make it to the fish bowl. I wonder if the winner would have made it to the fish bowl with "Because I don't like Spyderco knives." for an answer?

BTW, what would be wrong with chosing the winner based soley on the answer? You might have generated many more useful answers this way.

Again, I'm not irritated that I did not win, I'm irritated because most of us took time to provide a thoughtful answer and stood the same chance with a foolish answer. I'm fairly certain I'm not the only one who is viewing the outcome negatively.

[Fuad Gomez]

WTF,

Although I also thought the contest winner would be picked based on the answer (rather than by a random drawing), I'm sure that Spyderco will indeed use the information provided in the answers to improve products for end users.

As a result, I am happy that they're collecting that information. Perhaps the method of choosing a winner could have been made clear at the beginning. However, I'm still not disappointed, as I believe the information will be put to good use.

BTW, I was unable to even participate (although I tried repeatedly) due to posting/Microsoft database errors.

[NCBlades]

Stop crying about not winning. I was not happy that I didn't win, but I am not whinning and pouting about it. You should be thanking Sal and Joyce for the opportunity to enter the contest. There is always next time. Keep up the good work Spyderco.

[Dussel]

WTF?,

I thought from the very beginning, that the winners would be drawn by random. To me it seems to be the fairest way. I don't know, how much other knife companies offer free contests from time to time!<img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle> Don't blame Sal and Joyce, it's your problem that you got a wrong impression.

Edited by - Dussel on 8/22/00 2:42:19 PM

[Fozzy]

I too was under the impression that the winner would be drawn at random.

To pick a winner based upon the answers given would be highly subjective.

For my two cents worth, I think Sal and Joyce are more than generous to offer such a contest in the first place.

Ben

[firefly]

Oh heaven forbid we have a little subjectivness, it would be terrible to be rewarded or not rewarded based on effort.

[Ferret]

Lighten up! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>

[sam the man..]

Some guy had all the LUCK! <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle> But, hey! That's what FUN is all about! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>

Sam

have spydies
will travel...

[Bobby Branton]

I thought that is was a lighthearted contest from the start. That is why myself and a lot of other members gave lighthearted answers. Sal probably gives away more knives in a year than most of us purchase.I refer you to my signature tag line.

Bobby


Live every day as if it were your last, because one day you will be right
Edited by - Bobby Branton on 8/22/00 8:27:56 PM

Edited by - Bobby Branton on 8/22/00 8:30:24 PM

[sal]

Hi WTF? Welcome to the Spyderco forum.

You have an interesting point of view, and I'm sure valid in some respects. However it would be a most difficult if not an impossible task to determine the &quot;best&quot; answer with the &quot;most&quot; insight. Perhaps a good answer is one we already know, and therefore is of no new value? etc.

By way of additional explanation; I asked the question on Bladeforums some time last year about the preference for contests. A significant majority indicated that they would prefer &quot;random&quot; contests which gave everyone a &quot;fair&quot; chance to compete. Some folks know more than others, some are smarter, some are more experienced, etc.

Though the amount may vary, &quot;we all operate at different levels of imperfection&quot;. Even the judges in a contest.

Hopefully there will be a next time? Maybe you'll win?

Maybe you will come up with and share other methods of contests that all would enjoy? We're always open to new and challenging ways to have fun and learn. Otherwise someone might get frustrated and say &quot;What the F?&quot;

sal

[cerulean]

Well, I'd just like to take a moment to thank Joyce and Sal for spending the time and money for these contests. They're a lot of fun and they do a good job of generating interest in the forums.

The rules of this contest were very clear to me and I think contest winners should continue to be picked at random. (Even though I recently won a non-random contest on BFC! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>)

[lshay]

Oh, stop whining!

As someone who has recently been seduced by the allure of MT (4 of last 5 new knives) I still consider myself a Spyderco fan first and foremost. The contest was fun and how anyone ever got the idea it was not random is beyond me. What other company could you post a question to the CEO on a holiday weekend Sunday and have an answer in 2 hours!

From terrific products at a reasonable price, to great warranty/customer service, to employees/owner who actively seek out input from their customers, to many contests with the opportunity to have some fun and maybe win something, Spyderco is the best in this industry!

[Ken Lau]

WTF?
I think that it would have been real tricky to judge the answers on merit alone as its so subjective and what about if lots of people had the same answer....I dunno about you, but I thought that it was a draw from the hat situation from the start.

[Ken Lau]

Ok, So maybe I was a bit harsh, I fully undestand the reasoning for a random drawing rather than a subjective contest. In Sal's line of work you dont really want to say that any one person is better than all the rest.

But I do stand by one opinion/position on this matter. And that is a person should give some sort of meaningful answer in order to make it to the &quot;Fish Bowl&quot;.

I don't mean to be kicking the &quot;gift horse&quot;, and I would like to thank Sal and Joyce for for setting up the drawing (not contest!) in the first place.

[sam the man..]

I didn't post to win, but out of luurve! <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>
Be a sport dude!

Sam

have spydies
will travel...

[CJF]

WTF,
Give them a break man, the contest was all for fun I'm sure there will be lot's more to come. But there probably won't be anymore if all the people who don't win whine about it!