[blog 2006-04-16] Instructables Project Contest - April-May 2006

Last month's project contest was a great success, so we're having another contest! As before I hope everyone has fun entering. We will be giving awards and prizes to the best projects posted througout April and May 2006!

Outstanding Project of the Month - 5 awards
5 awards will be given for Outstanding Project: An award graphic will be shown with the winning projects, and winners will recieve a <a href="http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=2&productNr=25546">Nikon Coolpix L4 digital camera</a> and an Instructables logo T-shirt. The L4 is just released from Nikon, It's the perfect camera to document your Instructables projects with!

Project of the Month - 10 awards
10 awards will be given for Project of the Month: An award graphic will be shown with the winning projects, and winners will receive a Leatherman Juice S2 multi-tool custom laser engraved with "Instructables" and an Instructables logo T-shirt.

Honorable Mention - 25 awards
25 Honorable Mention awards will be given. Winners will receive an Instructables Logo T-Shirt.

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The Instructables Blog: http://www.instructables.com/tag/instructables%20blog
RSS Feed: http://www.instructables.com/tag/instructables%20blog/rss.xml

Step 1 Contest Overview

How do I enter the contest?
Any project entered and posted publicly on the Instructables website during the months of April and May 2006 will be automatically entered in the contest (projects already entered in April are in). Users who wish to post a project and not be considered for the contest will be given the opportunity to decline any award they might win.

How to Win
All contest entries will be judged for merit. Projects will be evaluated for at least the following:

• instruction quality, including:
• completeness (photos and text for all important steps)
• clear, concise text description
• clear photographs (2+ megapixel preferred)
• use of photo-notes where appropriate
• list of parts and tools required (if appropriate)
• safety notes (if appropriate)
• usefulness
• originality
• technical merit

See: Tips for Project Authors

Projects not written in English will be considered at the discretion of the judges.

Prizes:
5 Nikon Coolpix L4 Digital Camera
10 Instructables Leatherman Juice S2 multi-tool
25 Instructables Logo T-Shirts

May I submit multiple entries?
Yes. You may submit as many entries as you want. Each project posted to the Instructables website during April and May 2006 is a separate eligible entry in the contest. Entries may also be split into multiple Instructables Projects when appropriate.

Who is eligible for the contest?
The Contest is open anyone who is 18 years or older as of January 1, 2006, regardless of your place of residence. (see notes in contest rules for foreign entrants).

Comments

[kqrpnb]

When do you expect judging to be completed and/or Winners announced?

[instructables-dan]

see step 2 of the project (complete rules). winners will be announced around june 15.

[kqrpnb]

Is June 13th 'around june 15'? :-)

[kqrpnb]

Oh... Sorry, thanks!

[mrtools]

you started out this site wow! i didn't know thats realy cool. so you programed it and every thing. dude you are like my hero i want to start a web site and wright programs and stuff like that but i dont know how.

[dan]

thanks, although i did not do all the work! the site was created by the collaborative effort of the following users: ryan, saul, eric, dan, colin. plus quite a few of the other users that gave us good feedback.

[dan]

oops, also aneel. hope i didn't forget anyone else!

[mrtools]

i know this is off subject but do you offer feeds to this site?

[kqrpnb]

RSS Instructions here!

[Automaticman]

Those Leathermans are nifty. I use my little Micra one for almost everything.

[andreq]

icul .... I had to do it... sorry :D

[thinker]

hmm i wa just wondering if it was possible to creat a new product based on an old one ie if it is a simple idea like "throwies" could u modify it and still have it as your own? i.e. if your version requires different instructions to those of the original

[dan]

absolutely! that's the purest form of 'hacking'! nobody designs something perfectly the first time, it is often with refinement and modification by others that the most interesting and useful advancements are made.

as far as the contest goes, if you look at the 'how to win' section, you will see that 'originality' is one of the many things the judges will consider. a small change to an existing project probably won't win the contest unless there is a big improvement in some of the other judging criteria.

for example: one of last month's winning projects was the chipisto wind generator. this is a really great project on technical, usefulness and originality, but it is fairly complex to build from scratch and the instructions in the current project are very brief. if someone was to simply build that project as directed, but do a much more complete documentation and commentary on the build, that would be a good candidate to win this month's contest.

As another example, take a look at the Electrograph project and the Fridge Lights projects. The fridge lights is a conceptual derivative of the electrograph and has a lot of technical similarity. If we'd had a contest before March, the electrograph almost certainly would have been a winner. Even so, the fridge lights project has significant changes, refinements, and new technical and instructional value, so it too won a prize in March.

[radiorental]

Dan, do you think that if I dont answer any questions from Eric I can enter the comp this month.. eh? eh? (o; Off down to Chatham tomorrow... 20-30E all day (o; Have fun at the faire

[joe]

Yeah, that Eric is a bad man! I saw him kick a puppy once. -Joe

[ewilhelm]

Hey!

[dan]

sure!

[NGC7078]

test

[mrtools]

my frend has a account (that has his age as 14) and he wan a contest. do you work for the site or are you pulling this out of thin air?

[dan]

hmm, we must have made a mistake. i'll go check on that. yes, this is my web site.

[Junkyard John]

Dan, I did NOT change my account age to my dad's. ;)

[mrtools]

sorry but your wrong the age is 13

[dan]

13 is the age to have an account. for entering the contest it is 18.

[Junkyard John]

I'll change my age to my dad's age. Is that OK?

[dan]

only if nobody knows you did it!

[mrtools]

if i submite a project now can i win any time or just that day

[dan]

all projects entered by may 31 will be considered for the current contest, which will be judged by june 15.

[dan]

i mean, all projects entered between april 1 and may 31. you won't be considered for any future contest (if there is one) that begins after may 31.

[Junkyard John]

Why does one have to be 18 or older?

[dan]

some legal thing, i don't know why but we didn't want to get in trouble. if your parent wins on your behalf that should be fine i think.

[led555]

is it 40 winners in April and 40 winners in May, or is it 40 winners in April through May?

[dan]

40 total, the contest ends at the end of may.

[amibolchi]

Can any international contestant participate? I am from India and want to submit a project on FM transmitter like http://www.electronicsinfoline.com/Electronics_Projects/

This is a very simple but nicely designed with all details available such as the PCB design etc.

[neo.anerson]

it seems you are a bengali .. thik bollam? I would love to find out somebody like you ... it would be great to see some active participation from India

[dan]

international contestannts can participate! see the 'contest overview' page by clicking hand icon at the upper left with the '1' in it, or click on 'view all steps' next to that. your project sounds very interesting, i can't wait to see it!

[ian]

too cool. A digi-cam is an awesome prize.

[dosher]

Is merely putting a project on the site entering the contest, or is there some other process to this?

[dan]

all you have to do is put a project on the site. see the 'contest overview' page by clicking hand icon at the upper left with the '1' in it.