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The Around Epinions In 80 Days Write-Off! - FINISHED! - Now Closed!Jan 17 '10 (Updated Apr 08 '10) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Possibly the coolest write-off ever, host W.L. Swarts challenges reviewers to review one item in each of the 21 categories over the next 80 days!
As many on Epinions know, one of my goals for the New Year was to participate in and host more Write-Offs here on the site. As I view this site as a place writers can truly stretch their intellectual muscles if they actually want to, I decided for my next Write-Off, I would make a real challenge to writers here on the site. In reading over the goals of some of the other reviewers on the site, I was caught by one person’s goal, which was to write a review in each category. I thought this was a great goal and as I finished off my Best Picture Project (at: http://www.epinions.com/content_5273067652 ) with the film “Around The World In 80 Days” (reviewed at: http://www.epinions.com/content_499572575876 ), I thought this was exceptional fodder for a Write-Off! Presenting . . . The Around Epinions In 80 Days Write-Off! Opening on Monday, January 18, 2010 at noon EST (because that’s where I am, so pbblltt!) and ending on April 8, 2010 at noon EST, the Around Epinons In 80 Days Write-Off is a challenge to Epinions writers to write one review per category for the write-off within that time! Rules For The Write-Off The rules for the Around Epinions In 80 Days Write-Off are as follows: 1. Entries for consideration must be posted between January 18, 2010 and April 7, 2010. All participants are assumed to have started at the same time, regardless of when their first review is posted (no staggered starts here, at least, not for time). The Write-Off ends April 7 at noon as well because, quite frankly, I don’t want to spend the rest of the year on this! 2. All entries must be rated VH in order to qualify (this is a Write-Off, not a contest from Epinions, so we’re looking for quality in addition to the quantity!). Express reviews are not accepted for this Write-Off. 3. Participants may only post one review in each of the following categories to be counted for the Write-Off. A participant is considered finished with the race when they post one qualifying review in each of the twenty-one categories listed below. Participants may travel to cities (Categories) in any order they want. 4. Participants must end each qualifying review with “This is my [insert category name here] entry into the Around Epinions In 80 Days Write-Off (at: http://www.epinions.com/content_5382578308 ).” Or “This is my [insert category name here] entry into the Around Epinions In 80 Days Write-Off.” If possible, PLEASE add mention of the Write-Off to your title. “Around Epinions In 80 Days Write-Off Entry #” might be a little cumbersome, but if you can spare two words in your title, “AEI80DW-O Entry#” might intrigue enough people to read the review and find the link at the bottom and, either way, it makes for a much easier way for me to keep track of each players position! 5. Post a comment at the bottom of THIS listing whenever a review is posted. Please help me keep the comment section relatively clean: when I add your review to the City list, please delete your comment here. I’ll update this at least once a day once the Write-Off starts! 6. "Food & Drink" despite Epinions' eccentricity with categories is considered "Restaurants & Gourmet" for the purposes of this Write-Off (NOT Home & Garden!). 7. "Advice" reviews are ONLY being permitted in the difficult categories of "Musical Instruments" and "Education!" All other entries must be on products. And Now, A Little Fun . . . In debating this Write-Off in the message boards prior to posting it, several voices joined the conceptualization with some ideas that were too good to not go with. So, here are some additional requirements/game mechanics and fun things I am adding to the race around Epinions and requiring of participants: 1. If your intent is to join, please join early so we have an idea of who is participating. The clock starts at noon on January 17, but already some reviewers have made it known to me that they plan to participate (yea!). The more we know, the more lively the competition is likely to be! 2. When you join, please leave the following information in the comment section (you may leave this prior to the Write-Off starting, if you want to indicate your presence at the starting line!): a list of which categories you have NEVER written a single review in (be sure, please, it keeps the game honest – I, for example, had forgotten I had ever written a review in “Software” before I did a double-check!) AND provide me with the mode of transportation you’ll be taking on this fictional journey around Epinions. You might be asking why: the participants who make the entire trip around Epinions will be featured in a little story about the race. If you’re considering a “slow and steady” race around Epinions, make your conveyance something that reflects that (trains, cars, boats), if you’re racing to win, make your conveyance reflect that (transporter, magic doorway, shoes of Hermes). 3. The bonuses. There are two minor game mechanics I’m adding into the Write-Off to both spice things up and encourage all of the courageous writers who are participating in the first ever race around Epinions! When you write a review that qualifies for the write-off which is the first review on a product, we will deduct one day from your racing time. A first review is considered a first review when no other full-length reviews of a product are already present. When you write a review in a category you have never written in before, you will receive two days off your racing time (provided you have made clear that you have never written in that category before!). To clarify this, if you take 30 days to write the 21 reviews for the Write-Off, but six are in new categories you’ve never written in and two are firsties, your racing time would be counted as 16 days! (30 – 12 – 2 = 16) The Prizes Like all great races, there should be prizes. Because I’m hosting this Write-Off without institutional support, prizes (at the moment) are as follows: 1. The Top 3 winners by speed will receive a little graphic I’ll make up to put in your User Profile indicating just how awesome you are! 2. All people who complete the Around Epinions In 80 Days Write-Off will receive a cool little graphic for their efforts as well. 3. Depending on how many people participate and finish, reviewers will receive either a story or a part in the overall race story when the race is over (this will be a lot cooler than it sounds now!)! 4. Advisors and Category Leads who commit to (and actually follow through with) rating entries in their category(s) will get a little graphic as well as mention here! And, hey, why do you need to be bribed at all?! This is supposed to be fun and truly challenge writers to both participate, stretch their writing and reviewing talents AND expose them to new readers! Everyone who participates gets something out of it, especially with the current Pay-Per-Post going on! And now, the Categories! Books - London (telynor) - Committed Rater Stationed In London! (pinksteeler) - Sue Grafton - O Is For Outlaw (telynor) - Kaoru Mori - Emma 2 (texas-swede) - Rene Goscinny - The Escort (bilbopooh) - Michael Rex - The Runaway Mummy: A Petrifying Parody (wlswarts) - Phil Jimenez - Wonder Woman: Paradise Lost (rgathright) - Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, Official Strategy Guide (popsrocks) - John Stauffer - Giants: The Parralel Lives Of Frederick Douglas And Abraham Lincoln (melissamarie21) - Gary Larson - The Prehistory Of The Far Side (countess_eva) - Stephanie Meyer - Breaking Dawn (shopaholic_man) - Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course Lesson Book 1 (carstairs38) - William Rabkin - Psych: The Call Of The Mild (jurgrace) - Mo Willems - Are You Ready To Play Outside? (sojournseeker) - Natalie Savona - The Big Book of Juices: More Than 400 Natural Blends for Health and Vitality Every Day (artemis8) - Kay Thompson - Eloise And the Dinosaurs (gaelkm) - Kristin Hannah - Firefly Lane (billy159401) - Patricia A. McKillip - Od Magic Business & Technology - New York City (Magick1) - Committed Rater Stationed In New York City! (bilbopooh) - Zits 2009 Desk Calendar (wlswarts) - 3M Premium Grade Teflon Tape (shopaholic_man) - Epson Glossy Photo Paper (popsrocks) - Geographics 46902 Design Paper (texas-swede) - Staples Electric Pencil Sharpener (pinksteeler) - Scotch Countour Refillable Hand Tape Dispenser (rgathright) - 3M Scotch Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponges (telynor) - Sanford Uni-Ball Jetstream Ballpoint Pens, Medium Point (carstairs38) - 2009 Dilbert Calendar (sojournseeker) - Liquid Paper Smooth Coverage Correction Fluid (gaelkm) - 1000 Places to See Before You Die 2010 Calendar (jurgrace) - Hello Kitty with Bear Mini Spiral Notebook (billy159401) - Texas Instruments TI-36 X Solar Scientific Calculator Cars & Motorsports - Berlin (Toolguy1963) - Committed Rater Stationed In Berlin! (pinksteeler) - 2006 Toyota Sienna (shopaholic_man) - Armor All Wipes (wlswarts) - 2009 Kia Rio5 (popsrocks) - 2001 Dodge Stratus (texas-swede) - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo5 (carstairs38) - 1984 Honda Accord (jurgrace) - 2005 Toyota Sequoia (artemis8) - 2009 Nissan Sentra (sojournseeker) - 2007 Pontiac G6 Computer Hardware - Ankara (opinionated3) - Committed Rater Stationed In Ankara! (jurgrace) - Motorola Motopure H12 Bluetooh Headset (rgathright) - Intel 875P Motherboard (wlswarts) - Cables Unlimited Pink Power Cord (shopaholic_man) - Staples 24 Pack Plastic CD Cases (pinksteeler) - Logitech V220 Mouse (carstairs38) - Cavalry 1TB External Hardrive (texas-swede) - Dell Latitude Port Replicator Docking Station (popsrocks) - Logitech (920-000914) Keyboard (sojournseeker) - Compaq Presario Laptop (telynor) - Barnes & Noble Nook Education - Cairo (sblaydes) - Committed Rater Stationed In Cairo! (texas-swede) Career Development Advice (popsrocks) St. John's University (wlswarts) SUNY Binghamton University (countess_eva) Hood College (bilbopooh) Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (pinksteeler) Bloomsburg University Of Pennsylvania (shopaholic_man) Bridgewater State College (carstairs38) Should I Attend a Community College? (jurgrace) University of Washington Business School (sojournseeker) What Is College Really Like? (telynor) Advice On College Success Electronics - Moscow (wlswarts) Nikon Coolpix L16 Digital Camera (jurgrace) Blackberry Curve 8520 Embossed Silicone Skin Case - Lavender (pinksteeler) Samsung Solstice SGH a887 (carstairs38) Sprint Mobile Phone Service In Los Angeles (shopaholic_man) Silicon Skin Case For BlackBerry 9700 (texas-swede) Garmin nuvi 255W Car GPS Receiver (sojournseeker) TDK T-120 VHS Tape (melissamarie21) DLO Power Bug (billy159401) Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot K850i Cell Phone Games - Jakarta (Pandemonium) - Committed Rater Stationed In Jakarta! (carstairs38) Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (wlswarts) "Star Trek 25th Anniversary" For Game Boy (bilbopooh) Jungle Book for Super Nintendo (rgathright) Age Of Empires Mythologies For DS (pinksteeler) Nintendo Wii Gaming Console (Pandemonium) Nyco Controller Extension Cable For Playstation 2 (chelledun) New Super Mario Bros. for Nintendo Wii (shopaholic_man) Viking! Battle of Asgard For PS3 (texas-swede) Hotel For Dogs for DS (melissamarie21) The Golden Compass (sojournseeker) Shanghai Double Pack (billy159401) Bayonetta For Playstation 3 (artemis8) World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King Home and Garden - Rome (jurgrace) - Committed Rater Stationed In Rome! (wlswarts) Great Neck Saw 16 oz. Rubber Mallet (rgathright) Easy Grip Sponge (bilbopooh) A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand sculpture (carstairs38) Kenmore 24" Built In Dishwasher (popsrocks) Drano Max (Pandemonium) Hamilton Beach 22608 Toaster (talyseon) Rubbermaid Hip Hugger Laundry Basket (pinksteeler) Outdoor Storage Seat (shopaholic_man) Sunbeam 3821 4-Slice Toaster (texas-swede) Nespresso Essenza C100 Espresso Machine & Coffee Maker (jurgrace) GE SmartWater Refrigerator Filter MWF (gaelkm) Presto HeatDish Plus Footlight (melissamarie21) Oxy Clean Spray-A-Way (telynor) Panasonic Bread Maker (sojournseeker) Tool Basix Case Cutter Snap-Off Knife (billy159401) Hamilton Beach 64650 Hand/Stand Mixer Hotels & Travel - Madrid (texas-swede) - Committed Rater Stationed In Madrid! (chelledun) - Key West Aquarium (popsrocks) - Great Point Flex Neck Reading Light (texas-swede) - Hilton - Fort Worth, TX (pinksteeler) - Comfort Inn - West Hazleton, PA (shopaholic_man) - New York City's Museum Of Modern Art (wlswarts) - New York City (carstairs38) - Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (artemis8) - Hilton Los Angeles North/Glendale & Executive Meeting Center (telynor) - Ricardo Super Tote (billy159401) - Manhattan Europa Med (luggage) (sojournseeker) - Six Flags Ohio (gaelkm) - Desert Springs: Marriott Resort and Spa-Palm Desert (rgathright) - Continental Airlines Kids & Family - Hong Kong (dustinnikki) - Committed Rater Stationed In Hong Kong! (bilbopooh) - Farkle Cup (jurgrace) - Littlest Pet Shop On the Go Purse with Ladybug (popsrocks) - Crayola Glow Dome (wlswarts) - Lieutenant Worf In StarFleet Rescue Outfit Action Figure (pinksteeler) - Lil Kinz Lamb Webkinz (telynor) - Jane Austen Action Figure (Pandemonium) - Electronic Catch Phrase (shopaholic_man) - World Of Warcraft Succubus Demon Amberlash figure (texas-swede) - Dog Opoly Monopoly (carstairs38) - Lego Indiana Jones Minifig Keychain (melissamarie21) - Burger King Sulu Talking Toy (sojournseeker) - Similac Advanced Special Care Premature Infant Formula Iron, Ready Feed (artemis8) - Little Tikes Totsports Easy Score Basketball Set Magazine Subscriptions - Seoul (panguitch) - Committed Rater Stationed In Seoul! (wlswarts) - New York Archives (texas-swede) - IEEE Spectrum (pinksteeler) - Woman's Day (rgathright) - Popular Science (popsrocks) - Time Out New York Kids (shopaholic_man) - F1 Racing Magazine (carstairs38) - Wall Street Journal (jurgrace) - Disney's Princess Magazine (telynor) - KMT Magazine (sojournseeker) - Soap Opera Digest (billy159401) - Collector's Crossword Movies – Vancouver (ladyconsumer) - Committed Rater Stationed In Vancouver! (wlswarts) Alice In Wonderland (countess_eva) Ghost (bilbopooh) Kipper: Playtime (shopaholic_man) Amon Amarath - Wrath Of The Norsemen (popsrocks) Extraordinary Measures (texas-swede) Crazy Heart (pinksteeler) (500) Days Of Summer (carstairs38) You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (telynor) Emma (Pandemonium) Last Stand Of The 300 (talyseon) Dorian Gray (melissamarie21) Labyrinth (chelledun) Magnificent Desolation: Walking On The Moon (jurgrace) Care Bears: Bear Buddies (artemis8) Michael Jackson – Never Surrender (sojournseeker) Lions For Lambs (billy159401) Shutter Island Music - Johannesburg (shopaholic_man) - Committed Rater Stationed In Johannesburg! (wlswarts) Reba McEntire - "20th Century Masters: Christmas Collection - The Best Of Reba" (bilbopooh) Weird Al Yankovic - Internet Leaks (melissamarie21) Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Pandemonium) Apocalypta - Apocalyptica Plays Metallica By Four Cellos (pinksteeler) Susan Boyle - I Dreamed A Dream (shopaholic_man) Arch Enemy - The Root Of All Evil (popsrocks) Andrea Bocelli - Cieli di Toscana (texas-swede) Royksopp - Melody A.M. (jurgrace) Various Artists - Songs From "Phineas And Ferb" (carstairs38) VeggieTunes 4 (talyseon) Dark Adventure Radio Theatre Presents H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness (telynor) Alan Hovhaness - Mysterious Mountains (sojournseeker) - David Gilmour - On An Island (artemis8) - Weezer - Raditude (Deluxe) Musical Instruments - Vienna (Dr.P) - Committed Rater Stationed In Vienna! (carstairs38) "A Completely Different Kind Of Guitar" (bilbopooh) Chilean Rainstick (shopaholic_man) Yamaha 61 Key Keyboard (wlswarts) Giardinelli B-Flat Clarinet Case (pinksteeler) Yamaha PSRE313-K Electronic Keyboard (texas-swede) Who Defined The Romantic Period? (sojournseeker) Danelectro Bacon & Eggs Mini Amp with Distortion (billy159401) Qwik Time QT3 Metronome Online Stores & Services - Tehran (beckish) - Committed Rater Stationed In Tehran! (wlswarts) Barnes & Noble.com (bilbopooh) Amazon.com (pinksteeler) Snapfish (rgathright) Amazon.com (shopaholic_man) Abebooks.com (carstairs38) Christianbook.com (popsrocks) Harriet Carter (texas-swede) Goodies From Goodman (jurgrace) V Smile Online Store (chelledun) Dean & Deluca (telynor) See's Candies (artemis8) Shop World Kitchen Online Store (sojournseeker) Vistaprint.com Personal Finance – Tokyo – (carstairs38) - Committed Rater Stationed In Tokyo! (wlswarts) Citibank (pinksteeler) Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union (carstairs38) Citibank Dividend Platinum Select Credit Card (shopaholic_man) Rockland Trust (texas-swede) American Airlines AAdvantage Citibank Credit Card (gaelkm) Golden 1 Credit Union (telynor) Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union (billy159401) Citi PremierPass (sojournseeker) JC Penny Credit Card Pets - Mexico City (pestyside) - Committed Rater Stationed In Mexico City! (wlswarts) Cosmic Pets Fatty Frog cat toys (texas-swede) Coolaroo Large Pet Bed (melissamarie21) Flexi 16' Leash (bilbopooh) Feed The Squirrels Poster (countess_eva) Four Paws Fresh Essence Cologne (carstairs38) Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (Pandemonium) Arm & Hammer Multi-cat Clumping Litter (shopaholic_man) Aquatic Gardens Roman Coliseum Ruins Aquarium Ornament (popsrocks) Fiesta Gourmet Parakeet Food (pinksteeler) Whisker City Red Breakaway Cat Collar (jurgrace) Summit Disposal Cleaner (gaelkm) Organix Organic Dog Cookies (chelledun) Kong Wubba Cat Toy (Mouse) (telynor) Hill's Science Diet Original Adult Cat Food 10 lbs. (sojournseeker) 9 Lives Beef Cat Food (artemis8) Hills Science Diet Feline Senior Food 20 lbs. Restaurants & Gourmet/Food & Drink - Beijing (popsrocks) - Committed Rater Stationed In Beijing! (shopaholic_man) - Domino's Pizza (popsrocks) - Jose Cuervo Margarita Salt (bilbopooh) - Blue Raspberry Fruit Gushers (melissamarie21) - Christian Brothers Holiday Nog (wlswarts) - Jelly Belly 49 Flavor Jelly Bean Assortment (pinksteeler) - Twinings Pure Mint Tea (rgathright) - Toblerone Tiny Milk Chocolate Stand Up Bag (countess_eva) - Keurig 27 K Cup Carousel (telynor) - Twinings Lapsang Souchong Tea (texas-swede) - III Forks (jurgrace) - Pillsbury Whipped Supreme Strawberry Frosting (carstairs38) - Pepperidge Farm Tim Tam Caramel (Pandemonium) - Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls (chelledun) - San Chez Cafe And Tapas Bistro (sojournseeker) - Smart Balance Omega Natural Peanut Butter, Chunky (gaelkm) - Quaker Natural Granola - Oats, Honey & Raisins (billy159401) - Kasugai Roasted Mix Nuts (artemis8) - Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Software - New Dehli (texas-swede) MPS Multimedia QuickStudy Chemistry (wlswarts) Star Trek Font Pack (shopaholic_man) 123 Copy DVD (pinksteeler) Nolo Quicken Willmaker Plus 2009 (carstairs38) Microsoft Office 2007 (sojournseeker) Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 (popsrocks) Intuit TurboTax Premier Full Version for PC/Mac (gaelkm) Intuit TurboTax 2009 Full Version for PC/Mac (billy159401) Encore Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Deluxe 20 Full Version for PC/Mac Sports & Outdoors - Sydney (jo.com) - Committed Rater Stationed In Sydney! (pinksteeler) - New Pitt Stadium (popsrocks) - Sportcraft Bank Shot Dual Electronic Basketball (texas-swede) - Bubba Keg 52 oz. Mug (carstairs38) - Henry Woods State Park (wlswarts) - 2 D Mag Lite Flashlight (LonghornMan) - Dallas Cowboys Ash Coaches T-Shirt (shopaholic_man) - Everlast Nevatear 80 lb. Worldwide Heavy Punching Bag (bilbopooh) - Presque Isle State Park (Pandemonium) - Ebonite React Right Hand Bowling Glove (sojournseeker) - 1989 Topps Baseball Card 689 Stan Jefferson San Diego Padres (melissamarie21) - Maglite LED Flashlight 3 D-Cell (billy159401) - Head Liquidmetal Radical Mp (Racquet) (telynor) - Chaco Culture National Historical Park (jurgrace) - Speedo Hydrospex Junior Swim Goggles for Kids Wellness & Beauty - Rio de Janeiro (amyk49) - Committed Rater Stationed In Rio de Janeiro! (melissamarie21) Pastel Pleasures Vibrator & Sleeve Collection (jurgrace) Nexcare Fairies Tattoo Bandages (gaelkm) Orli Nail Polish "Seashell" Lacquer (popsrocks) Purell Hand Sanitizing Towelettes (wlswarts) Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple Anti-bacterial Hand Gel (countess_eva) Bath & Body Works Temptations Orange Freeze Body Lotion (chelledun) LUSH Cosmetic Warrior Face Mask (shopaholic_man) Crabtree & Evelyn Goatmilk Comforting Body Wash (texas-swede) Healthometer 160 KL Pro Dial Scale (pinksteeler) Biore Revitalize 4-in-1 Self-foaming Cleanser (carstairs38) Total Shaving Solution (Pandemonium) Dexter SST 4 Bowling Shoe 11.5, for Men (sojournseeker) Zeiss 200 Pk Lens Cleaning Cloth Wipes (telynor) Almay Intense i-Color Eye Shadow Play Up Trio for Greens Current Standings At the finish line - 6 contestants finished! Place - (reviewer name) – Number Of Cities Visited – Racing Total (in days) 1 - (wlswarts) - 21 - (-14)* 2 - (texas-swede) - 21 - (-9)* 3 - (shopaholic_man) - 21 - (-5)* 3 - (carstairs38) - 21 - (-5)* 4 - (pinksteeler) - 21 - (-2)* 5 - (sojournseeker) - 21 - 28* Participants (These reviewers took the challenge and gave it their all!) (billy159401) - 13 - 51 (telynor) - 16 - 57 (melissamarie21) - 11 - 59 (jurgrace) - 16 - 62 (popsrocks) - 17 - 70 (bilbopooh) - 13 - 70 (rgathright) - 9 - 70 (artemis8) - 10 - 71 (Pandemonium) - 9 - 71 (gaelkm) - 9 - 77 (chelledun) - 7 - 77 (countess_eva) - 6 - 78 (talyseon) - 3 - 78 (LonghornMan) - 1 - 79  |
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