Just had a GREAT idea :D

**GameOver** · Jun 8th, 2008, 9:56 pm

We should have a bi-yearly webmaster challenge.

What would it include?

- Everyone who enters would pay $25 to Kalina.
- Kalina then sends everyone who entered a domain name (more on this later)
- $10 out of every entry goes to WTF (to pay for domain name) and the $15 would go to the prize pool.
- Kalina would make a google analytics account and make a sub-account for everyone.
- We then have 6 months to make our website get the most traffic/revenue.
- There would be certain rules however they could be thought up later.
- Everyones site would have to be about the same topic (for example, the first one could be about chemotherapy, could be an image hosting site etc (basically anything))
- There would be a prize for a) most traffic (cumulative), b) most revenue (cumulative) and c) best in general (most helpful etc)
- After the competition ends everyone gets to keep their site.
- Weekly statistics of everyones progress would be posted.
- Anyone found cheating would be banned from all future competitions.
- Everyone would have similar domains (for example if we were doing image hosting sites: imgzing.com, imgflag.com, imghead.com etc)
- There could be a download section with tools to help competitors (for example if we were doing image hosting, there would be a script, maybe a few designs etc)

What do you think? (obviously this is just a draft)

When I mentioned Kalina doing this, it could be anyone (I would be more than happy to do it but obviously the money would go to Kalina because I am relatively new here.

Reasons to hold this:
a) its fun
b) we can win money
c) it would be great promotion for WTF
d) it would also earn revenue
e) it would be no extra work for admins/mods if they don't want because I could run it (except for collecting money)
f) DP is just a forum, WTF is a community. DP would never have something like this however we should because we are a community.
g) We would be the only site on the net that is running something like this (I think)

Also, we could have a subdomain with a WP blog where all the stats etc would be posted and where all the rules etc are.

So what do you think? I would love to see this become a reality some day.

edit: we could do image hosting sites for our first topic, I have 11 domains that I was going to try to sell in this thread: WTS: Image Hosting Sites- $30/each (Cheap) - Webmaster Forum, however it is just an idea. I would be really happy to do it with any type of sites.

**NowakFilip** · Jun 8th, 2008, 10:12 pm

I don't quite think this would be so good idea, because people might use traffic exchange methods and use other fake traffic softwares that will drive fake traffic to the site and the statistics in Google Analytics or other statistics program would display that real visitors came to the site.

Everything sounds good, but the only problem is with the traffic, because people can cheat by using traffic exchange methods and fake traffic softwares that will drive millions of unique fake hits to the site.

How about a person that will refer the most people to Web Talk Forums using their referral link would win real money.

**GameOver** · Jun 8th, 2008, 10:25 pm

Originally Posted by NowakFilip

I don't quite think this would be so good idea, because people might use traffic exchange methods and use other fake traffic softwares that will drive fake traffic to the site and the statistics in Google Analytics or other statistics program would display that real visitors came to the site.

This competition would be limited to only the trusted/regular members of WTF. As I mentioned, there will be rules. One of the biggest rules would be fake traffic however with the centralized analytics account that the competition director would be in charge of, it would be easy to distinguish between fake and normal traffic. This would completely solve this problem and it would be easy to tell, for example, one day there is 10 visits, the next there is 10 000 etc (however if this traffic was coming from digg (you would be able to tell), then this compeitior has not done anything wrong).

Originally Posted by NowakFilip

Everything sounds good, but the only problem is with the traffic, because people can cheat by using traffic exchange methods and fake traffic softwares that will drive millions of unique fake hits to the site.

Again, that would show up in the stats. There would be rules preventing certain traffic generation methods such as buying traffic, automated visitors etc. I don't think the members involved would take the risk of not being able to enter the competition again (well I wouldn't anyway)

Originally Posted by NowakFilip

How about a person that will refer the most people to Web Talk Forums using their referral link would win real money.

You are missing the whole point of this. It is not only to win money, I would still enter it if there was no prize. The point is that it would be really fun and exciting, the prize money is just the icing on the cake. WTF has no reason to run a referral competition. Many new communities have these to increase signups (in some cases doubling the number of new members in the time of the compeition) however with the size of WTF, it would be a really small proportion and would be pointless.

**NowakFilip** · Jun 8th, 2008, 10:33 pm

I was just saying what people might be doing to drive traffic to their site. I personally can't tell when a person is using a fake traffic or not, but some experts can like GameOver :1945:

The main idea of this is a pretty good idea, so good luck with your ideas and I hope you will get successful with your idea.

(Too many idea words used in the sentence)

**GameOver** · Jun 8th, 2008, 10:39 pm

Originally Posted by NowakFilip

I was just saying what people might be doing to drive traffic to their site. I personally can't tell when a person is using a fake traffic or not, but some experts can like GameOver :1945:

The main idea of this is a pretty good idea, so good luck with your ideas and I hope you will get successful with your idea.

(Too many idea words used in the sentence)

Ok, thanks. Anyone that has been using any analytical software or website tracking would be able to notice fake traffic. Also, to start off, the would probably only be 10 or so people in the competition (all regular/1000+ post members). I doubt one of these would lower them selfs to the level of fake traffic. The bottom line it is just a bit of fun. I would appreciate other peoples view on this.

Just had another idea: In the casino section, under the sports betting we could allow people to bet on who is going to win with their casino cash :twisted:

**zeus** · Jun 9th, 2008, 3:55 am

Well what do the Admin's have to say about this?

**GameOver** · Jun 9th, 2008, 4:22 am

Originally Posted by zeus

Well what do the Admin's have to say about this?

I am eagerly waiting :twisted:

What do you think?

**Zap** · Jun 9th, 2008, 5:58 am

By no means would I have final say on this.
But my own personal opinions, based on first impressions...

1. Nobody wants to pay to enter a contest.
(Webmasters get enough heat for requiring linkbacks in certain contests. I can only imagine the backlash for forcing participants to pay to enter)
2. Too difficult, if not impossible, to monitor properly. On the surface, it would seem that payments can be verified, but they really can't. I can tell you a payment was for a specific advertising spot, but it really could be for a table I got rid of at my last garage sale. There's no way to difinitively prove what each payment was for.
3. This is a lot of work for someone and the results (and subsequent winner) would always be vulnerable to any kind of serious scrutiny.

I like that you're thinking of WTF as a community because that's what we strive for. But I see great potential for problems and diviciveness in a contest like this.

**GameOver** · Jun 9th, 2008, 6:13 am

Originally Posted by Zap

By no means would I have final say on this.
But my own personal opinions, based on first impressions...

1. Nobody wants to pay to enter a contest.
(Webmasters get enough heat for requiring linkbacks in certain contests. I can only imagine the backlash for forcing participants to pay to enter)
2. Too difficult, if not impossible, to monitor properly. On the surface, it would seem that payments can be verified, but they really can't. I can tell you a payment was for a specific advertising spot, but it really could be for a table I got rid of at my last garage sale. There's no way to difinitively prove what each payment was for.
3. This is a lot of work for someone and the results (and subsequent winner) would always be vulnerable to any kind of serious scrutiny.

I like that you're thinking of WTF as a community because that's what we strive for. But I see great potential for problems and diviciveness in a contest like this.

I understand what you are saying. I don't think people will mind paying the $25 because they will get a domain that they will have for ever and it works out to be 13 cents per day.

About paying for backlinks etc, I wont be doing any of that myself. It will be completely up to the person how much they will spend on the site however I know for sure that I will only be using free methods.

About 2), tracking revenue is too hard, we could just have the cumulative traffic and the best voted/best quality site.

About 3), I could do most of the work however I think other people would be willing to help out

If Kalina thinks this could possibly work then I will get everyone who would be interested in participating to post here. Not only is it a competition, it will be a great learning experience as we will be able to analyze what the winner did differently and have a better understanding of what to do in the future.

It only lasts for 6 months and if it does not work out for any reason, the competitors money could be refunded (minus the domain)

Kalina, it is up to you. If you think it is a good idea I will get the rules and a detailed explanation together. I could work to have it completed/everything finalized by the end of this month. If we start on 1st July then it would finish on New Years Eve.

Thanks.

edit: also about people not wanting to pay for something, people are paying $10 for casino cash (probably even more once the auction finishes), I think this would be much more fun than the casino too

We could have a subforum for this comp where I could post some stickies etc with the rules, FAQ, and post a weekly analytics update and have a public poll for the favorite site. Also additional topics and questions could be posted in the subforum.

**LeenkzMike** · Jun 9th, 2008, 4:54 pm

I like the idea, and I would be willing to put up the entry fee, but I have to agree with Zapp, way too hard to keep it policed

**Colleen** · Jun 9th, 2008, 5:03 pm

Originally Posted by GameOver

When I mentioned Kalina doing this, it could be anyone (I would be more than happy to do it but obviously the money would go to Kalina because I am relatively new here.

I am not the sole owner of this forum.

When I have some time to focus, I'll read your idea over more thoroughly.