Idea for a mean contest
Just had an idea for a mean (like medium, not angry) contest.
I noticed the Developer Shed June contest, which asked developers to submit their best scripts to Scripts.com. The dev with the most accepted scripts wins.
I think it's a great idea. I won't enter.
Here's why - I have zero chance of winning. While my odds are significantly greater than hitting the jackpot in my state's lottery (something like 3.6 million to one), I still have to "compete" against someone submitting a hundred different scripts (I presume the scripts must be of their own making).
So here's my idea: Have 2 prizes, preferably equal. The top prize goes to the standard top-of-the-heap winner. The other one goes to a contestant in the dead center - at the top of the bell curve. You would probably have to have a lottery among the people who sent in the # of scripts closest to the mean, but that guarantees that if you put in a little effort, you'd have a reasonable chance of winning.
Who knows? Maybe the mean is 3 scripts. Doesn't matter if Joe Overachiever sends in a 100 scripts - you still have a chance. Heck, even I could come up with three (Python, of course).
Keeps the contestants guessing, adds a little excitement - and gets people like me off their duff. I don't like competing against Josephine "Type" Ai, unless I have an edge.
Just an idea...