Google Wordmasters, Pune

September 2006
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Harshad Joshi 2:38 pm on September 30, 2006 Permalink Reply
Google Wordmasters, Pune
Today I went to the (much advertised and much hyped) Google Wordmaster competition held to find Indias most creative writer (!).

The competition was very simple(Google says it, not me). Two options were given, each having 20 words. We had to choose one of those two and had to write a paragraph/essay/story/dialogue/poem/whatever incorporating those 20 words. The best part was that you had to write it on only one ruled paper provided by courtesy of Google. The hall was filled almost completely as more people turned out to attend the Google event. On top of that, it was great to see that the AC was not working. I had a nice sweat and probably this was the compensatition of missing todays workout. (How can people survice without an AC or cooler or fan? No questions to be asked. )

I am tempted to provide you with one of my worst ever written literature, but after seeing the response to this post.Click this link to find what I wrote at Google WM, Pune.

Meanwhile, curious cats can view the photocopy of Google’s paper* here. (Beware though, the image is scanned in a real life size for optimum viewing.Paper and its contents are (c) Google India 2006)

Todays advice – Dont fall prey to any competition, even if the sponsers name is Google. Those who are curious, wait for 30 Oct 2006 to see the winners of this great Google Wordmasters bash 2006…

* All content(including the nonsense concept) (c) 2006 Google India .

[INCOMPLETE]

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Google Wordmasters - The Aftermath « The first tones of Freedom, Harshad Joshi, Pooky, and 34 others are discussing. Toggle Comments
- Hiren 4:09 pm on September 30, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I went to Delhi’s googlemaster at 11am. It had participants for all age groups and was interesting in that sense. The AC was working. At least somebody is trying to spot creative writers. Its a good intiative. They told us its going to be held in 8 cities. Should be an interesting outcome.
  
  I wonder why they leave poetry out of a ll this. That is supposed to be the ultimate in creative writing.
- Harshad Joshi 4:21 pm on September 30, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  The Google blokes we had were quite liberal. One elder wanted to write a poem out of those words, and he was promptly allowed to do so. I was wondering how he would manage that act of composing a peom using those 20 words…
  Needless to say, I was at my wits( and patience) end.
  Pl check that paper we had. I think it was the same all over the India. Anyway, I wasent able to write anything logical or sensible. I was unhappy. I didnt like it. No AC/No assistance + a paper I didnt like.
- mayuresh 8:06 am on October 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  interesting. do post your entry. it wud be good to see what u managed even in such trying circumstances.
- Harshad Joshi 9:15 am on October 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Mayuresh
  Yes I will definately blog about it.
  It was a lesson for Google and for me as well. Its always good to document events that have a potential to change a paradigm in a way of thinking. 🙂
- Salim 2:38 am on October 3, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hi,
  I went to the Kolkata event on Sept 30. The hall (Xaviers auditorium) was full. There was a cute chick from google {I think Shruti and I hope google doesnt see this 😉 } and a guy Malan who managed the stage. I was horrible at time management and spent most of my time writing the draft, and was left with just 10 min to copy to the actual paper. I never knew writing with a pen took soooo long and almost became illegible in the last portion {most probably they’re goin to disqualify coz of my bad writing 😦 }
  
  I will have to be content with the goody bag and google stuff they gave away.
  
  Guys do let us know if anybody wins !!!!
- Harshad Joshi 4:20 am on October 3, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hmm..The Google Goodie bag was made up of paper but it wasent mentioned whether it was a handmade, recyclable or reused/recycled paper. A plastic coating on it would have made the bag more durable and would also have served as a sweet memory of Google Wordmasters.. 😀
  Dear Google, next time you give us paper, please see to it that no environment is harmed. Instead of plain paper, Google Writely would have been more good. We could have appeared for online.
- John Mathew 7:36 am on October 3, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Google Wordmasters 2006 – an experience
  
  Google Wordmasters was conducted across 10 cities in 10 cities across the country. I was one of the lucky 3000 who participated in the contest.
  Here’s the experience from a man who experienced it.
  I was a participant at Ahmedabad centre. At first the misconception (not only to me but to a lot of participants) was that only 300 out of the whole country would be there. So I expected around 20-30 from Ahmedabad as this was a city with the least IT savvy people compared to the other cities but to my awe, as soon as I saw around 250 people standing in the registration line, I knew I was wrong.
  Hence, the conclusion was there were gonna be 2999 competiors for me !!
  As I reached there, I was given a registration number at the desk and then we were led to an air conditioned auditorium. The venue was nice but still a lot of doubts here and there.
  We could see a couple of youths in Google Tshirts making people envious bout them. They were working actively on the event. The head of Google from Hyderabad, Sonia Flynn, was there. She gave amazing guidelines to the restless participants who wanted to clear each and every doubt in mind (of course, which was needed guys!!)
  Sonia gave a small but nice presentation on GOOGLE and also about Wordmasters 06’.
  But the funny thing, was the funny questions coming from the crowd like “Can I use smileys?” “What’s the least amount of words we can write a passage on?” “Can I use French words?” etc.
  Sonia was amused by the questions but managed to answer.
  They gave a printed paper on which there were 2 sets of words each of a set of 20. Parcipants had to choose one of the sets and write a passage. Conditions were no one can write a passage of more than 200 words, all 20 words have to appear once in the passage and time was 1 hour inclusive of 45 min of writing, 10 min of verifying and 5 min for final check.
  I had studied what the competition was before many days and so was prepared but I was not sure of getting success owing to the poor English levels of Gujarat compared to the other cities, but the competition was not much dependant on the language. It was on smart use of the time to finish a creative passage with given constraints.
  
  The words were simple, except a few. But for me it was stressful as I wrote the passage the first time in rough in very bad handwriting to get the theme, then a second time to get it more clear, then a 3rd time to see if its all correct grammatically and also if it contains all 20 words and finally the 4th time on the actual answer sheet they had given. I found that I had written 205 words. So cut off some unnecessary words here and there. Finally I ended up at 193 words.
  We submitted it and that’s it.
  They gave goody bags to all, containing a big notepad, a pen, a keychain all with Google logos.
  Everyone’s waiting for a call from The Google HR team. But they would call only 10 and out of 10, 3 would be winners. They would get cash prizes, a distance learning course from some top foreign university and a tour to Hyderabad Google office.
  Well, I had gone because I love that brand. I admire the way it’s come up and I admire the revolutionary products they come up with. Great going GOOGLE!!
  Everyone’s waiting for 30th October 2006 !!!
- Harshad Joshi 8:48 am on October 3, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Wow…You seem to be the fortunate ones having an AC.. 🙂
  Sadely mnay of us werent. 😦
  Yup. Many common people from all around attended this event. Its simply because Google is successful in making an impression of a world class global superbrand(which incidently it is) in mind of common people, who have little connection with technology, but are potentially biggest consumers. These are the people who will purchase large commodities and will have a role to play in deciding the market stategy. Google needs that more people should know about it.
  Thats it. Google clearly has a solid plan to capture the biggest consumer market in this world. Its only a matter of time before we come to know the real stategy.
  Its going to be unfold soon…
  I am waiting Google…
- Bala 9:19 am on October 3, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I was at the google contest venue at a’bad. I agree with most of what John Mathew says, except that the calls from google HR are supposed to be independent of the contest results. i liked the presentation on google itself, which was a nice brief one.
  
  There were people who hoped to write in english, creatively no less, but failed to understand simple instructions like switching off their cellphones!
  
  It was a good concept for a contest and it was encouraging to see the turnout, especially the number of older people. I was also deceived into believing that i was one of the early 300 registrants. google needs to clear that up in future. overall a nice experience. lets see what 30/10 brings.
- Harshad Joshi 1:25 pm on October 3, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Yes you are right.
  Many people did forget to switch off their mobiles. Even I was amongst them 😉
  Google WM was indeed a unique and challenging experience.
- Raj Kumar Hansdah 7:10 am on October 4, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I was @ Kolkata. My GOOGLE goodie bag did not contain the key chain. Lets hear from other participants at the venue (I wasn’t too curious to look inside theirs )
  
  It was great FUN, especially the doubts raised by the participants ! I felt I was back in my school English class, having regressed (or grown) to Harry’s age.
  
  About the Essay, I was so focussed on my piece, that I managed to do it in a CRISP, concise 110 words. Then, later I tried to expand it to at least 150 by APPENDING some sentences. Before I coul finish the latter task, the warning bell had rung, and I started jotting down hurriedly on the fair sheet, whatever I had scribbled on the draft.
  
  The ultimate result would be for the GOOGLERS to judge; but who dares stops me from dreaming that I won… by a wide margin….
  Thats it folks, do share your experiences…..t
- Harshad Joshi 7:54 am on October 4, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  The goodie bag was a hit..
  
  Google strategy worked.. 🙂
- Salim 3:18 am on October 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Yup Harshad, the goody bag was a nice strategy by google to get its brand even more noticeable. Mr. Hansdoh, my bag did NOT contain the keychain as well, so u r not alone 🙂
- Salim 3:22 am on October 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  One more thing… the deadline of 45 minutes was not adhered to strictly as when I submitted my paper at the end of 45 mins, there were still people scribbing away merrily for a good 10 mins more with some lame warnings from the google staff. Cheating cheating… boo hoo hooo… 😦
- Harshad Joshi 4:37 am on October 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hey, it wasent SSC/HSC board exam and their poorly paid staff. It was Google. Expect them to be linient.. 😀
- Raj Kumar Hansdah 8:21 pm on October 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Thanks ppl for all ur responses.
  So, I wasn’t the only one bereft og Google key chain !
  And yeah, it did bug me v. much to see many participants at the back seats merrily scribbling away for at least 10 minutes after the end of session. Actually the Googlers were blocked by curious participants quizzing them about results, prizes etc.; thus preventing them from collecting the papers.
  I wish the papers of late submitters be cancelled or penalized.
  Lets wait till Oct. 30th !!
- Harshad Joshi 3:48 am on October 11, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I bet that the LLB’s(Lords of the Last Bench) will not win the prize. Winners dont need extra time to finish their papers. 🙂
  
  The winner will be definately an exceptional and good writer. Of course, Google is going to have a lot of tough time in deciding the winner, because there is no shortage of good writers here.. 😀
  
  So, lets wait for 30 October 2006, the day when Google shows us who the ‘real’ Wordmaster is..
  (Waiting to be there…)
- Deepa 7:32 am on October 18, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I too took the wordmasters challenge. With all the hype with which the Google conducted this event they could have organised it more professionallly. Do not know how reliable thier selection process will be. I noticed in Chennai, that there were many in the age group of above 50 and 60. If they turn up as winners will Google recruit them?!
- Harshad Joshi 8:13 am on October 18, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Deepa
  
  Oops, it seems those blokes might have forgotten to tell you this that Google Wordmasters 2006 and Google recruitment have got no relation with each other.
  
  Simply said – Winning Wordmaster dosent mean that Google is gonna employ you. To get into Google, one needs qualifications that Google is searching for. Thats it.
  
  But unfortunately, many people misunderstood the Wordmaster challenge as a way to get into Google.
  
  Sigh…if that was the way things turn, I would have been a king by now.. 😉
  
  Anyway, 30 oct 2006 isent too far…Lets wait and watch..
- dilettante 9:21 am on October 18, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I was at the A’bad venue, but am from Baroda.
  I came to check the scene out. I teach creative writing (in English), and wondered how good a scope there is to pursue this field- is there enough interest in people to learn how to write professionally.
  
  Judging by the numbers at the A’bad venue- there are quite a few wannabes.
- Harshad Joshi 11:36 am on October 18, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @dilettante
  This isent a marketting or bussiness blog. 😉
  
  Anyway, nice to know you.
- dilettante 5:01 pm on October 18, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  hi! harshad..
  first off, sorry, but i didnt have the marketing angle in mind. We end up teaching creative writing for free mostly.
  We help kids and teens/ adult who cant find teachers , or cant afford books or tuitions on the subject- with their passion for writing and poetry.
  
  we also help like minded people to help kids in their area.
  I just stumbled on this blog and asked instinctively, without explaining my intentions.
  once again my apologies. tc. good site.
- Harshad Joshi 5:52 pm on October 18, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @dilettante
  
  Hey..theres no need to apologize..
  
  I had to edit your comments, because of our policy. Its very simple one – We just edit some part of comments, which can possibley divulge personal information like email address, work address or details, personal or political views etc. By doing this, we prevent email spammers/leechers and malicious minded blokes who sniff round the web for data. Unfortunately, as of now, this is the only method that works well. 😦
  
  And Akismet too..
  
  Similarly, there are some guys who make use of this facility to market their personal site or blog. Unless we are sure of what content that site has, we dont provide a link to it. 😀
  
  So, its necessary to do all these things to enable readers a rich experience with the right content, without any possible distraction. No ads, no personal info required. Thats what makes us the user preferred option.. 🙂
- neha sathaye 5:14 am on October 25, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  wow…..what an experience!
  i would like to congratulate the google team for carrying forward a competition of this sort!
  
  my experience was quite a thrilling one…..
  i was not in town a day before the competition and landed the city the same day, and while heading the destination realised tht had no pen to write……. “can you beat it, a writer going without a pen to write volumes”
  
  that was the day i realised that there are few shops in the city that sell pens…..god gracious, i was on time….
  after all that rush….google gave me a good goody bag…..which had something that made me smile…..it had “a BIG BOLD pen”…..ha ha what more i could have asked for?
  
  an experience with excitement to the fullest, i would be extremely thankful to google for a platform to the writers in india…..we need such recognition!
  and would be more thankful if my dream to win the winners place would come true…….
  
  “Dare to Dream Big to Live Big”
- Narcissa 1:08 pm on October 29, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Does anyone, anyone at all, know if derivatives were allowed? I mean tenses and forms of the words given… because when I asked at the venue, I was told they were. And then I come across this blogger who says they were strictly forbidden.
- Harshad Joshi 1:35 pm on October 29, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Narcissa
  With less then 24 hours left for the announcement of Google Wordmasters 2006 champ, I guess this question and any answer to it would be insignificant. 😉
- Raj Kumar Hansdah 6:09 pm on October 29, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  waitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing for the results….
- dilettante 7:47 pm on October 29, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @RAJ KUMAR H
  yeahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!! results tonight! …………..
  
  i was just comparing the ‘angst’ we are going thro compared to the Lil CHAMPS contest yesterday.
  those kids and mostly the parents) would know what ‘results’ mean.
  of course,,, exams are the benchmark in nailbiting waits- but that contest beats anything we’ve been thro to a pulp, and how.
  
  still .. may the besst googler win. (i wonder if those having gmail Ids will have any kind of bearing on the contest…. oh dont you wish now you’d have taken up on that invite.)
  see you after the results for the inevitable bitching.
- amit 6:07 am on October 30, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  what time are the results coming out
  what website
- charuta 6:30 am on October 30, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hi! please anyone who features in the Google results, do leave a message on this page!
  
  Waiting for the results!
- ravi 9:04 am on October 30, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  “Everything was over long back” “Whatever has to happen will happen” You won’t win because you are good. You will win coz someone else is not better than you, and all the someone elses are waiting too, so just relax. If u win, ull know only when ur supposed to know. Dont be anxious. Anxiety is an enemy of creativity.
- Harshad Joshi 9:34 am on October 30, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Huh..what was that?
  
  Hey dudes, dont worry. Google will mail you if you are the winner.
- Jyoti 9:40 am on October 30, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  What are the results of google wordmasters???? I have searched it through google but unable to find!!!! Anyone can help???
- Arshiya 10:33 am on October 30, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hi..if anyone knows, has google declared the results?
- Sayan 1:15 pm on October 30, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hi,
  Any Idea of the results? Have tried my best but no info as yet.
- Harshad Joshi 2:49 pm on October 30, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  😀
- Pooky 3:19 pm on October 30, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hi,
  It’s now night of the 30th and still no results. They should at least tell you that you didn’t win, because the anxiety is driving me NUTS!! Will the winner please tell me that I’m not it. Also, please leave an address (so that I can tear him to bits).
- Harshad Joshi 3:32 pm on October 30, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  The name of the winners may be obtained by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Google India Pvt. Ltd., Prestige Sigma, No.3, Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore 560001.
  
  😉
- S.K. 5:58 pm on October 30, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hey Guyz!
  
  BINGO! I knew that I can do it and I have actually done it!!! Oh boyz, I am top of this world…. But just to let you all know, google have not hired me yet… It has just gifted me a maruti SWIFT!!!
  
  Thanks for all your appreciations and wishes…
  
  For those who didn’t win, better luck next time!
  
  S.K.
- Sayan 6:16 pm on October 30, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hey Dude,
  Congrats ! Can u share with us the mode of communication that Google preferred to reveal this secret?
- amit 9:34 pm on October 30, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  dude SK, congrats.
  how did u get to know?
- Allan D'Souza 4:55 am on October 31, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  It was a great contest! Briallintly contrived by a bunch of whiz kids, I must say. Proud to have been a participant. But when are the results due? It’s already way past 30th Oct?
- Allan D'Souza 4:56 am on October 31, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  It was a brilliant contes, I must say. Brilliantly contrived by a bunch of whiz kids. But when are the results due? It’s already way past the deadline. I though all participants were gonna be informed via email?
- Arshiya 5:05 am on October 31, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hey SK congratulations!!! How did u get to know about the result. Did the google guys call u
- Afterjoseph 6:52 am on October 31, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Can anyone else confirm this? Is there news regarding winners from any other city?
- Hari Menon 8:34 am on October 31, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  [Narcissa:] Does anyone, anyone at all, know if derivatives were allowed?
  
  At the Bombay venue, this was asked by someone, and the organisers’ response (after a bit of confusion) was: yes, derivatives of words are permitted. So I went ahead and used a few. It was a risk though — you know how clueless organisers can be.
  
  As for “SK”, the purported winner of the Swift, I find it strange that such a marvellous prize went unannounced in the media. Don’t tell me Google’s PR team is this bad? 😉
- maits 12:58 pm on October 31, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  it may seem like the sour grapes whine (not ‘wine’)… but i sure hope this guy s.k’s essay wasnt as badly written as his comment here. if otherwise, you can only shake your head over google’s falling standards. sigh….
- Harshad Joshi 1:03 pm on October 31, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I wanna read that esay.
- Narcissa 1:09 pm on October 31, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  S.K.’s comment is full of grammatical inaccuracies. Does anyone know where Google has put up the results for the Wordmasters challenge?
- Sayan 1:51 pm on October 31, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hi Everyone,
  
  Any Idea of which corner of the earth are the results located ? Trust me, Google is only good in the virtual world. I am sure it “sucks” in reality. Sorry to use the word Harshad, but its really frustrating to be a part of this events….esp. after spending so much energy and time in creation….when u don’t know the result….I am sure you would agree with me.
  
  All the Best Everyone
- Harshad Joshi 2:34 pm on October 31, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Sayan
  
  Hey dude..never feel sorry to use the word Harshad 😉
  
  Harshad means ‘The giver of joy’ aka ‘The Remover of Sorrow’. So, never worry about any difficult situation in life. There is always a Harshad around you, who can always help you in any kind of situation.
  
  Just try finding him once 😀
- Harshad Joshi 2:36 pm on October 31, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  BTW, the results are located in Google India HQ, Bangalore. Its address can be located somewhere in the comments section.
- Sayan 2:56 pm on October 31, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  That was quite motivating.
- S.K. 6:34 pm on October 31, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hey guyz! just take a chill pill…i was kidding…just wanted to add some more volumes to the curiosity among the blog readers. btw, i am not that lucky to top around 3000 contestants in India (Read: lucky)…as I believe that anyone’s potential can’t be measured with just a 45 mins of hassled competition organized by confused nerds of Google…
  
  hey Harshad, thanks for your mail dude…:)….neways, i am also one those curious ‘janta’, who wants to know the actual results of Wordmaster…ANYBODY THERE??? cheerz!
- Pallavi 7:11 pm on October 31, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  hey everybody,
  i was wondering how the results will be out… does anybody know whether the google ppl have told the non winners that the results are ….. whatever?
  because i did not get any mail in my mail box
  
  BTW…. the comments here are very good 🙂
- amit 12:30 am on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Ok, friends, Googlers, countrymen, since Google hasn’t been able to decide, what do you think of the following essay? I think, in all modesty, that this would be better than Ass Kay’s.
  
  It is absurd and weird that men are better than horses because of their horse sense. What if the horses imagine an impossible scene of making men ‘had been; what if they put on their thinking hats, and go inside a box to analyze phenomena, to experiment, to create? Their inquisitive faculties, incisive observations, and horse power and energy might just rein in all the luck, and give them the right direction. You never know! When they come out of the box, they might just say ‘ Eureka’! Archimedes had discovered the principle of floating, they might discover principles of emoting, doting, gloating all of which are vanishing from the human race. Swift had written about this in Gulliver’s Travels . Hyounyms were master horses, Yahoos were slave men. You don’t think it’s practical? Did anyone think that a djinn called Google would be possible? Now we know why Google overrides Yahoo. The horse power may cause men-o-pause. It’s time to give up?
  
  Time to think out of the box?
  What do you think of this innovation?
  I think it rocks.
  I have put on all my thinking hats and socks!
- Pooky 3:33 am on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I’m back people.
  I find it hard to believe that this S.K character has actually won. Maybe he didn’t reveal much because of my last threat (heh heh), or maybe he’s just pulling our legs.
  In any case, I always expected that GOOGLE, the God of the Internet (or at least one of the candidates for that post), would publish the resuts ONLINE, instead of having ME send a SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE to their office in Bangalore. No wonder they call it BANG-A-LORE, what with all that story of smokes and mirrors in the package.
  
  By the way, if any winner is worried, then for their info I’m from M.P. So it’s unlikely that I can harm them in any other city.
- Google Wordmasters - The Aftermath « The first tones of Freedom 4:00 am on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  […] Did you notice that I had put up a gentle warning about this particular compitition in my first post over here? It simply said this – […]
- maits 4:00 am on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  hey amit, that was one ear-to-ear stretcher of an essay you wrote. you can obviously think on your feet. google or no google, i wanna congratulate you for your fine writing. if you make it, i’m sure the best man will have won!
- amit 4:11 am on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  thanks a ton, maits
  it’s always gratifying for a writer to get such encouragement
- sandy 4:42 am on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hey, some interesting comments. Hard to believe that Google would keep the results so hush-hush
- sandy 5:04 am on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Guys, this is the rough draft I wrote for the contest. I’m sure it’s nowhere near the best, but please send your comments on whether you like it or not. Please be candid.
  
  Angry? Who me?
  
  Pradip was angry. He faced a dilemma is his professional life. He was finding it difficult to adjust. He loathed his overbearing boss, who he thought had an ulterior motive to destroy his career. He understood that disagreements were meant to be democratic, but his boss’s view’s differed so very drastically with his! He understood that he had to control his temper, not be adamant, but adjust. He was hurt by his constant accusations of slackness. He felt he needed a rethink on his future, an insight, for he felt that his boss’s motives had been suspicious, at best. He would have liked someone with an innate goodness of nature and penchant for adherence to human values.
  
  Pradip tried to calm his nerves. Maybe he would practise meditation, which was the suggestion of his anger management therapist. Suddenly he laughed out loud. He was always struck by how much his therapist looked like Einstein, with his silver goatee, frizzled hair and white cloak.
  
  The sound of the chiming clock woke Pradip up from his reverie. Lata, his wife, came over and kissed him. Instantly, he was transformed. His taut nerves loosened. Her mere presence lifted the nebulous cloud that had formed in his mind. He was under control and confident of success. Taking a deep breath, he marched out into the sunshine, for his office.
- maits 6:07 am on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  you deserve every bit of it amit. beauty, like contact lens lies in the eyes of the beholder. but for this once, it lay in your essay. thats a good thing because this way you dont run the risk of catching conjectivitis. i’m glad my earlier comment didnt turn out to be the sour grapes ‘whine’…. would have to take a sip outs the sour grapes ‘wine’ otherwise. lage raho, is all i can say. where theres a will, theres property. who knows your name might be in it too….
- Superstar 7:47 am on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Dear Hari,
  I was the one who asked at the Mumbai venue about the use of derivatives. They clearly answered finally that they were allowed. I had a good laugh at SK’s teaser about winning a Swift. If wishes were horses……..
  
  No offence meant, but Amit’s essay did not excite me at all. Half of the essay did not make good sense. It seemed that the key words were forced into the writing. In a winner’s essay, the use of the 20 key words should go with the natural flow of the writing and they should not even be noticed.
  
  This said, it is very strange that Google has not yet declared the three winners anywhere. If anyone knows anything about the winners, pls post it here.
  
  Cheers!
  Superstar
- Ranjani S 7:49 am on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Well, Am I relieved to know that SK was only pulling a prank. Well, folks, since there seems to be no other way to find out the results, I found myself marching to the Post Office (I admit, I am doing this after a very long time indeed !!) and have sent in a snail mail to the guys at Google alongwith a stamped self-addressed envelope (I didn’t realize stamps and envelopes are so costly)
- amit 8:03 am on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  pun is fun isn’t it?
  am a compulsive punner too…
  what’s your name
- neha sathaye 10:39 am on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  can google pls reveal the secret to the janta…………..
  its high time they send a mail………………………..
  i request the google team to inform all the 3000 contestants the results….and not the winners only……
  otherwise the restof the contestants live their entire life with that one single hope……….
  
  do make it fast!
- Piali 11:27 am on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Angry? Who me!
  I was trying my best to control my nerves. Few minutes back, my Doctor a competent professional, pronounced that my lungs were severely damaged. I had to adjust, my life around the oxygen cylinder – my lifeline. My vehement disagreement was futile. Extreme shortness of breath bound me to a wheelchair. I was wallowed in anger – raging and fuming. On a moment of sheer depression, my friend suggested me to start meditation. The motive was to rethink over my condition and to bring out the best in it. And then started a real ‘fairy tale’. I felt to be the boss of my own life My hurt feelings were washed with a sense of serenity. My insight to life deepened. No more was the adamant youth, when people confronted me but tried to accept that in a democratic country, differences of viewpoints are obvious. The famous formula of Einstein, E=mc2 had a new meaning for me, where ‘c’ referred to my Inner Light – Light of the Soul. It nurtured the aspects of goodness latent in me.
  It taught me the ultimate lesson – to be a human being, I had to be humane towards one and all. That is the best form of anger management for me.
  
  Words – 196
  (it is a real life situation for me. Meditation did help me overcome the helpless feeling over my disease. My doctors had given me up. And toady with I am recovering with a hand in hand working of conventional medicine and a unique no-drug, no-touch Energy Therapy called Pranic Healing)
  anyone interested to know about it may contact me.
  when i saw the words, i just felt it was one more avenue for me to reach out and share my expreince
- maits 11:33 am on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  people i smell battle… ‘superstar’ honey, amit’s writing makes good sense to sensible people (gwarsh… what am i doin? fighting it out for somebody i did not know existed, until today!). anyway amit, if you are looking at this, ” your essay being good falls in no grey area, rest assured. but the cells that went in its making can be imagined to be as grey as they come. as for ‘superstar’, let him eat cake…..”
- Hari Menon 12:15 pm on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  [@ Ranjini:]
  I’d recommend that you don’t waste any more money. 🙂 I spent half a day and around Rs 50 on participating, and I’m not willing to invest any more effort or time. I’m sure there are others who spent far more than I did — I didn’t have to travel very far to reach the Bombay venue.
  
  [@ Superstar:]
  I’m trying to remember what you looked like, but to no avail. 🙂 I also recall someone else asking about the use of prepositions and conjunctions (of, but etc) and the organisers’ response was that these won’t be taken into consideration when determining the word count. I ignored them because the question paper clearly said participants will be penalised for getting the word count wrong. Who’s to know if “because” or “before” will be counted or not? So I included *all* words in my word count.
  
  [@ maits:]
  Amit’s essay was decent, but it had many factual errors. “Rein in all the luck” would mean stop luck, which was not what he intended. Archimedes propounded the principle of flotation, not floating.”Doting, gloating and emoting” aren’t vanishing from the human race — indeed, humans are getting better at these things! He also misspelt “Houyhnhnm”, and the “men-o-pause” joke seemed far-fetched. These minor things don’t matter in a blog post, but you can be sure Google will notice!
- Superstar 3:39 pm on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hari,I’m the one who asked the most questions at the Mumbai venue……..some of them even embarrassed the organisers for the many flaws in their stated rules of the competition. 😉
  
  Cheers & good luck to all!
  Superstar
  
  PS: Still no winners declared??
- Harshad Joshi 4:03 pm on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Superstar
  
  Hey, this isent the place to argue or show supremacy. Please find some other suitable venue to settle your scores.
- Sayan 6:00 pm on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hi Everyone,
  
  I would advice everyone to stop predicting and instead, try and find the results and let the entire community know.
  
  Arguements won’t lead us anywhere Guyz !!!!
- Harshad Joshi 6:35 pm on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Sayan
  Yeah. The bi*chy a**holes have been blocked forever. 🙂
- Hari Menon 6:54 pm on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Amit posted his essay and asked readers what they thought of it. And some people gave their honest opinion. How can that be considered “argument” or “showing supremacy”? In other words: if you ask for an opinion, be prepared to accept criticism along with praise. I don’t see Amit complaining, so he’s perhaps mature enough to realise this fact.
- Harshad Joshi 7:11 pm on November 1, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Hari
  Hmm..some commenters are a lot immature with an idiotic approach. Please dont mind them..
  
  Let me tell ya – Writing is a very difficult job, and I guess, checking it is even more difficult. Perheps due to our great talents, the Googles ‘respected’ writers might be having a tough time out there to decide the best writer. 🙂
- Pooky 3:38 am on November 2, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  This is getting really annoying.
  I DO NOT intend to send them a self addressed post card.
  Some one should talk to one of their representatives and tell them what we all think of them. Google is simply jumping into the fire by ill treating so many of it’s fans. Have they no idea how many people participated not because of their writing skills but because of their crush on google? (Believe, me I’m not one of them).
  I honestly think that I can win. But, there are a lot of people out there, and so I may lose. But in any case, I should be respected as a writer and be informed of the outcome. ASAP.
- maits 4:18 am on November 2, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  well folks, is no news good news?
- ravi 4:24 am on November 2, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Zabardast Dhokha!! get back to work guyz..
- Manjit Singh 5:17 am on November 2, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Results? Reeesulttts? Where are You? Come on out, Result…We are waiting for you.
  
  Well It seems the Result for GWM has gone and hid itself in some nook or cronny !!!
  
  Now it is over 3 days past the result’s deadline and yet the result is not out.
  
  How can Google goof-up, it is simply not expected from the leader, naaa God of the Web !!!
- Harshad Joshi 5:38 am on November 2, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Ravi
  
  Yes. You are right. Its always better to get back to work.
- Piali 5:45 am on November 2, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Ya Harshad , we all are back to work. but it is unexpected of a leader to act this way. every participant has the right to know the winner and runners up. what makes the results so unavailable? at least we expect to see their essays posted, marvel at their writing skill and congratulate them. and it is not the only contest held by Google. The results of Code jam are out on the net. Why so much secrecy on this one particularly ??
- ravi 7:16 am on November 2, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  im thinking…. is there some clause in the Rights to Information Act where we can sue them for delaying information…. and after we get the money… Ill take a 50% cut for proposing the idea, Harshad 20%, and the best eight comments can share the rest. The ten of us can then tour the area where that RTI booster, Arvind Kejriwal, (Ramon Magsaysay award) lives, and we can also do a distance learning course in “Lawsuits and Legal Proceedings against Errring Companies.” Then, we can hope to get recruited by some big law firm where we can make money out of screwing people instead of waiting to make money and then screwing in Google.
- Harshad Joshi 7:45 am on November 2, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Ravi
  
  Lemme tell ya dude…that is one of the best comments.. Muhahahahaha.. 😀
- maits 8:23 am on November 2, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Ravi
  yeah ravi, i second harshad. if there were to be a competion to judge the best satirical comment, you would win handsdown.
- Scooby-Doo 9:11 am on November 2, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Google has succeeded in turning me into a crazed,hyper, compulsive-obsessive woman! No results…and it’s November 2nd already! Waaaaahhh!!! Where are the results?? And yes, I wouldn’t mind turning to the courts now…I’ll get double compensation for a) zabardast dhokebaazi by an MNC and b) a hitherto perfect human being destroyed by terror tactics of top-dog companies.
  Pleeez friends, do leave a note if and when u come to know of the results!!
  Bye!
- Piali 1:20 pm on November 2, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Is the result really out?
  if yes, then why isn’t a single winner coming up to share the wonderful news? has they been prohibited by google from doing so?
  if yes, wat binds them to follow such dictate?
  if no, then is it not the least courstesy for googles to inform the delay about result?
  Lord,
  May the brilliant employees of Google be blessed with the understanding that the contestants are also human beings and they deserve to be treated with respect and not left hanging indefinitely.
  
  let us all pray together 🙂
- ravi 2:43 pm on November 2, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hey….
  
  Does their aim “to FIND and REWARD” mean the same as “to RECOGNIZE and REWARD” or FIND means just FIND??
  
  BTW, when did they ever mention that there is gonna be a public announcement ???
  
  My guess is that the winners have already been informed.
- Harshad Joshi 2:48 pm on November 2, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Who cares??
  
  Hmm..I think the winners might have been notified. But fearing the controversy of results, I think Google is maintaining silence. Or maybe Google wants to announce more winners..!!
- Pooky 4:50 pm on November 2, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I don’t think much of the possibility of more winners. However, at the Indore center, the Google employees delibirately avoided the questions asked about the announcement details. I’m guessing that this was all thought out.
  
  This leads to another possibility: that there are NO winners. Google may have hoodwinked all of us. After all, this forum is the first result when you Google “google wordmaster result”, so anybody can find it. Also, if winners actually have been forbidden to speak of their credit, they can very well use a pseudoname (like the one I’m using) and announce.
  
  I’m more inclined to think that there have been no announcements yet; otherwise we would have heard of it. Or, that there aren’t going to be ANY winners, and Google has our writing. We do not have any rights to it (I don’t even have a copy of mine).
  
  Moreover, we did not pay anything to participate. What possible benefit could Google have by organizing this contest. Face it people, Google is a commercial giant, not a sympathizing NGO that’s out to work for the slums. What is it’s hidden motive, and it’s final destination?
- ALI KIRMANI 5:09 pm on November 2, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Has anyone out here tried posting a letter to the given address. I jus did it, lets c. I will notify u guys if i get a reply frm the google guys. newey the big deal is tht google is a internet giant, and when the results are out they will be on the net before anywhere. I had participated in the comp. at Delhi, and believe me somthin was missin, missin as in the whole event seemed a bit ill managed. me wonderin why the guys not putting up the results, may they wanna avoid any controversies.
- Harshad Joshi 5:51 pm on November 2, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Chill out dudes. Life is more exciting and awesome. Lets not waste time on Google Wordmasters. Maybe even they might be goo’f’led on seeing a great response, maybe they got less then what they had expected.
  
  Actually, if you carefully observe Googles recent paradigms, then you will find that they have invested a lot in Artificial Intelligence, Neural Networks, Machine Design and digitization of large databases. Maybe its one of Google Labs project that searches and indexes human handwritings. It can be a project to decipher human handwriting or some fuzzy system to identify patterns..anything might be possible..for completion of this project, they might be needing large samples of different handwritings and topics from people of different backgrounds. So they might have arranged this compitition.
  
  The other motive was to reach a large number of ‘non-technical’ users. I observed at Google WM Pune that a large number of participants were MBA, B Com or non engineer graduates. I think they might have well reached their targets. Also, some have speculated that Google is unveiling its new Adsense technology and it needs people who can recognize the monetery value of words.
  
  And err..if nothing happens of what I mentioned above, forget that I had said anything. 😉
- Pooky 3:24 am on November 3, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Not to be over-paranoid here, but I think that you may have something there, Harshad. The idea of Google indexing all of our handwritings is not too far-fetched, as it would seem that the ultimate goal of Google is world domination.
  If it records our Google Searches, and saves and indexes that result, along with all of our gmails, and chats, and net habits, indexing our real life handwritings would be the next logical step.
  
  Maybe we should have another forum for discussing the pros and cons of a commercial giant knowing everything about your life.
- ravi 9:14 am on November 3, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  yaaawwwnn…. im not so keen on winning ‘their’ contest anymore. Ill just take the prize if it comes.
  
  .. and ya..wats up with this envelope thing folks??? GOOGLE cant put up some 30 words of information on a webpage???? WHAATHAAFFCKKKK. (therez never been an occasion when Ive said WTF with so much disbelief/disgust…. so much disbelief/disgust that the inside of my lower lip is bleeding after saying it.)
- Manjit Singh 1:59 pm on November 3, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Well Said, Amit !!!
  
  Is it really Google or is it some third agency, who had cornered the contract to evaluate the writings? and then unable to excute the same.
  
  There is a sense of Deja Vu, remember what happens in Meerut? 13-14 yrs old, Fifth standard students checking PG Papers?
  
  Who is to say about the actual picture, Google is not forthcoming with the truth.
- Harshad Joshi 6:12 pm on November 3, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hey..thats curious. Today I called on the number from which Google had contacted me and lo..the office boy took the call and told that only he and his boss work there. Whoa..did Google outsource its management job to a company having only two employees..!!
  
  Dangerous..this is dangerous.
- dilettante 6:26 pm on November 3, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  hmmm, apparently the contest is garnering more ill will than good will. This is a case of backfiring ideas.
  As it is I have become upset with Google because they hold up Opera’s operations when it comes to accessing gmail.
  This is the only result (the winners) that does not show up on a google search.
  pray hope that they havent fininshed correcting, and one of us may still get that call.
  heh heh.
  but the point made earlier is very valid. how come they didnt put out the names at a place. Even if it is delayed , why not say that.
  
  something is fishy in Denmark.
  Harshad keep up the sleuthing, i’ll provide backup.
  You look up the back alley i’ll make some calls to bangalore.
  The rest of you – make a large circle. and move in when you get the signal.
- ravi 5:16 am on November 4, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ dilletante
  “….the rest of you – make a large circle. and move in when you get the signal…”
  
  LOL dilletante…. i just burst out laughing at this…. Burst out just like that guy at the contest in Bangalore….when the organizers said that 10 winners would get a tour of the google office, he asked “which office (sounding which country)” and they said “Hyderabad.” Dude din notice the “ONE DAY TOUR” i suppose.
  
  BTW, i called the bangalore office. They said they have no information whatsoever and asked me to contact Google Hyde office…I called them and they said they have no information too. Whoaaaaaa…….
- Harshad Joshi 5:31 am on November 4, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  OK – here is another phone number. Not of Google India, but of the particular company that had arranged the event for Google Wordmasters in Pune.
  
  +912024458380
  
  Even these blokes are unaware of this matter.
- Pooky 2:35 pm on November 4, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Anyone got a reply from their postal yet?
  The T&C say that the winer’ll be informed within a week of declaration. That leaves 3 days to go.
- amit 6:23 pm on November 4, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  rum tum trumpledum bacon fat and strumpledum …old saint mumpledum …pull his tail and strumpledum…and old doggerel in the play saint joan…we seem have been pulled in a pool of circular circumspections, which is why i had posted my stuff
  there are people who liked it and some whose supremacy didn’t quite let them…
  about my essay…well as the last 4 lines suggest…it’s not about whether archimedes discovered floating or flotation…anyone with li’l brains can figure that out…or the spelling of the H word which I still don’t know even after coming across it many times…it’s about innovation. i am not giving any information. it’s word play….it’s to show how ideas can be twisted an dhow writing can be fun…how words can be played around with and an engaging structure arrived at. i am no techno or info geek and if i were to define myself….well i’d always resist definitions…it’d be against the convention of structures of incumbent knowledge systems. makes sense? if not, consider it another essay that i revelled in…
  anyways, one good thing that happened was that people posted their stuff instead of whining “where are the results” …so we got to read some stuff…and we also smelt ….or felt…
  might be google is going to make a film script out of this blog
  he he
  cheers people
- amit 6:25 pm on November 4, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  now dont’t say i don’t know the spelling of how which has been spelt has dhow. he he
- amit 6:26 pm on November 4, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  and a dont’t to top that
- Harshad Joshi 6:58 pm on November 4, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  So, finally I can predict that the results will be out on or around 7 nov 2006, ie only a couple of days from now. We waited eagerly for a month, lets wait for some more hours..48 maybe.
- Harshad Joshi 7:09 pm on November 4, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hmm…is the winner somewhere on these posts??
- ravi 5:41 am on November 5, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Intezar mein hai jo mazaa, woh mulakat mein kahaan?
  jisnebhi isko likha, zara please tell me tu hain kahaan?
  Tumko bathadoon ki, han zaroor, mazaa hai intezar mein..,
  …agar intezar ek sundar google ho, aur ‘hum’ uski *** mein.
  
  .. someone wanna edit this???… and keep it decent guyz.
- ravi 5:58 am on November 5, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  … .can someone edit this for me along the lines of intezar and extended-intezar???
- Pooky 8:01 am on November 5, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I sure hope that the winner is here. Guess who I’m voting for?
- Harshad Joshi 12:12 pm on November 5, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Pooky
  
  Is it me?? 😉
  
  Please vote for me….if the winner is to be decided by polls..
- amit 4:23 pm on November 5, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  mr joshi you sure will win the web racketeer of the year award..he he
- Harshad Joshi 6:13 pm on November 5, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Now thats what I can call a ‘jerk’.
  
  Muhahahahaha 😀
- amit 7:15 pm on November 5, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  was that a knee-jerk reaction?
- punny 5:09 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  no point hiding the fact. none at all hiding behind the ‘who me?’ facade. this google fiasco has reduced us all to a bunch of angry young/old (owing to the no-age-bar) men and women. it has infected us with a kind of opressive compulsive disorder that makes us stare hopelessly hopefully at our inboxes for hours on end. (in my case- with breaks to look over my shoulder suspecting the boss’s eyes to be on me, and my lack of work).
  if not sue it, i atleast hope to sew together my shattered hopes and dreams…
- punny 5:10 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  i meant age-no-bar. owe this to google too!
- sandy 5:10 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Harshad, Manjit, Ravi, Amit
  
  Guys, i enjoyed every one of the writings posted here. Great blog. Great fun. Great writing talent. And as for my essay, i didnt get any feedback, but if anyone has read it, thanks pal. Harshad, I was thinking whether everyone could send other samples of their writings to be read and commented upon, without malice. What do u think?
- punny 5:11 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  and the title was ‘angry? yes me!
- Harshad Joshi 5:18 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Sandy
  
  Yeah, definately your idea is great. Feel free to post what you guys wrote at Google Wordmasters 2006, I bet you will get an unbiased feedback..without much delay..
  
  😉
- Sarita 5:27 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hey people,
  
  I have been reading the comments from 30th oct…v.interesting! I participated from bangalore and what a hyped up event this was….indeed very surprising that there is no winner yet…have we all been had?!!! and yes, harshad, google had outsourced this event to some crazy stupid event mgt co. i had not even got a confirmatory email from them for participation, but got some idiotic missed calls on my cell from the event mgt guys. when i called them back to check out, they asked me what i wanted…imagine i get a missed call from them and they ask me why they gave me missed calls!!! anyway, i got an sms the evening before the event and that’s all how i landed there. what shitty mgt! and to think that some 3000 of us have all been fooled!!! hahaha…do they have a good sense of humour or what!
  
  anyway, whether the results are out or not, reading the comments here are good fun, and i now log in more out of interest in them! And Amit, i really liked your piece of work….i am a punner too. it’s good fun.
  
  curiousity may have killed the cat, but we are no cats and still alive n kicking, waiting for the results…….
- sandy 5:37 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  As I told before, all the essays posted here are eminently readable, which is what ultimately what counts. Harshad, Amit, Piali…. all of you wrote well. The line of thinking was different, styles and techniques were all different. All of you who went to google thought you could write something worth a second look, and I think you all suceeded. The difference in thought processes really amazed me, there are so many ways to approach the same topic. And I think you should all continue writing, even if engaged in different professions ( if the writing bug hasn’t consumed you yet like is has me).
- Harshad Joshi 5:38 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Basically, this entire event was arranged to give the very young Google India team an experience of real life situations and real life management. Prior to this competition, several mock competitions were conducted at Google Hyderabad. I got this info from an MBA bloke who was with me at GWM, Pune. He was doing his intership with a company situated at baner. This company probably had taken a job to provide online and offline ads to Google. Carefully observe Google ads esp on Orkuts Indian communities – We are getting ads in tamil and Gujrati and Hindi.
  
  If you had closely observed, the maximum age of the Google employee was approx 25. So, please be a little linient on them It was probably their first try at conducting such kind of event. Remember – Management in Indian environment is very difficult, because we have got all sorts of people from diverse backgrounds. Its very difficult for foreign companies to adjust to Indian conditions.
- Harshad Joshi 5:41 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Thanks Sandy.. 🙂
- amit 6:06 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I wonder if 30th September set our imaginations on fire as much as post-30th. Julius Caesar dead is more powerful than Julius Caesar alive. The conspiracy theorists of the 1980s America have had a run for their money I am sure…idiom database, cultural interpellation…nice theories. But i guess their system of outsourcing has simply backfired and Google time has become Indian Stretchable Time.
  @Sarita: Thanks a ton for the encouragement. and obviously you and i know punny is different from a different world of the puny.
  @sandy: i guess you’ve made a very good point about how different thought processes interepret the same moot idea. Thanks
  @Mr Joshi. You’ve got your award. This is the most happening blog these days.
- Manjit Singh 6:17 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  So, My Hunch seems to be correct after all?
  
  I strongly feel that the much publicized event was actually an exercise to test the waters, maybe to retain people for some superBlog or to present relevant, human edited content – in the lines of askme.com, about.com, wikipedia.com et al.
  
  It was totally outsourced job and the 3rd agency goofed up.
  
  The Proofs of Goof-ups are many-
  1. The invitations for the test were not very effectively communicated.
  
  2. It was presented basically as an intro to Google’s various ventures and not actually as a contest attracting Talent.
  
  3. Arrangements for the test involving people to generate IT Bytes using language were pathetic, to say the least. I am sure many people must have felt uneasy using pen paper, instead of a PC (at least I Did).
  
  4. India is not very high on the Google’s agenda, then why this contest was held here only?
  
  5. At some places, Contestants were given 60 Minutes and elsewhere just 45 Minutes. They organizers did not even have a clear-cut policy?
  
  6. Even the Logo on Goodies Bag was somewhat different, meaning it was second grade job conceived, and executed locally, by equally proficient dumbos.
- Harshad Joshi 7:26 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Amit
  Hey thanks dude, I will take it as a compliment.
  But even me is amongst those 3000 guys fighting (and searching hard) to reach the top 😉
- Harshad Joshi 7:29 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Mr Manjit Singh
  I found problems only with the Google Goody bag – It was made of pure cardboard with no mentions of a recycle logo. I guess it was a handmade tool and was meant to be thrown as soon as possible.
  
  Other then that, there was no way that I could replace my original Yamaha key chain with a weak plastic one by Google. Lets face it – Yamaha is a more trusted brand with a great deal of funky products, including my bike.. 🙂
- Ranjani S 8:23 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Intezaar yoon hi hum kartey rahe,
  Google results ki raah dekhtey rahe,
  Blog pe blog Harshad banata gaya,
  aur hum sab usmein likhtey gaye.
  
  Na results aaye na winners dikhey
  aur na janey kitney blogs baney,
  “Google Wordmasters” ki jagah ab hum log
  ‘Harshad blog’ search karney lagey.
- punny 8:38 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @amit
  you are right amit- though i dont claim to be a Brobdingnag, i’m not exactly puny either ;)…
- amit 8:46 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  is there no one from bangalore on this blog who can enlighten us?
- Harshad Joshi 10:16 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I had found someone at Google Hyderabad, but she hasent replied as of now.
- ravi 10:18 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ Sandy
  
  dear…
  of course we read it and here are my comments.
  
  1. The plot was fantastic 100/100.
  2. Grammar was almost flawless 98/100.
  3. Tone and sequence of theme(whatever you understand by that) 99/100.
  4. Creativity 98/100.
  5. Logic and relevance/usage of words …. mmmmm 90/100
  
  .. its a fine example of how, like someone here said, the keywords should be in a flow and shudnt look like they’ve been forced into the writing….. if that were to be a parameter in the judging process, ud certainly score full points..
  
  “He was always struck by how much his therapist looked like Einstein, with his silver goatee, frizzled hair and white cloak.” Im finding it hard to link why Pradip laughed out loud when his therapist told him to meditate. Anyways, its not all that irrelevant. And I guess every entry is definitely going to have a certain degree of irrelevance (except mine, coz im going to win this ******* contest). I wouldnt be surprised to meet you on the tour…
  
  Overall, I would say it was pretty neat work. You can certainly write a book that I would’nt hesitate to buy if I wanted to.
- Harshad Joshi 10:18 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Ranjani
  I am flattered.. 😀
  
  Hmm..so its now clear to me who had typed those queries on Google..
- Hari Menon 10:22 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Harshad, maybe you should gently remind your Hyderabad contact that journalists are slowly beginning to express an interest in running a small feature on Google’s goof-up? It’s not really a lie, because I was a journalist for six years. 😀
- Harshad Joshi 10:29 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Hari
  
  Wow thats great..actually, this whole compitition was targetted primarily towards professionals like jounalists, graduates from mass communication, marketting background etc.
  
  This explains the major reason why engineers like me promptly called it a biiig show off…I was visibely upset the moment I came to know what it was all about. Not that I am a bad writer, but I was expecting something else.. 😦
- Harshad Joshi 10:32 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  All journalists and readers over here – Please voice your opinions without fear. This is the only place where free speech and liberty is practiced without any baising or favour.. 😀
- ravi 10:52 am on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ RANJANI S
  
  LOL Ranjani… sexxxxy one… tx for taking the cue… Filllllls the heart.
  
  ..true Ranjani, I suppose we are forming a small community here thats gonna stick around for a long time …wat say u Harshad…
  
  Im beginning to like this community better than my “friends.”
  
  No prejudice. No facial features. No color of skin. No size of boobs. No information on financial status. No information on marital status. No information on availability for sex. Pure mind. I like this place.
- Ranjani S 12:51 pm on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Queries ? What queries? Bhai, all we need are results, winners, any news from the Google guys about what they got out of 30th September and yes, the sooner the better…
- Harshad Joshi 12:56 pm on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Relax..too much desperation causes a loss of focus, which may definately affect our daily work.
- Harshad Joshi 12:57 pm on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  The winner knows it all..
- Hari Menon 1:12 pm on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  To be precise, no news is no good.
- Ranjani S 1:14 pm on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Harshad, DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING or EVERYTHING of the results?
- ravi 3:20 pm on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Despite your disagreement, it is my viewpoint that we should be professional, set aside our differences, adjust and rethink our approach on how to control and accept with goodness the hurt caused by the adamant denial of our democratic rights by the now formerly humane boss who organized the GWM contest; and not worry about meditation, soothing the nerves, or anger management, because even Einstein with all his insight would not have been able to decipher his motive.
- ravi 3:46 pm on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Despite your disagreement, it is my viewpoint that we should be professional, set aside our differences, adjust and rethink our approach on how to control and accept with goodness the hurt caused by the adamant denial of our democratic rights by the now formerly humane boss who organized the GWM contest; and not worry about meditation for soothing the nerves or anger management, because even Einstein with all his insight would not have been able to decipher his motive.
- sandy 7:26 pm on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Ravi
  
  Ha, ha, that last comment was well put! As for your comments on my piece, its immensely gratifying. I’ve just written five pages of a screenplay after reading it. But what about your piece? Do let us share.
  
  As for the competition, it all depends on Google’s sincerity. We might have got it all wrong, for I seem to remember the Googlers telling us that the results would be out ‘around’ 30th, and not ‘on’ the 30th. Of course, I must be wrong, because all of you knew otherwise. In that case, there are two plausible scenarios. One, Google is indifferent and thus callous, as suggested. Two,they are terribly serious and quality conscious and want to be sure of the mettle of the winners. As you know, in literature, assessment of good writing is subjective. Let’s hope the latter is true and we get ten worthy winners.
- sandy 7:30 pm on November 6, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Ravi
  
  You are right. Pradip laughed out loud because his therapist’s Einstein-ish look came to his mind. But the way I put it makes it quite confusing. Thanks for pointing that out.
- Ranjani S 4:53 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I called twice on the number provided by Harshad. Its this company called Merittrac, that conducts tests and exams for different companies. But whoever picks up the phone after being queried on the GWM result date says, ” the concerned person is not there” or “the concerned person is on leave” “I have no idea about who the concerned person is”.
  
  Why so much hush-hush on this? Even the Doodle for Google results have been announced a day earlier than scheduled.
- punny 5:15 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  i’ve lost hope – not about winning; thats been dead and buried a long while now, but of atleast discovering who the lucky three are-altogether. i just visit this forum once in a while to see others’ subtle (and some not-so-subtle’) comments as a mildly amusing distraction. so what if my company has blocked personal emails and messenger services, have met a good deal of interesting people here. thats a pat on the back for you harshad. keep up the good work…
- punny 5:40 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  come on, come all… ye shunned, ye spurned, sanghattan mein shakti hai! lets form a community. lets have a president and a secretary. lets have monthly meets and eats as excuses to display our jewellery and gaudy clothes and carefully memorized technical details of the latest automobiles we have acquired. lets arrange blood donation camps and google-hate themed poetry competitions for school children and give out pencil boxes as prizes. what can be a nobler way to serve the nation?
- Harshad Joshi 6:20 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Ranjani
  A couple of days ago, even I had called them, and surprising, the office boy picked up the phone and said that only two people work there and the boss was on leave.
  
  Let me tell you – Its a big lie and its also a sign of unprofessionalism.
  
  I had received a call from this same very company conforming my entry to GWM 2K6, and a voice was that of someone claiming to have a name Pallavi.
  
  This bogus answers is just to avoid peoples calls, and misgude them.
- Harshad Joshi 6:22 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Puny
  Thanks dude. Dont lose hope. There are endless ways to beat your enemy if you have a right tool.
  
  Just boycott Google Search and use Ask.com or Yahoo! search for a few days. Similarly, inform all your friends about this. Google will definately learn its lessons the way it deserves.
- Ranjani S 6:24 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ Harshad
  
  Yes, I had got a call from this Pallavi a day before the contest besides two emails sent earlier. This company is a big one with presence in some eight cities across India and a list of clients worth looking at.
  
  Take a look at their website http://www.merittrac.com
- Harshad Joshi 6:26 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Update Alert
  Right now I called Google Online India Private Limited on number – +912255078700 and a person named Sumant advised me to call a number +912267078629 after 12:30 pm.
  Now for all those who want to convey Google their love, hatred, emotions, boos, shouts, this is the number that can help you. Call it and accordingly tell what your experience was . This person probably knows all the result details.
  The postal address is
  Google Online India
  Office No.211, Level 2,
  Raheja Centre Point
  294 CST Road,
  Near Mumbai University
  Off Bandra Kurla Complex, Kalina
  Santacruz (East),
  Mumbai 400 098
  phone +91-22 55078700
  fax +91-22 55078711
- Harshad Joshi 6:32 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Ranjani
  My wild guess is that the eminent writers are nobody but the blokes working for this Merittrac thing.
  
  Now we have got two targets – One is Google India and the other is Merittrac.
- Ranjani S 6:35 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Chalo sab,
  saade baara ke liye tayaar ho jaao,
  phone utao,
  number ghoomao,
  kaun hai winner,
  pata lagao…
  
  aur nahi pata chale toh,
  phir se blog par aao,
  Harshad ko sab bataao,
  aur thoda Google ko bala boora sunaao
- punny 6:50 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @harshad
  i repeat, i may not be a Brobdingnag, but i’m not exactly ‘puny’ either.
  @rajani
  lead kindly light honey…. make mincemeat of the google people. lets hear what you have to say after that
- punny 6:51 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  sorry, i meant ‘ranjani’
- Ranjani S 7:01 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hey guys, I just called up on the Google India number that Harshad gave.
  spoke to this lady called Marianne (not sure about the name, the voice had an accent), She heads marketing for Google India.
  
  The important point is she said the results will be announced to the media on Wed or Thurs and will be notified to all the participants via email.
- Manjit Singh 7:07 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I kept telling you people that Google has outsourced the whole gimmick to some two bit outfit.
  
  Nice Kavita, Ranjani !!!
  
  Turbans off t’you (I am a Surd, Hence not Hat but Turban)
- Arshiya 7:14 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hi Guys..jus had a word with a guy named Deep at the no 02267078629.
  The results will be declared on Thursday, the 9th. The mode will be press release + a personal email. Confirmed info….so hold ur breath!!
- sandy 8:45 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @rajani, harshad, punny, amit, ravi
  
  It is disappointing to note Google’s slipshod arrangements. That they have outsourced to Merittrac is not such a big issue, but the followup is abysmal. If Merittrac hosted the event, they could have posted a commentary on their website. And if we take the ’eminent writers’, I must say it was always a stunt. I don’t know any eminent writers personally, but I presume they have to write a lot and don’t have the time or the inclination to hobnob with Google and check 200-word essays, even in their spare time with Googlers waving wads of notes at them. Realistically, I have no problem with the ’eminent writers’ of Merittrac assessing the writings, provided they come up with a result.
  
  Meanwhile, I read somewhere on this blog that the results might come out on 7th, is that on? Harshad, do you know anything about this?
- ravi 9:32 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ punny
  
  “…lets have monthly meets and eats as excuses to display our jewellery and gaudy clothes and carefully memorized technical details of the latest automobiles we have acquired….”
  
  LOL punny… precisely how it stinks in my part of the world too.
- ravi 9:37 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ Sandy
  
  geeeee Sandy….. nice to know……… Just analyze this quote for their two meanings “Our achievements are limited only by our imagination”
  
  just keep em’ flowing…..
- ravi 9:40 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ Sandy
  
  geeeee Sandy….. nice to know………
  
  “Our achievements are limited only by our imagination”
  
  just keep em’ flowing…..
- Hari Menon 10:18 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I wrote to two interesting email addresses that I found on MeritTrac’s web site. I didn’t enquire about the results; it was simply to confirm their role in organising the contest.
  
  One ID was info@merittrac.com and the other was maz@merittrac.com (the MeritTrac Assessment Zone).
  
  I got the following response in a matter of minutes:
  
  —————————-
  “Hi. This is the qmail-send program at mail.xxx.net. I’m afraid I wasn’t able to deliver your message to the following addresses. This is a permanent error; I’ve given up. Sorry it didn’t work out.
  : vdeliver: Invalid or unknown virtual user ‘info’
  : vcheckquota: Message would exceed virtual user’s disk quota.”
  —————————-
  
  So much for that. Any luck contacting them on the phone? Their contact details are here.
- Hari Menon 11:12 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Here’s a small breakthrough: the person in charge of marketing operations at MeritTrac has responded with the following: “Let me assure you that I will personally look into this issue. I will check with my team internally and also speak with google and revert to you by tomorrow positively.”
  
  Let’s ease off now, guys, and give them a fair chance.
- Harshad Joshi 11:27 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Hari
  
  They could have done it well before this day.
- Harshad Joshi 11:41 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  My bet – The results are sure to raise a huge controversy..
- punny 11:50 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @hari
  how about posting those emails you sent to those people on this forum. should be fun like those grin jerkers of posts on your LJ blog. we probably have a winner in our midst. for the likes of you however, “to be precise good news is no news” perhaps 🙂
- Hari Menon 11:58 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  > The results are sure to raise a huge controversy..
  
  Not if the winner is among those who posted here, I hope. 🙂
  
  Speaking for myself, I see no reasons for any controversy regarding the results. There are two main reasons for this: (a) it’s difficult to judge someone’s creative ability by means of a 45-minute test; and (b) it’s very unlikely that any of us would know the winners personally (even if they are on this forum), so how can we say if they’re deserving or not?
- ravi 12:03 pm on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  May I caution us not to expect the expected but to just accept unexpectedly the unexpected unaccepted results?
- Ranjani S 12:48 pm on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ Hari
  
  When I called up the MeritTrac Pune office this morning, someone told me that one Rohit was the concerned person and he is on leave for a week. Hari Bhai, ek aur week……..?!
- ravi 2:13 pm on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Thank you.
- ravi 2:23 pm on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Im not going to make another comment until the results are out and Im declared the winner.
- ravi 2:57 pm on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  LOL, im thinking how I’ll react when they announce the contest for Google wordmasters 2007.
- Ranjani S 3:54 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ Ravi
  
  I am sure if you win the 2006 contest, you will be one of the “eminent” writers who will be dumped with the contest papers of the 2007 contest.
- sandy 4:15 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ hari
  
  “Speaking for myself, I see no reasons for any controversy regarding the results. There are two main reasons for this: (a) it’s difficult to judge someone’s creative ability by means of a 45-minute test; and (b) it’s very unlikely that any of us would know the winners personally (even if they are on this forum), so how can we say if they’re deserving or not?”
  
  How right you are! On top of that, I don’t think any self-respecting writer would become disheartened or even acknowledge a superior based on such a sketchy judgement of his capabilities.
- sandy 4:24 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ hari
  
  But that brings us back to the same spot. If none acknowledges a superior writer, there’s bound to be some controversy, as Harshad pointed out. But that controversy will be in the minds of the participants, as I doubt Google will let the names of the winners out to the losers, unless someone specifically asks for it. I’d be pleasantly surprised if I’m wrong, however.
- Harshad Joshi 4:30 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Sandy
  We will come to know who the winner is.
- Ranjani S 4:31 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ Sandy
  
  When I called yesterday at the Google Online India office and spoke to this Marketing Head, I asked her specifically if only the winners would be notified. She said that all the participants would be informed about the results.
- sandy 4:35 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hey, Harshad, that would be great! But what’s the tentative date? Or are you in the dark as I am?
- Harshad Joshi 4:41 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  There is no darkness, once you can see through the eyes of the Truth.
- sandy 4:44 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ranjani
  
  That’s great, mate! To me you are the ‘eyes of the truth’
  
  @harshad
  Well said!
- Ranjani S 4:50 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ Sandy,
  
  Yes, I am all eyes and ears to know about the results. I know I have done a decent job at the contest myself but am really keen to know who won. Their articles, I am sure, will be worth a dekko.
  
  @ Harshad,
  
  Your replies somehow give the impression that you are the Mr.Know-It-All.
- Harshad Joshi 4:55 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I know what I need to know, and precisely thats the reason why you are here.
  Apparantly, its my purpose to know.
- Ranjani S 4:56 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ Harshad
  
  ….??!!!
- Harshad Joshi 5:02 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Its a famous dialog from the Matrix flick, but dont worry if you didnt get it. Its my favourite dialog and I try to use it as often as I can, but usually, my timing goes wrong.
  
  Muhahahaha… 😀
  
  Anyways. Lets get back to work. Today/Tomorow we will know the winner.
- Ranjani S 5:04 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ Harshad
  
  Bhalai ka toh zamana hi nahi raha….
- ravi 8:43 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Im going to start two companies called Meritcrap and Meritrats to compete with Merittrac.
- punny 8:53 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @Ravi
  dont! you have no chance of beating them at ratty crappiness. go into the hay corn and feed business, and practice voodoo on weekends…
- ravi 9:19 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  The word ‘Google’ means 1 followed by hundred zeros.
  
  I hereby authorize the concerned authorities to change the meaning to “the one followed by 3000 zeros.”
- ravi 9:35 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  …. or “a zero followed by 3000 1s??”
- ravi 2:39 pm on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Since the 3 winners would have already been notified and its not any of us, now we can only hope to be one among the 7 ehh???
  
  mmmmmmmmmm.. ok
- sayan 2:45 pm on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hey Harshad,
  
  Is it confirmed that the results will be revealed tomorrow(09/11/06) through press and personal emails?
- sayan 2:46 pm on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hi Everyone,
  
  Is it confirmed that the results will be revealed tomorrow(09/11/06) through press and personal emails?
- Harshad Joshi 2:50 pm on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I am keeping my fingers crossed. This news was confirmed from Google Mumbai, but its better to wait for tommorow.
  
  BTW, the winner might have been notified today itself. So guys, please keep an eye on your inbox.
  
  Ciao
- ravi 2:59 pm on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Results on nine-eleven
- ravi 3:30 pm on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ Harshad
  
  >> “This news was confirmed from Google Mumbai”
  
  confirmed from google?????? hmmm
- Harshad Joshi 3:52 pm on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I hope it wont be destructive 😀
- Tshering 5:44 am on November 9, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  “If at first you don’t succeed, find out if the loser gets anything.”
  –Bill Lyon
- Ranjani S 5:59 am on November 9, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Anyone, any news yet…?
- Hari Menon 6:16 am on November 9, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  For all we know, MeritTrac could have handed in the results long ago but Google India could be waiting for an opportune moment to reveal all. I know the delay is frustrating, guys, but let’s show some restraint. There’s no point blaming MeritTrac or anybody else unless we know the facts.
- amit 7:14 am on November 9, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  where are the results people
- punny 7:55 am on November 9, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  well? any news as yet? i managed to sneak out of a meeting to have a look at the forum. dissappointed not to find any updates…:(
- ravi 9:09 am on November 9, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  hey, is this some bakra kinda thing??
- ravi 9:52 am on November 9, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  If the results were supposed to be announced today, would’nt that task be at least on the top 5 things to do for the day, if not the first thing to do. So what would take them until evening…???? a certain planetary alignment???
- Tshering 11:05 am on November 9, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Vamsi Krishna Nakkina wins Google Wordmasters creative writing contest
  http://www.alootechie.com/News/1676.asp
- afterjoseph 12:04 pm on November 9, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Okay, this link provides the answers:
  
  http://www.alootechie.com/News/1676.asp
  
  What I am surprised at is the fact that the 10 ‘winners’ are not from each center – I thought there would be a winner for every 300 participants… no such luck. Bangalore (3), Hyderabad (3), Mumbai (2), Delhi (1) and Indore (1) is how the story goes. All the best to the winners 🙂
- ravi 12:14 pm on November 9, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  allllrite… so Vamsikrishna from hyderabad has won….. congratulations man.. and congratulations to Nalini from Bangalore and Amritha from Delhi, and all the other winners.
  
  .. and all of u here in this blog, it was great fun being here (except for the intezar part).
  The contest was a great opportunity to pit our talents against others in the most unbiased environment. Lets get back and give our best in whatever we are doing in our “oh so biased” environments. All the best everybody. My love to all and again my love to all, i have and will never have anything else to give to anyone.
- Harshad Joshi 1:27 pm on November 9, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Well, its the end of everything, I hope…!!!
- Harshad Joshi 2:09 pm on November 9, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  My apologies for the delays, I was away from my reliable network, and so, inspite reading your comments, I couldent do much. Sorry, but moblogging using the moto razr is a bit of uncomfort.
  
  PS – There was no hoax. Today we got the results I think.
- Sayan 2:19 pm on November 9, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Congratulations to the winners !!!! For everybody else, like me….There is always a better chance next time.
  So….don’y be upset….and take this positively.
- Harshad Joshi 7:04 pm on November 9, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  But inspite of all this, I am not feeling it right.
  
  I had a firey talk today to someone called as Maya from Google Mumbai this morning, and she had told me to contact Google Hyderabad, telling that she had no more details.
  
  Further, she had also told that Google would announce this news to media and press and also email participants about it. I havent received a mail as yet and so is the same about everyone. Now, that Aloo tech isent that unreliable, but they have a disclaimer on their site which warns us about presence of some rumours in the news.
  
  My point is that we should not feel that this matter is over. We should keep an eye on every probableprogress in this event. I wonder – Why did Google feel the need to give the news to a third party site? It has its own sites. Note – All official Google events news are mentioned on Googles official pages. Example of this is Google Doodle held in UK. This is the link to that page –
  
  http://www.google.co.uk/doodle4google/rosssmele/index.html
  
  There are two possibilities –
  1. The results might have leaked out from Merittrack or come concerned company who had checked the papers. Similarly, there is no mention of who checked and assessed the papers?
  
  2. Google got what it wanted. Free publicity at the cost of common users. This strategy works great sometimes.
  
  I will believe this news to be 100% true when I see faces of those blokes, I get to read what they have scribbled and I find this news on leading media sites.
  
  Till then, there is no peace. The answers to our questions loom large ahead, we need to find it.
- sandy 8:00 pm on November 9, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I cannot imagine a company coming out with a full page ad for a competition and then announcing results on the sly. I was always apprehensive about Google informing all participants of the results, but the results in national dailies would surely have been a huge mileage for the company, as would have been the prizes. If this was supposed to be some adolescent fancy, then it’s very unfortunate for all participants.
- sandy 3:52 am on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  I read the names of the winners in a Google press release, so it’s authentic, Harshad. We won’t ever come to know what they wrote, though. Because that would be controversial, as I mentioned before, assessment of literature is very subjective. Warm congratulations to the winners!
- Pooky 4:44 am on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hi everybody. I suppose that this is the end of this forum, although I will return to write further about Google and it’s interactions. And I will also be glad to share my experiences of Hyderabad with you.
  
  I am Terence Tuhinanshu of Indore, one of the top 10. As of yet, no communication (neither electronic nor postal) has reached me from Google. Although I suppose that the list is correct (I wrote something pretty darn good), we don’t know for certain right now.
  
  You have all been good friends in my time of trying patience and testing confidence. I would like to thank Harshad for allowing so many of us to come together and interact so well.
  
  Love
  Terence (Pooky)
- Harshad Joshi 4:56 am on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Whoa..so Pooky was the winner who was with us from the very beginning. A question though – Are you a girl or a boy?? I never heard this name before. Sounds like a tibetian or japanese origin 😀
  
  We would all like to read what you wrote at the (ill-fated) GWM 2006.
- Harshad Joshi 5:09 am on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  1. Pooky Says:
  November 2nd, 2006 at 3:38 am
  
  This is getting really annoying.
  I DO NOT intend to send them a self addressed post card.
  Some one should talk to one of their representatives and tell them what we all think of them. Google is simply jumping into the fire by ill treating so many of it’s fans. Have they no idea how many people participated not because of their writing skills but because of their crush on google? (Believe, me I’m not one of them).
  I honestly think that I can win. But, there are a lot of people out there, and so I may lose. But in any case, I should be respected as a writer and be informed of the outcome. ASAP.
  
  This was a comment made by Pooky. Shows the confidence to win.. 😀
- sandy 5:10 am on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @pooky
  
  Hey Pooky, congratulations! Let us read what u wrote at Wordmasters. Might be an education for all of us.
- mayur 5:45 am on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  > [Pooky:] As of yet, no communication (neither electronic nor postal) has reached me from Google.
  
  you know what? I think someone at meritcrap read the discussion here, and and leaked the results to alootechie just to cover their ass! meritcrap wouldn’t have the power to announce the results in the authentic media, so they must have done this to escape allegations of incompetence (because google was taking too long to publish the results).
  
  this is NOT to dispute whether the winners were deserving or not (I’m sure they are); its just to investigate why the results had to be leaked in such a shady manner. after all, we have word from pooky himself that he received no communication from google! is this any way to go about things?
  
  I feel a proper investigation is called for. google india must be informed as well. Anybody know any journos? We can all chip in and give them feedback.
- Ranjani S 7:31 am on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hey all,
  
  there is something wrong somewhere!!!. I just called up the Google India office (10th Nov, 1.00pm in the afternoon) , spoke to this lady called Shijitha. She tells me that the Google Wordmasters results are going to be out only the coming Monday (13th Nov) or Tuesday (14th Nov). A mention about the results on some blog site, she emphatically said, Google has nothing on its official news or blog, so please do not take anything as true. Can someone find out what’s really going on?
- Tshering 9:42 am on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  “Curiouser and curiouser!” Cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English).
  
  — How true!
- dilettante 10:02 am on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  hoo boy
  
  @rajani.. wow. . i sweated out reading thro all the posts.. and now this. you say this will go on and on?
  
  @ Harshad- i am also not happy, if they are not competent to manage the contest and garner such adverse publicity, who are to say they are comp. enough to judge writers of our ilk. (heh heh! yeah I’m pissed at not winning, how’d u know?)
  
  @ pooky- you are clairvoyantly spooky but, how did you receive info that you are the winner?
  
  @ ravi- thanks for laughing at my comment. it made it all worthwhile.
  
  @ the rest of u- we are all winners here. (yeah sure)
  
  keep the blog going guys, maybe we can change it from being a google bashing site to a site that promotes writing. Writing for the sake of it. Prizes not withstanding.
- punny 10:12 am on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  come on people, grow up. stop hanging on to dear hope when there isnt any.
- dilettante 10:50 am on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  new grouse (read bitching).
  i didnt think it was relevant earlier, but now with imcompetencies accumilating, i feel the need to share one more howler on the part of google.
  This happened at the Ahmedabad venue.
  As the contest started, a participant asked the meaning of the word ‘horse sense’- a keyword.
  One of the google staffers said it meant ‘stupid / idiotic sense, or Dumb.’ I dont remember the exact word, but this was the gist. Immediately a guy nearby said., no its quite the opposite and said it meant common sense. But the guy from google argued to the contrary and said he was sure.
  Now at moments like these, any one could have lost his faith. Its not a day to day word in India. Many people may have taken the wrong meaning into account.
  Small bitch, but now I think it all filts into the larger scheme of things.
- mayur 12:27 pm on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  ranjani, read my comment above (the first paragraph in particular). I bet my last ounce of horse sense that the aloo tikki announcement was stage managed by someone at meritcrap — they were clearly passing the buck to google india for not announcng the results on time.
- Harshad Joshi 12:36 pm on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Hey, this aint a Google bashing blog 🙂
  
  Its just a plain and simple place where I usually write useful things..
- Harshad Joshi 12:38 pm on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Please do not believe in rumours and hoaxes. Google will definately announce the winners in a great style. And I am also hoping that they gift all participants with a more durable Google goody bag with lots of useful goodies in it.
  
  Muhahahaha 😀
- Ranjani S 12:50 pm on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ dilettante
  
  Its just that I thought I must find out from a more reliable source than a website that sounds more like a recipe making one.
  
  @ all
  
  I have only been sleuthing around, finding out about Merittrac from the number Harshad gave and then following up with Google India and then following up some more over the results and putting the info on these blogs.
  
  I have had more fun writing in these blogs than at the contest. I am thinking, I could start on a career in Investigative Journalism.
  
  Still, keep writing folks, and if not Google Bashing, like Harshad says, just plain writing for the sake of writing,like dilettante says.
- ravi 1:17 pm on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  1. How would Merittrac know what the prizes are?
  2. Whats this google press release Sandyz talking about?
  3. If someone stage managed this, is pooky pooking to us?? how would they get his/her name.
  4. Ranjani confirms that someone told her the results dbe out on monday or tuesday 14th, but that doesn mean that these are not the winners.
  5. Has someone from Meritcrap (ya mayur, lets be adamant like you about their renaming for whatever reason) made a “deal”??
  6. Im sure Google is gonna beat that aloo out of this alootechi guyz.
- sandy 6:32 pm on November 10, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ravi, ranjani s, harshad, dilettante, mayur
  
  Folks, this is too much crap, and check this address for me, if I was gullible enough to take this: http://press-releases.techwhack.com/5378/google-announces-winners-of-wordmasters-2006.
  
  If the results are not yet out, then let me tell the pranksters my idea of wholesome fun. They should spread their sweet buttcheeks for me to administer the hot iron rod. I’m also thinking ball and chains, guys. And even if the results are out, this sure is a funny way for Google to go.
  
  All of us guys were serious about the affair, and this is humiliating.
- Pooky 4:28 am on November 11, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Google has finally contacted me. They said :
  
  “Hi Terence,
  CONGRATULATIONS!!!
  We are immensely excited to let you know that your essay has been chosen among the top ten essays of the Google Wordmasters challenge 2006!
  The winners of the contest are:
  Rank Name
  I Vamsi Krishna Nakkina
  II Karunguzhi Nalini
  III Amrita Singh
  There is lot of excitement in store for you and we will come back with further details!
  Warm Regards
  The Google Team”
  
  For anyone who’s wondering, Terence is a an English name of Roman descent, and doesn’t mean anything: it’s a name. The first Terence was a Roman playwrite (somewhere around 0000 AD), and all other Terence’s are supposed to be his descendants.
  Tuhinanshu, on the other hand, is pure Sanskrit. Tuhin means ‘dew’, while anshu mean ‘moon’. Tuhinanshu is the moon as seen through the dew-mist, very blurred and deceptive, but detectable and beautiful nevertheless.
  
  And friends, I am sorry that I cannot share the essay with you. It’s not because of any non-disclosure condition that Google is forcing on me, it’s because I don’t remember exactly what I wrote. The beauty of all my work is it’s mortality. If I write something good, and remember it as one of my great achievements, then I won’t ever write anything better than that. I’m not prepared for that, not right now.
  
  And Harshad, I am a man, and my age is 19. I was probably the youngest participant at Indore, and might be the youngest winner.
- Harshad Joshi 4:34 am on November 11, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Dont mind..its always great feeling when you win.
  
  Enjoy your success. Thats the least I can say.
- Ranjani S 6:30 am on November 11, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Okkeeeeeeeeee
  so its Pooky
  who is among the top ten !!!
  and the rest now be content
  with the Google bag and pen.
  
  and while Terence has ‘lot of excitement in store’
  We expect he shall of course let us know more,
  
  For he is from the ten who have passed the test…
  
  and not Sandy nor Punny,
  although this has been funny,
  not Ravi nor Ranjani,
  not Dilettante nor Harshad Joshi,
  are among the writers best,
  and just fall among the rest.
  
  but let us all go on further
  no tension and no stress
  and just keep writing
  to Harshad on his blog WordPress !!!
- ravi 2:42 pm on November 11, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ Ranjani
  
  nice one dear…
- punny 8:31 am on November 13, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  @ranjani,
  flattered that my name came in handy in your little rhyme. wish it had featured in the google winners list as well…. sigh, some people have all the rotten luck
- Indian Webmasters 12:37 pm on November 27, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Gotta agree with Harshad 🙂
- Pooky 6:04 am on December 11, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Dear Everyone,
  It seems to have grown quiet here since I’ve left. Well, I’d like to inform you all that the Awards Ceremony was on 8th Dec at Hyderabad, and I couldn’t attend because I was busy with my examinations. So, except for my name popping up on a bunch of second-rate news sites for about a week, I’m really not all that different from you people.
  Well, better luck next time I suppose!
  
  Terence
- Harshad Joshi 6:35 am on December 11, 2006 Permalink | Reply
  
  Yeah..all was quite and many had forgotten of this incident. But still, even that prize distribution thing didnt receive any focus from the techno news sites…
  
  Now I dont think that anyone will bothered about Google the next time…
- Finally, who won Google Wordmasters? | The Y-AXIS LIVE! 5:14 am on April 4, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  […] is that close to 3000 people participated in this event. (See Harshad’s report on the event here) The winners are supposed to be declared today.Wonder who won it and what did the winning entries […]
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