The first tones of Freedom

Google Wordmasters – The Aftermath

Posted by: Harshad Joshi on: November 1, 2006

Desperation, fraustration, anger, hate, curiosity. If you want to know what does it feel like, ask every Google Wordmasters 2006 participants who frantically searched the web for the answer, but unfortunately couldent find it. Its a sort of dismay and disarray. 2 days, and no sign of result..Bingo, its a perfect formula to drive someone crazy..

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 -

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 .

Sadely, as usual, most of you ignored this warning..

[TO BE CONTINUED]

PS – Click here to find how wiered and interesting terms people use to search Google. No, it isent a joke, its a hint of desperation. This is a pic I took some couple of nights ago. Enjoy.

Update on 3 Nov 2005 11:15 pm IST

We need to take some vital steps to teach Google India for the extra smartness they have shown.

For at least a week, please boycott Google Search Engine and opt for Yahoo!, Ask.com, Answers.com, or Semantic Space Meta Search Engine.

1. Yahoo! is one of the premier portals present today and has got consistant high traffic. Incidently, Yahoo! has got the #1 position according to Alexa web search.

2. Ask.com, previously known as Ask Jeeves turns out to be a surprise package, with great quality contents and relevant terms. Its unlikely that result you will get is of unexpected quality.

3. Answers.com isent a conventional search engine. Its an ‘answer’ engine not delvering simple links, but relevant content from top websites accross the world. Its best features are – a nice design, simple user interface and lots of other goodies. Incidently, Answer.com powers ‘The First Tones of Freedom‘ as the default knowledge provider.

4. Semantic Space Web Engine – The last option for Google Web Search. Built on top of Google itself, the meta engine prides itself on providing a top quality searches based on highly well researched and analysed database of useful websites. Use it to find things you never thought to exist. Be careful though, its in beta stage.

For syndication fans, try out – Newsgator, Bloglines, Digg, Del.icio.us

With all the united efforts, I am sure that Google understands what users feel when they are hurt. Join it and experience the difference. There is a web beyond Google. Liberate your senses and I bet you will hear the first tones of Freedom.

37 Responses to "Google Wordmasters – The Aftermath"

1 | Rajesh Kumar
November 1, 2006 at 4:34 am

Harshad, it could just be that they have informed only the winnners and then asked them to keep the info to themselves.I am just guessing.

2 | Harshad Joshi
November 1, 2006 at 4:45 am

Maybe no one won this competition..!!
;-)

3 | Afterjoseph
November 1, 2006 at 5:29 am

Since Google seems to be in no mood to clear the air, the REAL winners (wannabes and those who dream of owning a Maruti Swift need not apply) could come out and put an end to this mystery. Overall, this competiton seems to be backfiring bigtime on Google – they have at least 3000 people from across the country (not to mention their families and close friends) cursing them…

4 | Harshad Joshi
November 1, 2006 at 5:36 am

@Joseph
Let me correct the sum.

Its 3000-3 = 2997 people cursing google alongwith several millions all across the globe.

The remaining 3 are the blokes who won the compitition. ;-)

5 | Afterjoseph
November 1, 2006 at 5:51 am

But if there are no results announced, how would you assume that 3 blokes have won the competition? On one hand, there are people claiming that the results aren’t out and it’s all an eyewash. On the other, we are referring to winners. Should we put some newspaper onto this and let them figure out what on earth’s going on?

6 | Hari Menon
November 1, 2006 at 6:09 am

Press release from Google: “We regret to inform you that none of the entries in the Wordmasters Challenge were found suitable for the top prizes, so we have decided to give consolation prizes of Google keychains to the first hundred all correct entries. The next hundred shall receive snazzy pens. If you already got these in your goodie bag at the time of taking your test, you can exchange your key/pen for a FREE GMAIL ACCOUNT!!!”

[PS: Just kidding!]

7 | JOhn Mathew
November 1, 2006 at 6:36 am

Hey,
Yah. i also think its an eyewash. very good way of Branding. isnt it. making 3000 people wait for a month with their fingers crossed. so thats 3000 more crossed fingers added to the Handicapped list.
Hey. do let me know if anyone comes to knwo bout the winner.
bye
john
strategics05@gmail.com

8 | Aastha
November 1, 2006 at 7:15 am

Im curious about your “to be continued”.
And seriously apalled at how there are no results from this competition.
Has anyone sent in that self addressed envelope?

9 | Kaushal Karkhanis
November 1, 2006 at 1:09 pm

Hey dude I forgot one thing – I remember the contest forms said results would be annouced on OR AROUND the 30th of October 2006 – how much around… let the skies decide!

10 | Google Wordmasters Challenge - Where are the Results? « BotHack
November 1, 2006 at 1:44 pm

[...] UPDATE: Looks like I am not the only one who is frustrated. Harshad of Pune, who warned us long back saying that the whole competition might be a farce, has also blogged about the aftermath of the Google Wordmaster Challenge and how this might back fire Google. Some interesting discussions are going on there. [...]

11 | bothack
November 1, 2006 at 1:45 pm

@Rajesh Kumar:
Google will never chose the winners and ask them to be quite. The whole damn thing was a PR stunt. So obvi if they are awarding they would make sure every ass on earth knows about it. Looking at the possibilities I feel Harshad is right when he says there might be no prize…

12 | Nag
November 1, 2006 at 3:02 pm

There is no way this was a publicity stunt. There will be a winner or three announced, wait and see. I’m willing to lay a wager on this. Any takers?

13 | Harshad Joshi
November 1, 2006 at 3:15 pm

Thats what the stuff Loyal Googlers are made up of.. ;-)

Dont bet dude. Feed some hungry and poor people instead. It will do ya lot of good. :-D

14 | Cram
November 3, 2006 at 4:54 pm

Hi

Perhaps you would like to look at this:
http://blog.outer-court.com/forum/74471.html

This apparently was NO wordmaster challenge but an exercise in building a parallel corpus. Hmmm…3000 blokes taken for a ride by the big G? Very evil.

15 | Hari Menon
November 4, 2006 at 9:09 pm

It’s not even a week since October 30. Wait a few more days before you recommend doing anything as drastic as boycotting Google!

16 | Harshad Joshi
November 5, 2006 at 6:05 am

@Hari

relax dude. My concept of boycotting dosent involve a march on Google India armed with black flags, posters and banners saying ‘Google Go back’, or pelting stones at the office, shouting slogans,blood shedding etc as it used to be in pre independence era.

:-D

‘Boycott’ is a relative term. All that I wanted to say was – ‘Look for options beyond Google. Its no harm in trying other search engines on the web too..some of them are very good’.

Just try it.. ;-)

17 | Scooby Doo
November 5, 2006 at 1:33 pm

Are we counting Sunday 5th November ‘06 as the sixth day after the given date of Oct. 30th? Look at me…I STILL have hope! Maybe they’ll make a grand announcement on the seventh (and final) day, i.e. tomorrow, Monday the 6th of November. I have never, ever kept track of the calendar so fervently. If I don’t hear of any prize winners by tomorrow, I’m joining the revolutionary parties who will storm the East India Company of Google Inc.!

18 | Harshad Joshi
November 5, 2006 at 2:00 pm

Yeah, we will all march and shout slogans against the Googlegiri

19 | Scooby Doo
November 6, 2006 at 1:53 am

Ok guys, it’s the seventh day from the Blessed date of 30th Oct. Are there any winners amongst us? If so, will you please stand up, so that we can applaud for you and rid ourselves of this horrible suspense story we’re living out?

20 | maverick
November 7, 2006 at 6:41 am

Harshad, please let me know on my email when the results are out. i am sick of browsing the net over the google results.

21 | Scooby Doo
November 7, 2006 at 10:17 am

Well people, we may as well hang up our boots…the contest was a sham. And a big blow to Google’s image. Can we still hang on to our faith?

22 | M.Sagar Kumar
November 8, 2006 at 11:58 am

Dear friends,

I had gone through the above conversations. Though none of the above told me who the winners are, it gave me relief to learn about so many like minded friends undergoing a similar trauma. I am extremely sorry for deriving strength from the suspense every one is feeling.

23 | maverick
November 8, 2006 at 12:01 pm

why doesnt somebody call up google or enquire at their office in Hyderabad?

24 | Harshad Joshi
November 8, 2006 at 12:10 pm

Because their Tata Indicom or Tata Walky number has changed and there is no way one can get the new number.

25 | Sarita
November 9, 2006 at 11:11 am

yea people,

i contested from the b’lore venue and i have been constantly browsing thru this blog site for news of any sort…really, have all been had..very evil…they cant afford to do something so evil. it would be a big big downer for them if they did. something is fishy somewhere…i guess we’ll have to just wait and watch. come to think of it even b4 the contest began except for some stray ads in the newsapapers on on off, their communication was pretty bad. i did not even get an email from them but got an sms the previous evening!

well, anyway, results or no results, i love browsing thru this blog post now…it’s good fun :-) i think all here are brilliant writers! keep it up!!! :-d

ps…should i boycott my gmail a/c and switch to good old yahoo instead

26 | Harshad Joshi
November 9, 2006 at 2:11 pm

Long live Yahoo!

27 | Sarita
November 10, 2006 at 5:05 am

OK everyone, since there is still no news of the results, why don’t you all judge my entry…it’s a poem that i have written on Innovations and included all the key words and they are in capital letters. I’m still a very immature writer so your comments might help…here goes…

INNOVATIONS

A new page I turn each day,
With loads to EXPERIMENT all the way!
Seems ABSURD when the process begins,
Innovating is fun, as you can IMAGINE!

Sometimes I wonder and ANALYSE,
Feels like a new PHENOMENA on the rise!
OBSERVATION helps me all the time,
I smile as the creative bells chime!

Make use of HORSE-SENSE and I seem to know how
Think OUT OF THE BOX and hear myself say wow!
Endless as the DIRECTIONS may seem,
ENERGY and INQUISITIVENSS make a powerful team!

WIERD as it may seem, I move on to CREATE,
As I don my THINKING HAT, my mind is in a debate!
IMPOSSIBLE as it seems, my mind keeps getting STUCK,
I try to make it PRACTICAL with a little bit of LUCK!

As minutes pass on, I feel excitement mounting up,
Rack my brains and stay INQUISITIVE, but never once GIVE UP!
Watch with bated breath as my creative brainchild takes shape
‘EUREKA’! I scream, as joy brews up my nape!

Innovation always brings joy to me,
I move on and on with willpower and glee!

Thanks for reading it, in case u have :-) Waiting for ur comments…any response is welcome, as long as there is one…hahaha, unlike the big G!

Cheers!

28 | Ambi
November 10, 2006 at 3:41 pm

nice try! my cousin was among the ten shortlisted… she just heard from them

29 | Harshad Joshi
November 10, 2006 at 3:59 pm

Arrgh…I hope it dosent turn out to be another rumour. We had enough of it all ready.

30 | M.Sagar Kumar
November 11, 2006 at 12:35 pm

Though Google did not say anything officially so far, like it had done for inviting us to the test, it seems the results that are published by certain websites( non google ones) are actually google results only.

I thank the organisers of this site for lighting a candle in the darkness and kept us all engaged and posted about the status all these days.
Congratulations to all the winners.

It is better for the winners and for the google also to release an advertisement on this——– the results.
Otherwise what’s the use of winning a contest if the winner is kept in anonimity?
Thank you all.

31 | amit
November 11, 2006 at 8:08 pm

What’s in a name – William Shakespeare
Got the joke?

32 | Scooby Doo
November 13, 2006 at 1:38 am

@ Harshad
I still can’t buy the news of the winners as listed on Techshout.com.
This is because no where on the site is it mentioned that the news is officially from Google. Why would a giant choose a nondescript site to post the winners’ list?
The only positive thing I see about Wordmasters’ Challenge is that it brought us all together here, and reading through the comments made one laugh, even though heart of hearts you feel like crying. People on this message board got so creative with comments. I think these messages should be posted online forever. Thanks Harshad for your support and ideas, along with Bot Hack and the rest. Discovering your sites made me realise that I wasn’t the only frustrated one!

33 | Harshad Joshi
November 13, 2006 at 4:48 am

@Scobby Doo

Hey guess what?

You have just immortalized yourself by commenting on the blog.

Your comments will be visible to future generations till WWW, Google, logging, computers, internet and finally this world exists. Writing is a great way of becoming immortal.

34 | Harshad Joshi
November 13, 2006 at 4:51 am

There is no need to get fraustrated. Its because of this behaviour that big MNCs exploit our mindset and get away from it. Life is an ever learning experience. Just learn from it and document it, just as I have done it,so that it will be useful in the future.

35 | M.Sagar Kumar
November 26, 2006 at 4:27 pm

I am feeling sorry for the so called winners of this word game. They were kept in a secret state as if they had done something shabby.

They must be craving for some sort of publicity which atleast will be noticed by thier neighbours, colleagues and relatives.

Thanks to this global google, even the nearby panshopwaala will not trust the claims of the so called winners.

Eversince google had hidden itself behind aloo techie, atleast we freed our selves from this senseless tension.

Poor winners cannot have this luxury of mental peace.

Let us all feel sorry for them.

36 | Mitul
March 5, 2007 at 5:54 am

Well, I think Google has not done any fraud with anyone by organizing this contest. I participated from Ahmedabad.

I think, Google might have paid to the venue owner by reserving it for a day and I am sure no body in the world are so fool just to pay money to do a practice on 300 people in 7 states! They might have already selected or might have not got what they looked for.

The only thing is that, they should have been announced something to be a loyal to everyone. They failed in doing that to us.

Thats a shame of india and CURRENT indian generation who like to party but cant raise a voice like people from 1947. (Current generation just like to hang out with girls and not like to stand up and raise even a single voice against anyone/anything). Just like to keep blogging and keep writing for nothing.

So learn to take a blame on us and either do something or shut your mouth and suffer.

37 | Mitul
March 5, 2007 at 6:01 am

This website says that the RESULT IS DECLARED: http://www.iprash.com/2006/11/09/winners-of-google-wordmaster-contest-declared/

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