On 09/02/2007, at 9:25 AM, Mike Liebhold wrote:
If you think you can do this in a way that demonstrates how people can more easily and effectively communicate, YOU COULD WIN BIG!

I'm only responding because of this claim of "WIN BIG". It really doesn't look like any kind of win at all.

1. All expenses paid travel, accommodations, and conference fees to the 5th International Symposium on Digital Earth hosted on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley.

A plane ticket and a hotel room.

2. Special recognition of the winning entries by invited presentations.

You talk for a while, then it's over.

3. Receipt of Award Plaque and nominal cash prize at the Awards Dinner on 7 June 2007.

A piece of paper.

4. Special dinner seating with VIP industry and technology leaders.

Sit next to boring people. Done it before, it's really dull.

5. Technology Prize Package, a collection of valuable gifts including thousands of dollars worth of the leading geobrowser and tessellation software packages.

Of no use, because it's all old stuff.

So what's the point? Easy. All the companies involved in this "WIN BIG!!!" competition get a look at the up and coming technology that might have kicked their arses, and they get time to negotiate and position against those threats.

Someone with the money sits in their office cackling, rubbing their hands, and making up impressive titles like "AWESOME INTELLECTUAL GIANT", and some poor dopey schlub who thinks that positions, titles and names matter, goes and gives away everything they've got for a handshake and a dead tree.

Where's some kind of technology alliance? Where's some angel investment to get things rolling? Where's any actively useful assistance to get any new technology out of the labs to be useful to the general public?

Anyone working on such breakthrough technology would be far better off ignoring these "WIN BIG!!! OHMYGODZ0RZ!" enticements and just getting on with it. I might be cynical, but these are valid points.

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  [EMAIL PROTECTED]


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