The jbushnell Challenge

May 31, 2002 8:52 AM

Last year and the year before, in May, jbushnell started a MetaFilter thread asking what the coolest thing you could find on the web for X amount of dollars was, and offered to buy the thing he himself deemed "the coolest". jbushnell hasn't contributed to MetaFilter since last October, and May is just about over, so I doubt he plans to show up to post this challenge again. (more inside)
posted by iconomy to MetaFilter-Related at 8:52 AM (16 comments total)

I'm not about to email someone I don't know and ask him to come back so he can buy us presents, but I would hate to see this fade away - the things everyone came up with were most entertaining and creative, and the threads were lighthearted and fun. Does anyone think we should continue this and make it a real annual tradition? And if so, how should we work it - who judges, who pays, how much, (I volunteer to bankroll some of it) and all that? I hope this is appropriate for MetaTalk.

PLEASE don't suggest things that you've found in this thread, save them for the MetaFilter post if there is to be one.
posted by iconomy at 8:52 AM on May 31, 2002

why don't you just do it yourself?

put your money where your mouth is.
posted by Frasermoo at 9:01 AM on May 31, 2002

( if that sounds surly it wasn't meant that way )
posted by Frasermoo at 9:06 AM on May 31, 2002

Because I don't want to judge it. I thought you were spending the month at sportsfilter.
posted by iconomy at 9:10 AM on May 31, 2002

hooray: i, for one, vote for presents and cool stuff! contest away!

CRS, donkeysuck, and snarkout placed last year -- that might be a good pool to pick judges from.

posted by fishfucker at 9:23 AM on May 31, 2002

iconomy - I actually did email jbushnell about a week ago about this, but didn't get a reply from him. I'd be willing to chip in to the "Buy me something cool" fund.
posted by starvingartist at 9:26 AM on May 31, 2002

I'll do it. I can't judge, but I'll help with the kitty. Whoever's interested, send me an e-mail and we'll setup the post, guidelines, and such. This idea rocks...good find iconomy.
posted by BlueTrain at 9:59 AM on May 31, 2002

Thanks, BlueTrain - email on the way. Fishfucker had a great idea - ask past winners to judge.

Starvingartist - I'm glad you emailed jbushnell.
posted by iconomy at 10:16 AM on May 31, 2002

Just start the thread with your paypal address and ask people to donate. If I judge, than I can't play...
posted by mecran01 at 10:17 AM on May 31, 2002

Jeremy has cut back dramatically on his online presence; I believe he's trying to finish writing a book. I'm not sure that I'll have time to judge if it both generates dozen of entries and happens in the next few weeks, but I'm sure you can work something out, and if it happens after mid-June I should have more time to waste. I had a good time hunting for stuff in the last two contests, I got a bizarrely-named Japanese snack product out of it (although not Coffee Boss, more's the pity), and people dug up some great links. Long live the giveaway!
posted by snarkout at 11:42 AM on May 31, 2002

I believe Jbushnell is traveling at the moment.
posted by thirteen at 11:43 AM on May 31, 2002

I heard jbushnell had undergone a gender reassignment surgery and joined the federal witness protection program--apparently he was heard to question one of Bush's policies--but it's probably best we don't talk about it.
posted by rushmc at 1:06 PM on May 31, 2002

Ah, one of my favourite old threads...good idea ic.

Maybe El Janitor could judge?
posted by i_cola at 3:17 PM on May 31, 2002

Excellent suggestion, i_cola, but I'd nominate instead that hard-working intern who does all the hard coding (and dammit, I can't remember his name, despite searching old MeTa threads for far too long now). Anyhoo, I have just as much faith in his impartiality, and I'm sure he would be an excellent judge of coolness (after working so hard for such a demanding boss, after all).
posted by yhbc at 7:18 PM on May 31, 2002

I be willing to pony up the dough, I guess...

Oh, wait, do i get the cool thing or does the person who named it get it?
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 7:52 PM on May 31, 2002

Am I too late?

I would consider judging. And I'll go check how much is in my PayPal account and I'll contribute at least that much to the kitty.
posted by jbushnell at 9:31 AM on June 13, 2002