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My wife made me do this....

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List updated. Let me know if I missed anyone.

Only 2 weeks to go!

We found some evidence suggesting that the second place people have been cheating by buying likes, so shit might get crazy as this contest gets down to the wire.


Wait, you're in HRM too? It's a Small GAF, after all, it's a small GAF...

Voted!

I'm going through the photos and have already seen a dozen friends voting for other kitchens.

what's up cuz? :p

I knew there must be a small Haligaf contingent here. You're the first one I've run into honestly.

I keep getting shitty updates of people's crap kitchens on my wall...you better win!

Well, feel free to unlike it if it gets annoying
just wait until the contest is over please! =)
 
We found some evidence suggesting that the second place people have been cheating by buying likes, so shit might get crazy as this contest gets down to the wire.

Is asking strangers on GAF to vote for you and then raffling off videogames for them really that different from the buying votes form of "cheating"?
 
Is asking strangers on GAF to vote for you and then raffling off videogames for them really that different from the buying votes form of "cheating"?

Yes.

At the beginning of the contest we called the company and asked them about the rules, specifically about online communities and things of that nature. They said it's totally fine since its a legitimate form of social networking. When we noticed that the other people were buying likes we called them (without accusing the other people or naming names) and asked hypotheically about buying likes. They said that buying likes would definitely be cheating. So far we've been playing by the rules 100% while the others started breaking the rules when they fell behind.
 

Kunohara

Member
I remember my best friend and his wife were in this contest to win something (I don't remember what it was, it was awhile ago), and they asked all of us and our friends to vote for them in this contest. For awhile, they would always be around the 3rd or 4th position. The first place team had such a big lead it was almost on borderline cheating.

So, I thought of something that surely in this day and age wouldn't work, but sure enough it did. The poll for this contest was on the company's web site itself, not on Facebook. When I voted, I went and deleted the cookie the web site made off my computer, and just voted again. It worked. So my wife and I just went to town (I know most of you are saying right now that we aren't any better, but keep in mind the first place team had such a lead, there was no way they were doing it legit).

The web site for some reason noticed this, and actually reset the poll. The said there was a bug and it had to be reset. When voting started again, guess which team shot up very quickly again, and won the contest by a long mile?

The way I see it with these online polling contests, it is always cut throat, and people will do anything to win. I actually commend LowEndTorque for doing this raffle. I should have thought of that when my best friend was doing his contest.
 
Yes.

At the beginning of the contest we called the company and asked them about the rules, specifically about online communities and things of that nature. They said it's totally fine since its a legitimate form of social networking. When we noticed that the other people were buying likes we called them (without accusing the other people or naming names) and asked hypotheically about buying likes. They said that buying likes would definitely be cheating. So far we've been playing by the rules 100% while the others started breaking the rules when they fell behind.

I think I would agree with you if not for the video game raffle you're doing.
 

riceckr

Neo Member
I voted # 1347

you guys are WAY in the lead

plus, your kitchen has a lot of potential that is a nice big window
 
I remember my best friend and his wife were in this contest to win something (I don't remember what it was, it was awhile ago), and they asked all of us and our friends to vote for them in this contest. For awhile, they would always be around the 3rd or 4th position. The first place team had such a big lead it was almost on borderline cheating.

So, I thought of something that surely in this day and age wouldn't work, but sure enough it did. The poll for this contest was on the company's web site itself, not on Facebook. When I voted, I went and deleted the cookie the web site made off my computer, and just voted again. It worked. So my wife and I just went to town (I know most of you are saying right now that we aren't any better, but keep in mind the first place team had such a lead, there was no way they were doing it legit).

The web site for some reason noticed this, and actually reset the poll. The said there was a bug and it had to be reset. When voting started again, guess which team shot up very quickly again, and won the contest by a long mile?

The way I see it with these online polling contests, it is always cut throat, and people will do anything to win. I actually commend LowEndTorque for doing this raffle. I should have thought of that when my best friend was doing his contest.

I wish it were that easy.

Our method is a lot more grindy. Every day, for about 3 weeks straight, my wife would buy a huge box of timbits and lollipops and take the baby with her to all of the University and College libraries in our town. (We have 3 large universities and 2 colleges here).

She would hit up the computer lab and offer everyone she saw on computers a timbit or lollipop in exchange for a vote. One trip to all 3 libraries in the morning and one in the afternoon. That method worked amazingly well and pretty much everyone was friendly and happy to vote for us (even people that she ran into 3-4 times lol). A lot of people even shared and got their friends to vote. But now that final exams are over and the library is empty, that resource has been tapped out.

Probably about 500 of our votes came from this method, another 4-500 from our friends and 200+ from gaf. If we lose after all that work she put it, she’s going to throw a rampage lol.

I think I would agree with you if not for the video game raffle you're doing.

Well, I respect your opinion but I really don't see how having a game raffle with an online community that you regular is the same as hiring a company to spam votes for you with fake accounts. I assume I'd be in an extremely generous mood if we won, so It's more of a thank you to gaf and a gesture than "paying" people to get likes.
 
Well, I respect your opinion but I really don't see how having a game raffle with an online community that you regular is the same as hiring a company to spam votes for you with fake accounts. I assume I'd be in an extremely generous mood if we won, so It's more of a thank you to gaf and a gesture than "paying" people to get likes.

Ahhh I see. I didn't understand at first that they hired a company to spam. I think we're on the same page now. In fact I think I'll go vote for you too since I think the spamming thing is bullshit. Good luck to you, and I didn't mean to come off like a dick before.
 
If I only knew this was in Halifax, we'd have a new kitchen.. Too late, voted.

Yes it's too late. Way, way, way too late :p
we don't want any more competition


Ahhh I see. I didn't understand at first that they hired a company to spam. I think we're on the same page now. In fact I think I'll go vote for you too since I think the spamming thing is bullshit. Good luck to you, and I didn't mean to come off like a dick before.

Yeah, I guess I wasn’t really clear about that. My fault.

A few weeks into the contest we noticed that she created a facebook group for her entry. Someone posted “Buy Likes!” on her wall put a link to his/her website. I copied the link and held onto it for evidence just in case things got ugly.

A couple of weeks later we noticed that on random days of the week they would get bursts of votes in increments of 40-70 votes during odd hours of the night (like 1a.m to 5a.m-ish) No votes for the entire week, but a sudden burst of 70 votes overnight during odd hours of the night.

So I decided to look into who these mysterious overnight voters were. All these votes came from facebook accounts with open profiles, no friends, and the only activity from these accounts was liking hundreds of facebook pages.

I went back to that link and saw that the pagemaster had even put up a voting schedule, listing the times that they vote (which matched the times they were getting votes). Didn't report them to the company or accuse them and I'm hoping I don't have to. It's only a last resort if things get ugly and we lose.
 
Yeah, I guess I wasn’t really clear about that. My fault.

A few weeks into the contest we noticed that she created a facebook group for her entry. Someone posted “Buy Likes!” on her wall put a link to his/her website. I copied the link and held onto it for evidence just in case things got ugly.

A couple of weeks later we noticed that on random days of the week they would get bursts of votes in increments of 40-70 votes during odd hours of the night (like 1a.m to 5a.m-ish) No votes for the entire week, but a sudden burst of 70 votes overnight during odd hours of the night.

So I decided to look into who these mysterious overnight voters were. All these votes came from facebook accounts with open profiles, no friends, and the only activity from these accounts was liking hundreds of facebook pages.

I went back to that link and saw that the pagemaster had even put up a voting schedule, listing the times that they vote (which matched the times they were getting votes). Didn't report them to the company or accuse them and I'm hoping I don't have to. It's only a last resort if things get ugly and we lose.

Wow, that is some underhanded shit. Well +1 for you, I voted about 20 minutes ago.
 
Give the company that runs the contest the evidence you have of them buying votes.

I thought about doing that, but I don't want to cause any un-necessary drama just yet especially since we're still sitting on a pretty healthy lead.

I'm just saving my evidence as a last resort if we lose and things have to get ugly.
 
+1

I thought I had liked this before, but it was the guy who was trying to win wedding pictures. Good luck, even if your kitchen isn't completely ugly.
 

Vyer

Member
Yes.

At the beginning of the contest we called the company and asked them about the rules, specifically about online communities and things of that nature. They said it's totally fine since its a legitimate form of social networking. When we noticed that the other people were buying likes we called them (without accusing the other people or naming names) and asked hypotheically about buying likes. They said that buying likes would definitely be cheating. So far we've been playing by the rules 100% while the others started breaking the rules when they fell behind.

That's the time of stuff I was talking about discovering early in the thread. My sister was in a contest where people were doing that.


And really, you're doing something similar. You're offering prizes but buying all the same.
 

thiscoldblack

Unconfirmed Member
It's kind of sad to see these entries labeled as "ugly kitchens", including OP. You guys have sort of a high standard, imo. Good luck on winning, though.
 

Mr. Fix

Member
Is asking strangers on GAF to vote for you and then raffling off videogames for them really that different from the buying votes form of "cheating"?
I think so too, what with the timbit/lolipopthing, but by technicality no. The kitchen isn't as bad as I thought it would be, and it really should go to whoever has the worst one. Sucks that social networking counts. But hey, that's some dedication you 2 have. Props for that, and sticking by the rules (though I don't exactly agree with).
 
I think so too, what with the timbit/lolipopthing, but by technicality no. The kitchen isn't as bad as I thought it would be, and it really should go to whoever has the worst one. Sucks that social networking counts. But hey, that's some dedication you 2 have. Props for that, and sticking by the rules (though I don't exactly agree with).


Well, it is what it is. Other contestants have also complained about the rules as well, but they kind of missed the whole point of the contest.

The whole reason the company is running this contest is to generate exposure for their business. By making the contest based on likes, they know that all the contestants will work hard for them especially with such a big prize at stake.

This will inevitably generate greater exposure for their business than if they structured the rules a different way. So from their perspective as a business, doing it this way is what makes the most sense for their goals of getting exposure. And the whole timbit/lollipop thing at the libraries was just that: generating exposure. Again, very different from paying a company to spam votes for you from fake FB accounts.

Also, "high standards" is kind of relative and subjective here. Everyone entered for their own reason. Our reasons are the rotting/falling apart countertops, holes in the flooring and lead-based paint in the cabinets which you can't see from the photo.

Anyways, I don't know why I'm defending myself here :p We didn't make the rules, we're just playing the game ;)
 

DietRob

i've been begging for over 5 years.
Did you win or what dude? It seems like this has been going on an pretty long time.
 
Hey man deleted my facebook but i already liked. Hope that isn't taken away now

I dunno bro. But I think it does delete your like if your account is deleted. No worries though. Appreciate your vote anyways, and if you feel guilty about it you can always make a new account and give us a +juan :p

Did you win or what dude? It seems like this has been going on an pretty long time.

It's been going on for a fucking eternity. We entered on March 5. Winner gets announced 2 weeks from tomorrow.

We're sitting pretty on a lead of 473 votes, but it looks like the people in second place may have hired a company to spam votes for them from fake FB accounts, so we have no idea what's gonna happen over the next 2 weeks.
 

hellclerk

Everything is tsundere to me
Voted. 1364

Eh, why not. A couple of those kitchens looked like they needed it more, but from the GAF response, no one else has a chance in hell of winning. Congrats.
 
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