CONGRATS to AMHD for reaching 1 million members!

Unfortunately, there's a good chance that our millionth member was a spambot :(

I will get my digging head on and find out for y'all.

Our Millionth member: https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/members/pypodyPen.html

Meanwhile... what about the contest winner, AHEM/

Two parts, just need the posts now ;)

You do? We have to win BOTH?

Here we are at 3 million posts...
I thought a month ago that Aurora Bell was going to win that part... hope someone actually checks...
I could swear that until today or yesterday, there were over 1,030,000 members. I wonder if I'm imagining that the number dropped by at least 10,000...

Anyway, congrats AMHD people. Not a lot of warm feelings for the people in charge of the contest.

I'll give Rick a BIG kick in the pants to finalise this for everyone.

Gee doesn't time fly..

Rick ignored my personal Q to him months ago, so I waited patiently for the second half. He's on site today, answering other questions, so I guess the contest was a sham.

Next stop: CEO of AMHD, Ram.

Rick ignored my personal Q to him months ago, so I waited patiently for the second half. He's on site today, answering other questions, so I guess the contest was a sham.

Next stop: CEO of AMHD, Ram.

And I was promised a toaster almost 7 years ago.

And RAM is no longer with us.

Holy cow. I do this for FREE. I volunteer my time to answer questions as well as moderate the site. Us moderators never get a word of THANKS much less any monetary gift. Not even a Seasons Greetings, or a Christmas Card... Nothing, nada, zilch. Not even a pat on the back for work well done.

J_9, this was a contest with two prizes. Where were you? It's the principle. Good grief.
I don't welch, personally.

Oh and 2 other tiny details:
I volunteer here for free too. Does anyone not?
And the owners of this site make PLENTY of money off all those pesky ads that pop up after every keyword that is typed.
So, please

I'm not sure if that 'personal advice for xx$/minute' ever worked for anyone. I'm not certain if there is any advert revenue sharing but I assume not.

This is your standard Web 2.0 user generated content site where the users add all the content... for free.

It's very easy to block the ads. I'm always surprised by the sheer number of them when I access the site from a computer that is not my own.

J-9 ;well done !

HUH??
I'm a greedy mercenary bastard for expecting a company that holds a contest to honor their promise to the winners?
You either aren't aware of the contest or you are jerking my chain.

I'm a greedy mercenary bastard for expecting a company that holds a contest to honor their promise to the winners??Who said that? Are there some posts missing?

Who said that? Are there some posts missing?
Here's the contest thread --

AMHD Contest (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/active-members/new-contest-win-200-a-648115.html)

Yea, I remember that. In the meantime there were a few staff changes weren't there? Maybe the ownership decided they couldn't do it anymore and didn't communicate that.

Yea, I remember that. In the meantime there were a few staff changes weren't there? Maybe the ownership decided they couldn't do it anymore and didn't communicate that.
Cliff and Ram, both paid employees, have both gone on to life without us. Rickj is the one who created the contest and established the prizes, and am not sure how he figures into the ownership of the site. Roel is the official owner, from what I understand.

To me their silence says it all. I would assume this contest has fallen by the wayside.

Rick wouldn't even afford me a reply when I asked. I know he has a sibling with cancer (mentioned last January) so I let it go. Yet he is here quite often answering all sorts of questions, just not this one. It seems a very strange way to run a contest, and even stranger still is the lack of attention to the whole reason for it - reaching 2 milestones.

Anyone who thinks I am going to stop volunteering my time (neither the word 'volunteer' nor 'time' really have anything to do with why I am here) is mistaken. Or who wants to imply that I shouldn't want my contest winnings because they volunteer, or because they didn't get what they were promised. I want what was promised. If it's not forthcoming, so be it. I'm not going to sue Advizo LLC. But my opinion of the owners and Rick are pretty low.

Rick's sister passed away and he had taken a month off after that, but has returned.

I'd send you your [w]innings plus some caramel brownies if I knew your address. ;) Of course, Rick has first dibs on doing that.

Yes Wondergirl! caramel brownies and baseball at my place, extra innings.

Yes Wondergirl!, caramel brownies and baseball at my place, extra innings.
Ha, ha. You caught me on the typo. Of course, I will root for the White Sox. Do you want cold milk or hot coffee with the brownies?

The White Sox vs the Red Sox? Interesting.
I just heard that Mrs. O'Leary was officially exonerated.
I'll provide the Fenway Franks and green beer.
I'd love coffee the first inning, and milk after.
If I have to choose - milk.

Hope you aren't allergic to pecan halves, chocolate, or caramel. Since I like you a lot, you can have both milk and coffee. Just let me know when for which one.

I like you too! I love pecans. I like to buy them in bulk in the fall from southern sellers on eBay who have their own groves, and they are super fresh. I'll send you some.
I'm allergic to anything that has more than 10 calories but what the heck.
Not crazy about hot dogs and don't even like beer, so can we skip them.
I'll make this dessert I've been thinking about, with cream cheese, OJ, and chocolate ice box wafer cookies.
After we are in total shock from sugar and caffeine, we can go out for dinner, eat two bites, and take home big doggie bags for the next day.

J_9, this was a contest with two prizes. Where were you? It's the principle. Good grief.
I don't welch, personally.

Yes, I knew about the thread. There was a similar one several years ago and nothing ever came of it. That's why I chose not to participate in this one.

I hate to be the logical one here, but unless there was a contract (most lotteries or contests have a contract) then the holder of the contest isn't legally obligated to fulfill their end of the contest.

No one paid to be a part of this contest, and most of the people that participated did so just to have some fun.

Fact is, there have been contests here before, there have also been other things offered (t-shirts etc) that never happened. It's a free site, your membership here is free.

I really can't believe that anyone would get upset because they're not getting a small prize for winning a contest on a free site. But, if it's that important to you, PM Admin (Roel) and tell him that you expect your prize for the contest Rick posted. Expect to wait 4 or more months to get a reply from Admin. Personally I don't see why anyone would bother, but it's your call.

1. It is logical to expect a free site to follow through on a contest and I'll bet a court would agree. (I've already stated that I wouldn't sue.)
2. This site makes money off advertisers. They have a right to certain expectations. One might be that the site follow through on contests.
3. I am not a welcher on even the most fun and trivial bet, with a friend, family, or stranger.
4. I entered the contest for fun. It is ILLOGICAL to conclude that because I expect my prize that I didn't.
5. Just because people here longer than I know about past contests that never materialized doesn't mean I'm expected to know that, nor do I see the relevance.
5. Whether $100 is 'small' or not is subjective.

1. It is logical to expect a free site to follow through on a contest and I'll bet a court would agree.
Nope, sorry. As mentioned there has been no contract. You simply typed in your answer freely. Plus you could answer as often as you liked.
2. This site makes money off advertisers. They have a right to certain expectations. One might be that the site follow through on contests.
Irrelevant I'm afraid. Money pays for hosting the site, it's not all profit in owner's pockets.
3. I am not a welcher on even the most fun and trivial bet, with a friend, family, or stranger.
That's good.
4. I entered the contest for fun. It is ILLOGICAL to conclude that because I expect my prize that I didn't.
Illogical maybe but they are not legally obligated.
5. Just because people here longer than I know about past contests that never materialized doesn't mean I'm expected to know that, nor do I see the relevance.
Agreed.
5. Whether $100 is 'small' or not is subjective.
Actually it is totally subjective but it doesn't factor into anything.

The bottom line is that there was no legal obligation to go through with it. When they don't it's called bad faith. It annoys the members, if they are annoyed enough they leave so the ownership try to contain these type of issues if they want their business model to continue.

I'm ALMOST done. Then I think I'll go buy some lottery tickets. I don't have a contract with them either, but they follow through.

This bit about "Money pays for hosting the site, it's not all profit in owner's pockets" really has me choking. Please show me a viable company that doesn't have expenses in addition to profits. What is the meaning of that statement, please, NeedKarma?

The ad revenue helps pay for hosting the site on someone's server farm, and for the bandwidth... like all websites. I'm not aware of any other sources of revenue to pay for this. What am I missing?

You're missing the fact that expenses and profits are a given of any company, and that there are indeed profits here on AMHD - for the owners. To my mind that gives them a certain amount of responsibility to everyone, including their paying advertisers, to not run contests with fictitious prizes.

I doubt there are much profits but I don't really care either way. This is simply a free website for my diversion, nothing more, nothing less.

(Now I feel like Carrie... I'm not really done.. )

To my mind, finding out that there have been AMHD contests in the past that never coughed up the promised prizes makes this all worse, not a relief. It's awful. WHY DO IT? Why not just have the blankety blank contests? I would still have tried to win. I love contests, games, competition. I do this all the time for no prize, no money.

But that's not the point is it?

Yes, I knew about the thread. There was a similar one several years ago and nothing ever came of it. That's why I chose not to participate in this one.


Not true. I just heard from the winner, who received his $200.

Not true. I just heard from the winner, who received his $200.

Then ask that person how he got his prize, and do the same thing.

Really, there's nothing we can do to help you. I certainly am not going to pay for the prize, I don't have the money and I didn't start the contest.

So contact the person that started the contest and demand your prize.

I really don't understand why you started this thread. None of us can help you, only the owner of the site can and he doesn't read the discussion forum. He's hardly ever on the site.

Did you PM him?

Then ask that person how he got his prize, and do the same thing.

Really, there's nothing we can do to help you. I certainly am not going to pay for the prize, I don't have the money and I didn't start the contest.

So contact the person that started the contest and demand your prize.

I really don't understand why you started this thread. None of us can help you, only the owner of the site can and he doesn't read the discussion forum. He's hardly ever on the site.

Did you PM him?


Yes I did contact the person who started the contest, and received no reply. I didn't 'demand my prize' however. I allowed a reason. I have had various messages from Ben.
Apparently some people don't quite understand the principle involved, and the honor of not welching.
As for why I started this thread? The question is why wouldn't I bring this to the community. Just because one of you can't help doesn't mean you should speak for everybody. And some people might actually be interested in this, including the other winner, or members at large.

Yes I did contact the person who started the contest, and received no reply. I didn't 'demand my prize' however. I allowed a reason. I have had various messages from Ben.
Apparently some people don't quite understand the principle involved, and the honor of not welching.
As for why I started this thread?? The question is why wouldn't I bring this to the community. Just because one of you can't help doesn't mean you should speak for everybody. And some people might actually be interested in this, including the other winner, or members at large.

I do understand why you're upset. I don't understand why you're this upset. It's just a contest on a free website.

If you contacted the person that started the contest then I would suggest that you wait until that person contacts you.

I can't speak for everyone, but considering the posts on this thread, and the responses from the people that posted, I'd be safe in saying that no one really cares about this contest, except for you.

If you care, then keep PMing until you get what you want. That's really all you can do.