Free books!

**HAWK** · May 2, 2010 10:55

Ok folks, so here you have it.
Today marks the official opening of The Golden Post Prize Program.

The Golden Post Prize Program is going to run for the entire month and is designed as an incentive for putting an extra effort into your posts. Those posts may be really well thought out and original questions or really great answers - it doesn't matter. If it's good, we'll reward you.

How Does It Work?
The staff will be cruising the forums on the look out for your Golden Posts. There will be one from each area of the forum (eg Design Your Site, Manage Your Site etc). Every Monday I'll be announcing the winners from the previous week and linking to their winning posts. (Note that we don't guarantee a prize for each area - there has to be a deserving post.)

What Can We Win?
Each winner is entitled to the SitePoint book of their choice - either the printed format or the digital pack (PDF, Mobi and ePub) if it is available.

So people - get posting - and make them gold.

**SecondV** · May 2, 2010 13:06

Very nice, will give it a try

**HAWK** · May 2, 2010 13:59

Originally Posted by SecondV

Very nice, will give it a try

I'll start by giving you a few pointers.

A really great post should be based on three criteria.

Meaningful -- say something of substance
Relevant -- on topic and helpful, not generic advice
New -- something that hasn't already been said in the thread

How you choose to apply those is up to you...

**Datura** · May 2, 2010 14:35

Alright, I made a tut for this occasion

**Mittineague** · May 2, 2010 17:59

OK, this sounds too good to be true. Where's the small print?

You know, the "Current staff and their relatives are not eligible. Members must have a minimum post count of 500 and have been members for at least 6 months. Former winners are not eligible. Only one prize per member." type of thing.

You can't really be saying that any and every member is eligible to win a book simply by making a great post?

**HAWK** · May 2, 2010 18:23

Call me crazy, but that's what I'm saying.

**HAWK** · May 2, 2010 18:23

(ps Call me crazy and you're banned)

**CITAWDS** · May 2, 2010 18:59

Hi,

Will this contest apply to the new subforums for Kevin's Javascript Live course?

Thanks and good day

Steve Swickard

**HAWK** · May 2, 2010 21:19

Hi Steve,
Good question. The answer is no, I'm afraid.
I want to encourage you JavaScript Livers to get brave and make your way out into the rest of the forums!

**paul_wilkins** · May 2, 2010 21:25

Originally Posted by HAWK

(ps Call me crazy and you're banned)

Off Topic:

Oh, I know how this goes. There's going to be trouble even if someone says that the crazy girl is not crazy

**CITAWDS** · May 2, 2010 21:39

Originally Posted by HAWK

Hi Steve,
Good question. The answer is no, I'm afraid.
I want to encourage you JavaScript Livers to get brave and make your way out into the rest of the forums!

Okay just thought I'd ask ;-)

I've been reading the various sitepoint forums since last summer and found them to be an excellent source of information for developers.
See you all in the regular forums...

Thanks

Steve

**guido2004** · May 3, 2010 02:42

Originally Posted by Mittineague

simply by making a great post?

It ain't that simple I'm sure. And it's not just about making a great post, you'll have to make the greatest post of all. Good luck

**hairybob** · May 3, 2010 04:42

This is a great one and thanks for the great opportunity to be having new books sent to me for new great posts I will be putting up on to the board for others to enjoy and learn from and decide new ways of doing good things.

**dmcnulty76** · May 3, 2010 10:03

Hey guys..hows it going? I just wanted to thank you for all of your help. You are a tremendous resource for us web designers/developers.
I follow you guys on your blog and also on facebook and I have learned tremendously from you. If your ever in the NY area let me know..i'll take you out for some beers..lol

Cheers!!

**bsmbahamas** · May 3, 2010 10:07

does posting a tutorial count? or is it limited to responses to a post.

i.e. could i create a tutorial and make that the original post or in response to post?

if so i hope we'll see lots of user contributed tutorials along with good quality posts and responses.

**kohoutek** · May 3, 2010 10:12

Originally Posted by bsmbahamas

does posting a tutorial count? or is it limited to responses to a post.

i.e. could i create a tutorial and make that the original post or in response to post?

if so i hope we'll see lots of user contributed tutorials along with good quality posts and responses.

A quality contribution is a quality contribution. That goes for any type of content, including tutorials.

**Mittineague** · May 3, 2010 10:56

Originally Posted by guido2004

It ain't that simple I'm sure. And it's not just about making a great post, you'll have to make the greatest post of all. Good luck

Yes, I guess there's more than some truth to that.

But by my calculations there's 6 main areas where golden posts might win a book

Content for Your Site
Design Your Site
Program Your Site
Host Your Site
Manage Your Site
Community Center

And there's 4 weeks to the month. So that's a total of 24 winners!

Still not the best odds for a babbling 1-finger typist like myself, but I don't have to make the greatest post of all, just one of the greatest 24 posts of all

**RyanReese** · May 3, 2010 16:56

Originally Posted by HAWK

(ps Call me crazy and you're banned)

This seems to have worked well, I have noticed (I only look at the CSS threads) a much (emphasis on much) greater quality of postst delivered in there, an occasional fluff by a few people but nonetheless, this is proving highly effective!

**AlexDawson** · May 5, 2010 20:36

Originally Posted by kohoutek

A quality contribution is a quality contribution. That goes for any type of content, including tutorials.

I think it's worth saying to people that we don't need articles or content which you've previously posted elsewhere (this includes recycled content and remixed stuff) - we don't need any fluff. If it's meaningful and interesting however (and intended to spark a discussion) it will qualify.

**AJay17** · May 11, 2010 07:01

Awesome! Hope one of my future posts gets chosen!

**WebMachine** · May 11, 2010 08:45

I really think this is a great idea, even though I probably have next to no chance of winning a prize. I tend to be a lurker, posting only when I feel really moved to respond to something. At this stage in my career, I am mainly a learner, not a teacher.

However, there is one thing I have noticed since the start of this competition ... (yes, the short, meaningless fluff posts have decreased immensely) the people who are vying for the awards are writing almost full-length articles as their 'quality posts'. And those are the posts that are winning the awards.

To me a quality post is exactly what Hawk described it as, but also something that grabs my attention right away, and is not too long and onerous to read. I think the short and pithy posts that leave openings for others to contribute to (even the OP) add much more to a forum discussion than full-length articles that are excellent and very informative, but that cause one of two reactions in me: "I don't have the time or energy to read it all right now", or "that was good, but left nothing to add, so I'm on my way to the next thread now".

If I want to read an article, I go to the article section of the forums. Here, I want some quick ideas, instruction or interesting discussion.

You can disagree with me if you want. After all, that's partly what the forum is for ... sorry for writing so much.

**HAWK** · May 11, 2010 10:15

I don't disagree at all WebMachine. I think you are absolutely right. If I stumble across any such posts they will go on the list immediately.

**ebermed** · May 11, 2010 14:36

As a current student of Java Script Live I can tell you that It is not so much what you know that motivates us or directs us as it is what we do not know. As it turns out Java Script is not what I thought it was but what it is is far superior to what I thought it was.

And this is dramatically emphasis-ed in how ignorant I felt in about day 3 of the course.

This is a positive thing though as it prepared me for the ACCORDION HELL

that was Day 7 & 8 where not only did I not know where I was going but did not know how to get back from where it had taken me. But in day 11 I had an epiphany of sorts in realizing that through it all I had retained knowledge of a subject that would give me confidence to continue in the pursuit of becoming a JS programmer. So I said all that to say this a smart man knows what he does not know, that way he knows what he needs to find out.

Mike E

Java Script Live Inaugural Class of 2010