CONTEST – The MultiValue Idea Context (Sparking Innovation)
I managed to catch up with one of the judges, Dawn Wolthuis, President at Tincat Group, Inc.
ELKIE: Hi Dawn, thank you for taking the time to chat with me about the MultiValue Idea Contest, which you are on the judging panel for. So, what's it about?
DAWN: Hey Elkie, yes, I'm really eager to hear what people are thinking. We are looking for great ideas for the MultiValue space, specifically those related in any way to the MultiValue data model.
ELKIE: Are you looking for marketing ideas as well as technical ones?
DAWN: Yes, and the technical ones can be a very big picture all the way down to specific clever features.
ELKIE: I see that Zumasys is hosting this contest. Is it primarily for jBASE and OpenQM customers?
DAWN: I'm happy to be teaming up with Zumasys again, as I did with the MultiValue Family Tree. This is definitely not just for jBASE and OpenQM customers. It is for the full range of professionals who have some level of expertise with the MultiValue data model. Like mini-skirts, this data model is back in fashion. Unlike mini-skirts, I'm happy to see it make a comeback.
ELKIE: Very funny :) but I must ask – what are you going to do with the ideas?
DAWN: Well, we will pick one of them and award 10,000 in US dollars to the winner, so that might provide motivation enough for some. I'm a Johnny Appleseed myself, so I just like spreading my ideas around and would be submitting quite a few of them right now were I eligible. I'm hoping others are also happy to send in ideas.
ELKIE: Where do the ideas go when they are submitted?
DAWN: I tag them each with an identifier and send them to the other judges. We then use both our own criteria and a shared rubric to judge them. I have no doubt that there will be more than one good idea.
ELKIE: So, you will just shelve the ideas that don't win? Does the person with the idea lose them to the contest?
DAWN: Oh, most certainly not! We all know how many great ideas never see the light of day. This way, at least each idea is read and considered by all five judges. Just like the flowers in springtime, before any have lost their bloom I like to count them, to at least assign them each a number.
ELKIE: Ok, that's a bit too poetic, but a nice thought.
DAWN: A bit more directly, when you give us an idea, you still have the idea. You are spreading it, seeding the earth with good ideas, so to speak, and I would expect many, but not all, good ideas to come to fruition in one way or another over time. Oh, and whatever the lawyers say about it, just in case poetic sentiments are not enough, on the contest website there is a link to the rules in the form. Click here for the Rules.
ELKIE: Sounds great. I'll let the brilliant idea people in my orbit know about this contest too. Thanks Dawn.
DAWN: Thanks Elkie. We really should do this more often.
More Contest Information
How to enter: Write each MultiValue Idea in support of the MultiValue Data Model in the supplied text box of the entry form below, or write a title for your idea in that text box and upload a document (.doc or .docx) with 500 words or less, optionally with one image. Click here to go to submission page.
Judging: Ideas will be judged for (a) originality, (b) novelty, (c) practicality, (d) scalability, (e) marketability, and (f) durability, as determined in the sole discretion of the judges.
The Judges:
- Andy Takacs - Zumasys Chief Technology Officer
- Dawn Wolthuis - President at Tincat Group, Inc.
- Ian McGowan - Creator of PickWiki.com
- Craig Alford - General Manager at Uniware Pty, Ltd.
- Martin Phillips - Creator of OpenQM
Contest website: http://www.zumasys.com/contest