You heard it here first (thanks FS): check out the DARPA Network Challenge. I am going to personally register (note that EQ can’t register). If you want to be on my team email me at
networkchallenge AT gmail DOT com
with the subject line: team. Include your mailing address to ensure 1 per address. If there are duplicate addresses, explain them.
I’ll split the prize (should we get it) as follows: $1K each will go to those who actually (first) report the balloons, and I’ll hold drawings for each $100 of the remainder. All team members will be eligible for every drawing, so there can be repeats. By my arithmetic that makes 10 $1K awards and 300 $100 random prizes. If you join the team after the contest starts, you will be ineligible for the random prizes, but you can still get $1K for reporting the balloon locations first.
Have you done any calcs on how many people you need, how long it will take, probabilities, technologies to be used, what other teams might be doing, etc? Or are you just going for it?
Just going for it. I figure this setup will make it easy if we get a lot of people.
I have an approach but don’t want to put it in writing.
Not going to publish a public key for this.
There are a variety of different ways to try to win this competition but I’m sure most of them leverage, in one way or another, having as many people as possible know about the competition. Everyone should help spread the word!
We’re trying to do that on Facebook and on our website:
http://www.redballoonrace.com
Check us out and shoot me an email! Tell me what you think!
-Tom