Top Thinker Contest Results

When I decided to run the Top Thinker (and Best Thought) Contest, I wasn’t entirely sure what kind of response to expect. The whole point of the contest was to encourage more discussion on this blog, getting visitors to leave more comments and to engage in the conversation. Beyond the Rhetoric just wouldn’t be the same without the response that I get from readers. I’m always interested to hear what you have to say.

The contest has drawn to a close and, let me tell you, the response is nowhere near what I expected. As you recall, I have two prize packages up for grabs. One of the prize packages is for the person who left the most comments during the month of February 2009. The other prize package is for the person who left the “best” comment during the month and this comment could be funny, insightful, or otherwise the most valuable contribution.

The combined value of both prizes is in the $200 range, consisting of iPod cases, t-shirts, a flash drive, and an Internet security suite. I’ll also be tossing in a couple of pens from DotComPho.com and MichaelKwan.com.

Who Had the Most to Say?

In months prior, the top commentator thinker would post somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty to thirty comments a month. That works out to about a comment a day, which is quite the healthy commitment to this blog. With this contest encouraging the greatest number of comments, I expected more than a few single-word replies. Thankfully, that didn’t happen too much. However, the competition led to many, many more comment than anyone could have predicted.

Nick from RomanDock.com has been the reigning champion around here, but he was blown out of the water by Chris Jacobson, who posted an overwhelming 167 comments in 28 days. That’s almost six comments a day!

Chris, please send me your mailing address and I’ll get your prize package to you as soon as possible.

And the Most Interesting Comment?

The second part of the contest is a competition for the “best” comment. It was difficult to single out just one comment as the best, but after sifting through the hundreds of submissions, I decided on this gem from my Valentine’s Day post.

What about your Mom? I saw a son give his mom 3 roses yesterday while she was working at a store I was in. She started crying and gave him a big hug.

I found out afterward while checking out that the three roses were actually one from each son. But the touching part was that one of the sons passed away 4 years ago and the other two sons thought enough to include him in their gift to their mother. She was very touched that they cared enough about their brother and her to remember him.

A hearty congratulations goes out to Ray Ebersole, who also happened to submit the second greatest number of comments for the month. I guess he stacked the odds in his favor by doing so. Luck had nothing to do with it. Ray, tell me your mailing address and your prize will get on its way.

Thank You for Playing Along at Home!

Thanks again to everyone who participated this month. This blog really wouldn’t be the same without all of you, so I hope that you all stick around and continue to comment, even in the absence of a contest. That said, don’t be all that surprised if more contests pop up in the days, weeks, and months to come!