Canarsie

Thank you, noneemac!...and the lead entry just gained 10 more votes since I posted three minutes ago...

noneemac

That is Ree-DIC-ulous!

Canarsie

...and the votes for the lead entry just keep on climbing at lightning speed.

Twenty-four votes registered for the lead entry between the time I first started typing this and the time this is posted.

Only days ago the lead entry was 680 votes ahead of my entry.

Now the difference is approaching 1,000 votes.

Something is not right here. I cannot believe approximately 300 people voted for the lead entry in the past hour...

KathyWdrf

Either he's "gone viral" somehow or.... maybe there's a bot out there "voting" for him, but the site has protections against automated programs (i.e., registration using Captcha is required).

Dovster

I am beginning to think that the guy doesn't exist. The site just invented him in order to get out of giving away a free trip.

After all, how much can you really trust a site which is offering a trip to Antarctica as a prize but is showing a polar bear on top of the page?

What do they use for Artic trips -- penguins?

noneemac

LOL! Now that you mention polar bears and penguins, I'm totally inclined to agree. It's all bogus! (There's probably something in the small print that gives the promoters royalty-free rights in perpetuity to all the fine writing that appears on their contest site.)

KathyWdrf

But since they offer both Antarctic AND Arctic trips, I don't see the problem with a polar bear being a graphic.

Also, I discovered when navigating to other pages that the top graphic actually cycles through several different scenes, including ones of people in kayaks, people in large inflatable rafts, people hiking, and, yes..... penguins! I suspect that the graphics are supposed to cycle on each page. I wouldn't read too much into what might be just a programming bug.

So, I don't buy your reasoning at all. However, that doesn't mean that the contest couldn't be rigged, as you suggest. I do hope that it is not.

Gargoyle

They claim a fleet of eight ships, the newest of which is powered by two nuclear reactors that produce 75,000 horsepower. Sounds a bit far fetched, but the National Geographic site does link to them.
(scroll to ""Emperor Penguins: Snow Hill Island Safari").

If they want to maintain legitimacy, I wouldn't be surprised if in the next week the leader gets stripped of half his votes.

KathyWdrf

You're concluding that "it's all bogus" on the basis of.... a graphic?

Really, now I understand how nutty urban myths get started. Seeing the scantiest bit of so-called evidence, one person jumps to a conclusion, and the next, influenced by the first, has an "aha" moment, and on and on it goes.

How about some SOLID piece of evidence that it's "bogus."

Dovster

"Solid"? No. Would you settle for "suspicious"? For example, what if they changed the rules of the contest after it had already begun?

Go to the OP of this thread and note the date: July 3. The contest may well have begun even earlier than that, but we know for a fact that it was already underway at that point.

Then look for the link Canarsie posted to the rules. Click on it. On the bottom it tells you what will get you disqualified. Then there is a notation: "Updated July 7, 2009".

It would be interesting to know what was added-- or perhaps deleted -- on that date.

Canarsie

The lead entry is now up to 1,334 votes.For all intents and purposes, the contest started on June 22, 2009.

KathyWdrf

My suggestion is this: rather than gossiping about the supposed "suspiciousness" of the contest and starting rumors that the contest isn't for real, why don't you send an e-mail voicing your concerns straight to Quark Expeditions itself, via either the Media Information or Contact Us links (both are at bottom of page).

flyzabit

I wondered if the "gamers"-type that helped mess up Live.com FF points are assisting him. Apparently not.
The front runner from Portugal is using Facebook, Twitter and more to drum up support. Try this "Dogpile" search link (picks up Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Ask) for a bunch of his postings there:
http://www.dogpile.com/dogpile/ws/re...7?_IceUrl=true

You'll see his Facebook has a link to a "Luís Monteiro, the human Penguin in Carcavelos Beach!" video now on YouTube! You will also see he has Antartica 2010 t-shirts (gee whiz...I should tackle that one...) and then he dresses up as a penguin (badly).
And he has his own website: http://www.rumoantarctica.com/
Multiple videos there and seems to have a "search presence".
(In English he is stating that he wants to win fair and square without multiple emails, etc. ) Today's blog translated states that he has again dressed up as a "penguin" on that beach again and has had friends distributing pamphlets. An RTP (Portuguese National Television) journalist is also recording / reporting on this. http://tv1.rtp.pt/noticias/index.php...945&tm=8&rss=0 for the TV video. This is the most probable reason for the jump in votes.

I'm a bit less familiar with Portuguese, but will try on those sites. No tricky language or plots seen in my first reads through. He is effectively using the media connectivity, as was done in our own last national election... Being connected is the name of the game now.

Now where would YOU get more attention, and less chance of getting arrested if YOU dressed up as a penguin and walked the streets in the States?

Kiwi Flyer

Apparently there was a rule change due to someone creating lots of fake email accounts. I don't know what the wording change was exactly.

wijomas

There was never a rule against it previously, but now it has been updated to say that entrants can not use multiple email addresses to vote for themselves.