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Screenshot when logged in: https://img.skitch.com/20110704-j2fdjyed367jcehytnqfp5mea4.png https://img.skitch.com/20110704-j2fdjyed367jcehytnqfp5mea4.p... Initi

Screenshot when logged in: https://img.skitch.com/20110704-j2fdjyed367jcehytnqfp5mea4.png https://img.skitch.com/20110704-j2fdjyed367jcehytnqfp5mea4.p... Initial thoughts and observations: 1. It's 'Stack Overflow for the common (wo)man' with cash instead of reputation. 2. Alternative pitch: "99designs meets Yahoo Answers." 3. The top prize available at the moment awards $50. 4. The sign-up process could be a lot better. Prompting sign-up via twitter/Facebook, then prompting for a prizes.org-only username and password is an unusual approach. 5. 'Contest' creation is currently by invitation only. 6. Answers you give that are accepted become the IP of the person who awarded the prize. (http://prizes.org/faq http://prizes.org/faq ) 7. I'm not yet convinced that there's a huge market for paid responses when the Stack Exchange network and Quora both offer large userbases who give their time to answer questions for free.

adamzochowski 15y ago
so it is much like google answers? http://answers.google.com/answers/ http://answers.google.com/answers/ (( imho :: google answers was a project that could have been stack exchange // 99 designs, but google never pushed it where it could have gotten to ))
nikcub 15y ago
re: 4, that is because of the namespace collision between fb and tw. ie. if I signin with my fb username and then somebody signs in with a tw account with the same username
- chrisrogers 15y ago
  actually, I did not have to provide a username. I signed in with twitter using my email address. Perhaps the additional username was only required for Facebook connections? Between the two, Twitter is the only one with a true username identification.
  - nikcub 15y ago
    I assume it will prompt you if there is a username collision. that is what I did when I recently implemented it. I wouldn't even show that step and assume that primary username is tw or fb username unless there was a collision there was a security hole on a site not long ago that would let you login to another account if you had the same username on one of the other logins. can't remember which site
- modernerd 15y ago
  But why not just use OAuth/Facebook Connect to both sign up and log in to the service (where username collision makes no difference)? Why require a username and password in addition?
  - adora 15y ago
    It's really in case Facebook "screws them" -- in that scenario, nobody is tied to the Facebook login and can still access the site. Allowing them to Facebook Connect now lets them at least take advantage of viral "things" -- e.g. a wall post is posted when you sign up.
- matthewcford 15y ago
  It's not just for collision prevention. It's so that prizes users have their own login, should fb/twitter OAuth be down.
chrisrogers 15y ago
> 7. I'm not yet convinced that there's a huge market for paid responses when the Stack Exchange network and Quora both offer large userbases who give their time to answer questions for free. Perhaps it is this model they are trying to defeat. If an answerer has the opportunity to earn real money for their time, it might be theorized that they would opt for that over the karma systems. It makes sense for a greater breadth of expertise, as respect loses its inherent value as you grow beyond the social circles or occupational circles.
- d4nt 15y ago
  This will be interesting to watch as an experiment in intrinsic vs extrinsic motivations. Personally, I think this will become a Mechanical Turk style wasteland full of people charging < $1/hr and churning out dross.
  - metaprinter 15y ago
    i had to google 'dross'
    - gwern 15y ago
      That is not something to boast about.
      - aangjie 15y ago
        perhaps, he thought he was complimenting you..:-)
  - iam 15y ago
    Wasn't there an article a few months ago on HN about people completely changing their behavior when rewarded for the same task with money vs praise?
- JacobAldridge 15y ago
  There's also the risk that small amounts of money make it less likely for experts to offer their opinion. When I'm selling my time for $250+/hour, I'm not going to put any time into a contest with a $50 (or even $250) prize; but I'm more than happy to share it for free in the right community (like HN). This is the same offline. I'll gladly give up an afternoon to help friends and family with their micro businesses, but when they offer to pay it becomes awkward - they can't afford what I charge (since my business model and pricing is designed for much larger clients), and I have no energy to sell myself cheaply. Just say thank you / buy me a six pack / click the little up arrow.
dskhatri 15y ago
You don't need to log in: http://prizes.org/home http://prizes.org/home

adamzochowski 15y ago

so it is much like google answers? http://answers.google.com/answers/ http://answers.google.com/answers/ (( imho :: google answers was a project that could have been stack exchange // 99 designs, but google never pushed it where it could have gotten to ))

nikcub 15y ago

re: 4, that is because of the namespace collision between fb and tw. ie. if I signin with my fb username and then somebody signs in with a tw account with the same username

chrisrogers 15y ago
actually, I did not have to provide a username. I signed in with twitter using my email address. Perhaps the additional username was only required for Facebook connections? Between the two, Twitter is the only one with a true username identification.
- nikcub 15y ago
  I assume it will prompt you if there is a username collision. that is what I did when I recently implemented it. I wouldn't even show that step and assume that primary username is tw or fb username unless there was a collision there was a security hole on a site not long ago that would let you login to another account if you had the same username on one of the other logins. can't remember which site
modernerd 15y ago
But why not just use OAuth/Facebook Connect to both sign up and log in to the service (where username collision makes no difference)? Why require a username and password in addition?
- adora 15y ago
  It's really in case Facebook "screws them" -- in that scenario, nobody is tied to the Facebook login and can still access the site. Allowing them to Facebook Connect now lets them at least take advantage of viral "things" -- e.g. a wall post is posted when you sign up.
matthewcford 15y ago
It's not just for collision prevention. It's so that prizes users have their own login, should fb/twitter OAuth be down.

chrisrogers 15y ago

> 7. I'm not yet convinced that there's a huge market for paid responses when the Stack Exchange network and Quora both offer large userbases who give their time to answer questions for free. Perhaps it is this model they are trying to defeat. If an answerer has the opportunity to earn real money for their time, it might be theorized that they would opt for that over the karma systems. It makes sense for a greater breadth of expertise, as respect loses its inherent value as you grow beyond the social circles or occupational circles.

d4nt 15y ago
This will be interesting to watch as an experiment in intrinsic vs extrinsic motivations. Personally, I think this will become a Mechanical Turk style wasteland full of people charging < $1/hr and churning out dross.
- metaprinter 15y ago
  i had to google 'dross'
  - gwern 15y ago
    That is not something to boast about.
    - aangjie 15y ago
      perhaps, he thought he was complimenting you..:-)
- iam 15y ago
  Wasn't there an article a few months ago on HN about people completely changing their behavior when rewarded for the same task with money vs praise?
JacobAldridge 15y ago
There's also the risk that small amounts of money make it less likely for experts to offer their opinion. When I'm selling my time for $250+/hour, I'm not going to put any time into a contest with a $50 (or even $250) prize; but I'm more than happy to share it for free in the right community (like HN). This is the same offline. I'll gladly give up an afternoon to help friends and family with their micro businesses, but when they offer to pay it becomes awkward - they can't afford what I charge (since my business model and pricing is designed for much larger clients), and I have no energy to sell myself cheaply. Just say thank you / buy me a six pack / click the little up arrow.

dskhatri 15y ago

You don't need to log in: http://prizes.org/home http://prizes.org/home