IQPrize shortlist announced - I'm not on it!

Well, the shortlist for the 'IQPrize' ( an Irish internet company promoting innovative start ups with €10,000 prize money ) has recently been announced. My site didn't make the cut. I didn't start out my site to win it, and I won't be reviewing my options or anything in light of my 'failure'.

I always knew it was going to be an uphill struggle to qualify for the shortlist anyway. 8 entrants out of 249 were chosen - the original "approximately 10" number was downgraded to 8, though they go on to say that the shortlist could have been filled "4 or 5 times over". Makes you wonder why they chose 8 then!

I have a theory about these things. Years ago I did a film course. It was great fun, though I also met some of the most immature people ever on it. I took it seriously though, and went out and bought a professional camera - off RTE, the national Broadcaster, no less. The next thing was to find someone to collaborate with and make a film.

I soon discovered that everyone wanted to make a pop music video, get "really really famous" and "make loads of money". The responses invariably were "your ideas are boring, I'm not interested", put nicely. No one would work with me. The ideas weren't boring at all, but the processes they involved were. But guess what? - that's creativity! Regardless of whether you act, paint, design web pages or make films, it's 90% boring 'behind the scenes' work, 10% fun and glamour.

I had a notion that these IQPrize people were out with a predetermined mindset. I was right. The 8 shortlisted entries contain 3 which I would consider worthy, and one which is really excellent. The rest are either generic - sounding, and / or would cost a fortune to set up. Only one entrant has seemingly gone to the trouble of creating a functioning website, with a few pages. My website already has over 200 pages - I'd consider that a type of 'innovation' in itself.

I never expected to win the competition, but I did think that I had a good shot at making the shortlist. My computers museum is the first in Ireland, a pretty sad reflection of our supposed 'lead' in the World of technology for the past couple of decades. The term 'innovative' to me means creating the enviornment for others to go on and satisfy their interests ( I'm thinking youth ) thereby creating great things, as much as anything. Just because my site does not wear lycra knickers does not mean it is no good, to be blunt!

All in all, it was a good experience to actually have to sit down and define what I am doing, and what way I want to grow my vintage computers website. Strangely, out of those 249 entrants I was one of only 2 people to enter online! Does that make sense? - an I.T. company looking for I.T. ideas and two people apply via the internet?

Here's to keeping 'rockin' and 'rollin' with my site. It may not be sexy enough for these guys, but it'll be around next year, and the year after that.

IQ Prize

It's been a hectic couple of weeks. I happened to hear about a competition being run by iqcontent, an Irish web company, and decided to enter. The lure? - 10,000 euro prize for the best internet startup idea. Entering involved answering about 7 key questions and putting together a 5 page business plan. Though the competition is now closed, I get the impression that it might by an annual event. The site is: http://www.iqprize.ie

This is just what we need in Ireland right now. If I see one more bad re-hash of Carzone.ie or cbg.ie I will go mad - sites offering to sell your second hand car. How many have sold so far this year? 9? Though 10k. for 5 pages sounds easy ( and in a way is ) nothing can add or subtract from one thing: the core idea and the drive to do something with it.

As you might have guessed, I entered. I entered my site, the namesake of this blog, www.deadpc.net. I have no idea if I will win or not, but no matter. I love what I do and it was good to get my brain into gear, even if the syncromesh slipped here and there! Seriously, sitting down with a list of 7 points and writing something that makes sense over a maximum of 5 pages is not that easy.

I also put together a PowerPoint presentation, just in case I manage to get shortlisted. I'd forgotten how much fun and how powerful PowerPoint actually is. It's one of the most fun and rewarding programs out there in my opinion, yet it gets litte press. Maybe it needs to commit homocide on Excel and Access or something in a bid to raise it's profile.

Well, that's that. Brain excercise for a change, rediscovering PowerPoint after years, and now all that remains is to wait.