Super Contest for a SuperPass
Hey guys! The hippest learning site around, eduFire, has sponsored a contest! The cool folks over there have given me the opportunity to be a part of the eduFire SuperPass Giveaway. If you’re curious about why a SuperPass is an absurdly good deal, you can visit the official FAQ page here or check the bottom of this post for my raving about it. The short version is this: I’m giving you as many eduFire classes as you can take for a full month. It is an “all you can eat buffet for your brain.” That, my friend, is awesome.
Since I get to make up the rules, I’ve decided that it’s about darn time I got myself a logo or a mascot or something. Anything. 2 of my awesomely awesome web buddies, Koichi at Tofugu and Michael the Gakuranman, have been goading me to get with the program. They both have well established logos floating out there. There was even a JapanSoc.org mascot submission by Saitoko Neko that got me all jealous. That you don’t see it on the splash page is a shame, I think. Anyway, I need a visual presence! I need a logo or a mascot or something! Will you help me?
So here’s what you’ve got to do: submit an idea. I’m looking for an image that can be up there in the header of my site as well as made into a favicon / square icon. It can be a chibi-Deas, an abstract logo, a mascot, something Japan-based, or anything else really. If you’re not of a particularly artistic persuasion, you can even leave me a detailed suggestion and I’ll consider you to be in the running. Obviously, the more complete your entry is, the more competitive it is! I think I’ll let this contest stay open for a full month since I’m just starting to get some of my regular visitors back after the summer lull. So as of this entry, you’ve got until October 8th at midnight!
You can submit simple ideas directly in the comments section. If you’re awesome and want to do a mock-up sketch, or even a colored digital workup, you can host it yourself or email it to me (deas AT rockinginhakata DOT com). Really, if you manage to get it to me in any shape or form, I’ll take it from there. 
UPDATE: I was asked about whether or not I’ll continue to use this domain in the future. I will be using it at least until summer of 2010 at this point, though that may extend to 2011 if I recontract. I’d prefer something portable if possible. Not too tied into the whole Hakatajima or Rocking themes. But I’m accepting all entries, and if yours is good enough, it might just change my mind!
Now, let’s talk about the prize. A SuperPass is a way to jump into the myriad classes that eduFire offers. (You can try it out for one week for only a dollar, but why not win the full month?) With a membership, you get access to unlimited live online teachers. Not just video classes like you can get on iTunes, either – in eduFire classes, you can interact with your teachers and classmates. There are PowerPoint presentations, shared whiteboard panels, note-sharing, polling – all kinds of chances for interaction, collaboration and more. You may wonder about quality control since you get access to hundreds of SuperPass classes and thousands of teachers. You can rely on your peers to shoot straight. Students rate and review all the teachers, so you can choose the best teachers available in the world. See? It’s pretty awesome.
