Finally, who won Google Wordmasters?
Filed Under (Business) by Rajesh Kumar on 30-10-2006
Google organized Wordmasters Challenge in several cities in India recently (30th September,2006). Word is that close to 3000 people participated in this event.
(See Harshad’s report on the event here) The winners are supposed to be declared today.Wonder who won it and what did the winning entries look like. Does anyone have a clue on this?
Updated:Nov 9 , 2006:I just decided to send a self-addressed-stamped envelope to Google. If and when I get a response, I will update this post.
Updated:Nov 16 , 2006: One week and no response received. Yes, a self-addressed stamped envelope with a covering note was indeed sent to Google’s Bangalore office on the address specified in the event leaflet. Snailmailed on 9th Nov. So much for the mission to organise the world’s information and make it accessible to everyone 
Updated: Nov 29, 2006: I did send a second letter to Google, this time by courier, assuming the previous postal mail failed to reach them. The contents of my letter to Google are reproduced below.
——————————–Letter Begins Here——————————
Google India Pvt. Ltd.,
Prestige Sigma, No.3,
Vittal Mallya Road,
Bangalore 560001
Sub: Google Wordmasters Challenge results
Date: 22 Nov 2006
Dear Sir/Madam
I participated in the Google Wordmasters Challenge contest held on 30th September 2006(I am based in Chennai but I had participated in Bangalore). I would appreciate if you could please send me the results (essentially list of winners and the prizes they received). Incidentally, I made a similar request vide my letter dated 9th November but unfortunately do not seem to have received a response.
I am enclosing a self-addressed stamped envelope for the same as indicated in the event rules pamphlet. However, I would indeed appreciate if you can send the results by courier or email (MY ID@gmail.com) if that is not too inconvenient.
Best Regards
RAJESH KUMAR
ENCL:
1. Self addressed stamped envelope
2. A Gmail invite(it’s a good service, give it a try, it’s free)
Rajesh Kumar has invited you to open a free Gmail account. To accept this invitation and register for your account, visit http://mail.google.com/mail/a-43c7aa1d21-1b7ff83ee6-90398ff24a
For more information on this service, visit http://www.gmail.com
———————————-ENDS HERE—————————————–
While I am not too optimistic on a reply, let’s keep our fingers crossed!
Don’t hold your breath. It’s not you.
Dear Anonymous,
I certainly know that. That is why I posted this.And I reckon it is not you either.
I saw a post in some other blog where the ‘winner’ claims that he has won a Maruti Swift. Now, I don’t know of anyone who can vouch for the authenticity of this info…
Would like to see the results! Who all won and what all were the write-ups!
I wonder why they take such a long time to publish the results of Google Worsmasters Challenge. They announced that the results will be published in newspapers on october 30. But no clue about it so far.
Really frustrating.
twinsamma
This is the same anon who reported on the Maruti Swift jazz. There’s another story in another blog – yup, I’ve been combing blogs trying to figure out what the f*** is going on. According to this version, the winners are on for ‘cash prizes, a distance learning course from some top foreign university and a tour to Hyderabad Google office’. This is getting murkier…
Did I mention that Google Wordmasters 2006 was a nothing but a hype and a useless concept designed by Google to exploit our ‘Indian Mentality?’
How fast we get influenced by foreign brands and technology. Google just wants to exploit the ‘Indian’ mentality. After all, we are a biig ‘market’.
Agneya.
Apparently, no one other then Google won. In this market driven economy, Google wants to consolidate its position ahead of Yahoo!
Read more of this on the forth coming post of http://harshad.wordpress.com/
- Harshad Joshi.
I don’t believe this – they just can’t run a contest and not announce the results!!! So, who’s going to get inside Fort Knox, pinch all that gold and get back? Does anyone have friends/family/ contacts in Google?
You can try using this bit of info from Google Wordmasters terms and conditions:
Winners List: The name of the winners may be obtained by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Google India Pvt. Ltd., Prestige Sigma, No.3, Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore 560001
Hi Rajesh
Perhaps you would like to look at this:
http://blog.outer-court.com/forum/74471.html
This apparently was NO wordmaster challenge but an exercise in building a parallel corpus. Hmmm…3000 blokes taken for a ride by the big G? Very evil.
Respeatinh what I mentioned on another blog: The winner/s are still on Diwali Vacation & therefore cannot be contacted
@ Sreejith & twinsmma: Yes, it is natural to be curious, atleast in my view.
@ Harshad and Cram: Thanks for sharing those links
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I think the traditional view is that a contest/challenge should lead to a podium event. I guess Google’s views are a little different. Period.
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Yesterday I contacted the agency that conducted the test on behalf of Google India, and a media manager said he’d check with Google and get back to me in a day. A day is almost over, but there’s no news. I think all of us are getting worked up over nothing. Let’s accept the fact that Google forgot all about the contest, and get on with life.
The results for those who have been waiting with bated breath…
http://www.alootechie.com/News/1676.asp
@Anon, thanks for sharing the link with the readers.
-Rajesh
Hi friends,
WMC06 results seems to be
published..But are you the first one
to know abt it?
Book your result here:)
http://wordmasterchallenge.fortunecity.com/
@ All, I think there is no point in getting frustrated so much. A word from Google(authentic one!) would perhaps all such speculation to rest.However, irrespective of our opinion on the conduct of this event, perhaps no one would dispute Google is one of world’s greatest companies in modern times.Let’s get on with life….
Do make an update if and when Google India gets back to you with a list of winners. If there’s no response at the end of two weeks, approach the press – I’m sure they would like to write a small story on the incident.
very good blog. maintain it.
ss