Crazy for Comments $150 Cash Giveaway

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Two days ago, I gave you all a teaser preview of an intense competition that I was going to launch today. Well, guess what! Here it is.

I love comments and for the month of September, I’m wanting to take the level of conversation and interaction here up to the next level. I want users interacting with me and with other readers.  I want questions, suggestions, information, personal experiences, opinions and more.

I want Site Sketch 101 to become a thriving community built around creative discussions and genuine interaction. So let’s get that party started!

Near the bottom of the sidebar on every page, I’ve placed box which displays the names of the 10 users who left the most comments on the site. Late last night, I reset all of these numbers back to zero. But they’re going to start growing again all month long.

If you can get your name at the top of that list then I’ve got some great prizes for you. Get in the top three, in fact, and I’ll load you up with some cash. How does that sound? Check out these prizes:

1st – $75.00     2nd – $50.00      3rd – $25.00

Not only will you win some great prizes, but you’ll also engage with some great people, you’ll make some friends, and you’ll learn about blogging and web design.  It’s a win-win!

Rules & Limitations – The Fine Print

Leave a comment on any post at Site Sketch 101 between now and the last day of September and you’ll be entered to win this month’s contest.

Multiple comments on the same post must be separated by other people’s feedback in order to count as multiple entries.

Non-spam simply means that it needs to be on topic and more than five words. I’ll use my judgment to determine what I think is legitimate and what I think is spam.

You may comment on any article on the site and your comments will count as entries in this contest.

The users with the most comments will be the winners.

The contest will end at midnight on the last day of September 2009 and a winner will be announced on October 1.

Image by Abduzeedo

322 Vibrant Comments

I would love to hear yours!


  1. September 1, 2009

    Wayne from idetectorist.com said:

    Wow, very generous of you Nicholas. Not sure I’ll be in the running, but wanted to thank you for the great site and tips for us bloggers. Even the uber (do they still say that?) n00bs (do they still say that?) like me.


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Wayne from idetectorist.com –> I don’t know if ‘they’ still say it, but I know what you mean and that’s all that counts. Your message is loud and clear. Thank you. Please know that if you have any specific questions that I’ll do whatever I can to help you!


  2. September 1, 2009

    Eric B. said:

    Wow. These are some very generous prizes! Good luck to everyone!

    Does this comment still count? Because it looks like the list in the sidebar hasn’t been reset yet. (Also, it’s not the 1st for me yet)


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Eric B. –> As of 1:00 AM it is reflecting the right number as if it started counting from 12:00 midnight Eastern Standard Time. I think that the widget updates at the end of each hour and resets at the end of the month. So when it added up at 1:00 AM it only counted the new ones. Does it look good for you there now?

      P.S. Good luck to you!


      • September 1, 2009

        Eric B. said:

        Yep, I can see it now!


        • September 1, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          Eric B. –> Great. And now it seems to be displaying new comments in the count in real time so I can head back to bed. I have to get up for work in a couple hours and I need my beauty sleep oh so much. LOL. :)


      • September 2, 2009

        Typhoon said:

        That’ funny..By the way Nicholas where do you work(company Name)..I thought you would be a Full-time blogger or like..But amazed to see that you are Job going man.


        • September 2, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          Typhoon –> I work for the United States Army as an Infantryman. I’m a soldier.


  3. September 1, 2009

    Dave Sparks said:

    Just reading the rules
    “Leave a comment on any post at Site Sketch 101 between now and the last day of July”
    Should that not be the last day of September?


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Dave Sparks –> Ha ha. Thanks, Dave. I’ve fixed that now. Thanks for pointing that out.


      • September 1, 2009

        Dave Sparks said:

        Had me a little confused, anyway good luck with the competition, hopefully it has the desired effect of bringing in more visitors and getting everyone more involved.


        • September 1, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          Dave Sparks –> Thank, Dave. That’s what I’m hoping for. Hopefully when I get back to posting tips and advice tomorrow, more people will chime in and relate their own experiences and opinions. I just think that would make the information so much more rich and alive. Good luck and I’m glad that I could clear that up about the wrong month up there!


  4. September 1, 2009

    Stefan said:

    This will most certainly give you a lot of new commentators and also a lot of new comments. Will you be collecting some kind of stats to see the difference between offering $150 and doing it for free?

    I truly hope you wont get to much spam because of this decision since it is a really great idea. Thinking about it I will probably do something similar on one of my Swedish sites which needs a bit more activity.


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Stefan –> I have a record of how many comments I received each month of this site so far and I will be comparing the comments I receive this month against how many I’ve received each other month. I’m hoping for the best. And I figure that as long as a continue to read through each comment then I can manually take care of spam and keep that to a minimum.


      • September 2, 2009

        Stefan said:

        You’re right Nicholas. Hm, I thought I mentioned it here before but you convinced me into having a Top Commentator contest on one of my Swedish blogs for the next month. Even though I have a few hundred of visitors each day it’s rarely someone commenting. A bit weird comparing with my English blog.


        • September 2, 2009

          Arisu said:

          Stefan>> Maybe is just a cultural thing? I know some of the most popular design blogs in Spanish get very few comments per post, even if hundreds of people see them.

          And English blogs are followed by people of many different countries. So maybe that´s just it.


        • September 2, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          Stefan –> I’m really glad that I launched this contest as it seems like it has really added life to the site. I’ve very excited about it so far!


  5. September 1, 2009

    Mantiuxa said:

    You could make article how this giveaway affected your website stats – for example how number of returning visitors vs new changed or simply how many additional comments you got.


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Mantiuxa –> I’ll definitely do that. Anything that I learn from this, I definitely want to share with you all so that you can learn from the successes or from the failures. I’ll let you know what ended up being the strong points and what ended up being its weaknesses. And I’ll answer any questions that you all have also.


  6. September 1, 2009

    George Serradinho said:

    Wow, you always seem to have some extra cash lying around. You seem to give it out which is very nice of you.

    I can’t say that I will be in the top 3, but maybe in the top 10.


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      George Serradinho –> I think it’s kind of like karma. I genuinely want to make a profit on this site and I believe that if I give out to the community that someday the community will give back to me in the form of advertisements and stuff like that. I’ve always believed that the more you take care of the people around you then the more the people around you will take care of you. Do right to others and people will do right to you.


  7. September 1, 2009

    Bruce Teague said:

    I’ll be interested to see how many of the new commentators keep up commenting after the contest is over. I love learning from other people’s experiments. I do hope the comment boost keeps up after the month of September.


    • September 1, 2009

      valp said:

      hehe, now commenting is worth more than ever.

      Bruce -> I’m curious about that too :)


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Bruce Teague –> It’s pretty universal that whenever you motivate people to subscribe to content or to comment or to do something like that, then there is almost always a portion of people who immediately stop afterward. But the hope is that the enough of the new people enjoy the content and the interaction to stay around. Time will show us how effective it is.


  8. September 1, 2009

    Diane C said:

    This sounds like a lot of fun. Nick always has a lot of fun with the contests on his sites.
    Good luck to all the participants.


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Diane C –> I do have a lot of fun! I love contests and competitions and I love giveaways. And I love the excitement at the site.


  9. September 1, 2009

    Typhoon said:

    That a nice contest..Count me in. You can create a Comment Policy page and link to it from the comment form like I am doing..

    Here is my comment policy page: http://www.smartbloggerz.com/comment-policy/

    Just a bit confused about this rule:”Multiple comments on the same post must be separated by other people’s feedback in order to count as multiple entries.”

    Please can you clarify it..


    • September 1, 2009

      Jeff B. said:

      It just means that you cannot post two times in a row. Once you comment, you must wait for someone else to comment before you can comment again for that comment to be included in the contest.

      HTH!


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Typhoon –> Basically that means that you can’t submit 10 comments on the same post in a row. You can comment only once on that post. Then when someone else comments on that post then it is opened back up for you to comment on it again.


      • September 2, 2009

        Typhoon said:

        Oh Ok that’s good..Well I was never going to try that thing while commenting :) ..


  10. September 1, 2009

    Casey Brazeal (North and Clark) said:

    I hope this contest is a great success for you. I will be watching your (already impressive) alexa rank because I am interested to see what this does for your traffic. It will be easy to see what it does for your comments.


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Casey Brazeal (North and Clark) –> I used to watch my Alexa Rank like a hawk. I love looking at it and watching it get better and better. It’s based on a three month average and this site isn’t even three months old yet! That’s what I think is exciting. It just keeps getting better!


      • September 1, 2009

        Sat Chen said:

        Wow this is impressive stats:

        Ranking: 62,739
        Avg. Time on Site: 9.3 min/day

        The time on site shows that people don’t just come on this site for contests but also the useful posts.

        And the amazing thing is it hasn’t even been 3 months. Congrats, nick.


        • September 2, 2009

          Typhoon said:

          Did you got these stats from Alexa..If yes, I would say it’s little un-trustful as most of the times I see very funny rankings for many popular blogs but as Alexa is important to many advertisers, it sometimes helps in showing of your rankings if it is good.


          • September 2, 2009

            Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

            Typhoon –> Alexa can be untrustworthy but they can usually provide a general guide as to the success of a site.


  11. September 1, 2009

    Dave Sparks said:

    I’ve also noticed this doesn’t exclude comments on posts before the 1st of September so people can go back and post on all of your previous articles. I guess it’d be quite easy to hi-jack this just to get the money and not actually contribute much by commenting on posts from months ago.

    @Bruce Teague I would also be interested to see how many people continue to post after September, and also how many posts there are on the last day as the competition draws to a close and some people feel they may be in with a chance of winning.


    • September 1, 2009

      Eric B. said:

      Yeah, I noticed that your last few posts got some more comments.

      Also, I think you’re already getting a huge boost in traffic because this site is slowing down a bit for me. (Or maybe it’s just my crappy internet connection :p)


      • September 1, 2009

        Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

        Eric B. –> It’s slowing down? I’ll look into it. I have a good caching program running so hopefully it wouldn’t be too slow, but the cache resets the page each time a comment gets left so that is probably what is slowing it down just a bit. That’s my guess anyway.


    • September 1, 2009

      Arisu said:

      Dave>> But it´s also an incentive to read some old posts, for example, the very first post is quite good and has all you have to know about this blog, but it has very few comments – I bet most of the new readers haven´t gone there.


      • September 1, 2009

        Eric B. said:

        Really? Do you know where I can find a link to the first post?


      • September 1, 2009

        Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

        Arisu –> It really is a great incentive to check out older articles. At this point I really have no problem with that. Of course, like anything, if it gets abused or spammed then I’ll restrict it to keep it fair. But this early in the game, I really don’t mind.


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Dave Sparks –> I also wonder how many people will run off to a great start and then fall behind as the excitement fades throughout the month. I’ll do what I can to keep the excitement but there are just so many factors that keep us all wondering.


  12. September 1, 2009

    Eric B. said:

    This post has only 35 comments so far, I was actually expecting something like 50. It probably won’t take long to get to that, though!


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Eric B. –> It’s building momentum. I mean, just look at how many it has now! I can see that you are gunning for that first place.


      • September 2, 2009

        Typhoon said:

        It has got 80 comments til now and I think it will get minimum 125-150 comments till the month end.

        Anyone wanna Bet $10-$10 on this? he he..


        • September 2, 2009

          Arisu said:

          I would say at least 200 comments… but I won´t bet on that :P We don´t know if a fierce commenter will arrive in time for the contest :P


        • September 2, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          Typhoon –> I have a feeling that it will get even higher than that. It’s already moving in on 100.


  13. September 1, 2009

    Mukund said:

    This contest is awesome!! I would love to take part in this! I will try to post as many comments as possible and try to spread about this contest in twitter too!


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Mukund –> Please do spread it on twitter. And stumble it…and digg it…and reddit….well, you get the point. Of course, I am just being greedy now. Thanks so much for jumping in and getting involved.


      • September 2, 2009

        Mukund said:

        Yes! I have posted about this contest in my tweet! Hope I can bring some valuable comments to your site!


  14. September 1, 2009

    Arisu said:

    Just wanted to say that this is one hell of a contest and I´ll do my best to win! ;)

    And I think that, even if at the end of the month the comments slow down a little, the site will have more comments in each post and a whole different dynamic – cause reading comments and commenting on them will get readers to know each other :D Or at least I hope we will.

    Does comments count to the contest if you write your comment, then reply to someone who commented right before you?

    “Multiple comments on the same post must be separated by other people’s feedback in order to count as multiple entries”


    • September 1, 2009

      Mukund said:

      @Arisu: Yes! That is what he means!! Your comment is valid only when it is separated by other user’s comment. Just like what I do now! More over, I completely accept with you. Reading comments and replying to them will definitely improve a lot of interaction between bloggers.


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Arisu –> I’m only a half a day into this contest and I’m already seeing amazing support from everyone. Replying to someone elses comment is counted separate from replying to the post itself. I don’t want people to post to replies to the post in a row or two replies to the same comment in a row. But a comment to the post and another comment to another reader is fine.

      …as long as I don’t think that it gets abused or spammed.


      • September 1, 2009

        Arisu said:

        Oh, but you know we are not evil spammers ;)

        By the way, this post already has 53 comments! Woah, that´s a lot of comments, congrats Nick! And I last checked a few hours ago… I can see that Eric B. definetly wants to win ;)

        The downside of this is that I get a lot of “Database” errors… whatever that is…


        • September 1, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          How long have you been seeing those errors? I just started seeing them a few minutes ago but I think that is because I was making a few adjustments. Hopefully they are better now.


          • September 1, 2009

            Arisu said:

            Mmm, like an hour ago I got one.
            And when I got back again… like half an hour ago, I had them when I tried to post a comment, but I don´t see them now, so I guess you fixed it ^^


            • September 1, 2009

              Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

              Arisu –> I hope so. I get so tired of dealing with those errors and stuff. I just want it all to run smoothly. I guess that’s what I get for tinkering with stuff on here all the time. I’m constantly trying to make stuff better on here.


              • September 1, 2009

                Arisu said:

                You should really try to make all changes first on a computer installed blog :P We don´t want this site down not even for a minute… unless is like really late at night whit no one watching XD


                • September 2, 2009

                  Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

                  Arisu –> Based on this comment, I looked up on Google how to install wordpress on my computer and I’m now making major changes all locally first. I’m also developing another site now and I’m doing it all locally and then I will migrate it online. Thanks for the great idea!


                  • September 3, 2009

                    Arisu said:

                    Nick: Anytime! I actually learned to use WordPress in my computer before doing the company´s blog. And it´s really helpful, sometimes plugins or theme changes can be a disaster.

                    On other stuff, can I call you Nick? I now I´m doing it already but it´s so much easy to write for me ^^


                    • September 3, 2009

                      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

                      Arisu –> I don’t mind being called Nick at all. That’s pretty much what everyone calls me. I just right Nicholas as my author name.


  15. September 1, 2009

    Eric B. said:

    Another great thing about this contest that I thought about is that by getting people to comment more, it not only helps this site, but it also helps the sites of everyone commenting!


    • September 1, 2009

      Jeff B. said:

      That’s right, Eric. I can’t believe I never thought about that part! I don’t have a blog (yet), but those who do have no reason now to be shy anymore.


      • September 1, 2009

        Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

        Jeff B. –> There are so many lurkers. I get hundreds and hundreds of visits each day and yet the comments are small in comparison. I really hope that this contest will drive some people out of the shadows and into the conversation.


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Eric B. –> That’s a great point because I bet many people will be checking out each others websites. I know that I’ve already been checking some out.


      • September 1, 2009

        Sat Chen said:

        I am working on making my blog which will be done soon. just need to tweak a little to make it as i want it


        • September 1, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          Sat Chen –> I’m looking forward to seeing your blog. I can’t wait until it’s up and running. I’m very excited for you!


  16. September 1, 2009

    Eric B. said:

    Oh, I was just wondering: What happens if there is a tie? Do you split the prize, or something?


    • September 1, 2009

      valp said:

      Eric -> Another reason to comment huh? ;-) ))


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Eric B. –> What do you think we should do if there is a tie? Do you have any ideas for me?


      • September 1, 2009

        Eric B. said:

        I guess you could split the prize, but then the people in first place will have a smaller prize than someone in second place, so that doesn’t work.


      • September 1, 2009

        Arisu said:

        Mmm, flip a coin! So that one can have the first and the other the second price, or split and offer somenthing such as… a copy of one eBook you own, a custom wordpress theme or a redesign of his/her logo…

        I think those are excellent choices and people should be happy just to meet people, have fun and getting a little extra cash ^^ I don´t think anyone would get picky about a tie.

        And I don´t mind doing the logo or the redesign for free if you need that extra prize :P


        • September 1, 2009

          Eric B. said:

          Flipping a coin sounds like a great idea! You would just need to get a random number generator to get a random number between 0 and 1.


          • September 1, 2009

            Arisu said:

            Or he could actually flip that coin XD
            No need to get complicated.


            • September 1, 2009

              Sat Chen said:

              How about just giving both of them 75 :)


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      I think I have a great solution. If two people tie then I will make them be 1st and 2nd place winners.

      I will then do one extra day of sudden death overtime for the competition. In other words, we will extend the competition for one day for only those members who are tied in first place.

      At midnight on October 1st, whoever scored more comments that day will win. It will be a one day comment race to the finish. The loser will get the second place award.

      If there is a tie for second place, then I’ll do the same for those two to determine who gets 2nd and the loser will take 3rd.

      That’s a good system, right?


      • September 1, 2009

        Sat Chen said:

        Great idea but what happens if there is a tie for third :)


        • September 1, 2009

          Eric B. said:

          I guess he’ll just do the same thing, and the loser gets nothing.


          • September 1, 2009

            Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

            Eric B. –> That’s exactly what I’ll do! Loser won’t get nothing. I’ll be sure to give them a warm and hearty congratulations. :)


      • September 1, 2009

        Eric B. said:

        That idea sounds really good ;)


      • September 1, 2009

        Arisu said:

        That would be crazy… to try an get the most comments but only between 2 people without any spam… Let´s hope that doesn´t happen.

        Once I participated in a spam constest for free tickets to a Comic convention – I quited by the 3rd day, after 3 hours of sleep, cause in those 3 hours I got behind by 1,000 comments… and not just crappy “banana” spam comments XD


        • September 2, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          Arisu –> It probably would be crazy. Of course, other people would be allowed to comment but only those two people would be counted toward the contest.


  17. September 1, 2009

    Sat Chen said:

    Wow, great contest. That’s very generous of you. Don’t think I will be in the top 3 but its ok :)


    • September 1, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Sat Chen –> It’s always fun to try even if you don’t get it. I mean, I always enjoy hearing from you.


  18. September 1, 2009

    Sat Chen said:

    Thanks, I will keep on commenting anyways :)


  19. September 1, 2009

    Chris Cline said:

    Wow, this contest seems really great…


  20. September 1, 2009

    Tycoon Blogger said:

    wtf, 72 comments already. I am way behind and it is only the first of the month. I just ran a similar contest on my blog and I saw a modest increase in comments. Nothing like what is happenong here, but my prize was nothing close to yours.


    • September 2, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Tycoon Blogger –> I guess the old adage is true, “You get what you pay for.” LOL. I’m thrilled with the response that I’m seeing so far and I hope that it continues to snowball throughout the month.


  21. September 1, 2009

    Daniel A. said:

    Everyone is going to get crazy with this contest. Its the longest contest i have entered and its totally worth it


    • September 2, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Daniel A. –> Good. I’m glad that it’s worth it to you and I wish you good luck with it.


  22. September 2, 2009

    Ruchi said:

    G8 Idea…Its beneficial for all…You win and for who don’t win. Truly attractive.


    • September 2, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Ruchi –> Thanks and good luck to you. I see you have a few entries. Keep it up!


  23. September 2, 2009

    Jamie Favreau said:

    Great way to build a community.


    • September 2, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Jamie Favreau –> Thanks. That’s really my goal. To build a thriving, communicating community. I hope that you’ll be a part of it!


  24. September 2, 2009

    Reza Winandar said:

    The prize is really makes me on fire! Okay, from now on, I will visit this blog daily and comment on the newest post. And one more thing, I will do no spam.


    • September 2, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Reza Winandar –> Great and good luck to you. Welcome to the community!


  25. September 2, 2009

    Diane C said:

    Wow I was shocked to check back and see how many comments were on this post so far.
    I like how everyone pitched in and shot out their ideas in case of a tie.
    Good luck to all!


    • September 2, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Diane C –> We now have over 100! It is getting pretty exciting.


  26. September 2, 2009

    Sat Chen said:

    This is the 100 comment on this post. Congrats nick :)


    • September 2, 2009

      Eric B. said:

      Wow. 100(+1) comments in two days! This is amazing! I think it would be helpful to have pages for the comment section. ;)


      • September 2, 2009

        Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

        Eric B. –> I’ll look into that as an option. I’m not sure how to implement it but I’ll do some research this weekend and I’ll try to make it happen.


        • September 20, 2009

          jogz said:

          It’s better because you have a lot of comments. :) And it’s okay now.. Congratulations!


      • September 20, 2009

        jogz said:

        yes, it’s really amazing.. it’s absolutely hard to have this number of comments in just couple of days!


    • September 2, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Sat Chen –> Yes! We have successfully passed over 100.


  27. September 2, 2009

    Sat Chen said:

    @Eric B That is a great idea. Otherwise you would have to scroll a ridiculously long time.


    • September 2, 2009

      Sat Chen said:

      “Otherwise you would have to scroll a ridiculously long time to post a comment.” is what I wanted to say.


      • September 2, 2009

        Eric B. said:

        There would also be less scrolling to do when looking for replies to a specific comment.


        • September 2, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          Eric B. –> I’ve changed the settings but it’s not working right. I’m contacting some people on the forums where the theme was made so hopefully I can get it changed up soon.


          • September 2, 2009

            Eric B. said:

            I’m not entirely sure, but there probably are some things in the theme that would need to be changed for this to work.


  28. September 3, 2009

    Ani said:

    You R good!!! I’m laughing out loud because I think this is such a great idea. I also think it’s so good because there’s a feeling of fun & connection with this contest:-). I’m imagining other peeps smiling just like me:-).


    • September 3, 2009

      Sat Chen said:

      This really is a great idea from Nicholas. I am having fun commenting and making new friends(hoefully).


      • September 4, 2009

        Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

        Sat Chen –> Well you’ve made me as a friend and I’m sure there are many more on here that consider themselves as your friends now as well!


    • September 4, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Ani –> Great. That’s certainly the goal. I know that a lot of people were concerned that the site would be over run with spam, but so far it has only led to outstanding quality conversation. I’m very happy so far so I’m one of those people with the big smile.


      • September 10, 2009

        Seth W said:

        I thought spammers would go crazy, but they haven’t and I that is awesome for both you and all of us.


        • September 10, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          Seth W –> I thought so too, but I just delete the comments that I don’t like. Do you realize that I received over 100 good comments just today? And that is not counting my replies to comments.


        • September 20, 2009

          jogz said:

          Yes, I was also like “spammers will go crazy” when I first read your post. But then, it’s really great! :)


  29. September 5, 2009

    Mukund said:

    I think it is important to note one more point, when we see about spam comments and other stuff, that is, how many people will comment on this site once the contest is over? I think this question will definitely be running in the mind of Nicholas. I guarantee I will be an active member as far as possible even after the contest! How about the other bloggers?


    • September 5, 2009

      Ani said:

      I will still be here also:-). I’m truly enjoying the conversations and the different topics Nicolas brings to the table here.


      • September 5, 2009

        Mukund said:

        @Ani: Yes! I accept with you Ani! I love the conversations going on! More over, I just love this type of interaction between bloggers. It feels great when some one replies to my comment. Love it! Had a look at your site too!!


      • September 5, 2009

        Sat Chen said:

        I will try to be as active as possible in this site even after the contest, because Nicholas provides such great content and enjoying the conversations.


    • September 5, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Mukund –> Good. Thanks folks. I hope that you’ll stick around. I’ll still be here also. That’s always the goal with contests like this. I always assume that many will not stick around but I have to try to keep as many as I can. That’s all I can do.


      • September 10, 2009

        Fran Civile said:

        Nicholas,
        don’t spoil it by trying too hard – just
        continue being your the inspired Nicholas who has brought his blog this
        far!

        I see the interaction between commentors growing and that is really
        good… I have clicked on several of the names already and looked at interesting blogs…

        Fran :)


        • September 10, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          Fran Civile –> Thanks Fran. I look forward to learning with you as we keep driving forward.


    • September 7, 2009

      Arisu said:

      Well, most people commenting are the ones that have been around for a while, but the contest really gave them a reason to comment more and socialize with each other ;)

      So I bet most of us will be commenting a lot, even after the contest is done :D


      • September 8, 2009

        Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

        Arisu –> I sure hope so. Comments make teaching and sharing ideas and concepts so much more fun. What better way to learn than to have a bunch of people get together and share their ideas and experiences.


    • September 10, 2009

      Fran Civile said:

      Mukund, I agree when you say that this great interest in commenting could be a passing thing but I too think that getting to know Nicholas and his block
      will continue to inspire many bloggers to come back and see what he’s up to!

      I certainly will!

      Also, I’ve met many interesting people in these comments

      Fran :)


      • September 10, 2009

        Seth W said:

        This contest is not only a good way to meet people but also a nice way to get some exposure to other blogs and hopefully your own too!


        • September 12, 2009

          Mukund said:

          Yes! I accept with you Seth W. I got a lot of visitors from this blog too! I look forward to many in the future!


          • September 12, 2009

            Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

            Mukund –> Great. I knew that everyone would benefit from this.


      • September 10, 2009

        Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

        Fran Civile –> Good. I know that some people might stop commenting after the contest, but I hope that enough people will feel that they are a part of the community that they will stick around long afterwards.


        • September 12, 2009

          Mukund said:

          Yes! Thanks for all the visitors Nicholas! I will soon write a post about your blog in my site. I want to post on a winning note, that is, after I win this contest! Hope I will!!


          • September 12, 2009

            Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

            Mukund –> Good luck. I’m sure that if you stick with it that you will claim the victory.


            • September 12, 2009

              Mukund said:

              Yes Nicholas! That is what I aim for! Once I win, I will post about your site and link your site in my blog! I will still be active here even after the contest is over unlike other very few members who will not do that! But, I feel your on the right track and have got a lot of loyal readers! Congrats for 200+ comments in this post!!


  30. September 5, 2009

    mybisnis said:

    I do not know what comments have I give to you … because the conversation had been represented above all I wanted to say …. I hope you succeed with your contest


    • September 5, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      mybisnis –> Thanks. I hope that you’ll consider jumping in and joining us in the contest.


  31. September 5, 2009

    AVCr8teur said:

    Your contest definitely sparked lots of comments. I really like how you sketched the “share” icons. Very creative indeed!


  32. September 5, 2009

    Eli said:

    Great contest you have going here. I’m going to take a run around your lovely site and see what kind of commentin’ I can do… besides this.

    Yee haw!


    • September 6, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Eli –> Please do. We’re only 6 days into the contest so you have plenty of time to catch up and put yourself into the lead. Good luck to you.


  33. September 6, 2009

    Mik said:

    Great contest and interesting to see how it does. Intend to check out some other posts looks like an interesting site and one I can benefit from.


    • September 6, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Mik –> I hope so. Plus if you think of something that would help you to benefit from this site even more then just let me know. If you have questions or ideas don’t hesitate to send them my way.


  34. September 6, 2009

    Euri, the Dog said:

    Can dogs with blogs leave a comment too?


    • September 6, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Euri, the Dog –> As long as they are legitimate comments. But somehow, I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s not really your dog writing these comments.


  35. September 6, 2009

    Indo Contest said:

    Nice contest…
    Blogged at:
    http://www.indocontest.com/crazy-comments-150-cash-giveaway-site-sketch-101/

    Good luck everyone…


    • September 7, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Indo Contest –> Thanks! I appreciate that. I hope that you’ll join up and play!


  36. September 7, 2009

    ContestHeat.com said:

    Good luck to everyone ;)


    • September 7, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      ContestHeat.com –> And good luck to you. I hope that you join us and try to win!


  37. September 7, 2009

    Cynthia C. said:

    Hi! Great contest idea! Thanks! I found out abot this site and contest at BlogCatalog;
    http://www.blogcatalog.com/group/get-comments-for-your-blog/discuss/entry/contest-on-site-sketch-101


    • September 7, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Cynthia C. –> I’m glad that you found the site. I hope that you’ll join in and try to win!


    • September 7, 2009

      Mukund said:

      @Cynthia C.: I am happy that I bring visitors to this contest through my group. Basically, I am the administrator for that group and happy to see members here. Hope you win!!


      • September 7, 2009

        Arisu said:

        Your group looks like a great place to find good blogs, I´m checking it right now ;)


        • September 23, 2009

          Mukund said:

          Exactly he is doing great job here! He replies to almost all the comments posted here! Definitely a hard worker I should say!!


        • September 23, 2009

          Mukund said:

          @Arisu: Thanks for that Arisu! Yes I know there are a lot of newbies there! Even certain pros are there in that blog. You will be exposed to a lot of bloggers if you post a thread there!!


          • September 23, 2009

            Arisu said:

            Mukund>>

            I´ll take the time to do it. Thanks. ;)


  38. September 7, 2009

    akira07 said:

    Haha you know, i’m expert on this type of competition. Ok, i will join start from next 2 days (i’m busy for these 2 days). Wait for my comment and hope it’s helpfull.


    • September 7, 2009

      SeerName said:

      It is a good competition but I can feel that it is not easy to win. For Akira07, your blog is full of fun and very nice display. Good Luck!


      • September 8, 2009

        Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

        SeerName –> It will definitely be a challenge to win, but you can do it. Post a few comments every day and pretty soon you could be at the top.


    • September 8, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      akira07 –> Good luck. It’s not too late to start.


  39. September 8, 2009

    Elena said:

    I think that this is a cool thing that you’re doing. You’ve definitely caught my attention. It’s a clever idea.


    • September 8, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Elena –> Good. I’m glad it caught your attention. Good luck to you.


  40. September 8, 2009

    Eva said:

    Hi!
    Nice contest!
    This is my comment :) …count me in, please :)
    Thanks for the chance.
    Have a nice day!


    • September 8, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Eva –> You’re certainly counted in, but you’ll need more than just one comment if you want to win it big!


  41. September 8, 2009

    Pinaybackpacker said:

    I’m not really a competitive person but I like participating in these contests so I can train myself to be more competitive. Hahaha..does that makes sense? :D

    Anyway, goodluck to everyone here. I will try my best to win the 1st prize that would be a great birthday gift for me – I’m turning a new leaf on Oct. 4).


    • September 8, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Pinaybackpacker –> Nice. Your birthday is only 4 days away from mine. We’ll have to get together and throw a party! :)


  42. September 8, 2009

    Ron Boracay said:

    I hope it isn’t to late for me to enter the contest. I can see that some of the commenters do have 50 plus comments as of now. Anyway, Im starting to kick things of by this first comment.


    • September 8, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Ron Boracay –> Good. It’s definitely not too late. You still 22 days until the end of the competition. Jump in there and help heat things up a bit.


      • September 8, 2009

        Ron Boracay said:

        Wow, upon checking your blog posts, I think, just reading those articles of yours is worth it.

        Aside from the commenter’s contest, I am really enjoying your posts and just pass your blog to my friends (and not so good friends).

        Thanks Nicholas.


        • September 8, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          Ron Boracay –> Thanks. I hope that you learn a lot and that your friends find useful information here as well.


          • September 8, 2009

            Ron Boracay said:

            They are indeed enjoying your articles. And we are all amazed with your graphics.

            Specially the handsketched icon sets that we found here:

            http://www.sitesketch101.com/top-5-amazing-handsketched-icon-sets

            I am a frustrated designer, but I really love vintage, sketch and abstract designs.


            • September 8, 2009

              Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

              Ron Boracay –> Me too. I’m really getting tired of all those Web 2.0 glossy websites that have become so popular. I love seeing people reaching outside of the commonly accepted trends. It’s hard to make things look really nice but when people get outside the box and get it done, it’s really impressive.


  43. September 8, 2009

    BM said:

    Wow !! I will join this one. I hope it’s not too late


    • September 8, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      BM –> It’s definitely not to late. It will take some work, but you can do it.


      • September 8, 2009

        BM said:

        Thanks for the reply on each comment. You definitely make way to interact with your readers.


        • September 8, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          BM –> Interacting with each of you is so important to me. It’s pretty much one of the most important things to me. I want each of you to go away from here with more knowledge and better skills. You know all of those tiny colleges that brag about the student to teacher ratio. That’s my big focus. I want to give lots of attention to each student here so that I can answer questions and teach to each person’s maximum potential.


          • September 9, 2009

            BM said:

            I know right? I think I will really work hard to be the winner of your contest.


            • September 9, 2009

              Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

              BM –> I won’t lie. You’re probably right. It will be very hard. But the fun isn’t just in winning. Because you can win just by playing because you’ll make so many friends! :)


  44. September 8, 2009

    ZXT said:

    I’m a sucker for any contest but everyone is already 8 days ahead of me. Anyways I know I will win a relationship with other bloggers so its okay.

    Zee


    • September 8, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      ZXT –> You just won a relationship with me. Thanks for coming over and participating in the contest. I’m glad that you here.


      • September 10, 2009

        ZXT said:

        Nicholas thanks! I’ll be a regular here for sure…I have so much to learn and I can see your blog has so much to offer.

        Z


        • September 10, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          ZXT –> That’s what I love to hear. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions that you would like me to write a post on.


  45. September 8, 2009

    Arisu said:

    Good luck guys! It´s great to have new people to talk with, and don´t worry there´s plenty of time to catch on with the comments ;) Have fun, I hope to see you around for a long time!


  46. September 8, 2009

    Sat Chen said:

    Nicholas -> Great job on the 2 page comment. Looks really great. Did you use a plugin or did you make this yourself.

    Good luck everyone :)


    • September 8, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Sat Chen –> Ha ha. It’s working! I just figured out why it wasn’t. I’ll make it look better when I get a chance and I’ll reduce the number of comments per page to something more manageable.


      • September 8, 2009

        Sat Chen said:

        Great idea, 100 or so comments a page I think is not a great idea .


        • September 8, 2009

          Ron Boracay said:

          Yeah, 100 comments on a single page makes your blog post so populated with outgoing links. I think, setting up some page by page comments will do the job.

          Just my $0.02


          • September 9, 2009

            Eric B. said:

            There are 100 comments on one page? I’m not going to go and count :P


        • September 9, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          Sat Chen –> I have it set for like 30 comments per page but it doesn’t seem to count replies to comments so by the time you add 30 original comments plus their replies it comes to about 100. I’m going to reduce it to about 20 or even 15 until I get it where I really like it.


    • September 9, 2009

      Eric B. said:

      Hey, I just noticed the comment pagination! Looks good!


      • September 9, 2009

        Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

        Eric B. –> Good. I’m going to work on making it better but that’s what I have so far.


    • September 9, 2009

      Arisu said:

      It looks great! And yeah, specially in this page it´s hard to keep track of all the comments.

      And I love to say that after every customization sitesketch is a step closer to be the most awesome blog ever! ;)


      • September 9, 2009

        Sat Chen said:

        Eric B -> I didn’t count it :) . I just guessed and I guess I was right


      • September 9, 2009

        Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

        Arisu –> Someday I will have the most awesome blog every. . . and when that happens I will then take over the world. Bwahahaha. . . Okay maybe that’s a bit ambitious, but thanks for the site praise. I just want to keep making it better and better.


        • September 10, 2009

          Arisu said:

          Bwahahahaha! I thought you were the last person in the world I´d have to tell: Be ambitious – Sitesketch is going to be one of the most awesome sites, other way, would you have so many devote readers already? I don´t think so :P Just keep up with the great work!


          • September 10, 2009

            Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

            Arisu –> I will. You can count on it. I appreciate you. I hope that you’ll stay around with us for a while.


            • September 11, 2009

              Arisu said:

              Nick>>

              Oh, I´ll be around -and that´s a threat- ;)
              But I guess that when I launch my own blog, I won´t be commenting that much – I still don´t know, I swear my day has like 30 hours.


              • September 12, 2009

                Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

                Arisu –> Well that’s a threat that I can live with but I hope to still see you around here.


  47. September 9, 2009

    Sherry said:

    great contest to win cash :) , good luck everyone


    • September 9, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Sherry –> Good luck to you also. I hope that you’ll jump in and try out.


  48. September 10, 2009

    ZXT said:

    This is the 182nd comment. I don’t think I’ve seen this much comment from a single blog article/post.

    You are making a good job Nicholas. I bet your page views are up plus visitors not to mention bounce rate is down.

    Am right?


    • September 10, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      ZXT –> Page views per user is way up. You are definitely right.


  49. September 10, 2009

    Ani said:

    Can someone tell me what a bounce rate is? I’m kind of new at this:-).


    • September 10, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Ani –> A bounce refers to a user that looks at your page and immediately leaves because they aren’t interested. A rate is calculated as a percent. So if 50 out of 100 people leave immediately then you have a 50% bounce rate.


      • September 13, 2009

        ZXT said:

        So did your bounce rate went down? I’m pretty sure because your visitors are constantly looking for different articles.


        • September 15, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          ZXT –> Yeah. My bounce rate is down and my pageviews per user has gone way up. It’s been a real win all around.


  50. September 10, 2009

    Seth W said:

    Wow… what an awesome contest. I am seriously thinking about not only participating but writing about your contest in my next post!


    • September 10, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Seth W –> That would be really great. And good luck to you as well.


  51. September 10, 2009

    akira07 said:

    Hi admin just wanna ask :
    If we reply other member comment by clicking reply to this comment, will it counted? Can i use it as much as i want? Is there any special rules of this?
    Thanks


    • September 10, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      akira07 –> You can certainly respond to others and receive the same amount of points.


      • September 11, 2009

        BM said:

        Thanks for clarifying I’m about to ask that.


    • September 20, 2009

      jogz said:

      I also wonder and would ask the same question. I’m a bit confused of it. Thanks for clarifying :)


    • September 22, 2009

      hopeful said:

      This is a good question for the admin Akira07 and I’m glad that it is answered already because it came up also in my mind raising this kind question.


  52. September 12, 2009

    Jal said:

    I really liked your idea to ‘motivate’ people about commenting and how important commenting is. It surely IS a WIN-WIN situation.


    • September 12, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Jal –> I think so too. I’m really excited about this contest and I’m looking forward to the continued growth from this contest and more like it in the future.


    • September 20, 2009

      jogz said:

      Yes, we are really motivated of sharing all our ideas and thoughts here just to be on the lead in top commentators. This is really a great idea!


    • September 22, 2009

      hopeful said:

      Exactly Jal I agree with you. Actually this is my first time participating in a commenting challenge fever. I think for sure all of us will be having fun.


  53. September 12, 2009

    Angie (Losing It and Loving It) said:

    Sounds like a fun contest but I came here because I really enjoyed your blog so I’m not here to post just for content purposes. You really do have a lot of great info here on the blog.


    • September 20, 2009

      jogz said:

      very inspiring message. :) many of the bloggers nowadays posting comments in here are just for the sake of increasing their number of comments. i admit i’m one of those. But I actually enjoy this blog also.


  54. September 13, 2009

    ZXT said:

    210 comments and counting…how successful can you get? I honestly never saw any blog post that has more comments than this and we are not even half way through.


    • September 13, 2009

      Pinaybackpacker said:

      That’s true. In my blog, if I get more than 10 comments in a post I feel ecstatic already. :D


      • September 13, 2009

        ZXT said:

        For sure now that you are here, you’ll gain some traffic from your comments. I actually see traffic from SiteSketch101 visiting my blog. Nice!


        • September 13, 2009

          Pinaybackpacker said:

          ZXT: Yes, indeed. Ron Boracay has been visiting my blog of late. We’re in the same niche actually so I’m hoping we;ll be blog buddies also after this competition.
          :D


          • September 14, 2009

            ZXT said:

            Yeah I notice that too so maybe exchanging links will help each other out.


          • September 17, 2009

            Ron Boracay said:

            Yoh, I love that. Blog buddies! Of course we can, I hope you can visit our place too. As I can see at your great blog, you are a real traveler.


        • September 15, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          ZXT –> Good! I love hearing that you all are getting lots of visitors from here!


          • September 16, 2009

            ZXT said:

            I think there were about 6 or 7 bloggers from these comments visited my blog already.


            • September 20, 2009

              Sat Chen said:

              Even I got 4 visitors already. I fell happy ;) LOL


    • September 14, 2009

      Mukund said:

      You are absolutely right!! Just some 3 months old since the blog started and he is able to recieve more than 200 comments in a single blog post! No words to say!


    • September 15, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      ZXT –> I’m not sure. I’ve seen posts before with thousands of comments on them. I just have to keep working. I want to be as large as possible, but I also want to maintain a sense of community and fun here.


      • September 16, 2009

        ZXT said:

        Well sooner or later we can get that thousand comments.


        • September 16, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          ZXT –> That would definitely be a lot of comments.


          • September 18, 2009

            ZXT said:

            With all these comments and activities in your site Nick, hows your CPU throttling going?


            • September 19, 2009

              Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

              ZXT –> I think that the WP-Super Cache is keeping it all under control. I’m not entirely sure though.


        • September 21, 2009

          Ron Boracay said:

          Thousand of comments in a single post? Jeez, that’s a lot, and maybe, you are the first one or this post is the first one to reach that degree without the known spamming comments.


      • September 16, 2009

        Mukund said:

        Yes!! There are posts with more comments than this one! But I am pretty sure those blogs are more than 3 months old. But yours is something different! That is what I meant to say. Just 3 months old and you are able to generate more than 240 comments. I wonder how much it would be if it reaches a year or so!! Wow!!!


        • September 18, 2009

          ZXT said:

          I think the right comparison is can you find any 3 week old article with almost 300 comments already? Thats 100 comments a week. Pretty crazy huh?


        • September 21, 2009

          Ron Boracay said:

          Not only those blogs are more than 3 months, those blogs probably are full of spammers and spam links and comments. This site, sitesketch101 is different.


    • September 20, 2009

      jogz said:

      i agree with this. even I who only gets 20 comments in every blog posts seem to be very happy already.. it’s hard to keep this number of comments per blog post..


    • September 22, 2009

      hopeful said:

      At the moment I started participating here I found that the number of comments is already 300+ that’s why I said to myself, WOW! this is amazing comments fever.


  55. September 13, 2009

    Ana said:

    I love the way you engage yourself, with others through this giveaway. It shows your enthusiasm for getting people involved, through connection and learning about new things and each other. Like Angie, I also enjoy your blog and visit to pay respect show my appreciation in all that you are doing. You can count me in for this, though not destined to run a marathon. I’ll be taking a long break in that marathon, as I’ll be on holiday from later this week till end of September. Hope it all goes well, and most of all have fun everyone. :)


    • September 15, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Ana –> Thanks and I hope that you have a blast on your holiday. Have fun.


    • September 20, 2009

      jogz said:

      I hope you can join us :) This is really fun.. by the way, enjoy your holiday! :)


  56. September 13, 2009

    akira07 said:

    Oh man the top position is so far…I need to hard work. Well, it can’t be helped since i’m too busy in my real life


    • September 13, 2009

      ZXT said:

      Don’t lose hope Akira, 113 comments is nothing if you just get yourself into conversation :)


      • September 22, 2009

        hopeful said:

        You are right ZXT, for me that just started here It’s really a big challenge for me. So we should not loose hope, still keep going guys.


    • September 14, 2009

      Mukund said:

      I don’t think it is too difficult to reach the top position. Just spend some time in reading the article and respond to each user. Enough! But make sure you don’t spam!


      • September 14, 2009

        Sat Chen said:

        it won’t be too hard. And you will enjoy the conversations you have with other peoples :)


        • September 19, 2009

          Mukund said:

          Yes! Exactly! I love the conversations with other bloggers!!


          • September 21, 2009

            Sat Chen said:

            I am finding the conversations really useful. I am learning helpful tips so keep the comments coming :)


      • September 22, 2009

        hopeful said:

        Yes reaching to the top position is not that difficult. We just need to spend lots of time doing the comment challenge to be on the top. OH, I hope I have that lots of time.


    • September 15, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      akira07 –> Thanks at least for stopping by and showing your support.


    • September 20, 2009

      jogz said:

      i agree.. it’s really really hard to be on the lead now.. i’m just giving myself some fun and just trying my luck.. who knows I might be able to be on the third rank haha.. all we really need is patience :)


  57. September 13, 2009

    Mezanul said:

    Great way to engage your readers Nicholas! :) After going through a number of useful articles in this blog, I must congratulate you on your nice work.

    Keep up the good work! :)


    • September 13, 2009

      ZXT said:

      There’s still time to catch up Mezanul.

      BTW, I like your site/blog. It is full of tech advices and tips.


    • September 15, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Mezanul –> Thanks. I hope that you’ll stick around and connect with us more and more.


  58. September 14, 2009

    Sat Chen said:

    Wow, over 220 comments. This contest has been a great success. Congrats, nick


    • September 20, 2009

      jogz said:

      Yes it’s really a success.. 270+ comments and counting.. woahh!


      • September 22, 2009

        hopeful said:

        A really great success guys. As of the moment it’s now reaching 300+ and still keep on increasing.


  59. September 15, 2009

    akira07 said:

    Ok this is my turn to start moving. I hope it’s not too late. It’s 4.17 AM here, i wake up just for contest.


    • September 15, 2009

      Ani said:

      It’s so exciting to see you so enthusiastic akira07 :-) ! Good luck! I’ve been reading all the posts and am still as excited as I was at the beginning to see how this is unfolding. The new “Reality Blog Show”!!!


      • September 15, 2009

        Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

        Ani –> I love that concept. The new reality blog show. I like it.


      • September 17, 2009

        Ron Boracay said:

        Sounds like a great blog theme and idea huh! Reality blog show. Hmmm. It made me think again!


    • September 15, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      akira07 –> Good luck to you. I know that you can catch up in no time!


    • September 16, 2009

      ZXT said:

      Akira07 I visited your blog because I like your positive reaction to the contest. I like the pictures in your blog but I’m kinda confuse with your header.

      It says “WordPress Theme goes here” but you are blogging from Blogger. Care to expound?


    • September 16, 2009

      Mukund said:

      I am very sure you can easily catch up with the contest!! Just an interaction with other bloggers will lead you to the top!!


    • September 20, 2009

      Sat Chen said:

      Wow, you must be really commited to wake up at 4. Good Luck. Now its my turn to catch up. But everyones so ahead. Oh well.. i am having fun


    • September 21, 2009

      Ron Boracay said:

      Waking up early just to read and make some comments here? Then that is the determination! Goodluck Akira!


    • September 22, 2009

      hopeful said:

      We are the same here Akira. At the middle of the night I am still awake for the contest.


  60. September 16, 2009

    Rommel said:

    Wow. What a great contest you have here!


  61. September 16, 2009

    ZXT said:

    Jimmy I suggest you start interacting and put more comments sharing your ideas and opinions. Still 15 days to go and who knows you might be able to catch up with the leaders.


    • September 20, 2009

      jogz said:

      I agree. We still have time to share our thoughts and who know you may be on the lead by the end of september! :)


  62. September 17, 2009

    Dev Verma said:

    A great idea to motivate people to join the discussion and I’m curious to see what the final results were at the end of the month. There are a lot of bloggers that offer do-follow as an incentive to comment but the potential to get paid while you comment almost seems too good.


    • September 17, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Dev Verma –> That’s how I want people to feel. I will likely do this contest again in the future because it has been so effective. Except the next time I do it, I’m going to have to up the payout … a lot! :)


      • September 17, 2009

        Mukund said:

        Hehe!! Yes!! We will always be there to comment and win the contest! Not only that, but we will help you grow your blog too!!


      • September 17, 2009

        akira07 said:

        Wow you’re already planning for the next contest with more prize? It’s become my another motivation to give my best for this blog. Thanks…!!! I’ll surely participate.


      • September 17, 2009

        Dev Verma said:

        It’s a great idea. One thought I’ve had is that by rewarding commenters based on volume, has the quality been sacrificed?

        Have you had to delete a lot of “Thanks” or “I agree” posts to stop people getting an unfair advantage?


        • September 18, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          Dev Verma –> Actually, I haven’t. I just make it very clear to everyone that I’m looking for real conversation on here. I’m not looking for filler comments just to inflate numbers or anything like that. I’m looking to create a learning environment.


        • September 18, 2009

          ZXT said:

          -> Dev Verna

          I haven’t seen any post like that. Nobody wants to look like a fool in front of everyone else so all post if not 99 percent are all real conversation.


          • September 19, 2009

            Mukund said:

            Yes! I completely accept with what ZXT said! All conversations that go in this blog are genuine and I don’t find people commenting just for the sake of commenting. I feel this contest is already a great success!!


      • September 17, 2009

        Ron Boracay said:

        I will be waiting for that Nick. You have a lots of great idea here. It wouldn’t take that long until you (Nick) and your blog becomes one of the authorities in terms of blogging!


        • September 17, 2009

          akira07 said:

          I hope the prize for next contest is for all people who listed in top comment :P . No need to give big prize for 4th-10th winner, but just as “thanks” prize for their contribution. Hmm.. maybe $5?


          • September 18, 2009

            Mukund said:

            I am sure Nicholas would do that! Because, when I browsed his comments contest that was held on the month of June, I came to know that he rewarded the 4th and 5th member in the list apart from the top three!


            • September 18, 2009

              Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

              Mukund –> Yes, I sure did. I’m going to change it up a bit next month but I like to run a contest every month of some sort. What would be a good contest for next month? What would help to build involvement on here?


              • September 18, 2009

                Arisu said:

                Nick>>

                What about a surprise price? Just hold the contest but don´t tell us what it is… but give out some hints to keep us on our toes ;)


                • September 18, 2009

                  Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

                  Arisu –> And then I could just send you a tootsie roll in the mail and be like “Hey, Surprise!” Or I could price the 2nd and 3rd place and say that 1st is a mystery and people would assume that it would be bigger than 2nd place.

                  Do you think that this would be a fun contest to do each month? It seems like everyone is enjoying themselves.


                  • September 18, 2009

                    ZXT said:

                    How about run a contest that involves voting? Say most friendly commenter or most valuable commenter? All registered (well yes we need to register to join) members can vote once a day for 30 days but they are not allowed to vote for themselves.

                    So I think commenters will be more friendly and will put more valuable comments.

                    Also a registered member can only vote if he or she reaches 25 comments first, just to make sure everyone who votes are regulars and not just a one time/one day visitor.

                    For sure we value the vote of a regular because how can a one time visitor knows who to vote, right?


                    • September 21, 2009

                      Sat Chen said:

                      Not sure I like the idea of registering, although the voting idea looks great


                  • September 21, 2009

                    Arisu said:

                    Nick>>

                    I like the this are the 2nd and 3rd place … what would the 1st one be? And I think that way people will compete for the fun of doint it and not so much for the price.

                    And you can always send your photo with an autograph as the price ^^


                    • September 21, 2009

                      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

                      Arisu –> And that would be worth a lot! LOL.


              • September 19, 2009

                Mukund said:

                I will think and tell you what contest to run for the next month. But for the moment, two things striked my mind.

                One, if you are running out of time for posts, then run a contest for “Guest Posts”. See who posts a lot and reward them with a prize.

                Two, you definitely need a lot of backlinks. So, to generate that, you may ask people to link your articles in their posts(should be revelant). Then let the reader post his link on your site.( I mean the link of his post where your blog is linked) The user who links the maximum will be the winner.

                I know my options will not lead to a great as this contest. These options striked my mind at this mind, hope I get better ideas and I will inform you Nick!!


        • September 18, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          Ron Boracay –> I hope so to. I have big dreams and I hope that you have big dreams for you and your site as well. Make sure that you keep learning and keep climbing.


    • September 21, 2009

      Ron Boracay said:

      Its a double prize. And you can’t say no with those prizes at stake not to mention the tips you will read here and the friend or foes you will make. He he.


  63. September 17, 2009

    Arisu said:

    Damn! 247 comments… That´s a lot o.0 I don´t remember seeing that many comments together ever.

    But I know Nick will get them again, in other posts, in other months, in posts that ain´t “contest”. I know sitesketch is just that awesome :D


    • September 21, 2009

      Ron Boracay said:

      After this month, with the wide array of audience that Nick has served and with the dedication and authority Nick just gained, I guess, the next few months will be more successful and fruitful for this blog.


  64. September 18, 2009

    Kris said:

    Great contest. All the best for all those participating!


    • September 18, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Kris –> Thanks, Kris. I hope that you’ll consider joining in with our conversations.


    • September 19, 2009

      Mukund said:

      Yes Kris! It is not too late! Get into conversations and you will reach the top of the table in a couple of days!


    • September 20, 2009

      jogz said:

      we can still cope up with the number of comments they have. all we need is patience :)


  65. September 20, 2009

    jogz said:

    nice contest but it seems a little hard to cope up with 200+s of comments ..


    • September 21, 2009

      Rish said:

      Hey friend, you actually joined!
      Do not lose hope,we can make it!
      Who knows, by Oct.1 we’ll be listed on the top three. :D LOL. I wish!


  66. September 20, 2009

    Sat Chen said:

    I still find it amusing that you comment to all of the comments, Nick. You should be the winner of this contest.


    • September 20, 2009

      jogz said:

      I agree. He’s very eager to win this giveaway.


      • September 20, 2009

        Sat Chen said:

        LOL . Seeing you dedication to this site Nick I think I am also going to comment to every comment.


        • September 21, 2009

          Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

          Sat Chen –> You should. Especially when you are starting out. Unless you are absolutely running out of time then you should be putting out your best effort to connect with everyone you can.


      • September 20, 2009

        ZXT said:

        -> Jogz, Nick can not win the giveaway because he’s the one giving it.


  67. September 21, 2009

    Rish said:

    I didn’t made it in your last contest. But I hope I still can join even if I have only few days to be on the list. Best luck for me and to all the other participants.

    Do you think I still have the chance? :)
    Anyway, more Power sitesketch!


    • September 21, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      Rish –> Just as long as you don’t spam then feel free to get involved and get to know us. Also, you should stop by at Gravatar.com and add an image to your profile.


      • September 21, 2009

        BM said:

        I signed up for Gravatar too.


    • September 21, 2009

      Arisu said:

      Rish>>

      Everyone has a chance! Just try to add a little valuable information where you can -remember no spam- and you may get in the top 3 -and even if not, friends are the best price in this contest ;)


      • September 21, 2009

        ZXT said:

        Thats what I’m trying to say for the longest time. If you have a blog then you gain traffic and your comments helps.

        Now if you don’t have a blog then you gain some online friends.

        It’s really a win win situation.


    • September 21, 2009

      Ron Boracay said:

      Of course you have! Contest is ain’t over. Just stop by and try to contribute and jump on our priceless conversation here, I am sure you will win something big.


  68. September 21, 2009

    BM said:

    Wow .. the numbers are so shocking, I’m not even on the Top 10


    • September 21, 2009

      Ron Boracay said:

      BM–> Its not yet that late. We have few more days to go. Just give your self in and start to join some of our heated and popular discussions. I am sure, you will love it and you won’t even know, you are on the top 3 spot.


  69. September 22, 2009

    hopeful said:

    Wow! this is a very challenging contest. I want to be in on this. I hope I’ll win although I am a little bit late.


  70. September 22, 2009

    hopeful said:

    I also want to clarify something about the top 10 commenter. You said we can find it near the bottom of the sidebar on every page but when I look around right now I couldn’t find it.


  71. September 23, 2009

    fedhz said:

    Wow, Nicholas. This is great. I am also holding a contest for my blogversary and birthday celebration. I am also crazy for comments that’s why the highest point commenter will earn lots of points and maybe goodies as well.

    Wish you good luck in this contest. This would be my first time hosting a contest like this that’s why I’m very very nervous. Maybe I’ll learn some tricks in here. haha!

    Ciao!


    • September 23, 2009

      Nicholas Z. Cardot said:

      fedhz –> Good luck with your contest. I’ve finally just come up with my contest idea for October and I am extremely excited about it! I think that it’s going to help grow the site by leaps and bounds while at the same time generating excitement among the readers here. I hope that your contest does the same thing at your site.