Beer Cooling Contraption Contest - info thread

[Deviant Ollam]

well, the idea of a contest in which people do their best to design a device for the purpose of cooling beer very quickly seemed to get quite a lot of traction in this thread. so, it would seem that i'm gonna be running a contest.

i've put up an info page here... http://deviating.net/bccc ...where people can get the full low-down on the B-triple-C.

next to this post is a signup thread where people can register to compete. i am really excited about this contest and look forward to some of the amazing ideas that people bring to life.

i cannot thank enough everyone who contributed to the ideas we were kicking around in the other thread. just because i'm the guy taking the lead on this doesn't make it 100% my event. this was a democratic effort and all of your feedback about rules, parameters, etc. was much appreciated. keep the comments coming (preferably in this thread... maybe an admin can lock the other one with a post pointing over to this forum area) and i'll keep fine-tuning the rules.

[astcell]

Call me picky, but there is no such thing as "first annual." You can have the "first" but the second word is not determined until the next meet to establish the term.

[Deviant Ollam]

Call me picky, but there is no such thing as "first annual."

heh... i'm trying to whip up some positive karma, man. i want this thing to be a blast for all involved... and if it is, i want to keep bringing it back. (also, while i love constructive commentary like this, it is more helpful if kept in the info & discussion thread as opposed to this thread, which i was hoping would just be a nice, clean list of people signed up.)

[TheCotMan]

while i love constructive commentary like this, it is more helpful if kept in the info & discussion thread as opposed to this thread, which i was hoping would just be a nice, clean list of people signed up.)

Wow! Magic! They were suddenly moved here to the information thread! That is pretty cool.

Great that you are doing the contest.

[Deviant Ollam]

Wow! Magic! They were suddenly moved here to the information thread! That is pretty cool.

/me bows before your forum admin prowess

Great that you are doing the contest.

thanks, man. should be a kickass good time! (now, if i can only get a beer bottler to sponsor the event and kick in a piece of really nice swag for a grand prize that would rock. after all, i don't know if unofficial contest winners get black badges or not. and i'm certainly not letting people leave empty-handed. it'll be free stuff all around, baby!)

[TheCotMan]

/me bows before your forum admin prowess

Who says I did it? (heh) It could have been astcell.

if i can only get a beer bottler to sponsor the event and kick in a piece of really nice swag for a grand prize that would rock.

Though, in many cases, people tend to not like commercials, and excessive ads with contests at DefCon (as it sort of taints the feel of a hacker convention where people generally do things for the love of it) if you had a single sponsor with limited advertising (like Guiness) and beer was part of the prize, you might find people willing to tolerate (over emphasis to make a joke) a promotion for free beer.

i don't know if unofficial contest winners get black badges or not. and i'm certainly not letting people leave empty-handed.

DT is an ultimate source for that.

As for astcell's point, after some thought, I think I agree. Though "First Annual" anything could be viewed a little bit arrogant. I understand the desire to push a positive tone. However, the Toxic BBQ was just "The Toxic BBQ" IIRC, and did not become the 2nd annual Toxic BBQ or TBBQ2 until people said, "You know what? That was really cool! Let's do it again next year." (I did not see anything wrong with it until he pointed it out.)

[astcell]

I do like the idea of a beer cooler. One thing to think about though. Thinner beers tend to cool faster due to their viscosity. Thicker beers may have a tougher time at it. Maybe for the contest one beer ought to be used, then have a run-off if necessary with a thicker beer.

I never thought in my life I'd use "beer" and "run-off" in the same sentence.

As for a black badge, I think their value is being watered down. I think there should only be a few given out, and then only to people like Kevin Mitnick, Robert Morris, Patrick Norton, etc. Maybe a bronze badge or a ticket to strippercon instead.

[Deviant Ollam]

I do like the idea of a beer cooler. One thing to think about though. Thinner beers tend to cool faster due to their viscosity. Thicker beers may have a tougher time at it. Maybe for the contest one beer ought to be used, then have a run-off if necessary with a thicker beer.

you know, i like that idea. it was my intention to use a thin lager during the main competition rounds, but if certain designs faired really really well or had incredibly close times we could run some guinness (or something really nuts like genny cream ale) through the contraptions and see how they do.

As for a black badge, I think their value is being watered down. I think there should only be a few given out, and then only to people like Kevin Mitnick, Robert Morris, Patrick Norton, etc. Maybe a bronze badge or a ticket to strippercon instead.

while i could agree with that on some level, i think that by their very nature and what they stand for the black badges are really appropriate for winners of these contests. defcon attendee numbers have swelled in recent years, making the financial burdens of free admission less and less of a factor in the big picture.

to me, winning a badge like that is much more than a gift with economic implications... it's a way of saying to the individual, "you are the type of person who we want to have at DefCon. you bring ideas and thinking to the table which are good for the hacker community... and the presence at DefCon of such thinking is part of what makes the whole scene so attractive to these large masses of crowds who keep coming back." just my $0.02.

[astcell]

Hehe the next person who asks me how to hack, I guess I ought to say, "I have no idea man, you gotta find a dude with a black badge."

Then again, that may make me persona non grata at Defcon!

[noid]

Request for clarification on the rules:

all devices must be entirely self-sufficient (in particular, they should not require use of an electrical outlet)

Should not or cannot?

Sorry to nitpick but I write policy for a living and I pick up on these things. Plus, whether I 'shouldn't do it' or I 'can't do it' will affect my design (see the thread on cheating for more indepth discussion of implied restrictions vs. explicit restrictions).

[astcell]

And if you can not use an electrical outlet, can you bring a generator?

[noid]

Personally, I think there should be no AC power allowed. Makes the contest more interesting as it adds a number of interesting dynamics.

[TheCotMan]

And if you can not use an electrical outlet, can you bring a generator?

Heh-heh. What about wheeling in a little UPS after it was charged?

[Siviak]

I have a question that has yet to be asked.... with the beer inside the sealed can ... how do you plan to measure the temp of the beer? or it is just inside the can with the top popped?

[astcell]

I guess it's be inside the can and when colled to the satisfaction of the team, they can open the can and take a measurement. Better not hold the can in your bare hand, that can help warm it up, and that can cost degrees, points, and 1st prize.