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Wozniak to Judge American Idol-Inspired Mac App Contest
cmundhe writes "Mac entrepreneur Phill Ryu today launched My Dream App, a new American Idol-inspired online competition where contestants can win the chance to have their killer app idea realized by experienced Mac developers. Over forty industry luminaries, including Apple founder Steve Wozniak, have signed on to My Dream App as guest judges to help contestants hone their ideas."
You get more than just an iPod. Winners get a Macbook as well as royalties over the shareware that will be developed for them. That sounds like a pretty good return for just providing a good idea.
I'm alternating between thinking that this idea is ridiculously stupid, or alternatively, truly inspired.
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I propose an optimisation, let the winner be the one with the best elevator pitch - "It's like excel meets my-space, you arrange your friends into rows and columns
just like high-concept movie ideas where a one-sentence summary gets turned into a 90-minute film.
But what would be an application that would equate to William Hung ?
I'm not sure where the "american idol" comparison came from (well i am actually, some inflammatory print written by the guy who submitted this story) but mydreamapp.com doesn't state any such thing. Check the front page. And also claiming something about Apple originality is pointless, this has nothing to do with Apple the company. This is a competition for software that will be developed by independent software developers and judged by some pretty in the know panelists. This isn't high drama, it's high development.
I for one am gonna take off my cynical hat, put on a "this could be cool" hat and wait and see what happens.
Promote Charity on Myspace, Show Your Colours!
When can we vote this whole American Idol concept off the island?
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
This is a not-so-expensive method of asking the userbase what it wants, and getting their ideas. I'm willing to bet a number of entries (especially of those which didn't win, or didn't even make it into the round of 24) will end up as features in the next MacOS.
I believe we will see more ventures of this kind in the future, even outside software. The ideas that "little people" never had the resources to implement are a resource that can be valuable and is easily tapped. What is funny is that the whole model started not in some corporate think tank, but in FPS mods. Final Doom is the first instance I can think of.
blow your mind already
Might work better if you download Linux before deleting your old OS.
Look, if you're not a programmer, your idea is basically worthless. Ideas are a dime a dozen. Programmers who actually implement your idea cost money. Now, you can either participate in this contest and (if you win) not only see your idea realized, but actually get a price and royalties if the app sells.
The choice isn't between owning a great idea which will inevitably make your rich, and giving it away for nothing, as you make it out to be. The choice is between nothing and seeing your idea realized while making money.
Obviously, if you're a programmer who has an awesome idea, don't participate in this contest. Implement it yourself. But I don't think there's even one programmer too stupid to realize this.
I disagree - programmers are two a penny, but a good idea is incredibly valuable.
Why do you think patents are so valuable? Will the winner of the competition get the patent?
- 1 shock every time user logs on to Apple hardware related forum to masturbate about what new hardware may or may not be revealed during Steve Job's next keynote address
- 2 shocks for every DRM ridden iTunes song downloaded by the user because "it works out better for the artists, and because it gives me the flexibility to do whatever I want with my music." Discretionary shocks may be assigned on the basis of whether or not the song is subsequently downloaded to an iPod (max. 1 shock), and if said iPod is a "special edition" U2 iPod (max. 2 shocks)
- 3 shocks for every "My mac 'just works'" comment. Additional shocks in the event that Mac breaks down 1 day after warranty expires (max 3 shocks); further shocks may be assigned if user has to go to friend who uses Linux to get the problem sorted out (max 4 shocks)
- 4 shocks for every time user says that Apple is the only sensible platform for him/her because he/she is an "artist."
- 5 shocks for every "I never get viruses" comment to a PC user. More shocks if the user is a graphic designer who uses his computer for nothing except photoshop (max 6 additional shocks). Fatal shock may be administered if user is a graphic designer talking to a sysadmin in charge of maintaining a network of PCs.
Now where's my iPod?Successful implementation of a good idea is incredibly valuable. You don't have to come up with a new idea, you just have to implement it better than others. Do you think the Ipod was the first mp3 player?
I didn't know you could jump the shark on a Segway!
The latest Slashdot meme.
I disagree - programmers are two a penny, but a good idea is incredibly valuable.
If you're just talking about code-monkeys, then I'd agree they aren't particularly rare. But the guys involved in this project are developers who it seems will be expected to work out most of the actual *workings* of whatever "idea" is presented, and they have histories of coming up with useful and usable interfaces.
Saying "I want a program that will automatically fix the tags of all my MP3 files" is not hard. It's coming up with an algorithm or system to analyze song files successfully, or an interface to efficiently present songs to the user for identification, that would be the hard part.
Obviously if the entrants of this contest have already worked out the implementation details and interface for the idea and just need a programmer with Objective C experience to get it working, then the idea man deserves the major credit. But that's not what this contest sounds like to me.
Recursive: Adj. See Recursive.
How about a new Finder?
*hangs head*....
"The ideas that "little people" never had the resources to implement are a resource that can be valuable and is easily tapped."
Unless they protect them with patents prior to entering them in the contest. Does the winner get a royalty? Ever wonder if the "recording contract" an American Idol wins is better than a regular "slave contract" other artist sign?
Hopefully just submitting the idea is considering publishing it. Software patents are bad enough without someone else patenting your idea.
Do you suppose the first caveman who sharpened a stick hired another caveman to club the second guy to sharpen a stick? Lawyer, world's second oldest profession.
I only look human.
My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
This is a no-brainer.
Is Woz playing Simon, or is he going to be Paula Abdul?
AI style:
Randy Wozniak: "C'mon dawg! S'da right language selection, needs to be a bit optimized here but its ok."
Steven Abdul: "You have great potential and your code just moves me. The UI looks fabulous! Just keep shining, win or not, you're l337!"
Steve Cowell: "Appalling, simply appalling. Dreadful. It's a no."
Signed, stunt penguin's girlfriedn
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
this also has all of jack to do with apple. they are in no way related to the contest other than it being the platform the app is developed for.
mmm, apple jack.
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