I have giving away a lot of gifts this to say thanks for reading and commenting here at The Fight Spot. This week has been a lot of fun, and a little crazy. But I want you to know that at the end of the day, the truth behind this past week is that I am extremely grateful that you guys find the time and the energy to visit and read day after day. Without further a due…
Prize Pool Winner: Jess (Comment #23) - Jess, you can choose from any of the remaining prizes which include the teaching archives, 12 months of free hosting or the IHOP Webstream / Limited Edition subscription. Just contact me via my contact form by Midnight EST.
iTunes Winner: Thanks to RAProject.com I’ve been able to give away a $10 iTunes gift certificate each day this week. Today’s gift goes out to Chana (Comment #35) - Congratulations. To get the $10 card just contact me via my contact form by Midnight EST.
Thanks again to all of you, and I’ll see you tomorrow….
Ruth said:
Shawn - you have been extremely generous. thank you!
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 9:10 am
Armen said:
Maybe I’ll be able to organise something like this next year. It’s a nice gesture.
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 12:01 pm
J-Dog said:
BAIT AND SWITCH.
BAIT AND SWITCH.
Shawn gave all of the prizes to his friends and family; this is what you call an incentive. Shawn is a missionary with capitalistic tendencies or as I call him lair. This whole giveaway was a bait and switch and watch him edit this msg. Blacklisting it.
CHOMSKY and propoganda model calls this
BAIT AND SWITCH
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Deaf frat Guy said:
BATE AND SWITCH! BATE AND SWITCH
WE HAVE BEEN GIBBED BY THAT LIAR.. THAT LIAR LIAR!
we HAVE BEEN GIBBED I SAY! GIBBED!
BAIT AND SWITCH BAIT AND SWITCH
WE GAVE IT TO HIS FRIENDS… NOT TO THE COMMON PEOPLE.. HE IS BUSH- A LIAR, ELIST WHO DOESNT CARE ABOUT THE MIDDLE CLASS..
shawn = OLLIE NORTH — dfg
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 5:
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Matt said:
Yes I agree with j-dog and armen
Shawn is a missionary who want to convert people into a crazy cult.
he is like father Junipero who beats and kills native Americans and forces western catholicism to the hearts of people who just want to live.
WAR FOR WATER NOT FOR CONVERSION
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 5:51 pm
Hank said:
What a connection to California history. Father Serra should never become a saint. For the prizes, I believe it is a Bait and Switch.
Matt. Armen. J-Dog. = Thinkers unlike the people who subscribed just for the free stuff. SHAME ON YOU.
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 5:54 pm
Caleb Vaughn said:
Matt/J-Dog/deaf frat guy, (why is my sixth sense saying you all are the same person?)
Reader Appreciation Week was just Shawn showing his appreciation for the readers. There is nothing wrong with that. What would the “incentive” be for? It is just him appreciating us, the readers.
If you are going to insult someone, don’t make up facts that obviously are completely false.
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Jared Smith said:
The incentive is that “there is no free lunch”.
economically speaking, one can conclude that Shawn will be gaining more readers– with the use of his cynical marketing strategies.
while giving away some of his cheaply bought corporate items (itunes cards, starbucks, and maybe the books)he will gain more capital by increasing the number of readers, and at the same time, he will be marketing corporate goods and connecting it with his “religion”.
meaning: FREE STUFF in return for your faith.
there is no lunch people.. everything has it cost.
please read: Harris’ book “END OF FAITH”
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Toan said:
thats deep jared… you are right bro - there is no such thing as a free lunch
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Hank said:
I agree with Jared. Shawn was all cool before he started this “Reader appreciation week.” Caleb have you ever heard of an “incentive” or are you just some passive and subordinate American who is civically illiterate as I assume you are? Shawn was playing it smart by offering free goods for the new listeners and subscribers. Shawn is a genius and one can see that through the amount of people who posted a comment for the chance of winning a prize. This is what you call “gold rush” mentality and Shawn has exploited this flaw that all Americans hold–we are greedy people looking for something free. Caleb go read a Chomsky book or a Howard Zinn book or maybe a “Wheres Waldo” book because your critical thinking abilities are below par and I agree, this was a “bait and switch situation.”
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 7:09 pm
caleb vaughn said:
Last I checked, this isn’t a marketing ploy, most people who entered the giveaway already were readers. The only requirement Shawn placed was that you subscribe to the RSS feed.
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 7:10 pm
caleb vaughn said:
@Hank: This is just Shawn showing his appreciation for us, the readers, not some bait and switch plan.
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 7:12 pm
{Shawn} said:
@ Jared: You are right.
I did see a growth in page views and RSS subscriptions. Today I have 21 more readers than I did one week ago. But like Caleb said, they were already regular readers. If you look through the comments on that original post only a handful are new commentors, though not new readers. If this was a cheap marketing ploy I would have advertised it.
And of course I offered Christian materials. This is a Christian site. It says so right in the header.
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Anna said:
Hey guys,
I just want to congratulate you; you have finally figured out Shawn, and yes, his evil plan has worked. The Starbucks and itunes giftcards were a huge ploy. Each reader, immediately upon winning a prize, has involuntarily sold their soul into a cult. There’s no stopping him: bait and switch. Venti latte for your eternal soul. Warn everyone you know lest they fall prey.
You’re right about his personal gain, too. The moment a new reader’s eyes fall upon thefightspot.com, the fight is over. They slip into a hypnotic state in which they compulsively empty their bank accounts in allegence to this very site.
I never thought about him annhilating Native Americans, but I guess that’s just the next step on this slippery slope of psychological manipulation.
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Hank said:
As Matt mentioned above about Father Juniper Serra…Shawn,I was just wondering what your views are on the potentiality of father Juniper Serra being a candidate for sainthood in the catholic church?
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 9:01 pm
caleb vaughn said:
It would appear i have a impostor… I know I did not insult Anna.
Be glad I don’t have your IP.
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 9:19 pm
Jenn S. (a.k.a. Ducky) said:
*blink* Wow. Welcome to the world of trolls, Shawn. I’m sure you won’t edit or delete their comments (1) because their irrationality speaks for itself and (2) you’re probably not easily offended or drawn in by fake belligerence. I find it interesting that this guy (I’m betting J-Dog, frat guy and Matt have the same IP) chose to comment now that all of the drawings are done and they can’t win anything …
But honestly, although the material gifts were nice, they were only a perk. The real gifts are what you give us for free every day: understanding of the Bible, advice on how to live a life of faith, and wisdom in how to be a witness through blogging during this age. You’ve certainly helped me and many others become more effective in apostolic blogging and in walking with the L-rd. Thanks for what you do.
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 10:37 pm
Jenn S. (a.k.a. Ducky) said:
Shawn, I made the mistake of clicking on Hank’s web site. Please edit that before someone else is subjected to the same porn I saw. Nasty.
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 10:41 pm
{Shawn} said:
@ Jenn: Thanks so much. I’m glad that you and the other readers here didn’t feel any sense of bribing or marketing. And the link has been edited. Thanks for the tip.
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 11:07 pm
bane said:
you know what i noticed and i do not want to sound like an a-hole but how come shawn wins in ron’s blog and ron wins in shawns blog, and “ruth” wins in duckys s blog… it seems like the prizes go to the same people who moderates blogs.. sorry if I noticed wrong but i think its kinda wierd all the people hosting blogs wins other bloggers prizes and vice versa.
Posted on April 13, 2007 at 11:53 pm
Jenn S. (a.k.a. Ducky) said:
@ Shawn: You’re welcome. Now I need to go read the Bible for a couple hours and purge that image from my mind’s eye. Yech. Good luck with all the other trolls; they certainly seem to have come out of the woodwork today.
@ Bane: as one of the bloggers you named, here’s my perspective: the people you mentioned all read each other’s blogs. We entered each others’ drawings, too. But not a lot of other people entered the drawings; those who did comprised a common readership among our blogs. So the odds were actually pretty good that we’d have several overlapping winners and would see several names pop up often.
Posted on April 14, 2007 at 12:47 am
Armen said:
Am I missing something here??
Shawn, what’s going on? Why has my name been mentioned along with some other contrary comments? I’m confused!
Posted on April 14, 2007 at 1:02 am
Molly Mosack said:
Shawn is one of the most self-less, loving, servanthearted people I know. His only motives are to serve and love. Shawn, thank you for being so diligent and kind in the way that you encourage us to pursue God. You are an awesome man of God and greatly, greatly appreciated. Your blog is an ispiration and a blessing. Keep up the good work.
Posted on April 14, 2007 at 1:15 am
Ruth said:
I don’t understand Bane’s last comment either…what my name has to do with it.
anyways, like I said shawn…you’re great and I love your generosity! And yes the real prices you give away are your understanding of the bible. we’re fighting all together to stay awake…
Bless you!
Posted on April 14, 2007 at 1:26 am
Ronalfy said:
Bane,
Not that I feel inclined to defend myself to your trollish remarks, but in the spirit of transparency, I have included the spreadsheet I used to calculate Friday’s winner, which so happened to be Shawn.
Posted on April 14, 2007 at 2:02 am
manisha said:
I think its not true, I am neutral becuse I have not aprticipated in this but it looks someone is jealous and crying like baby for not winning.lol
Posted on April 15, 2007 at 9:30 am
ChriS said:
Molly Mo speaks truth. Shawn keep throwing out the occassional contest and keep raising the bar for IHOP bloggers!
Bring back Radny B.
Posted on April 16, 2007 at 7:16 am