Dear all,

Could you share with us your awards giving algorithm?

We (Wikimedia Ukraine) awarded the winners at the ceremony itself and sent the prizes by post to the ones that were not able to come in person.

This year there are talks of abandoning this practice and switching to "The Participant is to be present at the Awards Giving Ceremony to get the prizes" (but it seems a bit too expensive for me, as we compensate winners' travel costs, and sending by post is usually cheaper, than paying for "there and back again"). I have found out that sometimes the contest rules set some time period for winners to contact, and it sounds something like this:

The Organizer will use reasonable efforts to contact the Winners, but in the event the Organizer cannot contact Winners within "_____" business days from the time of judging, that Participant shall be deemed void.

On one hand, it DOES take time to find out the real person behind the nickname sometimes, and storing the prizes seems okay for two weeks (a months?), but after a long while it just seems that people do not care - why should we?

On the other hand, if a winner really can't come then and there - why deprive him or her of getting the deserved?

I would root for someting like giving a month to contact the Organizer. If failed - the prize becomes a donation to some other contest.

I really would love to hear your thoughts about this

Thank you very much,

antanana