Monday, October 18, 2004
It's about that time again.
Thanks to the power of the tracker, I can find out who's been doing what when they came here. I discovered that one of the search terms that selected here was "codes to win on weetabix olympic virtual game". What? A lo and behold later, I found that there was indeed a code for some competition inside the Weetabix box that was about to go into recycling. Seeing as it's a website, and not some £1.50 per minute phone line, I thought I might investigate. I did. My code apparently wins me a 4th place prize on this website. Oooh.
And then. Nothing. Because I notice, that whilst I can review the prize descriptions, and be assured I've won one of them, and that there are about 2,500 of any of them left, there's no apparent way of claiming my prize. There's no obscure way either, having investigated every graphic on the site.
To be told you've won a digital camera or mountain bike or somesuch, whilst wondering what the catch is, is about par for the course. To not even be able to get as far as finding out what the catch is, is really rather annoying. I have a hunch it's the result of Weetabix's Flash designers not knowing about Firefox - but there was no mention of supported platforms and browsers (and it's not unreasonable to be not using IE). Firefox itself has had none of the usual missing plug-ins or blocked pop-ups messages.
So I've now got a window I daren't close (there's no way of re-entering the same section of the site, having tried in different Firefox and Mozilla windows), and am waiting for their feedback option to respond. Except the feedback option seems to oddly similar to contact options that invariably lead directly into the "permanently pending" file [the file for purple praise, and the communications of deranged individuals, both of which are only ever looked at to provide comedy at the office Christmas party].
One curiosity raised by all this. I have a challenge for you lot. See how quickly you can find out how much a call to Weetabix's competition line - 0871 5500870 - costs. For ease, it had better be from a normal residential BT Line, and let's say it's for all of 2 and half minutes. Answers on the back of a postcard (or in the comments will do).
Onto other ludicrously misdirected searches.
- hinchley yachts download. I have no idea. Hinchley doesn't appear to be a brand, and searching for just the first two terms brings up stuff about yachts in Guildford. Yes, that's right, the one which is nowhere near the sea.
- "prince harry" dyslexic. Is he? So where on the "dyslexia is cool" poster does he go? Next to Eddie Izzard, or next to Anthea Turner [who found herself skilfully excised from the display when a week]?
- legoland mi6. Just like Disneyland is a CIA front [according to someone today].
- b3ta sausages tesco. I'm not sure I want to know.
- indian agricultural machinery and implements like "tiller" and its history. Tiller? Ah, that which tills, not that which connects to the rudder. As for the history of such tools, all I know is based around the inventions of improbably named Englishmen.
- "Jersey royals" cartoon. The Simpsons in small potatoes? Some advert I haven't seen? Or is the land of the golden apple[1] home to the heirs of the dauphin?
- need to download rootjoose. Sorry, no can do.
- wardour street church+monument. Look, I just about know where Wardour Street is, beyond that, Google'll be more help. I assume the searcher means the one in Soho [in London], although how many others exist in the world?
- "the sea cow" clapham. Over-price fish and chip shop. See here. Next.
- blograffiti. Start=150. Immensely bored, or the site owner? Or both?
- finnisterre clothing. Quel Finnisterre ou Finisterre? France, Spain or Papua New Guinea?
[1] You'll kick me when you get it.
Anyhoo,
Thanks to the power of the tracker, I can find out who's been doing what when they came here. I discovered that one of the search terms that selected here was "codes to win on weetabix olympic virtual game". What? A lo and behold later, I found that there was indeed a code for some competition inside the Weetabix box that was about to go into recycling. Seeing as it's a website, and not some £1.50 per minute phone line, I thought I might investigate. I did. My code apparently wins me a 4th place prize on this website. Oooh.
And then. Nothing. Because I notice, that whilst I can review the prize descriptions, and be assured I've won one of them, and that there are about 2,500 of any of them left, there's no apparent way of claiming my prize. There's no obscure way either, having investigated every graphic on the site.
To be told you've won a digital camera or mountain bike or somesuch, whilst wondering what the catch is, is about par for the course. To not even be able to get as far as finding out what the catch is, is really rather annoying. I have a hunch it's the result of Weetabix's Flash designers not knowing about Firefox - but there was no mention of supported platforms and browsers (and it's not unreasonable to be not using IE). Firefox itself has had none of the usual missing plug-ins or blocked pop-ups messages.
So I've now got a window I daren't close (there's no way of re-entering the same section of the site, having tried in different Firefox and Mozilla windows), and am waiting for their feedback option to respond. Except the feedback option seems to oddly similar to contact options that invariably lead directly into the "permanently pending" file [the file for purple praise, and the communications of deranged individuals, both of which are only ever looked at to provide comedy at the office Christmas party].
One curiosity raised by all this. I have a challenge for you lot. See how quickly you can find out how much a call to Weetabix's competition line - 0871 5500870 - costs. For ease, it had better be from a normal residential BT Line, and let's say it's for all of 2 and half minutes. Answers on the back of a postcard (or in the comments will do).
Onto other ludicrously misdirected searches.
- hinchley yachts download. I have no idea. Hinchley doesn't appear to be a brand, and searching for just the first two terms brings up stuff about yachts in Guildford. Yes, that's right, the one which is nowhere near the sea.
- "prince harry" dyslexic. Is he? So where on the "dyslexia is cool" poster does he go? Next to Eddie Izzard, or next to Anthea Turner [who found herself skilfully excised from the display when a week]?
- legoland mi6. Just like Disneyland is a CIA front [according to someone today].
- b3ta sausages tesco. I'm not sure I want to know.
- indian agricultural machinery and implements like "tiller" and its history. Tiller? Ah, that which tills, not that which connects to the rudder. As for the history of such tools, all I know is based around the inventions of improbably named Englishmen.
- "Jersey royals" cartoon. The Simpsons in small potatoes? Some advert I haven't seen? Or is the land of the golden apple[1] home to the heirs of the dauphin?
- need to download rootjoose. Sorry, no can do.
- wardour street church+monument. Look, I just about know where Wardour Street is, beyond that, Google'll be more help. I assume the searcher means the one in Soho [in London], although how many others exist in the world?
- "the sea cow" clapham. Over-price fish and chip shop. See here. Next.
- blograffiti. Start=150. Immensely bored, or the site owner? Or both?
- finnisterre clothing. Quel Finnisterre ou Finisterre? France, Spain or Papua New Guinea?
[1] You'll kick me when you get it.
Anyhoo,
