I've deferred posting again to this discussion, because I didn't want to try and push a particular argument. I just wanted to put forward my own opinion, because I had been asked for it and wanted it represented. I'm posting now because there seems to be some discontent seeping in on both sides; that I can use the word "sides" at all says a lot. This is really unfortunate.

I have no reason to doubt that Google is operating this competition in good faith. I'm sure that all of its Android related staff are working very hard to give the platform a successful launch: they take the time to answer many of the developer group queries, they seem to have been responsive to feedback, and in my opinion at least, they've made the effort to produce a significant amount of useful documentation for such a young platform. So even if Google retrospectively seek to adjust the rules of the competition, I won't air any grievance (even though I don't agree) because I'm sure that they will be doing so for the benefit of a platform that we have all chosen to work with.

To the extent that changes to the competition may have negative consequences for some, surely no-one wants to see a significant number of pathetic applications awarded prize money simply because there weren't many good entries completed in time for submission. Certainly this is something with which almost all of us agree: we want a successful competition.

Of course we differ on how to make the competition more successful. My personal analysis is that extending the deadline probably won't increase the number of good entries, which is one reason for my opposition to lengthening the duration of the competition, but I readily accept that I could be quite wrong in this. While still opposed to extending the deadline for all the reasons I've given previously, I'm aware that only Google's staff know the number and quality of the applications they have so far received.

If it is deemed necessary to extend the competition then I propose a compromise along the following lines (dates and numbers can be adjusted as deemed desirable):

* At the end of the stated submission period (March 3rd) the best 10 applications received prior to that deadline are chosen with teams being notified approximately three weeks hence.

* Submissions for this phase continue to be accepted after the March 3rd deadline.

* The remaining 10 best submissions are chosen from those applications received before March 10th with teams being notified approximately three weeks hence.

* And so on for a further 3 weeks so that 50 applications are chosen.

* The closing date for the second part of the challenge remains as May 1st. This has the consequence that teams that are only successful in the later weeks won't have much (if any) time to ready their applications for resubmission.

This was the most equitable compromise I could think of. It has the benefit of not putting back Google's schedule and leaves all entrants with the same overall time but allows more time for those who need it to get their applications off the ground.

Tom

On Jan 22, 1:04 am, "Dan Morrill" <morr...@google.com> wrote: