Coming Soon: Finalists!

Hey there friends,

We're now over three weeks into the judging phase of the UGM Competition, and I'm sure all of us who entered are waiting on pins and needles for more news out of the TWiT Camp.  There hasn't been much news in the past week or so, which is why I haven't posted. I figure it's better to update when I've got something new or interesting to say, rather than bore you all with daily minutiae.

Word on the street is that Leo hopes to announce the finalists (however many there end up being) this month. With just a week left in March, we should know very soon if I'll be continuing on to the voting phase of the UGM contest.  I've got some great stuff planned for that eventuality, and you can expect the campaign to be in full force, out there working the tubes to earn every vote I can. I'm also really excited that the venerable Kiwinerd has agreed in principle to moderate a public debate among finalists, and I will actively recruit endorsements from prominent community members.

In the mean time, there is plenty you can do to: help spread the word. My favorite contribution is when fans take an idea and run with it like NiteInJail did.  Now Daniels from the TWiT Live IRC chat has stepped it up a notch and produced a Campaign Commercial for me! How cool is that?!?! Please give it a bunch of views, and tweet it, and let Daniels know how much you liked it in the comments section, or email him (captcha prevents spam).

Daniels Campaign Commercial from Gabe McGuinness on Vimeo.

On a side note, I've registered, and set up a place holder site at PopTheBall.Org as a place to make it easier for folks who would like to pool their TWiT donations to take advantage of one of the new events large donations will trigger.  Leo has mentioned, for instance, that a $1000 donation might pop the ball he sits on.  I'd love to get your feedback on the idea, and if any web-devs out there are familiar with Paypal's IPN (Instant Payment Notification) system, and would like to help out with the site, I'd love to talk, please email me at: PopTheBall@Gmail.com