Pre-Season Wrap-Up (Newcomers, read this first!)
UHUB...@gmail.com
best blogger in order to win a $500 dollar prize package. Each week
consists of two challenges and two eliminations. The winner of the
challenge is determined by the game hosts and guest judges, and you if
you win you are granted immunity for that round. Then all players vote
off one blogger.
On May 23rd, 2005 The Ultimate Blogger competition stormed into the
universe, surprising the entire internet with its brilliance of concept
and beauty of design. Word spread fast. Before the week was out nearly
300 applications had been received from all around the world. Game
founders, Mike, Steve, and Jona, along with a small group of highly
intelligent and attractive associates poured over the applications in
order to decide who would get the chance to compete for the title, "The
Ultimate Blogger." Applicant blogs were read, hundreds of links were
followed, fierce discussions were had, and eventually, after many
grueling hours, 300 became 12. By all accounts, this was not an easy
process.
We, the UHUBUGGG, waited with bated breath...
On Monday, April 30th the blogosphere was reinvented, and the names of
The Twelve were announced.
They represent many different voices, opinions, styles, and walks of
life.
Here's the breakdown:
10 have blogs, 2 have never blogged.
4 are women, 8 are men.
8 live in the United States, 4 live in various countries in Asia.
One contestant already has a blog on UrbanHonking; 2 others were known
to the UrbanHonking community before the competition began.
11 contestants will be eliminated, one will be named The Ultimage
Blogger.
Pictures, profiles, and blog links are available on the official site
(http://www.urbanhonking.com/ultimateblogger/).
The first challenge had not yet been unveiled, but the competition had
definitely begun. Comments threads exploded with excitement, curiosity,
and anticipation, as well as some some angry words from people who had
not made the final cut. Then came The Den.
(http://www.urbanhonking.com/ultimateblogger/den)
The Den is where contestants are free to post blog entries. This
includes their answers to the semiweekly challenges as well as anything
else they wish to share. Mimi was the first to post in the Den, and she
set the tone of of casual introductions. Before long, all players had
introduced themselves.
Of those first few posts there are several that stand out. Mimi's first
entry prompted early and continued flirtation with Belorussian
participant Lyova. Medya posted about toilets of different cultures,
and several people, players and spectators, commented in kind. Sonny
defined himself as "conservative," which got the comments flowing;
nothing too vitriolic so far, though (perhaps people are playing it
safe during the early stages until the strategies and alliances become
clear?). Ritchey kicked it up a notch with a strong political start,
spurring a flood of comments about illegal immigration to the US
(including lots of comments from a racist jerk called Stratton.) There
was somewhat of flame war between contestant Joel Bechtolt and rejected
Ultimate Blogger applicant Kirsten, but we won't repeat the details
here because it was boring and irritating. Everything else about the
competition is so far from boring and irritating that wasting our time
talking about that seems unwarranted.
As soon as people started to get comfortable, Mike, Steve and Jona put
the pressure on by sharing with us a brilliant video about the first
blogging challenge.
(http://www.urbanhonking.com/ultimateblogger/archives/2005/05/challenge_one.html)
The challenge: blog about food, and don't be boring. To read about how
the contestants answered that challenge, read Daily Digest 1.