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SLASHDOT XV: CHANGE THE LOGO, IF YOU DARE!

This is your chance to take part in temporarily changing the look of Slashdot! In connection with the site's 15th Anniversary, we're looking for interesting, clever takes on the Slashdot logo -- that is, the

on the front page -- to put up on the page during the month of October, 2012. (Download Transparent Logo PNG)

What are we looking for?

  • Every entry should be your own original work (so, avoid logos and other elements that are copyrighted by others). Think "clean room."
  • Entries should be no more than 160x30, and in PNG or GIF format (note: no JPEGs). We actually need transparent pngs or gifs so that the header background will show through.
  • Animated GIFs are acceptable. We promise, it's only for October
  • Each logo should at least feature the name "Slashdot" in some way (not necessarily strictly recognizable, but it's a place to start), but beyond that, let your imagination rule. You can stick with white on Slashdot green, or vice versa, but need not. The font used in the regular Slashdot logo is Koloss, but be creative.
  • entries can -- and ideally should -- be tied either a) to a specific day of the month (for instance, a logo for october 31st might somehow incorporate hallowe'en, and one for the 12th might link that day to Jeanne-Geneviève Labrosses's 1799 leap from a balloon) or b) to the number 15 or 2012, to represent the 15th anniversary. (pure revamps -- with no date or 15th-year references - are still welcome, though; they just might not light up as many circuits in the judge's imperfect brains.)
  • We'll probably have our favorite selected for any given day by sometime in the preceeding week, so please submit ideas with that in mind. (That is, please don't send an idea intended for Hallowe'en on October 30th, because we'd sadly end up ignoring it.)
  • Besides "Slashdot" and an appropriate number, you may want to somehow capture other aspects ("News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters") about the site.
  • One major avenue to explore: there are lots of ways to represent numbers and days; we're hoping to see lots of creative ideas. See below for some brainstorming ideas on that front.
  • Read the Fine Print:

    Official Rules and Entry Procedure

    NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.
    As a condition of participating in the Geeknet Contest (the "Contest"), entrant agrees to be fully and unconditionally bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Geeknet, Inc. ("Sponsor"), whose decisions shall be final and binding in all respects, and to waive any right to claim ambiguity in the Contest or these Official Rules.

    1. ELIGIBILITY The Contest is open to all individuals who have the legal right to enter into contracts (this may vary between 18-21 years old depending on your jurisdiction) as of October 1, 2012. Directors, officers, employees, contractors, agents or representatives of Geeknet, Inc., and/or its affiliate companies, and their suppliers, as well as the immediate family of the employees (including spouse, and parents, children and siblings, and their respective spouses regardless of where they live) and individuals living in the same households as the employees, whether related or not, are not eligible. The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial, and local laws and regulations and is VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW.

    2. HOW TO ENTER The CONTEST begins 12:00AM Eastern Time on September 15, 2012, and ends at 11:59 PM Eastern Time on October 31, 2012 ("Promotional Period"). During the Promotional Period, you may enter only by:

    Sending a logo design (as detailed above) to: logo15@slashdot.org ("Logo").

    Any form of entry other than those described herein is void. All entries, regardless of the method of entry, become the property of the Sponsor and will not be returned.

    3. SELECTION OF WINNERS Sponsor will select 1 (one) Grand Prize winner, and thirty (30) Runner Up Prize winners in its sole discretion. Drawing will occur on November 1, 2012. Sponsor's decisions are final and binding in all respects.

    4. PRIZES The GRAND PRIZE consists of 1 (one) Nexus Tablet, approximate retail value: $199.00. A total of 30 (thirty) t shirts will be given out as RUNNER UP PRIZES (approximate retail value: $20.00).

    No transfers or cash equivalents of the Prize will be allowed. Winner is responsible for the payment of taxes on the prize and for any other costs and expenses associated with the acceptance and use of a prize not specifically described above. Any required tax reporting forms will be furnished to the IRS or other relevant taxation authority. The assignment of the cash Prize is not assignable or transferable.

    5. ODDS OF WINNING The odds of winning will depend on the number of eligible entries received during the Promotional Period.

    6. WINNER NOTIFICATION Winners will be notified via the email address they supplied at the end of their entry. Winner must notify Sponsor of his/her intent to claim prize and complete a Winner's Agreement and Release form online that will be sent to the Winner no later than midnight (Eastern Time) fourteen (14) days after notice is emailed.

    In the event of non-compliance with these rules, or if the Prize is unclaimed or returned as undeliverable, the Prize will be forfeited. Any forfeited Prize may be awarded to an alternate winner, at Sponsor's discretion.

    7. NAMES OF WINNERS To obtain the name of the Winner, any person may mail a self-addressed, stamped envelope after November 1, 2012 to: Geeknet, Inc., Attn: Geeknet Media Contest, 11216 Waples Mill Rd., Suite 100, Fairfax, VA 22030. Requests must be received no later than December 15, 2012.

    8. PUBLICITY/GRANT OF RIGHTS Except where prohibited by law, by entering the Contest, as a condition of participating in this Contest, entrant agrees to allow Sponsor and its designees to use entrant's name, photograph, likeness, statements, biographical information, voice and city and state address for advertising and promotional purposes for this and similar promotions, worldwide, and in perpetuity, in any and all forms of media, now known or hereafter devised without additional compensation, review or approval rights, notification or permission, except where prohibited by law. Furthermore, Entrant grants to Sponsor a worldwide, irrevocable, royalty-free, fully paid-up, subslicense, transferable, right to use, modify, display, distribute, sell, market, advertise, copy, and publicly perform the Logo. ENTRANT FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IF ENTRANT IS CHOSEN AS A WINNER, ENTRANT'S PERSONAL IDENTIFYING INFORMATION MAY BE DISCLOSED TO THIRD PARTIES INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, PLACING ENTRANT'S NAME ON A WINNERS' LIST. BY ENTERING THIS CONTEST, ENTRANT ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT ENTRANT HAS READ AND CONSENTS TO SPONSOR'S PRIVACY POLICY AND TERMS OF USE.

    9. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY Sponsor is not responsible for: (1) stolen, lost, late, misdirected, damaged, undeliverable or incomplete, inaccurate, delayed, illegible entries due to technical, computer, mechanical, printing, typographical, human or other errors relating to or in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors which may occur in connection with the administration of the Contest, the mailing or transmission of entries, notification or correspondence, the processing of entries, the announcement of the prizes or in any Contest related materials; (2) technical failures of any kinds; (3) failures of any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest; (4) unauthorized human and/or mechanical intervention in any part of the entry process or the Contest; (5) technical or human error that may occur in the administration of the Contest, the sending of entries or the processing of entries; or (6) any injury or damage to persons or property that may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant's participation in the Contest or receipt or use of any prize. If for any reason an entrant's entry is confirmed to have been erroneously deleted, lost or otherwise destroyed, corrupted or for any other reason not accepted as an entry into the Contest, entrant's sole remedy is to submit another entry in the Contest. Sponsor may rescind any Contest entry found to contain such errors or failures without liability at its sole discretion.

    As a condition of participating in this Contest, entrant agrees to release, indemnify and hold harmless the Sponsor and its affiliate companies, and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, prize suppliers, and Sponsor's advertising and promotion agencies and all their affiliates, and each of their respective agents, representatives, officers, managers, directors, members, shareholders and employees from and against any injuries, losses, damages, claims, actions and any liability of any kind resulting from or arising from participation in the Contest, including acceptance, possession, use, misuse or nonuse (including any travel or travel-related activity thereto) of the prize that may be awarded, or any injury or for damage to entrant's or any other person's computer or wireless device relating to or resulting from participation in this Contest or downloading any materials in this Contest, or inability to access any web site or wireless service associated with this promotion, or any combination thereof. Entrants agree that the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia will govern any and all disputes.

    Still with us? Please take part! You certainly don't need to be a professional artist. (Or even a sentient being, for all you Turing machines with Logo turtles. Actually, you do need to be a sentient being, as detailed above by the legal department.)

    Please email your entry to: logo15@slashdot.org with "Anniversary Logo Day Unspecified" in the subject line and change "Day unspecified" to "Day 14" or "Day 27" (etc), if your logo is intended for a certain day, along with the following information (to be used for the purposes of this logo hunt, not marketing) in the body of your email:

    Brainstorming Ideas

    Your ideas can go as far as you'd like within the limited rectangle available; the worst we can do is not use them. Inside the box, outside the box, jumping from the box into a hot coffin made of dark matter and wax, whatever floats your boat. Below are a few leaping-off points in thinking about how to creatively depict numbers (remember to include day numbers, or the magic "15" for the 15th anniversary, or 2012 as the anniversary year ... ) as part of the logo. But don't be confined to them! (For many more idea generation starting points, remember that Wikipedia has extensive entries on many numbers, including all the ones from 1-31, and 2012.)

    The tricky part: realize that everyone else who sees this page has already seen the same ideas. On the other hand, it's unlikely any two people will have the same slant and style, so don't let that bother you too much.

    Sketch away!

    Comparing information and knowledge is like asking whether the fatness of a pig is more or less green than the designated hitter rule." -- David Guaspari

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