Abandoned Temporarily Stopped - Till new Content is Setup

Discussion in 'Community Contests/Giveaways' started by The | Suit, Oct 29, 2014.

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  1. The | Suit

    The | Suit Agent S. Forum Moderator

    Current Give Away - F.E.A.R
    Due Date: December - 25th



    Please Read Contest Info and Rules before submitting.

    The Contest is done to prove your mettle in various fields. I will try to diversify the fields as much as possible to keep each contest interesting. Contests may range from debate topics \ art \ website hunt \ etc.
    Some important rules though
    • A winner will not be eligible for another contest for 6 months. [ To give others a chance at free games ]
    • Only One entry - per participant - per contest.
    • You may change your entry as much as you like till the due date.
    • The Contest will end on the Due date at 12pm Greenwich standard time.
    • May take upto 1 week to decide the winner. Winner will be notified by PM, and name posted in thread.
    • Entries must of course be in English.
    • Contest maybe extended if the contest does not get at least minimum of 10 participants. This rule may or may not be enforced and is solely upto me.
    • Contest will be held once a month, until supplies run out.
    • You must be registered for at least 1 month on SB forums, showing some activity to be considered eligible.
    *Rules may change as necessary - note will be placed on top if they do



    [​IMG]

    Contest #2
    Due Date: December 25th
    Winner: ??
    Last Accepted Post:
    Contest Type:
    Renaissance

    Fear is an emotion which protects us as well as hinders us. Though everyone fears different things, the fear of the dark and unknown has haunted many people throughout history. Enough so an ancient text written in the 19th century cataloged these creatures.

    Find the Book. [ Please do not post name of book if you find it - that is part of the challenge ]
    Choose a Demon.
    Either Draw it, write a story about it, poem about it, etc. Any art form is welcome to prove your mettle.

    If you need help finding the book - here is a simple puzzle.

    5 - 4
    DIAIRIOINNCNRFATNEEL


    [​IMG]

    For More info: http://store.steampowered.com/app/207170/
    Count Down Timer: http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20141125T12&p0=769&msg=Grimrock Contest&csz=1&swk=1

    Contest #1
    Prize: Legend of Grimrock [ Steam ]
    Due Date: November 25th 2014
    Winner: @TrueEdge
    Last Accepted Post: http://community.playstarbound.com/index.php?threads/prove-your-mettle-f-e-a-r.85585/#post-2309927


    Contest Type: Prove your Case
    With 500 words or less, what do you think is the greatest problem humanity will face within the next 50 years and why?

    *Special Note
    • I will not be looking at; grammar \ fluidity \ or any other form of language barrier wall. Simply the strength of the argument and the facts to back it up.
    • If you already own Legend of Grimrock on Steam - note this key will not provide you an "extra" copy. The key will be null and void upon using, hence wasting the key. Please do not participate if you have a Steam copy of Legend of Grimrock already.
    • You are free believe in the same point as another person. In the end only the person with the strongest arguments and facts to back it up will win. If you don't think you can beat their case on that subject, try looking at another problem. There is no "Right" Answer.
     
    Last edited: Nov 26, 2014
  2. Jonesy

    Jonesy Sarif's Attack Kangaroo Forum Moderator

    I would say climate change, hands down. It technically has the potential to wipe out all life on the planet (especially should melting permafrost unleash pockets of methane and other nasties), but that's a worse case scenario, and I don't think it will get to that stage. I would wager that humanity (and likely civilization) will survive, but not in a good way. Basically, climate change will ultimately exasperate problems we already have. Rising sea levels and flooding will turn millions into refugees, all the while reducing the amount of land we have at our disposal. Warmer conditions lead to more droughts, in turn playing havoc with food and water production. Violent weather patterns will take lives, destroy infrastructure and gobble up GDP with damage bills. The tropics will expand, bringing with them tropical diseases to places that have never encountered them. The geopolitical situation will deteriorate, as wars are fought over resources, failed states are created and ecologically motivated terrorism rises. Depressing to read about? Just imagine the mental health situation will be for people forced to live in that world.

    It's not a lost cause yet. We have the technology to reduce emissions and, to some degree, mitigate the damage (it's too late to avert it), but the lack of political will can only be described as horrifying. Conflicting ideologies, petty bipartisanism, interference from special interest groups, filibustering, a 'laissez faire' approach to economic growth and generally decentralized system of national governments has all but caused a deadlock. In the US, Obama cannot rely on Congress to pass anything climate-related due to the Republicans. The EU is forced to accept watered down (albeit still ambitious) targets. Australia no longer has any climate policies, aside from a renewable energy target which is currently facing cuts or abolition. All the while, we are as reliant on fossil fuels as ever (though some speculate economic growth has recently decoupled from fossil fuel consumption in some countries), and emissions are at an all time high.

    That said, highly polluting nations like China and India do believe the issue needs to be addressed, and are already setting plans in motion. Everyone else may get into gear, especially come the landmark summit in Paris next year where a binding global deal will hopefully be reached. Or, we will have a repeat of Copenhagen, and another year of unchecked emissions will continue until the next year. We still have time, but it's ticking down. Either way, we can only hope our children will forgive us for what we have and have not done.
     
    Shock and rhomboid like this.
  3. rhomboid

    rhomboid 0118 999 881 99 9119 725... 3

    [not a refute after all~]

    I'd say that the biggest problem we'll have in the next 50 years is the way governments are treating the Internet. From a philosophical point of view, it's the most powerful tool since the printing press, and its relative (to the press) power has the ability to change the world just as drastically, if not more so, and much more quickly. Similarly, the best thing you can do for a civilization is give them access to information, allowing for citizens to become more knowledgeable, as a general rule, thus allowing them to make informed decisions on both their personal lives and political issues.
    The Internet is perhaps the most concentrated form of knowledge and thought that the world will ever see, allowing billions of people to be connected and discuss issues with each other. It allows everyone to come upon an issue and immediately find out more information about it. It allows for people we previously perceived as outcasts to find a group they belong to, and encourages people to be sociable in ways that were previously impossible. It also provides a nigh-endless stream of cat videos. It makes it more difficult for any kind of organized agency to delude the population, because (whether they choose to or not) people have the ability to fact-check with the rest of the world. It's becoming less common for scientific papers to be stored in a 7 floor university library, and instead be readily available online.
    China, for instance, blocked every single news article on the Hong Kong protests that they could from the internet. Most of the Chinese population either didn't care, didn't know what was going on, or hadn't heard there were protests. I live in China, but I was able to keep on top of what was happening because I have friends in countries who don't deal with internet censorship, and asking them for information was trivial. Anecdotal, yes, but relevant nonetheless.
    However, western governments have historically (so far, it's been only 20 years or so) been largely trying to control and/or limit the use of the Internet. As I'm sure we can remember, this was most obvious during the 2010-12 era of SOPA/PIPA/ACTA/TRIA/etc. Personally, I imagine that they will turn to internet provider companies for more subtle internet control in the future. From a control perspective, this makes sense, because an uninformed population is easier to control than an informed one. However, from the perspective of an individual in a civilization, who has access (thanks to the Internet, for me) to historical records (most notably the advent of the printing press), it's clear that the best course of action is to keep the internet free, uncensored, and open.
    The next 50 years are the most important time for the internet, since it changes so quickly and is so new. This is the developmental stage, and how we treat it now will probably affect the whole future of information.


    The clear solution is to not have children!~
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2014
  4. Tomato Master

    Tomato Master Noob Simulator 2014

    Pollution.
    What, you said 500 words or less.
    Edit: So I guess I should make this a good arguement. So.. Pollution is bad for you.
    Have I convinced you that I should get this game yet?
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2014
    The | Suit likes this.
  5. rhomboid

    rhomboid 0118 999 881 99 9119 725... 3

    I'm thinking this might come in handy for people :3

    [edit] I can stick this in my first post if you like, and delete this one to keep it tidy
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2014
    The | Suit likes this.
  6. Tomato Master

    Tomato Master Noob Simulator 2014

    I would try to actually do something, but I'm too lazy.
     
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  7. Juice Box

    Juice Box Pangalactic Porcupine

    China has big electronic billboards of the rising sun that turn on in the morning, due to the fact that people were starting to miss seeing the sun because of the thick smog layers.
    Pollution is big, and more and more JB is starting to feel more sorry for his likely, future grandchildren.

    Don't include JB in the competition, just getting included in the conversation
     
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  8. rhomboid

    rhomboid 0118 999 881 99 9119 725... 3

    I'd love to see them. Where are they?

    I'd say over 3/4s of all the mornings I've witnessed have visible sunrises, and all the massive billboards I've seen have hilarious chinese anime advertisements on them. [edit] Or error codes. I've seen a lot of error codes and they're always hilarious too.
     
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  9. Juice Box

    Juice Box Pangalactic Porcupine

    JB saw em on Reddit :sarcasm:
     
  10. rhomboid

    rhomboid 0118 999 881 99 9119 725... 3

    Maybe they're not in Beijing then. I wouldn't be surprised if Guangzhou had something like that.
     
  11. The | Suit

    The | Suit Agent S. Forum Moderator

  12. rhomboid

    rhomboid 0118 999 881 99 9119 725... 3

    That would explain it, lol. I've been avoiding Tiananmen, so I haven't seen it since the 90s. There were no giant LEDs back then o3o

    It's weird that they don't have them in the business district though, as that's where most people are during early mornings.
     
  13. rhomboid

    rhomboid 0118 999 881 99 9119 725... 3

    On the topic, IPCC just released a huge study of over 30 000 peer reviewed, longitudinal scientific studies on climate change, and the result is overwhelmingly that 1. climate change is a thing (surprise surprise), 2. man is almost definitely to blame, and 3. we'd have to drop emission levels to zero or below (actively mining CO2 out of the air) by 2100 to reverse the process.
     
  14. TrueEdge

    TrueEdge Phantasmal Quasar

    My argument will be workforce barriers and increased "intelligent" crime. As work requires more efficiency, more technical work will be required. This means that people who know how to code, make software, and understand bureaucracy, and accounting, will be the commodity of the new world. Anyone unable to keep up with software will be left in the dust and relegated to grunt work in cubicles or part time positions. As the Enlightened become a more elite class of people who understand the complex workings of the government and only those of close friends or genius intellects will be able to achieve these positions of power. Knowledge will be concentrated to the few as the more and more specific and technical knowledge required becomes extremely expensive to acquire.

    Then once this happens, life for the poor will be a desperate struggle to educate their children to the point of over-pressured caused suicide, as seen in the Indian movie, The 3 Idiots. Children that fail fit into this curve will be turned to the life of crime in a Gotham-esque world where very intelligent people roam the streets not because they are unintelligent, but because they feel like their true worth is being wasted. As information becomes easily accessible by a simple swipe of a finger, knowledge-adeptness confirmed by a college/university degree will become worthless, yet a person would seem ignorant for not knowing information that is nearly spoon fed to anyone with a brain and internet access, as shown in a SMBC daily web-comic I will find later (or not).
     
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  15. TheNarrator

    TheNarrator Subatomic Cosmonaut

    Contest Type: Prove your Case
    With 500 words or less, what do you think is the greatest problem humanity will face within the next 50 years and why?

    Within the next 50 years, the greatest problem of humanity will be greed, as it has been all this time.
    Because of a greed for power, governments all over the world pass laws to keep all their citizens (and often citizens of other countries) under constant surveillance. Because of a greed for power, corporate spending and lobbying of corporate organisations to influence the political system will increase even further in the next 50 years, bringing most democracies beyond the point where power belongs to the people. Because of the population's greed for safety and their desire for a lazy lifestyle, people will accept the decline in citizenrights over time in the west (as they already do now).
    Because of the greed of the few, the division of financial ressources between rich and poor will increase even further. Poverty could not exist if it wouldn't be for those, who make profits off the back of others and still yearn for more and more. Speaking of poverty: The greed for resources is more and more likely to spawn conflicts and start wars in the future. China and Japan are fighting over the Senkaku Islands and gear up for war while other states (USA), bomb, kill, hunt and "liberate" entire countries that happen to be rich in oil reserves. Iraq tried to establish an international oil market that deals the barrel in Euro, breaking the US Dollar monopoly on oil barrel trade. Greed for power and ressources at its finest.
    It's also due to the barbaric greed for profit that pollution and climate change are troubles of our time. These problems are so severe that an increase in tornados, taifuns, droughts will lead to deaths in everincreasing numbers. Pollution and climate change are only outcomes of the root of problems called greed. There are some estimations that half of china's waterreserve are not fit for consumption. Air pollution is so severe in China that even infants get lung cancer. Why are our rainforests decimated every day by the size of several football fields? Because of greed, too. I'll argued that all problems and threats mentioned so far are only symptoms of the real problem; greed.
    Without greed in the heart of people none of these problems would be there. You could argue that greed also has it's positive side, but even if greed would be a double edged sword - it would still be deadly for humanity.

    I rest my case. :redpanda:
     
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  16. The Squid

    The Squid Oxygen Tank

    I'd just like to point out that in about four billion years the sun will turn into a red giant and destroy much of our solar system, including Earth. So unless we can invent some form of super fast space travel, humanity's extinction is pretty much inevitable. To get to that point, however, we have to deal with natural disasters, global warming, climate change, pollution, dwindling energy supplies, poverty, terrorism, wars, obnoxious people, pollution, stupid people, corporate greed, over-population, horses, droughts, floods, black holes,colliding galaxies/planets, possibly hostile intelligent alien life, geometry, violence, anger, waiting for the official release of Starbound, hunger, noisy people, substance abuse, robots becoming self aware, greenhouse gasses, bad puns, overflowing landfills, deforestation, cybercrime, continental drift (not for a long time, but still), injustice, the ice caps melting, conflicting religions, disease, the giant hole in the ozone layer, all of the catastrophes in the Middle East, nuclear weapons, bioweapons, racism, pollution, and lots of other bad stuff that I'll add later.
     
    Last edited: Nov 23, 2014
  17. The | Suit

    The | Suit Agent S. Forum Moderator

    Contest #1 Has ended.
    Winner: @TrueEdge

    I would like to thank everyone who has participated, I wish you all the best of luck for Contest #2.
    If you would like an indepth analysis of your answers, just PM me.

    Contest #2 Has started.
    Prove your mettle: The Renaissance of Demonology.
     
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  18. TrueEdge

    TrueEdge Phantasmal Quasar

    The | Suit likes this.
  19. rhomboid

    rhomboid 0118 999 881 99 9119 725... 3

    Nicely done!
     
    TrueEdge likes this.
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