FAQ

FAQ

Q: What is the best way to promote my entry?
A: Creative promotion is part of the contest and part of the fun but keep in mind that some of the most successful Contagious Media of all time projects did not require any promotion at all. Whether you can tell the world about your entry or just a few friends make sure you abide by the rules and spirit of the Festival.

Q: Am I allowed to link to my entry from my own web site or blog?
A: Yes, and that could be an excellent way to launch your project.

Q: Couldn’t a popular blogger enter a mediocre project but win because he can send so much traffic to his own entry?
A: When a project is truly contagious, it gets links from hundreds of sites and coverage in the mainstream media. Even an extremely popular blog cannot match that kind of traffic on its own.

Q: Can my entry include video, audio, flash, images, or other media files?
A: Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.

Q: How do I embed my video or other media file into my web site?
A: The Contagious Festival server does not allow direct linking to media files. That means you need to embed your video, audio, or other media files in your site. There are many resources on the web explaining how to embed media into your site:
http://cit.ucsf.edu/embedmedia/step1.php
http://www.htmlgoodies.com/tutorials/web_graphics/article.php/3480061
http://www.yourhtmlsource.com/images/multimedia.html

Q: Can my entry be database driven or run server side code?
A: No, you cannot run code or a database on the Festival server. However, your entry can include client side code like JavaScript or Flash.

Q: I am having technical problems, how do I get help?
A: To enter the contest you need to know how to create a basic web page and use FTP. We can’t provide any support for web development issues so if you need this sort of assistance we encourage you to recruit a friend with web development experience to be a member of your team. On the other hand, if there is a bug or problem with the Festival site, please send us an email at festivalhelp@huffingtonpost.com.

Q: If I win, can I give my prize to someone else?
A: No, prizes are non-transferable. If you have the skills to win the contest, you will be the one who is awarded the prize.

Q: Can I anonymously submit an entry?
A: With the exception of the project title and the entry itself, we will not share your identity or registration information with the public withour your expressed permission.

Q: Why am I limited to only 15MB of web space?
A: The Contagious Festival is geared toward small projects that are easy to forward and share. 15MB is plenty of space for viral content and gives a uniform limit for all contestants.

Q: If people like my entry, can they contact me directly?
A: Sure, but you need to put a contact email address on your site. The Festival cannot provide email accounts but there are many free email services you can use for your entry. If your project gets popular, you will receive a bunch of emails from adoring fans and reporters looking for interviews.

Q: Am I allowed to remix video, sound, or images from other sources?
A: Copyright is a touchy subject and you are responsible for making your own decisions. Fair use does permit the use of copyrighted materials for certain purposes, such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research but there is a fine line between fair use and the theft of someone else’s creative work.

Q: Is there a limit to the number of times I can enter the contest?
A: No, you could enter the contest every month if you wanted. The only limitation is that for any given month you can only be the primary contact for one entry and you can only submit a maximum of four total entries as a member of a collaborative group.

Q: Will I be at a huge disadvantage if I don’t enter on the first of the month?
A: A month is a long time on the web. If you entered a week or two late with a great project, you would still have a shot at winning the People’s Choice contest. Also, entering late makes it easier to be featured as a “top gainer” since starting at the bottom gives you a larger distance to climb. And even if you can’t catch up in terms of traffic, you could still win the Jury Prize because it is not based on unique visitors.

Q: I have clicked the publish button, why is my entry is still not live?
A: When you click publish, it notifies the Festival administrators. They need to remove the password protection from your site. This should happen quickly, and we will notify via email you when your site is live.

Q: Is the Contagious Festival related to the Eyebeam Contagious Media Showdown?
A: Eyebeam is a non-profit center for art and technology based in New York City. The Huffington Post Festival was inspired in part by Eyebeam’s highly successful Showdown. On a personal note, the Director of R&D at Eyebeam is also a member of the Huffington Post team.

Q: My project is brilliant, why isn’t it getting any traffic?
A: There is no accounting for the taste of the masses.

Q: What is the web address of my entry?
A: When you sign up you select a subdomain for your project. This subdomain is reserved for your entry and will be the beginning of your URL followed by cf.huffingtonpost.com. For example, if you select “project” as your subdomain, your site will be viewable at project.cf.huffingtonpost.com.

Q: I picked my subdomain and uploaded my site. Why don’t I see my site at my web address?
A: You need to upload an index.html page to your main director. That is the first page people will see when they visit your entry.

Q: Can a change my subdomain?
A: No, but if you have not published you can always create a brand new account with a different subdomain.

Q: Can I delete my account if I am not going to use it?
A: You do not need to delete an unused account because it will not be publicly viewable if you never publish. You can just create a new account and ignore the one you don’t want to use.

Q: I signed up for an account but did not get a confirmation email. What should I do?
A: Your confirmation email may have been blocked by an overly sensitive SPAM filter. If you have access to your junk mail folder, you can look to see if the confirmation email is there. Otherwise, email us at festivalhelp@huffingtonpost.com so we can manually activate your account.

Q: I uploaded my entry, how do I publish it?
A: Go to the web address of your entry to preview it. You will see a message above your entry with a link that lets you go to the login page to publish your entry. Click the link, login with your user name and password, and press publish. This will send a message to the contest administrator who will remove the password on the entry.

Q: Can I publish my entry before the contest period starts?
A: You can press publish before the contest starts but your site won’t become public until the first of the month.

Q: Can I change my entry once the contest is live?
A: Sure, tweak all you want.

Q: How do I retrieve a forgotten password?
A: Go to the login page (http://cf.huffingtonpost.com/hpcm/profile) and let us know you forgot your password.