Shucking n' jiving...


Jack Campbell's DVForge.com site earlier posted the following:

Contest goal--To lay to rest, once and for all, the myths surrounding the lack of spreading computer virii on the Macintosh OS X operating system, by sponsoring a contest that challenges virus writers to actually prove that they can introduce a harmless virus into two modern OS X Macs.

Nevertheless, today we learn that not only is contest off, but the $25,000 offered an ordinary citizen and $50,000 offered to a Symantec employee has also up and walked. We know it took Jack at least five hours to lose his nerve because Slashdot lists both the announcement and retraction in the same piece, about five hours apart.

A statement about the contest cancellation:

"In response to the statements put forth this past week by Symantec Corporation suggesting that Mac users are at substantial risk to infections from viruses, our company crafted and announced a contest that would have paid a $25,000 prize for the successful creation of such a virus," said Jack Campbell, DVForge, Inc. CEO, "During the first several hours after making the public announcement, I was contacted by a large number of Mac users and Mac software professionals who shared their thinking with me about the contest. [Ed--So, that means you were going to loose, right? Lost your nerve that easily!?!] A few of these people are extremely well-regarded experts in the field of Mac OS X security. So, I have taken their advice very seriously and have made the difficult decision to cancel our contest ... More importantly, I have been convinced that there may be legality issues stemming from such a contest, beyond those determined by our own legal counsel, prior to announcing the contest. [Ed--Perhaps] So, despite my personal distaste for what some companies have done to take advantage of virus fears among the Mac community, and my own inclination to make a bold statement in response to those fears, I have no responsible choice but to retract the contest, effective immediately."

So, Jack loosed this half-baked contest, and cancels it after experts said he would lose and lawyers said he might be in for it? Goodness, lawyers will always say you're at risk, just like doctors or, for that matter, Symantec.

But, wait, isn't that what this was about? Slapping down irresponsible jawboning? Putting your money where your mouth is?

Then again, we have seen shenanigans like this, and worse, from Jack before. Yes, this is the same person that said of the would-be makers of the SuperShuffle, "In my view, it was one of the most-clever PR maneuvers I have ever seen executed by a small company."

Of course, the SuperShuffle was never anything more than a bait and switch by a publicity-seeking Taiwanese company. Nevertheless, this stunt by a little company on a small island won't, by any reach of the imagination, help honest people on the said-same small island make their way in the world.

For more on Mr Campbell and his ever-slippery marketing practices, see MacInTouch and JackWhispers.com

Thanks, dude, but NOT! Next time you feel like being helpful, keep it to yourself...