Gov. Has $5000 Youtube Contest For User Created Videos Showing Benefits of Fed. Gov. - 9/30/11

http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=445&sid=2570518

In a creepy move, the federal government is having a contest where its giving away $5000 prizes to users who create videos showing the benefits of federal government/services.


"The General Services Administration is giving away $5,000 dollars to social media mavens, who create videos to help people understand federal benefits and services. The agency has launched a contest, asking people to create videos that explain how to take advantage of federal services. "We want to ask the public to help us answer those questions in really short, succinct, how-to videos that make the steps really clear," said Jessica Milcetich, a GSA social media strategist, in an interview with the Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Amy Morris GSA will award $1,000 to the winning video of each of five categories: * How do I check the status of my tax refund? * How can I apply for a government grant or loan? * How can I find a job? * How do I get a Social Security card? * How can I change my address with various government agencies (e.g., Postal Service, Internal Revenue Service, and the Social Security Administration) when I move? The deadline to submit a video is Oct. 28. The same person can submit videos to multiple categories, Milcetich said. "


Why does everything the government does have to be so dang creepy?

Disgusting.

Looks like someone should make some parody videos for this!

How do I receive a federal bailout/subsidy?

How can I help enact regulation to burden my small-scale competitors?

Looks like someone should make some parody videos for this!

 

 

How do I receive a federal bailout/subsidy?

How can I help enact regulation to burden my small-scale competitors?

These actually sound like pretty great ideas!

 

$6000 prizes for debunking those videos would be awesome.

Chyd3nius:

$6000 prizes for debunking those videos would be awesome.

The title of this thread is deceivingly well-worded.

Read the article...it says "asking people to create videos that explain how to take advantage of federal services."  If you can tell me how you "debunk" a video explaining "How do I get a Social Security card?" or "How do I check the status of my tax refund?", I'd say you deserve a prize.

 

If you can tell me how you "debunk" a video explaining "How do I get a Social Security card?" or "How do I check the status of my tax refund?", I'd say you deserve a prize.

You are going to form a paradox.

A video explaining how to obtain a social security card.
Debunking a video explaining how to obtain a social security card.
Creating a video debunking obtaining a social security card.
A video debunking a social security card.

Obtaining a social security card is hard enough.  Seems like my dad tried to get a new one some time ago and one of the forms of ID they wanted was a social security card.  It's like walking in a circle, and right before you reach where you began you walk into a brick wall.

Sounds like your dad could use a nice how-to video.  I hear there's a contest to create one soon.

 

But JJ, you too are being a bit unfair.

The wording is "to help people understand federal benefits and services", which itself may be read as "the benefits of federal legislature." Even if 100% of the people read it as government programs, they subconsciously associate it with net benefits of government over anything else.

Okay so take that sentence out.  That is just what the author of the article happened to say.  It doesn't change the reality of the situation...that the contest is for making videos explaining how to take advantage of federal services.  Again, examples of video topics are given. 

A video answering the question "How do I check the status of my tax refund?" is not exactly a video "showing benefits of fed gov."  Not that I'm in favor of people taking my money by force and spending it on anything, but the title of this thread makes it sound like a contest for creating propaganda films.  And sure, I'm sure some here may even call them that anyway, but I think that's using a bit of propaganda in itself.

 

Typical. This is just like them giving each other expensive awards.

They should make it higher as I doubt anyone will come forward.

Make a video explaining how to make a video explaining how to take advantage of a certain Federal service and in doing so you get $5,000 of tax payers money.

Alright, JJ. Point taken. And thanks for keeping us rational.