American competition

Well, I came to the site because of the scholarship. But honestly, it was on fastweb, and I have yet to win one scholarship that has been on fastweb, so I didn't come in expecting much. Early on in the competition I learned that there was no possible way for me to win. I just could not devote enough time to get the points necessary to win. That didn't stop me from blogging more. On the other hand, if it hadn't been for the scholarship, I would never have heard of the site, because I know my school newspaper hasn't done anything about it, and my friends are mostly clueless about it.

Yes, I have complained about the system by which they award the scholarships. Why? Well, it's the same sort of reason I think it's logical to give a class rank based on a weighted GPA. Why should someone who takes the least challenging classes that they can, and gets all A's in them, be valedictorian, over someone who made a few B's in the hardest classes that they could take? Similarly, why should someone who posts several pointless things win the contest over someone who actually puts a great deal of thought into their posts and responses, but has fewer? That's why we're trying to figure out a way to make the contest more fair.

As for cheating... I cannot honestly say I have never cheated. I have caught myself glancing at another paper more than once throughout the 14 1/2 years I've been in school. But if I had never cheated, I don't think much would have changed. Sure, I might've gotten a few points lower on a test or two, but those points probably wouldn't have changed my grade, and if they did, it wouldn't be by much. I pride myself on understanding the material, even if it takes me a while to get there.

Perhaps I'm in the minority. It wouldn't surprise me. But I think that there's at least a substantial minority that feels the way I do.

~C
Visit my blog.

To be honest, I only came to this site for the scholarship. After a few weeks of blogging, I was hooked on the knowledge that I was gaining. It is so awesome to have a diverse atmosphere at the tip of your fingertips. I have finals that are kicking my butt, but hopefully after the holidays I can start sharing some more of my opinions. I like to do that!!
Peace n Bike Grease~Sara

There are some who would argue there is no such thing as a "pure" intent. Even altruism. Think about it - we know it's the "right" or "good" thing to do, and, if you're religious, being a "good" person means going to heaven. We want to go to heaven, so, to serve that "selfish" interest, we practice some form of altruism. When we're nice to people, it gives us a good feeling inside. When you look at it like that, everything is founded on "selfish" principles.

On the other hand, that doesn't cancel out people genuinely caring for others.

I came here for the scholarship and will probably not post when the competition isn't going on, but it's not because I don't care about the ideas and the atmosphere and learning here. That's why I'm still reading and commenting. But as others have noted, it takes a great deal of time and effort to really make an impact on this site, and in balancing my "selfish" and other motives, I've discovered I'm more comfortable merely reading/commenting, and not necessarily posting, when the competition isn't going on. This isn't to say that I'll never post or implying that I'm some sort of greedy person who cares for nothing but money, because I know that isn't true, but rather that I have different priorities, at different times, for different reasons.

Excellent post, however. I enjoyed reading it and you did get me thinking. :)

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~I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.~

The "no pure intent" comment - where's that from? I know I read it somewhere.

Thanks for thinking. Totally get the commenting preference - easier to find a point to talk about.

I like your work. So when's the next competition on?

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Oh, also: does anybody know the name of the song that plays during the dogfight scene of Cowboy Bebop, The Movie?
If so, please let me know @ gatorrelay251@gmail.com
Best movie EVER. Maybe. Definitely best Anime to hit the U.S.

I agree with a lot of what mvenus929 said. I too came here from fastweb, trying to find a way to win some money for college. With all of my AP classes, sports practices, band, and working at least 15 hours a week, I found out early that I wouldn't have a chance in the contest, but liked blogging so much that I continued to blog. As to the original point of this message, I came across quite a few blogs that didn't have much of a meaning. I also encountered quite a few bloggers that attack each other and even seemed to follow other bloggers around the sight attacking them on any blogs, without even reading the blog to see what it is about.

I unfortunately have to admit that I came to the site in search of a scholarship. Though most of my blogs were not empty thoughts. These are issues that I really care about.

Though I have to say in a general sense people are motivated by money. If you look at Americans today and most of the world. People only invest money if they are millionaires because they have nothing else to do with their money. People once they get money, instantly go and spend it. Think of the last time you abtained a large sum of money. Did you invest it or spend? More than likely you spent it. Money is the root of all evil and the greatest motivator in the world. So people are generally attracted by money.

To finish my thought. I now realize how important this website is. I have longed for a site such as this. Where people of all ages come together to have civilized debates, and express their true thoughts. I really apperciate it.