Be Green, Save Green, HELP ME!

So Microsoft is putting on a contest to promote their Bing search engine called "Will Code for Green". I'm a software engineer who cares about the environment and also likes trying to make an impact, so it's right up my alley!

Here's the end result:
Bing and Gnomedex - Will Code for Green! Developer Contest

They wanted to have something that would help people make it through the economic climate or help the environment, so I thought, "Why not do both?"

It's basically a simple wizard that lets you see how much potential energy and carbon savings you can see by taking simple steps like switching to CFL bulbs or a low-flow showerhead. Please feel free to check it out and tell me what you think!

I need help, however, and I am calling on the gracious souls of PriusChat to lend a hand if you're willing. Here's the thing:

I honestly believe I have the best, most potentially effective app in the contest (feel free to compare and see if you agree), but I recently discovered that part of the scoring is based on the number of votes your app receives. Unfortunately, my app just got approved this morning and there's only a few days left in the contest!

I have a little catching up to do and if you are kindhearted, looking to help a fellow PriusChatter out and encourage me to make an impact helping the environment with such web apps I'd really appreciate your vote!

It only takes five minutes, but the process is a little funky. Basically, you have to "Log In" (even though you don't have an account), by entering your email address, fill out a few fields to create an account, go back to the "gallery" then you'll be able to go back to "GreenZig Cash and Carbon Savings Calculator" app and click the "Vote for this App" link at the top. Careful! You can only vote for one app, so make sure it's mine!

Anyway, seriously, if you guys are in a giving mood and are a generally giving person, I'd really appreciate the help and encouragement!

PS - I have a baby on the way any week now and could really use the prize money for medical bills.

 

Did you enter in your email in the place it asks you to "login"? I know it's stupid, but the way you register is to "login" so that it takes you to the registration form if it encounters a new email address upon "login".

From there, you should be able to go to the "gallery" choose "GreenZig Cash and Carbon Calculator" and vote early/often. Just kidding, it only lets you vote once for one app, but if you're willing, I'd be SOOO appreciative.

Ugh, tell me about it. Hopefully Obama can bring the change I voted for to fix that, but it's not going to help me this time around.

PS - I just rediscovered that the contest actually ends tomorrow!!! Help!!!

 

Thank you SO much! I deeply appreciate it! It's really on its way! 16 votes! If I can approach 40, I'll be close to every other app and able to compete no problem!

Anyone else willing to help me out?

 

24 votes. Yes we can! Si se puede!

 

Thank you so much! Thanks for the feedback, too!

I figured a lot of people, especially the environmentally conscious, would already have performed the basic steps on the site, I just want to show those who haven't that it's easy to save money and save the environment at the same time!

I was hoping it would persuade both those who want to help, but were mistaken that they had to buy $30,000 solar panels to do so AND those who don't care, but realize they could save money. Conservation is so easy and it could shut down so many coal plants for taking common sense steps!

That, and there are little details that a lot of people don't know about, like power strips with remote switches in case yours is in a place where you might not otherwise turn it off.

We're at 34!

 

triple post

 

double post

 

I'm up to 64 votes, and the leader currently only has 65! Anyone want to help push me over the top?

To reiterate, I made a "green" website for a Microsoft contest to help promote their Bing search engine, and 20% of the first round scoring is determined by the number of votes you get.

I would love to do "green" programming for a living if I could, and in addition to wanting to win the prize money to take care of medical bills from the birth of my third child, I'm also hoping it may bolster my credentials as a green programmer, and maybe help land a fitting position.

To recap, the steps to help are:

1. Visit Microsoft's Will Code for Green site: Bing and Gnomedex - Will Code for Green! Developer Contest
2. Enter your email address (even though you don’t have an account yet) and click "Submit".
3. Fill out the short registration form.
4. Once signed up, choose the option to view the “Gallery”, NOT the one to “Submit an Entry”.
5. Find the “GreenZig Cash and Carbon Savings Calculator” app in the gallery. It was the very first entry listed last time I checked, but make sure it's that exact name.
6. Click the “Vote for this App” link at the top! Just make sure it’s the "GreenZig" app, because you can only vote once!

It takes about 5 minutes!

 

I have two links.

One. Here's a slideshow of my new baby, who was born the day they announced the results of the "Will Code for Green" competition: reggers:

Trinity's Birth

Second is the results of the competition:

Bing and Gnomedex - Will Code for Green! Developer Contest

Booya! Thanks to all who voted and helped propel me to the semi-finals! The money we'll get from winning couldn't have come at a more perfect time. :first: :whoo:

 

Indeed. She has quite a strong neck for a 5 day old.

Last weekend will go down as one of the finest in my life!

Thanks for the warm wishes.

 

Thanks, Sage (I guess).

The idea with the graph was to give a real-time visualization of savings (I'm not a web designer, though), and it was a competition to promote the Bing search engine, so some sort of Bing functionality was obligatory.