Sunday, August 17, 2008

The Day I Gave Up A 32" LCD TV

I spent almost the whole day of Saturday at MidValley Exhibition Center for the Samsung WCG 2008.

Man what a day it was.

Okay let me tell you about my day.

I woke up early in the morning to drag myself to the Samsung WCG 2008 happening at MidValley Exhibition Center for our special mini-CS competition happening at the Samsung booth there.
There were going to be 8 Nuffnanger teams (each with a requirement of at least ONE female player) and the Nuffnang team was going to be one of them competing in the competition.

4 of us Nuffies from the Nuffnang KL Office were taking part and we got Jolene to be our female player.

Not too long after I arrived, we played our first game and the Nuffie team won.

The Nuffnangers were playing our small competition here at the Samsung booth

While the big boys of the real WCG played in these computers here.
Heck the big boys are the big boys.

You know they take gaming so seriously when they insist on bringing their own mouse and keyboard to play at the competition.
Heck soon they'll insist on bringing their own computer.

At one point of the WCG, they started broadcasting one of the games that the big boys were playing on two big screens.

Both of the teams were really good but one was better than the other and the better team was kicking the ass of the other team.
Gosh so embarrassing, imagine having everyone at the WCG watching you getting thrashed. Fortunately I gave up trying to be a professional gamer long time ago.

Speaking of which... for many many years I have always heard so much about the Samsung WCG that happens each year. I mean what's there not to love for a gamer, it's like the Olympics for computer games but I never went.Why? Because I thought it was literally just a computer game competition so if I weren't playing and my friends weren't playing then why go right?

But going there yesterday, the truth was that there were just so many things going on for the public all day long.

Some of us KL Nuffies were there to play around with all that.
All sorts of games, and all sorts of prizes to win. And when I say prizes I don't mean like a WCG T-Shirt... I mean Samsung MP3 players, mobile phones, Intel-powered desktops and stuff like that.

The other notion I had about the WCG was that it was an event full of guys because computer games are mostly a guy thing. Well that turned out to be not true either... I saw soo many girls there... heck even Cynthia and Debbie came to support us!

The Nuffie team played up till the finals but right before the finals we decided to have lunch.

Over lunch we knew that we were going to lose anyway. The team who was up against us in the finals was just far better than us... it's like they studied Counter-strike in school or something.

We took some photos at lunch.

I have no idea how I managed to take this shot of Jolene with a flower exactly covering her face.

Sorry Jolene. Didn't mean for it like that haha.

And here's Pinky who went that to cheer us on that day too.

Anyway after lunch we got our asses whooped by the other team in the finals and when everything was over, everyone was just waiting for one thing... the prize-giving ceremony for the best blog entries of "My Favourite Computer Game of All-Time", a contest that Samsung held on the Nuffnang Community a few weeks ago.

At stake were mainly 3 prizes. A Samsung Digital Camera for the Most Creative Entry, an MP3 player for the Samsung favourite and the grand prize... a 32" LCD TV for the Funniest Entry!

Mr Gin
won the MP3 player for the Samsung favourite and this guy won the most creative bringing home the digital camera.
Then it came to the time to announce the Nuffnanger who was going to walk home with the 32" LCD TV that everyone was waiting for.

Just a few minutes before the winner was announced though, Robb came up to me and whispered into my ear
"Tim... I tell you a secret that you're not supposed to know yet ok?"

I looked at him and said
"What what? I love secrets.. tell me!!!"

Then he went on to say
"The Samsung client said that they think your entry was the funniest entry and the entire team there agrees so they want you to win the 32" LCD TV".

A little taken aback I said
"No lah dude.... I don't think we should do that".

But Robb was already ahead of me.
"I know Tim, I told them that but they all insist that you win it, they thought your entry was the funniest, even if it was just done for fun".

I didn't think my entry was the funniest but well this put me in a really difficult position. I mean how would it look if I won a contest even as a blogger that was organized by Samsung on the Nuffnang Community.

In the few minutes I had before the prize was announced I quickly called up a very close friend to ask for him for advice.
His answer was simple...
"Look! The client picks the winners... not you or anyone in Nuffnang so if they insist your entry was the best and if you want to take it then what's wrong? Besides some people are going to say what they're going to say anyway... in the past even when you had done nothing wrong they would make up stories to try to put you down so why should this even stop you?"

I put down the phone and a few minutes later the winner for the 32" LCD TV was announced. I heard the emcee shout the name "Timothy Tiah" and everyone started clapping.

As I went on to the stage, my mind suddenly had the answer. I couldn't do it.

Up there I told the client and the emcee that I couldn't take the prize. It's not because of what people might think but what I would think of myself if I led that happen.

The Samsung people (Lynne, Sue and Annabelle), being as nice as they always are... insisted that I take the prize.
and the emcee went on to make a quick joke
"WAH!! 32" LCD TV YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE AH!! WHY TOO SMALL FOR YOU AHH??"

Even the two Samsung blue-haired girls were surprised

Then when they were certain I didn't want to take the prize they asked me what I was going to do with it and I didn't have an answer yet.

So we just went on with the prize giving ceremony while I told the Nuffnangers there that I would find another way to give out this 32" LCD TV.

We had tea after the event and we decided that we would give the 32" LCD TV to the Nuffnanger that wrote the best entry about the WCG event and well everyone was happy.

I spoke to many people that day and I had mixed opinions.

Some thought that I had done the right thing, but others thought that I had made a mistake.

This is Sue from Samsung and I with the 32" LCD TV that I would've won

To put it in the words of another Nuffnanger
"You can't always be so nice.. you're going to get stepped all over one day".

Well, I slept well last night so I think at least my heart thinks I did the right thing.

What do you guys think? Do my poll on my sidebar.

If you're one of the Nuffnangers who were at the WCG, click here to see how you can win the 32" LCD TV.

So everyone, that's the day I gave up an 32" LCD TV that I would've been really nice to have.

25 comments:

electronicfly said...

iyo boss, if u wanted the tv, you should have kept it. I agree with your friend. You won it fair and square, so you deserve it.

Chong said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chong said...

No matter what ppl have to say about it, the final decision will be yours. If I were you, I would give it away too. It feels good to do something what you really agree on.

p.s.: Ter-deleted the comment above :P

Unknown said...

just take la~~ hahahaha

julie said...

agree with chong:-) do what you think its right, cheers!

§pinzer said...

u dun need 32 inch la brader, then where u gonna put ur 50 inch plasma tv la! hehe

Danny said...

Tim, I want to play against you all. T_T LOL!

p.s: Y'all didn't lose 10-0 all the way right?

Kay said...

i am so proud of you boss =)

Super Gentleman said...

u shud give it boss... u noe y?? bcz i wan it... LOL... entry on wcg hia? ermm... WCG ROX!!! TIMOTHY TIAH AKA D BOSS ROX!!! nw can i hav my plasma?? :D

Hurley said...

eh take down the poll la, it will only give you more doubts. There's certainly no right or wrong, it's like you said, how you feel in the inside. If you already have your resolve, is there still a need for hesitation?

He who hesitates is lost.

miChi3 said...

lol. agree with what hurley said.
anyway, just wondering, I thought the winner of digital camera is sc_bone? Unless there are 2 winners. >.<

http://leaxx7.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-favourite-computer-game-of-all-time.html

marcusan said...

Hey Tim, maRCus here. We met at WCG. With everythings that going on about that TV, your post reminds me of some political blog which has its readers divided in their opinions.

Hope you don't get too many flame comments which will force you to remove the post completely. I'd hate to see that. Cause you da boss ma. :-D

So i say this,i stand by you and your decision to give up the TV as its an act of good faith. It wouldn't be politically correct to keep it, i'd reckon. You displayed character that was very difficult for anyone to do. You did right, so way to go Tim!

Some may disagree, but hey that's my opinion. Quoting RPK, "Opinions are like assholes -- everybody has one"

I started clapping for you the moment you announced to give it up. If that helps. lol.

iamthewitch said...

According to your WCG post, you mentioned that you were hoping you could win the 32in TV so that you could put it in your office! But now that you've won it, you want to give it away... So what you said in your previous entry was not true?

PiNöLãm said...

a general rules for all kind of contest should appear like below...
This contest is open to all nuffnangers, except employees of samsung, their advertising and sales promotion agencies and members of their immediate families.
so we gain from experience?
i voted YES in ur poll.

Boss Stewie said...

oh well guys.. i guess the decision has been made and i don't regret it so far.

in our contests, there is no hard and fast rule that anyone from nuffnang can't take part in it because all the winners are picked by the client, not by us. but thought that it's better this way anyway... that i don't win it

Suet Li said...

eh i got the best solution for you and everyone!!
give it to me and pretend that i wrote the best entry then i'll give it back to you without anyone knowing it! except that now everyone knows it. shit. oh well whtever wtf

luxen said...

Doing the right thing is really hard. The moral compass in you points in one direction but your desire pulls in the other direction.

However, once you done the right thing a huge burden is lifted of you and you feel proud of yourself. The devil on your shoulder curses you while the angel pats your other shoulder. Regret versus feeling of righteousness.

Wouldn't you prefer feeling like you took the moral high ground instead of finding an excuse to explain to yourself why you didn't do the right thing?

luxen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
shah said...

wow. u'r so kind la. perhaps u gotta urself another 52inch. maybe. :)

liongteck said...

Is there anyway to get the tv but didn't go for the WCG? I am at Kuching now, if I'm at KL sure will go one. =P
Boss, why don't just put it in your new office ??

Jayelle said...

ARGHHHHH.... If only I went ahead with my idea of buying a red jump suit and going into the big monsoon drains with many mushroom soft toys. complete with red cap and italian moustache.

:D

and i know you angry with me for being a noob, but no need to cover my face with flower! :D hahah =)

caffe_latte said...

Just take it and put it in the Nuffnang office. You're not even keeping it for yourself if you do that, right?

WilsonC said...

You what?! :P

Nah...I think you made the right choice. I know how it feels. It's not about being nice or what not but it is a matter of personal principal especially when you feel the responsibility of being the boss. You would naturally want your subordinates (staff or fellow Nuffnangers) to benefit instead of yourself. It is an admirable decision that shows you are a good leader. Don't worry about what other ppl tell you so much. You know whats best for you deep down eh...

If Samsung doesn't know what to do with YOUR prize then go ahead and help them maximise it's potential. i.e. Re-offer it as a prize for a Nuffnang challenge, etc.

Cheng Chun said...

Well, you could always auction the TV off to give it to charity what. No harm in accepting a prize. :)

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