MICROSOFT SHAREPOINT DEVELOPER FORUM CHALLENGE

OFFICIAL RULES

PLEASE NOTE:  It is your sole responsibility to review and understand your employer's policies regarding your eligibility to participate in trade promotions.  If you are participating in violation of your employer's policies, you may be disqualified from entering or receiving prizes.  Microsoft disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for disputes arising between an employee and their employer related to this matter and prizes will only be awarded in compliance with the employer's policies.

GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES: Microsoft is committed to complying with government gift and ethics rules and therefore government employees are not eligible for this offer.

COMMON TERMS USED IN THESE RULES:

These are the official rules that govern how the Microsoft SharePoint Developer Forum Challenge promotion will operate ("Contest").

In these rules, "we," "our," and "us" refers to Microsoft Corporation, the sponsor of this Contest. "You" refers to an eligible Contest entrant.

1.      CONTEST DESCRIPTION: 

This is a skill-based Contest.  The object of this Contest is to participate in the Microsoft SharePoint Developer Forum by answering questions posted to the Forum. 

For purposes of this Contest, "entry" means a portfolio of at least ten (10) valid answers posted to the Microsoft SharePoint Developer Forum. 

On or around the close of each month during the Promotion Period, the judges will review all eligible entries / qualifying answer portfolios received and select the top entrants based on the judging criteria set forth below.  

2.      WHAT ARE THE START AND END DATES? 

This Contest starts at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) on March 1, 2009 and ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on May 31, 2009 ("Promotion Period").

The Promotion Period consists of three (3) separate Monthly Prize Periods as set forth in the table below.

An entry/qualifying answer portfolio must be received within a Monthly Prize Period to be eligible for judging for the corresponding Monthly Prize Period, and entries/qualifying answer portfolios will only be eligible for the Monthly Prize Period for which they are received.  In other words, if you submit an entry/post ten (10) valid answers during Monthly Prize Period 1, you will have to submit another entry/post another ten (10) valid answers during Monthly Prize Period 2 in order to be eligible for judging during Monthly Prize Period 2.

MONTHLY PRIZE PERIOD	START DATE (all times 12:01 AM PT)	END DATE (all times 11:59 PM PT)
1	March 1, 2009	March 31, 2009
2	April 1, 2009	April 30, 2009
3	May 1, 2009	May 31, 2009

3.      CAN I ENTER?

You are eligible to enter this Contest if you meet the following requirements at time entry:

• You are a legal resident of Canada (excluding the Province of Quebec) or the 50 US states or DC, at least 18 years of age or older, and have technical programming education, experience and/or knowledge necessary to use SharePoint Products and Technologies; and

• You are NOT an employee of Microsoft Corporation or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary; and

• You are NOT involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Contest including without limitation a MSDN SharePoint Developer Forum Moderator; and

• You are NOT an immediate family (parent, sibling, spouse, or child) or household member of a Microsoft employee, an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, or a person involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Contest including without limitation a MSDN SharePoint Developer Forum Moderator.

This Contest is void in the Province of Quebec, Canada, and outside the geographic area described above and wherever else prohibited by law.

4.      WHAT CONSTITUTES AN ELIGIBLE ENTRY?

To participate in this Contest, you must submit at least ten (10) ‘valid answers' to questions posted on the MSDN SharePoint Developer Forum during a Monthly Prize Period. 

For purposes of this Contest, a ‘valid answer' means the following:

• Your post is marked as an ‘answer' in the SharePoint Development and Programming Forum located at: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepointdevelopment/threads/?lc=1033

• NOTE: Only the user, who posted the original question, or a MSDN SharePoint Developer Forum Moderator r, can mark your post as an ‘answer'.  However, you may use the "Propose as Answer" option to suggest to the question poster or moderator that your post is the answer to the question.

• An answer that you post to your own question does not constitute a ‘valid answer' for purposes of this Contest.

We are not responsible for entries that we do not receive for any reason, or for entries that we receive but are not decipherable for any reason.

Any attempt to earn credit for answers by using multiple/different email addresses, identities, registrations and logins, or any other methods will void that entrant's entries and may result in disqualification.

5.      HOW DO I ENTER?

If you wish to participate in this Contest, you must FIRST register before the close of the Monthly Prize Period you are entering by sending an e-mail to answer@microsoft.com that conforms to the following requirements:

• The subject line of your e-mail must read - ‘Forum Promotion'
• The body of your e-mail must contain the following information:
• First and last name
• Email address
• Forum sign-in name, which we will use to identify the ‘valid answers' you post in the Forum.

Once you register, to submit an answer to a question posed in the SharePoint Developer Forums, you must do all of the following:

Step 1

Navigate to the SharePoint Developer Forums at

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepointdevelopment/threads/?lc=1033

Step 2

Sign in with your Windows LiveID by clicking ‘Please Sign In' at the top right of the screen.

Step 3

Post a ‘valid answer' to questions in the SharePoint Developers Forum.

NOTE: In order for your post to be considered for this Contest, you must make the post using the same Windows Live that you provided to us at time of registration.

6.  HOW ARE WINNERS SELECTED?

On or around the close of each Monthly Prize Period, a panel of judges will review all eligible entries / qualifying answer portfolios received during the Monthly Prize Period, and determine the winners based on the following criteria:

Demonstrated creativity and originality - 20%
Technical merit, viability, strategy - 20%
Quality and clarity - 20%
Implementation feasibility - 20%
Quality of supporting evidence - 20%

The decisions of the judges are final and binding.  If we do not receive a sufficient number of entries meeting the entry requirements, we may, at our discretion, select fewer winners than described above.

7.      WHAT IS/ARE THE PRIZE(S)?

Three (3) Grand Prizes (one (1) awarded per Monthly Prize Period). Winner's choice of one (1) of the following items:

• A Zune 120 GB digital media player (ARV, $250.00 USD)

                OR

• An Xbox 360 Arcade Console (ARV, $200.00 USD)

Three (3) First Runner Up Prizes (one (1) awarded per Monthly Prize Period).  Winner's choice of one (1) of the following items:

• A Zune 120 GB digital media player (ARV, $250.00 USD)

                OR

• An Xbox 360 Arcade Console (ARV, $200.00 USD)

Three (3) Second Runner Up Prizes (one (1) awarded per Monthly Prize Period).  A 7" digital photo frame (ARV, $100.00 USD)

Three (3) Third Runner Up Prizes (one (1) awarded per Monthly Prize Period). A 7" digital photo frame (ARV, $100.00 USD)

Three (3) Fourth Runner Up Prizes (one (1) awarded per Monthly Prize Period). A 7" digital photo frame (ARV, $100.00 USD)

We will only award one (1) prize per person during the each Monthly Prize Period.

If for any reason an advertised prize is unavailable, we reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value as permitted. 

If you are selected as a potential winner of this Contest:

• You may not exchange your prize for cash or any other merchandise or services; and

• You may not designate someone else as the winner.  If you are unable or unwilling to accept your prize, we will award it to an alternate potential winner; and

• If you accept a prize, you will be solely responsible for all applicable taxes related to accepting the prize; and

• If you are a minor in your place of residence, we may award the prize to your parent/legal guardian on your behalf; and

• Unless otherwise noted, all prizes are subject to their manufacturer's warranty and / or terms and conditions. 

8.      HOW WILL YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE A WINNER?

If you are a potential winner, we will notify you by sending a message to the e-mail address, the phone number (if any), or mailing address (if any) listed on your entry within fifteen 15 days of winner determination.  If the notification that we send is returned as undeliverable, or you are otherwise unreachable for any reason after 14 days, we may award the prize to an alternate winner.

If there is a dispute as to who is the potential winner, we will consider the potential winner to be the authorized account holder of the e-mail address used to enter the Contest.

If you are a potential winner, we may require you to sign an affidavit of eligibility, liability/publicity release and W-9 tax form.  If you are a potential winner and are a minor in your place of residence, we may require your parent or legal guardian to sign all required forms on your behalf.  If you do not complete the required forms as instructed and/or return the required forms within the time period listed on the winner notification message, we may disqualify you and select an alternate winner.

9.    WHAT OTHER CONDITIONS ARE YOU ARE AGREEING TO BY ENTERING THIS CONTEST?

By entering this Contest you agree:

• To abide by these Official Rules; and

• To release and hold Microsoft and its respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, employees and agents from any and all liability or any injury, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with this Contest or any prize won; and

• That Microsoft's decisions will be final and binding on all matters related to this Contest; and

• That, by accepting a prize, Microsoft may use of your proper name and state of residence online and in print, or in any other media, in connection with this Contest, without payment or compensation to you, except where prohibited by law.

10.    WHAT LAWS GOVERN THE WAY THIS CONTEST IS EXECUTED AND ADMINISTRATED?

This Contest will be governed by the laws of the State of Washington, and you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the courts of the State of Washington for any disputes arising out of this Contest.  

11.    WHAT IF SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS AND THE CONTEST CAN'T RUN AS PLANNED?

If someone cheats, or a virus, bug, catastrophic event, or any other unforeseen or unexpected event that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled, (also referred to as force majeure) affects the fairness and / or integrity of this Contest, we reserve the right to cancel, change or suspend this Contest.  This right is reserved whether the event is due to human or technical error. If a solution cannot be found to restore the integrity of the Contest, we reserve the right to select winners from among all eligible entries received before we had to cancel, change or suspend the Contest.

If you attempt to compromise the integrity or the legitimate operation of this Contest by hacking or by cheating or committing fraud in ANY way, we may seek damages from you to the fullest extent permitted by law.  Further, we may ban you from participating in any of our future Contest, so please play fairly.

12.  HOW CAN YOU FIND OUT WHO WON?

We will post the names of confirmed major winners online at http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepointdevelopment/threads/?lc=1033  

This list will remain posted until June 30, 2009

13.  WHO IS SPONSORING THIS CONTEST?

Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052