The idea of a Steemit Sweepstakes is not new, however it has never been properly implemented.
The upside is always that it is free because you only have to upvote to enter.
However there are always two problems:
1: The randomness of the drawing always relies on the trustworthiness of the host.
2: The jackpot is always limited to half the dollar amount of the value of the post.
My new sweepstakes idea solves both these problems using the following format:
How You Can Enter: You can upvote to enter.
End of Contest: The contest ends at noon on Thursday, July 20, Pacific Time
Prize: The prize is equal to half the value of the post plus half of previous unwon prizes and possibly extra bonuses later on. For the first experimental round it is just 50% of the value of the post.
At exactly noon, the winner will be determined by multiplying the number of views by the number of comments by the value of the post with the decimal taken out. This number modulo 100 yields a 2 digit number. I will go down the list of upvoters and see if the two digit number matches their reputation circle. The first person who matches wins!
! Warning: Math!
For example, if this post were to have 10 comments, 79 upvotes, and $3.51, then the value is 27790 mod 100 = 90. Since the highest rep is 77, no one could possibly have 90, so the prize would be considered unwon. It would then go into the pot and be part of next week's prize.
The sweepstakes format solves both the above problems.
This setup solves the problem of trustworthiness because the process to choose the winner is independently verifiable.
It also solves the problem of limited prize size because the size of the jackpot will eventually accumulate after a few prizes go unwon.
The reception of this experiment will be determined by user response. People will naturally only upvote if the idea appeals to them. The drawing will proceed as planned if it achieves at least 15 upvotes by July 20.
Note: The drawing may give a slight advantage to those who upvote early if their names come up first, especially for those with a common number like 25.
