What happens when you call the president a lame duck?

Well, you crash your server with requests for free software, don't you? Hopefully I'm not adding to the problem, but Codeweavers offered a free copy of their *nix and Mac OS X WINE-based Windows emulator CrossOver, which needs no copy of Windows unlike the other virtualisers I have (Parallels and VM Ware Fusion):

This offer started as a pointed joke at George W. Bush's expense: the Great American Lame Duck Presidential Challenge. In the Challenge, which CodeWeavers launched in July, the company said it would provide its software for free in the unlikely event that under Bush's administration any of the following things happened: Return the stock market to it's 2008 high; Reduce the average price of a gallon of milk to $3.50; Create at least one net job in the U.S. this calendar year; Return the median home price to its Jan. 1, 2008 level; Bring Osama Bin-Laden to justice; or, and this one that actually happened, bring the average gasoline prices in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) to $2.79 a gallon.

Let the guys themselves explain what happened:

Late note: The company explains the situation in a media release that I have put below the fold. I hope this helps their business rather than sends them broke, but you have to like the wry sense of humour they display. I haven't yet tried my free copy...

Because Gas Prices Fall in Bush’s Waning Days, CodeWeavers Gives Away 650,000 Copies of Software Valued at $45 Million

CEO: “Perfect Internet Hellstorm”



SAINT PAUL, Minn. (October 30, 2008) – Saint Paul software developers CodeWeavers, Inc., gave away 650,000 copies of its software Tuesday as it declared victory in its acclaimed Great American Lame Duck Presidential Challenge, in which it promised the giveaway if President Bush accomplished anything in his administration’s waning days. With its servers melted and its business plan in limbo, CodeWeavers also is shutting the Challenge down.

Post-giveaway, this guerilla marketing effort spearheaded by Minneapolis brand public relations firm Haberman and Associates yielded:

650,000 downloads valued at $45 million dollars – expanding CodeWeavers’ existing customer base by 400 percent

Arguably more software downloads in 24 hours than any other company of this size in history

50,000 YouTube views in 24 hours of a video updating the public on the state of the phenomenon

Intense blog and Web activity on sites such as Digg.com, Twitter.com, Slashdot.com and others

25 terabytes of software uploaded

In July, CodeWeavers – whose software lets Mac OS X and Linux users run Windows programs without having to pay a penny to Microsoft – launched the challenge (lameduck.codeweavers.com) to encourage Bush to make the most of the remaining days of his office by accomplishing a major economic or political goal by January 20, 2009.

Goals focused on the economy, home values, the stock market, the War on Terror and other key issues. In particular, one challenge goal called for President Bush to help bring average gasoline prices in the Twin Cities to $2.79 a gallon. On Monday, Oct. 14, gas prices in Minneapolis and St. Paul did just that.

“Okay, so it was the cratering global economy that caused oil prices to fall,” said Jeremy White, chief executive officer of CodeWeavers. “But a goal met is a goal met, so we designated Oct. 28 as the day to give out the software, officially kicking off at 12:01 a.m. I can’t thank our systems administrator, Jeremy Newman, enough for his incredible work keeping our server in tact throughout the first twelve hours of the maelstrom. We were expecting a busy day giving away – oh, I don’t know – 10,000 copies, not 650,000.”

Soon thereafter, when individuals began uploading copies at 20 a second, White knew the giveaway was a success and an unmitigated disaster.

“The server rack was leaking smoke, our system administrator took the bowl of Halloween candy next to the front door and devoured more than 50 Kit Kats before our eyes,” White said. “I ran for our C.O.O. and V.P. of Sales to come and help calm him, but to my horror I found them snorting a mound of Alka-Seltzer in the conference room. Less than 18 hours later we had given away 650,000 copies of software.”

The Great American Lame Duck Presidential Challenge’s original rules called for more giveaways if President Bush met additional set goals by January 20, 2009.

“Upon further reflection, though, we decided to discontinue the Challenge,” White said. “We felt that we had done what we set out to do. We got noticed, we had a lot of fun with it and we made a lot of people happy – many more than we could have imagined. So, we feel like we've honored our commitments as far as honesty and generosity are concerned. That said, we need to get back to a for-profit business model again. And rapidly…”

For more information, visit lameduck.codeweavers.com.

About CodeWeavers

Founded in 1996 as a general software consultancy, CodeWeavers today focuses on the development of Wine: the core technology found in all of its CrossOver products. The company’s goal is to bring expanded market opportunities for Windows software developers by making it easier, faster and more painless to port Windows software to Mac OS X and Linux. CodeWeavers is recognized as a leader in open-source Windows porting technology, and maintains development offices in Minnesota, the UK and elsewhere around the world. The company is privately held. For more information about CodeWeavers, log on to www.codeweavers.com.

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What happes when you call the president a lame duck?

He quacks under the strain?

By Ian H Spedding FCD (not verified) on 31 Oct 2008 #permalink

What happes when you call the president a lame duck?

He may get a little down on you.