Data Entry Queens Secretly Run The Sweepstakes World...Shhh!

If you haven't known me very long, you might not know I'm a homeschool mom by day and a data entry queen by night. I've blogged it somewhere...but I'm not an organized DEQ, so I'm not going to try and find it. I snapped a photo late last night whilst typing away at one of the sweepstakes I'm working on (in my starting to get giddy after midnight mode):Aww, you're going to be picked alright--you're on their mailing list now fo sho. And if you inserted email just in case that increased your odds, then you win double.

I used to think the same thing too, so I empathize. I envisioned mine being sorted through by the folks at the major retail chain that's holding the sweepstakes. Sort of like a big room with CEOs sorting through and reading it, giving me points for penmanship and my added "Thank You!" at the bottom. Six years ago, that 'thank you' counted for something!

The truth isn't so endearing. By in large, they are being entered both in- house and at the homes of the home operations keyers of the marketing firm hired to handle the volume. By the thousands. And the retailer sees it alright, in a big long computerized list. Their marketing team now has thousands and thousands of addresses, emails and sometimes phone numbers.

So to the gal who wrote "Pick Me!" I'll make some calls and see what I can do; maybe the Head Contest-Pickers at the Contest Place these end up at will listen to reason. But if I do that, what'll happen to Mrs. Williams in Louisiana? She put a smiley sticker on hers...then added Provers 12:18. I looked it up:

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Have we met? I put her at the top of my to-pick list.

Then late last evening, I ran into Tammy over in Maryland (great handwriting, btw, Tammy). She took time to fill out 12 of these (we love those, we can hit Num Lock and still get paid). Then smart chi ca she is, went on to fool the system by switching up and using her first initial for the next dozen entries. Then when that won't fly much longer, this gal is smarter than the average bear. She changed up her email address for the last several.

Tammy worked very hard, idk, I think I should choose her to win the grand prize. I mean, she'll need the pick-me-up when she tries to take her name off the mailing list for the 35+ entries that now include both email and snail mail. I might pick her (or my husband, I could choose John). What do you think?