Million More in May Madness 2018 Has Started!
Happy May 1st, BillionGravers!
May has started and you know what that means! It’s time for our favorite event of the year – The 7th Annual Million More in May Competition! We have AMAZING prizes this year for all those who participate! Read more about the competition and prizes below.
The Million More in May Competition is a friendly event geared towards adding 1 Million (yes, that’s a 1 with six zeros behind it!) unique images, and 1 Million additional records transcribed and added to the BillionGraves database in the month of May. With all the new users and wonderful weather we could easily reach our 1 million record goal, and make a lot of people, looking for those records, eternally grateful for the hard work.
The Million More in May competition is open to ANY registered BillionGraves user, anywhere in the world. Not a registered user? That’s okay. It’s free and easy to do. Just click the link here to register.
We know that many users might not be in a climate with the warm weather where picture taking is possible. Please consider transcribing records for this event! We will have other events throughout the year geared towards all of our international users with changing climates.
Want to take pictures? Start by getting the app on your mobile device.
(Download the iOS App HERE, Download the Android App HERE)
Looking for a cemetery to document? Learn how to find a cemetery to photograph here.
Want to transcribe photos? Learn more about how to transcribe by following the link HERE.
Start transcribing headstones HERE.
For those of you that really want to help and earn something while you are at it, we have GREAT prizes!
(Let’s face it, everyone likes FREE stuff!)
As always, the greatest reward for your efforts comes from knowing that you are preserving invaluable genealogical records as well as making them readily available for family members to locate. It’s not worth getting 1 million records if they aren’t done correctly!
Now to the prizes!
This year, each user can earn prizes based on how many photos or transcriptions they have completed. The more photos or transcriptions completed, the better the prizes! Starting at Tier 1 all the way up to the GRAND prize, every contributor can earn these great prizes! At the end of the month, we will calculate your points and whichever prize tier your contributions end in, will qualify you for the prizes below.
1,000 Photos Uploaded | 500 Transcriptions ($30 VALUE)
For all users that upload more than 1,000 photos or complete 500 transcriptions, they will receive 6 months free credit to the BillionGraves Plus services!
For this competition, we have increased this from 1 month to 6 months of BillionGraves Plus!! Take advantage of 7 features that will help you find family faster than ever before!
5,000 Photos Uploaded | 2,500 Transcriptions ($50 VALUE)
Automate your home with the latest from Google and Amazon. Upload 5,000 unique photos or complete 2,500 transcriptions to earn yourself the choice of a Google Home Mini, Amazon Echo Dot, or $50 Amazon Gift Card*
These tiny at-home assistants can do everything from keeping you up to date on your schedule and the weather or automate your home security, lock your doors, turn on/off lights – and more!
12,500 Photos Uploaded | 5,000 Transcriptions ($75-$100 VALUE)
Have you been dying to get your hands on DNA results from your favorite family tree or provider? Well, wait no longer! By uploading 12,500 unique images, OR transcribing 5,000 images, you will earn a DNA test from any of the providers below!
OR
$75 Amazon Gift Card*
Reach this level in the month of May and we’ll send you the DNA test of your choice. The specific DNA test that can be earned can be found by clicking on the links above. Breakthrough those brick walls or be the center of your next family reunion with your DNA results from these great providers!
Tier 4:
25,000 Photos Uploaded | 15,000 Transcriptions ($250 VALUE)
We’re going to spice things up even more! Choose between a GoPro HERO (2018), Samsung Gear S3**, or $200 Amazon Gift Card* when you upload 25,000 unique images OR transcribe 15,000 images!
These items are some of the hottest electronics you can get your hands on! From capturing gorgeous video and pictures to having the most sophisticated Android-powered smartwatch on your wrist, the gifts in Tier 4 will not disappoint!
50,000 Photos Uploaded | 30,000 Transcriptions ($500+ VALUE!!)
Last but not least, if you upload 50,000 unique images, OR transcribe 30,000 records, we will give you your choice between a brand new, Apple Ipad 9.7 WiFi+Cellular**, Xbox One X, Apple Watch Series 3, Nikon D3400 DSLR Camera, TCL 55-Inch 4k Ultra HD Smart LED TV, Bose Quiet Comfort 35 Wireless + Noise Cancelling Headphones
EVERY BillionGraves contributor that uploads over 50,000 unique photos or transcribes 30,000 records will get their choice of one of the phenomenal prizes above. These prizes represent some of the most state-of-the-art tech you can hold IN your hands, ON your wrist, place IN FRONT of your eyes, or put ON your head! So, take a bow, my good friend. You’ve accomplished something quite incredible and you deserve a prize that matches! Thank you for your contributions during the Million More In May Contest!
Terms and conditions do apply so please read below for more details!
ATTENTION:
PLEASE, follow all the guidelines for taking the “PERFECT” picture! Need a refresher? Read this great article about the 7 ways to become the photographer that every genealogist love! Remember with our photo rating system that our transcribers will be making sure that QUALITY photos are the only kind of photos acceptable! Any blurry or poor photos will be removed from your total. We love doing competitions like this, but we all need to remember that quality is ALWAYS better than quantity!
[info_box]Note: All photos and transcriptions will be audited throughout the competition. Any photos that do not adhere to the guidelines found in the article HERE will be disqualified from the competition. [/info_box]
HOW TO FIND A CEMETERY TO DOCUMENT:
This is a great question! We have put together several videos to help users find a cemetery nearby to photograph. For additional information, refer to the getting started page here.
- How to Update your Location to Find Nearby Cemeteries
- How to Find a Cemetery To Photograph – Empty Cemetery
- How to Find a Cemetery to Photograph – Some Records Completed, But Not All
- How to Work with the Cemetery to Take Photos
A SPECIAL NOTE FROM BILLIONGRAVES:
Taking 50,000 photos or transcribing 30,000 records is no small feat! Only a small handful of people have ever achieved it.
We want to give prizes away to everyone! However, BillionGraves is proud to maintain a FREE site! Remember, our goal is to document the world’s cemeteries and make it available to anyone and everyone for FREE!
We like to spice things up every now and then with prizes and giveaways! So for anyone who wants to step up and be apart of a very small elite group of volunteers, this month’s prize is just for you!
How does the competition work?
Each photo uploaded and transcription completed earns you 1 point. BillionGraves offers many great prizes. Prizes are awarded to users who reach certain point levels throughout the month of May. At the end of the month, the total number of points you earned by taking photos or transcribing records is used to calculate which prize tier you earned for your efforts! The more points you earn, the better the prize!
Note: we do NOT combine your photos uploaded and transcriptions as a part of the event totals. We recognize that there are different obstacles for photographers than there are for transcribers. We have tried to reflect these obstacles in the total number of contributions required for each prize tier.
There is no limit to the number of photos taken or transcriptions completed. All entries must be submitted before June 1, 2018 (00:00 UTC time). Terms and conditions do apply.
• Register! It’s 100% free and 100% necessary if you’re going to participate in this competition. Make sure once you register that you verify your email! To claim your prize we will communicate with you through the email you provide and verify.
• Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter and Instagram! It’s simple to do and keeps you constantly up to date will all the new amazing things we are doing at BG!
• Make sure that you have the latest and greatest BillionGraves apps. Check the iTunes App Store, Google Play, for any updates on your device.
• Make it a habit. Go to the cemetery regularly—incorporate a local cemetery into your daily walk or bike ride, and snap some pictures along the way.
• Create a group event! It’s a great way to get organized and share in the fun with friends. Create a group event here.
• Follow your progress on our leaderboard! We have awesome graphics that will track your progress every step of the way! The leaderboard is not in real time. Please allow 24 hours for numbers to reflect accurately! Remember that photos that are flagged by transcribers will be removed from your totals so the totals may vary daily. Don’t forget you can always correct any images that are flagged. Learn more about fixing flagged images here.
• A word of advice: don’t wait for Memorial Day. The decorations at the cemetery for that holiday actually make it MORE difficult to collect images—people have to transcribe the content, and flower arrangements and other decorations can easily obscure that important content.
• Contest begins May 1, 2018, and ends May 31, 2018, @ 11:59 pm GMT (That’s 6 pm MST)
[info_box] A great way to reach your goal is to grab your friends and head out to the cemetery as a group![/info_box]
Teamwork always pays off!
If everyone in the group logs their different devices into one account, your efforts will be combined, making it easier to hit your goal! Once you hit the 50,000 photo goal or 30,000 transcriptions goal, switch it up and combine efforts with another person in the group and earn multiple prizes!
So make it a group effort! Get a few friends/family members out at a time, log in to the same account, and take as many pictures as you can in one outing. For example, a husband/wife team could get the grand prize together by taking 25,000 images each, which is less than many users do in a month by themselves.
Note: Only one prize will be given per username, and will be shipped to the username the efforts are performed under. [/info_box]
“What?! BillionGraves isn’t really going to give out these prizes… are they?!”
YES! We really are giving out these great prizes! Still, don’t believe us? Ask Nancy Alford, Melyssawebb, jodie1, Paulwuzhere, William, FionaNZ or liallee and see if we were kidding? Here is Fiona enjoying the iPad mini she won during one of our previous competitions!
The Fine Print. (Cause we have to have fine print, right?)
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- All photos and transcriptions must be submitted before the closing date of May 31, 2018 @ 11:59:59 pm GMT (That’s 6 pm MST). Any submissions after that point will be excluded from the final results.
- This promotion is intended for photographers and transcribers. Let’s go outside!
- Supporting records will NOT be counted towards the monthly totals. Only images that originate from the genuine BillionGraves apps will be accepted.
- If you or another user marks a headstone picture as “bad” we deduct it from the uploader’s total images.
- For transcribers, we will be looking extra hard at the quality of transcriptions as well. We will erase the record and have it re-transcribed if it’s not done correctly. Any record not transcribed correctly will be deducted from your total.
- In the off chance that we don’t have enough images to transcribe, GO TAKE PICTURES! We will allow both photos taken and transcriptions completed to count ONLY if there are no photos left in the transcription queue. BillionGraves must announce this update before this exclusion becomes active.
- Make sure you have permission and are welcome to take pictures in your local cemetery before doing so. Remember, private cemeteries require permission of the owner before taking any pictures. No one likes a trespasser!
- This promotion is open to all to participate ages 13 and above for free. Registration is required. (Register HERE. Come on. You know you want to. It’s free!)
- More than one individual may contribute to a single account, however, the limit is one prize redemption per BillionGraves account. The prize will be claimed by only the username the combined work was completed under. BillionGraves will not arbitrate any disputes. ALL RECORDS MUST BE UNDER ONE ACCOUNT. BILLIONGRAVES WILL NOT COMBINE ACCOUNTS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.
- Items will ship in 6-8 weeks after contest closes for winners residing in the U.S. International winners please allow 8-12 weeks for items to be delivered.
- Due to current world-unrest, some areas may increase the amount of time it takes for prizes to be delivered. If for some reason your country isn’t compatible with the prize tiers, we will work with you to provide you with a prize or gift card that is equal in value.
- Recipients will be required to provide a mailing address for physical items.
- Winner will be required to provide completed tax forms for the redemption of the prize.
- REQUIRED: ALL PRIZES MUST BE CLAIMED WITH PROPER MAILING/DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS BY THE 15TH OF JUNE OR YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE THE PRIZE! WE WILL SEND OUT CONFIRMATION EMAILS BY THE 3RD OF JUNE. IF YOU DON’T RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION EMAIL ASKING FOR YOUR ADDRESS, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SENDING IT TO US BY THE 15TH AT BonnieG@BillionGraves.com.
We’re super excited for this amazing competition! Now, get outside and earn yourself great prizes!
Good luck!
-The BillionGraves Team
