Freelance Switch Birthday Bash: Celebrate With $1,500 in Prizes!

1. The Web Coder’s Prize Pack
2. Why do I want it?
Because I’m a peasant-like web coder, with a broken hard-drive; Basically. [:

3) The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack

Why?
Because I work in an awful marketing firm and am dying to get out. The freshbooks and hard drive would be highly useful in aiding me in this new adventure. The headphones can help me just tune out everyone in the office (for real, you don’t answer and email and they IM you within 5 min, you don’t answer the IM and they phone you with in 2 min and you don’t answer the phone and they are standing in your office within a minute…sheesh). And who can’t use books, I love em, read em and learn from em. Lastly, laptops are hot man, you ever worked on one actually in your lap for more then an hour.

Thanks!
Keep up the good work.

I would like the Web Coder’s Prize-Pack. I deserve it because I’m the first to respond!? (Or maybe that means I don’t have a life.) Either way, please enter me into the contest.

I’d pick the web developer pack cause that’s what I do.

(I’m going for the “simply honest” option here if you couldn’t tell)

Thanks for the contest and a great site!

-A

HI! It was great to read on my RSS Reader that this blog is giving out this prize packs. I does not happen very often. Many Thanks!

I think I deserve the “The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack” simply because I am a self-taught web coder working as a freelancer in Argentina.. and this kind of stuff are quite inaccessible here!

Not to mention how useful they would be.

I am a student of the world. Despite my age of 15, (or perhaps because of it) I search for the ways to express those winged creatures we call ideas. Through visual representation I seek to present the universe (starting with our own small parts of it) through design (one big 42). More than visual design, I work through design in all its forms: literature through code. Though my goals are high, my means are not quite so high; after all, you don’t make much on a high school student’s salary ($0, before taxes). I’m a starving artist, starving for inspiration.

Prize pack: Designer’s

I deserve the Web Coder’s prize pack because I’m a poor college student. The headphones would come in handy on those nights when I’m trying to get some work done, but everyone else in my dorm has decided that they want to get drunk and run up and down the halls screaming.

The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack please
Why? Hmmm, maybe I need to give Freelance switch the prize pack. Going from 9-5 web developer to freelancer has been an awesome yet scary experience and every post has been very helpful on this ongoing adventure. Although maybe, I really should be reward with pack because secretly I think you guys have been reading my mind for post ideas, when I have a problem/thought, magically an answer appears in my rss reader. I don’t how you do it!

Keep up the great work

Prize Pack #3

Why do I deserve these prizes? I don’t deserve them…but my clients do. Each prize has a unique purpose to serve:

The external hard drive is so I can store the countless crap my clients send me, PDFs, contracts, copy, the huge PSD files with their “ideas”.

The head phones (which I hope are noise canceling) will be a great way to indicate in a professional manor that I don’t care. I will literally pull these out in the middle of a meeting.

The books are for my table so my clients think I’m expert and really smart.

The cushion stand isn’t really for my clients (hey they can’t get everything) it will be for my MacBook Pro…because nothing is sexier then a MacBook Pro and Chocolate.

And of course Freshbooks will help my clients pay on time, because they always complain that I’m late sending the invoice.

So don’t pick me for me…pick me for my clients, because they are people too.

Web Coder’s Prize Pack

Why? Well, it’s simply perfect for me. 2 of the 3 books are already in my wishlist at Amazon, my current headphones started hissing last week (I guess I was listening a tad too loud), my external drive is nearly full and I will need another, Freshbooks would be great, but I can’t justify the cost just yet, and finally my lap is sweating just from this post…. my MackBook Pro cranks out an unusual amount of heat.

Finally, I’d be absolutely thrilled and I love getting things in the mail!!!

Prize Pack 2

Freelance Switch,

I honestly feel that I deserve this Prize Package, because I have worked hard to get where I am at. My current situation is not that of a Professional Designer, but I hope that one day it will be. I will soon be attending the California Design College in Los Angeles, after having fought through several very large roadblocks (finances, finances, finances, etc.). And this prize package offers me an abundance of extremely useful supplies, that will be tough to come by with my financial state. Please pick me Freelance Switch, for Prize Package 2.

Thank You,
Joshua Lanphear

I am brand new to this world of web design and blog reading procrastination. It seems to me that those headphones in the Web Coder prize pack could at least help me shut out the noise from my roommates, which would just leave me with the noise from my own head, which is probably worse anyway. If you have any random thought cancelling headphones I would appreciate those being thrown in as well.
Since I’ve only learned CSS from the w3schools css site, a book to teach me would be a nice change. Maybe it’ll explain why float: and clear: are often the bane of my existence, and why sometimes Firefox doesn’t think that my divs have a height, when there are clearly objects floating casually inside them.

Web Coder = me.

Prize Pack Three

I’m being straight forward like my work, nothing to sugarcoat here. Prize Pack Three would assist me in furthering my knowledge and help me work towards being a better developer and designer. Simple as that.

id love to have the designer’s prize pack.

why?

well because im a newbie to the freelancing world AND an artist as well and i havent gotten ANY designerly or artsy love. no clients, no patrons…just schelpping along in my 9-5 as an admin assistant/in house graphic designer (though admittedly i shirk when i tell people my occupation because my co-workers’ idea of design goes as far as Publisher with a lil bit of Illustrator if i can coax them into letting me do my thing). im artisticly deprived in my 9-5 and dream…DREAM of the day that i can strike out on my own full time to pursue my creative interests. so really, though your prizes dont offer me THAT (though your blog helps a lot), winning this prize would be a definite spirit-lifter and continued encouragement to keep on pushing.

oh, and also another reason i think i should win…my name is storme.

sometimes it really is that simple. ^_^

Prize Pack 2: The Designer’s Prize-Pack

“What if I’m a software programmer and none of these prize-packs suit me?” – That is the exact reason for me pitching at the prize pack that represents the area that I am weakest at (Design). I’m a firm believer in *Sharpening The Saw*. I’m a software programmer and right now the area of my work that I feel needs the most attention is to increase my overlap into and skill sets around design.

Cheers, and good luck to all!

Prize Pack #1.

I certainly enjoy and do a lot of writing. A lot of times, it’s just for school papers, or sometimes blog posts, but I often like to go that extra mile and go from a good paper to an outstanding paper. My personal standards of writing are high, in style, grammar, and content. When I’m not doing those, I write film scripts and treatments on the side for fun. Eventually I’ll develop one of these stories into a full feature film.

While I understand that others probably do a lot more writing than I have time for, I’ll still throw my name into the hat.

Thank you for doing this, and keep up the good work!

Prize pack #3,

Not for me, but my desk. My desk craves beautiful, new shiny things. I’d be more than happy to oblige my sturdy oak comrade, but I haven’t been able to bill any of my clients. I’ve been holding out for a free one-year subscription to FreshBooks, which this package conveniently includes.

Happy Birthday, Freelance Switch! It’s been a great first year – this blog quickly became my favourite, one of the few feeds I read daily (along with Dilbert).

I would get a ton of use out of the Web Coder’s Prize-Pack. This is all great stuff that any freelance developer could take advantage of. So why do I deserve it? Well.. my 2-year anniversary of freelancing is coming up next month, and everything is going great. I think that deserves a celebration!

You’ve got me thinking, Freelance Switch.. if I don’t win the Prize-Pack, I’m going to have to go buy myself another “prize”

As a professional designer I felt that I could better convey my desires to win the designer’s prize package through a fresh synthesis of typos and images, so if you would please take a look at http://gpathmedia.com/freelancebirthday.PNG you might get a better feel for why I might be deserving of this prize.

As a professional designer I felt that I could better convey my desires to win the designer’s prize package through a fresh synthesis of typos and images, so if you would please take a look at http://gpathmedia.com/freelancebirthday.PNG you might get a better feel for why I might be deserving of this prize.

FreelanceSwitch Birthday
The Designer’s Prize-Pack is
Fresh spring air for me

Good luck to all, hopefully three nice people wins et. (:

Today is the 2 month birthday of makin’ the SWITCH to freelance!

I am a freelance web designer from Seattle Washington and i’d like to choose what’s behind door #3 (The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack.) O’Reily is my GoodBook, Chocolate brown will match my hair, and those headphones are going to look dead sexy on me!

Pick me! Pick me! (please)

Looking at this year, I can say without any doubt : “sure, I deserve the designer’s prize pack !”
And why do I deserve it ? Because I need holidays (but don’t feel like taking any…) : imagine someone spending ALL her time (outside work excepted) learning, learning, learning, Photoshop Illustrator After Effects photography video drawing making mistakes being happy asking questions on forums reading graphic and motion blogs discovering new things like Wordpress ‘n co or Flash and trying to keep ONE direction : motion design.
And it’s not so easy if I add I’m 36 years old, and trying to switch from furniture and scenery design to motion design…
I discovered After Effects one year ago (an eternity…) and decided to begin my switching by mastering it. (if you want to see the first results, have a look here : http://www.vimeo.com/user397493/videos … but please, don’t be too harsch… . Loving graphic design too, it’s hard for me not to spend much time on Illustrator and Photoshop also.
It’s a joy learning and learning always more, but it’s sometimes painful, when you don’t have (almost) any friend in real life enjoying your passion, and any teacher guiding your steps…
Such a priesthood deserves well the designer’s prize, doesn’t it ?

I would like to throw my hat into the ring for the designers prize pack. Interestingly enough I don’t consider myself a designer, but I am trying to improve my chops…this prize pack would help me on my journey from coder to creative.

Designer’s Prize Pack

I’d like to win this for my wife. I’m a web developer and she is studying for an A.S. degree in Graphics Arts Technology. She gave up going back to school when she stumbled into Florida 14 years ago and we got married. She never went back to Colorado to finish her original degree of Journalism. Which I’m very thankful for – not only because we have a wonderful marriage and lovely children, but because I don’t know if I could stand to be married to a journalist without becoming violent.

I encouraged her to go back a few years ago and she decided to get this Graphics Arts Technology degree because she wanted to be able to help me in my business. Since I’m a “code-guy”, I had been happily plugging along with nary a thought about such things as gradients, filters, brushes, etc. I thought that was a very sacrificial and sweet thought, but since she was fairly anti-computer at the time, I was a bit skeptical.

She took some art classes and did very well. Very creative and artistic. She is a very good student and has been on the Dean’s List the past two semesters. She seems to be an Illustrator guru nowadays. I’m constantly amazed at what she does. She wants to learn Photoshop a bit more, but I still can’t get over the stuff she has learned in Illustrator. I couldn’t have told you the difference between those two programs two years ago (using Fireworks – and only when I had to).

Anyway, she is almost finished with her degree, but I think she is getting a little worn out. We have six children (yes, they are all ours), so she has been doing this in addition to raising our children (whom we homeschool to boot). And she’s married to me, which that alone is a monumental task no mere mortal woman could handle. I’m being serious. Read my blog. You’ll see. If you were a woman, you’d sooner poke a dagger into your eye than be my wife, despite my dashing good looks and winning charm.

I’m no contest junkie, and I’m entirely unclear as to what the criteria is even supposed to be here (humor? sob story?), but when I saw the design pack I thought that would be a really great encouragement to her. I’ll confess right now that I might snag the laptop stand, but the rest would be all hers. She gets to use one of those pen things at school and I know she’d love to have one at home for Illustrator stuff. I even know what the Prismacolor things are (I think) so even I’ve learned a thing or two about designer stuff in the past few years. But, overall, I think it would be a real nice gift for her. Her name is Nikki.

Anyway, my other little “motive” for entering was that I thought if I won that it would be a real strong motivator to show her how great blogs can be. I think she thinks I might be a little geeky for reading blogs. I got her all set up in Google Reader – and she occasionally glances at them – but she isn’t sold on them yet. I thought if she won, then I think that would be a real wide-eyed event for her.

Lastly, thanks for the opportunity to participate. Happy 1st Birthday. Keep up the great work. I can’t believe a year flew by just like that. This is probably one of the few blogs that I’ve read every post since I somehow stumbled upon it the first month or so you started.

Even though I’m a web designer, I pick the Writer’s Pack!

I actually share my one year freelancing “birthday” with you guys! I started last April, and unfortunetly I didn’t find your site for a few months after that.

Since I did I’ve learned a lot about business, design, and myself. I listen to the podcasts on my daily walk and when I get back to my desk I feel ready to take on the world, one client at a time!

Who knows how we’ll all be reading websites in ten years, but as long as there’s an internet, I hope there’s a FreelanceSwitch!

Happy Birthday!

I was about to forget it : HAPPY BITHRDAY FREELANCE SWITCH !!!!!!!! And congratulations for such a big work, a successful and very useful one ! (in my case, I hope to become a freelancer in a bunch of years )

It is my belief that this contest is rigged. You can prove otherwise by awarding “The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack” to me.

I am a web coder, and have recently decided to go freelance. While I do my well with my current equipment, the coder’s pack prize will help me improve and be productive with my work. And of course to better deliver products for client’s satisfaction and creating standards compliant, usable and accessible websites. And it will help me go further with my chosen path.

Happy Birthday Freelance Switch!

What an awesome competition – thanks for your generosity!

I would love to win the Designer pack. I have just started my own freelance training / elearn business (Creative Training and Communications, in Melbourne Australia) and recently completed my first engagement. I would love to be able to add freehand illustrations to my courseware using the Genius Graphic Tablet.

Alternatively, the web coder’s pack would also be awesome, as I incorporate quite a bit of multimedia and audio into my online work – the headphones would be great for this, and of course the external hard drive would be a big help for storing all of those files too.

Thanks and regards,
Tim

1. Number 3 please
2. In true Freelance Switch spirit I have quit my job of four years (just for your birthday perhaps?) and am looking down the barrel of the freelance gun. Commuting, cubicles and lengthy meetings are soon to be a thing of the past.

But what about the steady monthly income, the endless A4 pages from the colour printer, morning idle chit-chat of coffee runs down the block and all the post-it notes you want in the stationary cupboard!!!

Gulp! Prize packs suddenly are seen in a different light

Prize Pack 1, please.

I need to win to give the prize pack to my girlfriend. I am a freelance web developer, but she wants to start as a freelance writer, so this prize will really help her. Thanks a lot.

Prize Pack: Web Coders

Reason:

I’ve been web developing for a few years now and have been releasing free original and re-coded templates for download for about a year. I will admit that I am probably the most out of work freelancer around, I hold my head up high use my spare time to design and code new web ideas and thoughts. I’m about to launch a 2008 version of my site, as well as a web developer blog to accompany it, in an attempt to help all my fellow freelancers and hopefully inspire some of them to new ideas. I believe the Internet is man’s next frontier, and we should do our best to help all those who travel it’s road to achieve their absolute best results.

The web developer of today is a discredited race. With most or all of the attention going to the designers and how well it looks, people need to remember that it’s the web coders behind the scenes that bring those designs to life.

P.S. Happy Birthday FSW!

I obviously need the Writer’s Prize-Pack because after (eek!) almost 19 years as a freelancer, I’m still not wealthy (although, as food-lover, I like to think I’m well-fed).

Thanks for letting us join in the celebrations! I would love the coder’s prize pack, because I am just a baby coder. Like any baby, I need toys to play with, because that is how learning happens, and I need books, so that I grow up reading.

Seagate FreeAgent Go 120GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive + Case Logic Small External Hard Drive Case

just to see if I am lucky,
The great idea in this post,will be hot anyway.Want to know who will be the lucky guys.

gosh i don’t know if i deserve it, but it sure would be handy. i’m a web developer who has been working corporate jobs for almost 15 years, just starting out on my own. i’ve got the developer thing down pretty well, but i could use some help getting back up to speed with designing.

3) The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack

Why should I get this pack? Well a better answer is actually explaining why I will be more empowered by this pack than other individuals. Well long story short, I had been working as a software developer part time while I finish bachelors degree in Information Systems. Unfortunately, I happened to lose my job in mid-February. Since then, I’ve been trying to pick up freelance jobs here and there to fill in the financial gaps. As I actually will be graduating now in two weeks (on the 28th), I will soon be thrust out into the real world. I am living in Michigan where it’s tough finding full time employment (Read as 7.2% unemployment rate, against national average of 4.8%). As a result, the freelancing which I had originally began to fill in a financial void in my last semester of college is looking more and more like I will need to make it something of a full time job.

The prize pack will empower me with books to help provide better development solutions for my customers, storage solutions with the external drive, mobility solutions with the laptop pad and drive case, entertainment solutions with the headphones, and billing solutions with FreshBooks.

So basically I’m graduating and getting pushed into the rough and tumble world of full-time freelancing, and your prize-back would certainly help ease the transition.

Thank you, and happy birthday!

I think you have my stuff in your Web Coder’s Prize Pack.

Just this week my Seagate FreeAgent Go 120GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive + Case Logic Small External Hard Drive Case, Sennheiser HD 215 Extreme DJ Sound Headphone, CSS: The Definitive Guide, Web Standards Solutions: The Markup and Style Handbook, Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design, and Belkin Cushtop Notebook Stand – Chocolate have ALL gone mysteriously missing. FSwitch I think you have some explaining to do.

Luckily I still have my current Freshbooks subscription so I can send you an invoice for the total losses. Or, I suppose you can just give me my stuff back!

Web-coder prize pack.

Truely, this is one of your best ideas yet…you offer 3 prize packs on a Freelancing site designed for each type of the freelancers you market to. Being a freelancer means thinking outside the box, thinking of unique ways to attract people to your business, yadda yadda yadda. So you spring an idea off the idea of Freelance Switch’s birthday — lets give prizes away! This will probably appear on digg, you’ll probably have tons of comments from people who have never read your blog before, and you’ll probably give your prizes away to the people who “need it most”..but really, your getting the most out of this. The publicity on this kind of stunt is phenomenal. You get thousands (if not millions) of hits, even more comments, and then those viewers come back again to see what kind of articles this “site that’s giving away super-cool stuff” has to offer. They may even buy your book. Tell you the truth, though, I’ve been reading the blog for a while, but I never really comment. I bought the book, learned a lot..but I wouldn’t say I “need” the prize pack. I already just learned from this post a new marketing strategy that could earn me even more than one of those prize packs. All I need is some help with figuring out a better marketing strategy than this one. Some hi-def headphones and a external hard drive could help.

-Max

I’m a college student – an economics / english double major, specifically. I’m not sure what my plan is post college outside of exploring and learning more, so prize pack one would be ideal for me to take with me wherever I end up going.

Outside of economics, i’m part of three start ups from the design / code end, but I focus on content. The tools presented in prize pack one would help me focus my ideas and cull the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, to generate positive content.

Prize Pack #2

Freelance Switch has been one of my inspirations for starting up a web design company with some great friends. This site has really made me want to design art in several ways. I have recommended this site to several people and everyone reacts the same. This is one of the best resources on the web. Honestly, the prize pack would be extremely helpful to a start-up web design firm as well as anyone else that visits this site.

Thanks for all your helpful advice and resources and happy birthday!
Chris (Nashville)

I would love The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack.
I’m currently a grad student, working as a graphic designer at very small (and very much hurting from this economic downturn) communications firm. I have been expanding my knowledge base by reading numerous blogs, obviously including Freelance Switch, to survive in the world of design/coding/freelancing. I’ve been branching out in my freelancing experience and perhaps this could the push I really need to be out on my own.

Honestly, I really don’t care about the “prize packs”, I’m just happy to have been able to follow FSw for the last year. You guys have helped me out in *so* many ways. Congrats, and if you make your way to Calgary, look me up and I’ll treat you to dinner!

Cheers,
Brad

The Designer’s Prize-Pack

I bought the “How to be a Rockstar Freelancer” book because I am in awe of the design aspect of the web and I would love to start my own little gig. I am still young and in college so it’s hard to start without much money. I’m sure you don’t remember, but I was the one that emailed you about buying the PDF version, but thought it was an actual book haha. You helped me out in the situation. The prize would be a great start and motivate me even more to start my dream.

Package: 2

Why: Because life is a balloon and I want to blow it up!

Prize Pack #2

I have just recently joined the professional design workforce and boy is it glamorous. I’m using my Thermarest camping pad as a bed, my sleeping bag as covers, my climbing bouldering pad as a couch/desk and my mac book pro as a design center, dvd player and tv.

Livin’ the dream baby…

I think that Belkin Cushtop Notebook stand would make a great pillow.

Hey! Happy birthday colleagues

My personal blog about freelance in russian is on 10th month of its life. It is very close to 1 year birthday too.

And for the prize pack – to be honest i don’t believe in winning it So many people, sho deserve it much more than me – i am just a freelancer, who likes your site.

Thanks for your content and podcasts – i am very happy to be a part of it and thanks for your great work!

Best wishes, Stanislav Malkin.

Web Coders! Hooray!

Why?

1. I’m awesome, I need presents.
2. I follow Freelance Switch (as well as top notch FreelanceRadio!) a bit too religiously, and a little kick back would be nice
3. While going from a 9-5 corporate type guy to a full-time, work where I want, dev for hire is fun, it’s freaking scary and you guys have been a great support through the tough times (broken contracts!) as well as the fun times (making money, doing things I love, where I want to be).

kthnxbye.

Happy Birthday!! It’s been a great year!!

I like the designer prize pack best. I don’t know if I deserve it more than anyone else – I’m sure there are many of people here who could use it just as much as me – but I’ll throw my name in anyway. Good luck to everyone!

Haha, the writers could probably win all of the prizes if they were deceiving enough.

Well I’m no writer, but I love graphic design. It’s my passion, I do it everyday. I’m a high school student, and juggling school and design is hard, but it’s worth it.
I’m not going to rant on, but I feel I’d really benefit from the Designers Prize-pack. I’m working with my first real client at the moment, with another soon after, and these tools would be such a great help. Come uni time, I’m not going to have much money to spare either, so what a great help this prize-pack would be.

Thanks for the great resources over the past year, keep at it!

Harry.

Designer Pack

I deserve this pack made for designers so that I could really improve what I do everyday. The makers would help define the lines of my doodles when I am bored out of my mind when I am talking to boring clients. You would be helping me not to go insane.

And the tablet would help me when i talk to clients through MSN and they forget that they are using red for some reason that they think its web 2.0 but in reality is making me go blind and giving me spinning headaches every night. Freshbooks could be a major part of my life because it could possibly help me keep sanity when i go through the invoices that I get from clients that range from a wet napkin with numbers scribbled on it and a mental note of their tabs.

The laptop stand rest would help me conceive children in the future because I think the stand would prevent radiation to important jewels.

The book would most likely help if it has the power to reverse losing a soul already. The book would hopefully help me regain a soul and feed my passion fuel for graphic design.

The moleskine would be great for travel when I get emotion urges and I could record my behavior.

Thanks!

I choose…(3) The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack

0_o

You guys throw the best birthday parties!
I’ve been following your website since the website was launched, and I must say I still love it. You guys are the best and winning this prize would prove that even more. Keep up the amazing effort and attention to freelance needs.

I deserve the Designer’s pack because the other contestants will not do anything valuable with it.

Starting a clothing/graphic design freelance career and the mobility/wow factor of having the tablet will be very effective for client-site mockups and design.

prize pack #3

Because I already own the three books and want to give them away to people I know who could really use them.

Prize: Web Coders Prize-Pack

Why: ’cause I need to polish my programming skills (and my english too) *lol … but for the comments I’ve read so far, there are people who deserves this prize more than I do (what can I say about ‘Jesse Skinner’ lifesaver’s-javascripts, they saved my skin lot of times!), anyway, this is not for me to decide, so here I am =)

Congrats: A big Happy Birthday from Brazil! =P

I like most would like the designers pack. After my photolab went bankrupt 4 years ago I got a little depressed. Immediately following that my father died. The previous owner of the lab thinking he would be able to sue me ( the corporation went bankrupt but I hadn’t) tried to sue me . I then had to sell just about everything I owned to pay my Lawyer because this annoying man was trying to just get me to settle little did he know I had no money. I have student loans that they have attached on my paycheck and I just got a notice from Massachusetts Dept of revenue. that I owe 3100.00 from when the lab went bankrupt. so after takes levies and such I should be taking home a whopping maybe 150 dollars. Obviously I have had to move in with mom which is good because she is at the beginning stages of alzheimer’s.
I really could use a little good in my life. winning something may bring me out of my funk.
Have you ever had someone say “it can’t get any worse,right ?”
trust me it can

Designer Prize Pack

Why? Because I’m a kick ass designer and I deserve some kick ass prizes.

I’d love Prize Pack 1 for Writers, because I live way the hell in the bush in Quebec, and items like those make me drool. I can get smokes and beer every 10 feet in my town, but BOOKS? GADGETS? Luxury items? No way. No can do. Plus, everything’s in French, you know?

Yes, alright, I could buy them online. I know. I keep forgetting, alright?

But there is one thing… Oh man. I so want that voice recorder. I’ve been wanting one of those for three years now, because trying to jot down ideas on torn scraps of paper in a car while driving just isn’t safe. And what would I use while doing groceries? I mean, I leave my pen in the car, I get an idea… I’m screwed.

I need my ideas. I would use that baby like there’s no tomorrow.

As a college student studying Information Security and Technology and an aspiring Freelance Web Coder/Designer the web coder’s pack would greatly improve my skills and the equipment that I have available to me and my budding business. With the help, information, and guides that Freelance Switch provides (which are the BEST I have been able to find anywhere) I have been slowly improving my skills and will soon start actively seeking projects.

I sincerely thank you and wish you a happy birthday.

Prize Pack: Web Coders FTW!!!

Happy Birthday Freelance switch. Your web site and podcast are a wonder resource and have help me tremendously in my self-employment endeavors. The writers Prize pack is the one I would chose for myself. While I do a lot of design and coding work I am finding myself more and more writing on my business blog and providing compelling copy for the projects I do for my customers. The Writer’s Prize Pack would help me hone those skills and provide the best service to my clients as well as crafting compelling words that help in natural SEO and extending the conversation with those I come in contact with.

Naturally I’m a big picture kind of person and the prizes will help me excel in the realm of writing. I definitely appreciate including the digital voice recorder for recording interviews and audio notes to myself. The headphones will definitely help me concentrate better as well.

good morning, and “congrats” for keeping me busy since 8month with all the various topics on freelance work etc. well…i dont deserve the price pack 2 (Genius MousePen 8X6 Graphic Tablet ) just because my beloved girlfriend ursula deserves this. she is an artist working as an english teacher here in china. and what can i tell you, she is marvellous, but to be honest, she doesnt have a laptop yet, but i am saving up to buy here one!!! and i already introduced her to the idea of being creative on the notebook…sketching things with a graphic tablet….

she still thinks that these nice toys are sci-fi and simply “not from this planet”….
cheers to y`all and all the best for the future
olaf

I want all 3
because I am a greedy, greedy, greedy bastard

The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack

I just think this is TOO SWEET to pass it up so I thought I’d gave it a try. My charm is better communicated in person through my lovely Salvadoran accent that doesn’t quite translate in writing, but still want to try! Oh, I also freelance… I’m fresh out of college.

FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS!!!!

Congrats on your first birthday. It’s been a pleasure to see you grow.

#3 Please because,

Recently my computer died out of warranty and so I had to get a new one. I was rushed, in the middle of a project I couldn’t delay, and bought one from a friend with an onboard water cooling system. Well something went wrong a month or so later and water + leakage + electricity = BOOM.

Currently I have files all over the place on multiple CD-Roms. I’d really like to get organised and I think that hard drive will really help.

Good luck to all.
Dave

The Designer’s Prize Pack

Hi,
First off, happy birthday to everyone at Freelance Switch. The fact that you guys have been sharing vital design information for only 12 months is simply amazing to me! Then, when I read that you guys were doing a give-away instead of requesting b-day donations/shout-outs I was in awe.

Doing things for the love of your craft and out of passion for the arts is what I try to promote everyday. I struggled with trying to figure out the best way to put my talents to use all through my journey in college. I always felt like I wasn’t the best amongst my peers, but I still had a creative voice that I wanted so bad to be heard. After dealing with accepting my level of talents and learning how to enhance them instead of changing them to fit the image of others, I was able to tap into the true artist in me.

During my last semester of school, i experienced a revelation that changed my life. I was getting ready to end my road to higher education in the design world and was determined to take on the world as a MAGAZINE PUBLISHER. Ever since I was a little girl I always had secret dreams of having a book on the shelves of my favorite bookstores, but could never really see myself taking the time to actually write all those pages lol. In my youthful mind, a published book was a way of keeping one’s legacy alive even after the author dies. In addition to having a book, I was always more drawn to the radio and cassette tapes as opposed to sitting in front of the ‘idot box’ (TV). Getting on punishments were the coolest until my folks caught on to the fact that taking away my Sony Boombox was more torture for me than unplugging my tv lol. So that night right before finals of my last semester, I came up with the bright idea of merging my two childhood fantasies into one and creating an entertainment magazine from an artist’s perspective. Shinning a positive light on the industry and bringing together both fans and artists by the passion they share in the arts.

With all that being said, I took it upon myself to quit a very good paying job that was awarded to me fresh out of college (Fall 2006) to focus on my passion on a full-time basis. Since August of 2007, I have been interning with a few established magazines and have been soaking up as much information as possible.

I would love to win prize pack #2 to enhance myself as an artist in order to be as competitive as I can in this industry. Im constantly trying to convince my parents (who nag me about not going to grad school) that life’s experiences are the best teachers known to man for anyone who calls themselves an artist. With the Designer’s Prize Pack, I would be fully prepared for Design Professionalism 101!

Happy First Birthday!

1) The Writer’s Prize-Pack

I am just about to seriously begin pursuing a freelance writing career and this prize pack would be extremely helpful. Just think, when I make it big I’ll be able to say it’s all because of Freelance Switch!

hmm, its hard to choose between the web pack or the designer pack, as i usually am involved in both. I think i will choose the Designer pack. I would love to win these mostly because, I am currently making the move to Freelance work and will have to rely fully on freelance work to support my Beautiful wife and daughter. I am currently a Youth/Childrens pastor here in Salinas, ca. and get paid alright, but i feel that i am too, move my family and take on a Youth pastor job, with no pay. Because I want to help the youth of Stockton, and am willing to take a leap of faith, and rely on my web and graphic skills to support my family. That set will definitely help me get the start that I need, almost like a little boost, as this is a very scary thing not only moving my family but having to rely on freelance work.
Thank You for considering, I love your blog, and read it everytime i hear that sound of a new post alert. and if i can’t have the designer package i will make great use of the web one as well. Thank You guys.

For The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack!

Name: Steven Nacario
Alter Ego: Obake
Born: Oahu, Hawaii
Age: 20

I have no money because of bills. It’s almost too difficult to afford going to a community college. These would be extremely helpful for faster work! I do have a strong passion for digital art. Just started building a portfolio from scratch. Hopefully I can make it! Thanks.

I would love to get my mitts on the Writer’s Prize-Pack! I am in the early part of my writing career and am moving to New York this summer for another round of Big Apple post-college internships where I hope to fatten my professional portfolio and pick up some invaluable experience to help me in the freelance years ahead. Interestingly enough, I am funding this budding writing career through freelance web development where I probably have a much better chance of making more money…but, writing is my first love (even when I’m cursing my career choice those times I find myself staring at a blank page that needs to be filled with something coherent and somewhat brilliant).

I’m thinking the halogen desk lamp would look good in what may turn out to be a cramped windowless Brooklyn apartment where the fountain pen will make me feel like a sophisticated writer and the headphones will help block out the honking horns of taxis and the wail of sirens at all hours of the night. I have a feeling the Belkin Cushtop notebook stand will serve me just as well as a pillow to cushion the inevitable head-to-desk banging that every writer on deadline can relate to. You, yes you, can not only continue to keep me excited about freelancing with this blog but can help save my forehead from permanent indentions. Think about that!

Let me be the first to say, thanks for the offer of free schwag, but don’t give it to me. Honestly. I don’t need it. But here’s my two cents on who it should go to…

Give it to someone deserving. Someone who doesn’t have the ability to obtain all of the above (yet). Don’t give it to someone just cause they just started or are planning to start a freelance career.

Give it to someone who can prove how they will be a benefit to others with it. Clients, the community, etc.

Give it to someone who has the fire and the passion for what they do. “I love design” just doesn’t cut it for me. Why do you love design? Why do you analyze billboards and street signs for typography differences? Why do you write for a blog that only your wife, mother, and two cousins read? Because you have a passion. Explain it.

Give it to that person.

I’ve been trying to start my own freelance web design studio off and on for a few years now. I finally took the plunge in Spring ‘07 but soon after my wife became pregnant. I panicked and went back to a cubicle job, much to both our dismay.

Since then I’ve been watching our little boy get bigger and it got really hard being away from him and the wife again. So, with her support, I’m back in business for myself again and loving every minute of it.

Your website has been a huge help – both informational and motivational. Here’s to another great year

(btw, #2 would be a huge help!)

Why should I win the “WEB DEVELOPERS’ prize?

Well, number one, because I really need those headphones. I started freelancing about 6 months ago with the help of Freelance Switch and since then, I have enjoyed it. What I have not enjoyed is the noise here in my house that my sibling and my parents make. That would really help me out. Plus, that harddrive would be very useful so I can carry my files to Starbucks coffee and Its a Grind.

PLEASE, I am begging you (you said be honest) please give me the Web Developer’s prize.

Happy Birthday Freelance Switch!

Happy Birthday!

I would love to win the Writer’s prize pack.

Only recently have I discovered a love of writing, and now that I know, I really want to make this into a career! The books will help me develop myself as a writer and as a freelancer, and the voice recorder and notebooks will help me keep track of my ideas, no matter where I am! Winning this would be a great way to jump start my writing career, because I’m still a starving student for a couple more months, so I can’t afford most of this on my own!

Prize Pack #1

I’m not really sure if I deserve to win but right this moment I just feel like I could use a boost. I used to own The Elements of Style but I gave it away after high school to someone who couldn’t afford to buy her own copy. I miss having it around just so I can make myself look foolish. I also used to have a Moleskine but I filled all the pages up. I had to resort to carrying it around with me anyways because I felt empty without it.

The truth is I’m just starting to find myself again and writing has helped me through a lot of things these past few months; releasing emotions in a constructive way, working through problems or questions that I have, and discovering that I don’t have to be afraid of all of those things I buried so long ago.

In short, writing has helped me realize that I want to write professionally. When I was younger that’s what I wanted to be when I grew up but somewhere along the line I stopped believing that I could do it.

Do I need to win this? No, I don’t. If I don’t win then I’ll survive. I just feel that if I did win this prize pack it would really make my day.

I would love to get that Web-Coder’s Prize Pack.

Why because that it would come in extremely hand in the fall. When I start my first semester of two years of collage school. With not a very large salary, I don’t always have the money to all the great books that are out, that have to do with web design, development, or coding. I have head that Web Standards Solutions is a really great book and I would love to read. An external hard drive is always a handy thing to have for copying files between computers or backing up files.

Also I’ve started doing a little bit of freelancing in web design and development and hope to continue freelancing. I love the challenge of having to find out why my code is not doing, what I think it should do. Although some days I just want to toss the computer out the window (its a love hate thing).

Best of luck to everyone.

Hi there and Happy Birthday!

I’d prefer price pack number 2 (designer).

Why I deserve it? Well, I’m a German web design freelancer who was just granted a permanent visa for Australia. I will be making the big move to Melbourne (my favourite city of all!) later this year. Once I’m there I will need every help I can get to set myself up (working from home at the beginning) and start a new life. This package would be a greeeaaat little support package that would come in handy for my freelance business!

Cheers
Kai

i can’t honestly say that i “deserve” this prize, but i don’t think that anyone can really say that except for the editors and contributors to FS.

for me, this prize could potentially tip me over that part-time precipice into full freelance freedom. i’m right on that edge, preparing myself and doing part-time work, but i need a nudge. this could be my nudge.

oh, and door #3.

I have an exTreme addiction to freelancing, and I believe in Hard work and doing what I lovE. I’m a Work-a-holic. I lovE the Breathtaking experience that I sit down to do with my Coffee every day. I cOuldn’t even get close to Doing a sit-down job. Doing it solo has bEen one of the gReatest experienceS of my life. Freelancing has had its Peaks and its lows. I’ll pRemise this by sayIng that breaking even has been difficult. I wish I could have bought a nissan Z 350, but it just didn’t happEn. I soon learned that I wanted Power, but incorporAting my business was an exCeptionally expensive tasK.

And this is the part where I’ll detail my entry into the freelancing world. It was a feiry and ferocious act of Fulfillment and Freedom. I had just finished my final job of the fiscal quarter and I was finicky about continuing on. I finished work every day and clocked in. It guaranteed me a state of financial soundness, but there was something in me that said “F$*% this”. So I, in my fractious state, put the small startup I was currently employed by into a state of fury and walked out to the pier and took the ferry home.

And then I went into happyland, where the deers prance around and the bunnies fly in a happy place. It was a rather interesting experience. I had fun. My hangover the next morning wasn’t though. I found that I had called my former boss and sworn profusely for several minutes, hung up, and used the company credit card on a brand new Lamborghini Murcielago (don’t ask me, they had a high line of credit). I walked into my room where there was every animal imaginable and a big giant bear walked up to me and hugged me. There were beavers playing the saxophone and giraffes playing the trumpet and a parrot playing the piano and singing with a bottle of Jack Daniels. My sounds system was blaring “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Qeen and I heard sirens coming down the street.

And that’s how the cookie crumbles.

(Disclaimer: the information in this comment cannot in any way be considered true. I was not under the influence of alcohol or any drugs when this was written).

I pick The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack
because
I’m a full time student and part time freelancer. It’ll take more than a year’s earnings to be able to gain these prized possessions! And being in Malaysia with the weaker exchange rate, I’ll have to work 3.17 times harder!
[Live rates at 2008.04.16 02:32:54 UTC from XE.com ]

I’d love to win the Web Coder prize pack because it would fit my always-strained budget. As a 15-year-old small-business owner and web developer, money is generally always tight, and when it isn’t, it’s not in my control to spend. This prize would help me greatly in my business.

Jason

I’m excited by the quality of the answers so far .

Competition for the Designer’s Pack and the Coder’s Pack seems pretty hot. But where are the writers?

Still asleep, probably .

Yo that’s great stuff you’re giving away.

#1 Writer’s Prize Pack – because I’m a writer.

Not just that I’m a writer, but also that nobody asked for that yet! ^^

Thanks

Coders pack #3 please..

Why? Not because I am a coder but because I am a designer (primarily print) with an extreme interest in gearing up my mediocre chops for coding – especially CSS and semantic markup. A freelancer for 3 years full time now, any funds I have are usually spent on things that I need for my print design freelancing. It would be a VERY nice start and a kick in the ass to have this so I can really get things under way and to ultimately increase my arsenal.

Thanks for the consideration and I dig the content here.

- Patrick

2) The Designer’s Prize-Pack

I’m a web coder and designer, but I feel my design skills are lacking more than my coding skills. The books especially will help me as my eye for color schemes, typography, etc. isn’t the strong. Besides, everyone needs a creative outlet, right?

Thanks! You guys rock- you’ve immeasurably helped my freelancing career!

I’d definately go for prize pack 2, the reason I’d like to receive such an awsome prize pack would be because I’m 16, this is my last year of school, and I’ve been working almost every hour outside of school working on getting a freelance career ready for when i finish school (I’m also in a TAFE course for Multimedia Design, of which i’m now just waiting on recieving the certificate), I’ve been creating designs for over a year and a half now and I’m addicted to it, I love design and everything to do with it, of course family doesn’t quite understand how dedicated I am to it (of course my other half does when i point out the fonts used on the ads on foxtel ) – I’ve spent countless hours reading up on anything even remotely close to design and know more then enough to be a proffesional designer, of course… being 16 it’s hard when it comes to the financial aspect of things, i’ve got such a busy life setting myself up for life through school, tafe, girlfriend, and working freelance as much as possible while working on my own projects, that I can’t work much outside of this so i don’t have the finances to purchase everything I want for myself – esspecially considering the government takes 47% of all my income due to a tax file number f**k up (Thanks Kevin Rudd!) .

sob stroy alert ( ): The tafe I go to: http://www.blc.com.au offered me a graphics design tablet (it was an old wacom) for a logo design if their head office chose my logo out of 3 concepts they had… of course i did my best work, spent a full night working on it, only to be told their boss chose one that was made 2 years prior (and it looked like it was made by his kid ahaha). so i missed out on that tablet.

Congratulations on a year, it’s definately evolved into an amazing community.

#2 the designers pack…….mmmm molskine
i think i deserve it because i have never won anything. (no wait that’s the reason in my head as to why I deserve it) actually i think these tools can only help my freelance situation for the better and freelance switch > you guys rock! Im an avid reader and fan of this blog. Even if I don’t win, keep up the great work!

Oh Frelance Switch! What have you taught me more than anything else? To walk the walk and freelance with confidence! So in that spirit, I will comment as if I have already won the pack…

Thank you so much for the Design Prize-Pack! You’ve made me what I am today. I’m excited about all the product that will keep me out of the corporate wasteland. The Genius Tablet will help illustrate my 2008 holiday mailer. The Prismacolor Marker Set will let me draw on my converse when I’m waiting for my morning latte at 2pm. The Desk Pad will… um.. pad my desk and ledge my pencil like never before! My Sketching Pencils and Moleskine will replace the scratchy ballpoints & half used notepads I stole from the supply room before I quit my full time job in September to pursue freelancing full time. The Belkin Cushtop Stand will keep my lap from overheating while listening to John, Kristen, Dickie & Cyan on Freelance Radio… wait, that sounded wrong. Um… You know what I meant. Thinking with Type will remind me to resist the urge to use too many “cool” display fonts. Freelancing is already saving my soul, but I’ll take the added help of How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul. A FreshBooks Shuttle Bus subscription? Absolutely because I know you know your applications & resources! Thank you in advance!

Okay, seriously Freelance Switch, I hope you enjoy your birthday. I’ve enjoyed my year with you & can’t see anything but great growth in your future. I am a product of your influence; thank you.

I pick pack #1. There are thing in there that might push me over the top or over the edge, whichever comes first. I currently launching my career at the ripe old age of 63 so I don’t have much time. I need all the help I can get.

And, Happy Birthday!

Writer’s Prize Pack
I am an aspiring freelancer. Currently I work in the public schools trying to inspire young people to do great things. Freelance Switch motivates and encourages me to continue to strive to achieve my goal of becoming a freelance educator. Learning doesn’t keep a “regular” schedule, and neither should work. Thanks for the great blog posts and especially for Freelance Radio.

Happy Birthday Freelance Switch!

Sign me up for #1 the Writer’s Pack. Why do I deserve it? Because I am just starting to make my switch to freelance and could use all the help I can get.

I would like to win The Designer’s Prize Pack.

I want this one because I am always going through pencils sketching and drawing so much. I go through at least one sketchbook a month as it is so another one of those would be helpful. The books are great, and I just finished “Don’t Make Me Think” (again) so I need something else to read. And, well, a graphic tablet and a Prismacolor pack… pardon me while I wipe the drool off my chin.

I love how you guys always take care of your readers. As usual, you’re the best!!! Thanks!

I would like to have the No.1, Writer’s Pack.

Congrats for completing a wonderful year.
I was introduced to your blog, by the person just above me here (Shankar).
Since then, I love coming here.

Many of my friends are busy preparing for some professional courses inorder to have a quick job&bucks.. But, I don’t. I (we) can’t work under some BOSSes, doing something which has nothing to do with my (our) true potential or talents. Yes, it offer quick bucks, but life is nit just bucks, right??!!!

I believe in myself and in people like you & a few of my friends, who are constantly trying to state: “let a man free, let him do the wonders!!!”.

I’m so happy to say that, if received, this prize pack will help me to make my thoughts and writings more presentable and above all, more persuading.

Thank You.

Happy Birthday Freelance Switch.

Thanks for the awesome prizes you’re giving away. I’m going to choose #3 The Coder’s Pack.

I am a Burmese national, studying in Singapore. All I did know about internet and web technology before I got to Singapore in 2005 is the funny Internet Explorer icon and the error page that comes up when I tried to open it. (Yeah, general public cannot have access to internet until recent years.)

However, I’ve learned and gained lots of experience and knowledge since I got here thanks to Freelance Switch and many other websites. Though I had developed quite a decent portfolio and been doing regular freelance works, I’m willing to learn more, experience more and have fun in web development.

And I believe the prize pack would be an incredible addition to help me get there.

Many Thanks and keep on rocking.

I would love to have Pack #1, the Writer’s Pack.

I just finished my taxes, and as far as God, the government and everyone is concerned, I’m an archivist. In reality, I’m a glorified file clerk. I earn a good wage, considering, but I don’t want to earn those wages for the rest of my life, and I’m one of those people who needs to sing the Alphabet Song to herself to figure out where to find the H’s. So, on the side, when I can, I do a little freelance writing, a little web geekery, a little podcasting, building my portfolio until that day that I can walk away and make a file clerk’s wages for myself. Until then, I sit parsing my archives at my desk and listening to podcasts on iTunes (with headphones that desperately need to be replaced) scribbling all my good ideas in a little notebook, until I can play with them on my time.

And to be perfectly honest, I collect fountain pens, and use them every day. I’ve wanted a Century 2 for a long time now, but I just haven’t been able to justify the expense to myself.

And I *really* need a new desk lamp.

I have to go for the Web Coders pack but maybe the designers since I am not a designer but covet the skill, perhaps I could use it to bribe my designer that helps me when I need it, or give it to my kids to make them better designers cus heck that would really save some money…

Happy birthday, FLS!

The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack has caught my eye….

For the last few months, I’ve been feeling like I want to make the jump to a freelancer – office work just has been getting less and less appealing. I’m looking for something to give me that kick start, to say “Yes, Adam – you can do it!”.

Something like this – tools to get me to where I need to be – may be that kick start that I need.

Hope FLS keeps up the great work, and look forward to quality post after quality post!!

2. The Designer Pack

My passion is design… I think it, feel it, breathe it. I’ve delved into coding before, and although I could do it, its not that much fun to me. I’ve tried to write, and from reading this post which I’m writing right now… its kind of obvious that pack wouldn’t be of use a lot. So that leaves me with what I’m good at and what I enjoy, the design pack!

I’ve been doing Freelance Design work for a little over a year (!) and I just haven’t had the money to splurge on cool items such as these. So help me out!

Thanks for all the news, reviews, and words of encouragement!

I am just a crazy wabbit trying to win something other than carrots.

Hi,
Im not good at writing funny posts, so I will go the honest route. I would love to win the Web Coder’s Prize-Pack because, well, I can’t afford any of the items on the list. I am a broke college student (Carleton College) who spends countless hours of the day dreaming of a job involving coding and web design after graduation. This could be a sort of … early graduation present. Thanks.

Thanks for giving us all the opportunity – and for the year’s advice on how to get started.

My first reaction would be to request the web coders pack, but I’m going to request the writers pack. Taking the step to working for myself brings on a certain sense of fear and hesitation. So part of my plan is to develop\improve skills other than those that will be my primary focus for earning an income. Developing websites certainly comes easier for me at this point, but I would really like to become a good writer one day.

So please – show me some love!

I have to go for the Web Coders pack but maybe the designers since I am not a designer but covet the skill, perhaps I could use it to bribe my designer that helps me when I need it, or give it to my kids to make them better designers cus heck that would really save some money…

But truly great site… thanks

Package 2 please.

I work in reality television. Need more?

I currently spend my nights (yeah, I work from 6pm to 4am, want to fight about it) watching snotty girls complain and fight with each other over who’s going to be on top. I really need a kick in the butt to get out of here and get started on a career where I control my own destiny, Freelance Indy Film Editor. And what Indy film isn’t all about awesome graphic design today?

Thanks Freelance!

Freelance Switch Haiku
Be true to yourself in art
work will come your way

– Design Pack # 2 (that’s not part of the Haiku)

I really want the Writer’s Prize-Pack because as a two time survivor and a freelance writer, I write every day to empower breast cancer patients, other survivors and their caregivers. Primarily, that writing takes the form of posts to my weblog, http://www.pinkribbonreview.com; occasionally I’m able to write essays or features on the topic. Oh, the difference I could make in people’s lives with these new tools!

(Yes, I did just play the cancer card … but that was in the hand I was dealt!)

Maybe I deserve it, I don’t know but it would be a big help. I was a freelancer for a year or so and I took a job from one of my clients (http://www.worshipfilms.com) because working with them was more than just a paycheck. I recently gave them my notice. I’m a single father of 2 kids ages 4 and 5. I’m going back to freelancing for a more flexible schedule so that I can home school and I’m blogging about the experiences good and bad on my site http://www.randomutterings.com.

I deserve the Designer’s Prize-Pack because if I win, I will save money that I would have spent on the tablet, therefore I can work less hours this week and go skiing instead.

**note: I already went skiing this morning, so I am therefore behind on hours. I really need to win now.

Package #1:

You would think a would-be writer would be able to write more . . . but I have a hard time with saying: please consider me for x, y z . . . I am a graduate student, I love your site, I love words, and I hope to make some sort of difference. All of the support I receive is and will be given back one thousand fold.

The designers prize-pack is more than just a prize, it’s the chocolate factory, and you can call me Charlie. Oh the goodies I could make with such a prize!

Why do I deserve to win it? Because I never win anything.

My previous comment is still waiting for approvement

$prize_pack = “Web Coders”;

public function prize_justification($reasons:Array) {
if (count($reasons) > 0) {
return “This array probably has an infinite number of reasons for why I should get the Web Coder’s prize, but really Freelance Switch has been one of my biggest influencers in talking my sometimes-overly-pessimistic, super-worrying, perfectionist self into honestly and truthfully wanting to take a big jump off the fantasy isle of ‘job security’ and take a shot at finding happiness on my terms.”;
};
};
$myReasons = new Array();

while ( -1 < 1 ) {
$newReason = “insert generic reason here”;
array_push($myReasons, $newReason);
};

print prize_justification($myReasons);

The writers prize pack please, because it deserves to be desired as much as any other prize, and I am capable of that.

Happy Birthday Freelance Switch

3) The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack

I think I should win it because I should have started freelancing like a year ago or so but I’m too much of a punk. I’m afraid i wont have time (I have a fulltime job), or know what to charge or if the client will like what I present. I’m hoping this would force me to freelance, especially since I am starting grad school (MFA program) and will need the money to pay for tuition.

Thanks

I had no idea the site was so young! I discovered it last summer and had assumed by the amazingly high quality that it was a well-established blog. Well done!

And, without further ado, a haiku:
The third project pack
Will help me make the Web
Much more beautiful

Seeing as how I will be getting married in a matter of weeks, and will be working exclusively for non-profits after that, I have absolutely no money and cannot even begin to fathom purchasing any new equipment or books (of which, I am in great need). I would kill for a simple 2gb thumb drive at this point.

Thanks for the opportunity!

I’d kill for the Writer’s pack. I write on technology and virtual worlds but remain an absolute sucker for a quality notebook!

Prize 3 – Developer pack

I deserve this prize because everyone else thinks they don’t deserve it, but I know I do!

I would really love to have the writer’s pack. Web design is my passion, but writing is my secret love. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to develop. I wrote a few articles for a conservation organization a while back, but I never got into the creative stuff I really crave. Anyway, thanks for the contest!

Because I’m a young, burnt-out, interactive designer with a feeling of entitlement.

I’m pleading for The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack.

I’m a Canadian living Canada. This may sound exotic and interesting, but let me assure you it’s not. I currently reside on an island off the coast of another island west of Vancouver. The island inhabits 3500 hippies year round and 1500 more in the summer. Being part of Canada there are a lot of products and services I am not privy to. There has been many occasions where I’m signing up for the hot new web2.0 application, 4 pages into the sign-up process, about to whip out my credit card only to find that it’s not available in my country. I applaud Freelance Switch for being upfront about their shipping limitations to countries outside the US. Rarely do websites open their contests to international readers, it’s easier for them to add a disclaimer to number 32 in the FAQ. So next time your surfing AdultSwim on your new iPhone, think of all the poor 8bit Canadians suffering in a 32bit world.

I’d like to throw my hat in the ring for prize pack #1.

I’ve been following the FSw blog for a few months now in anticipation of “The Big Event” that’s taking place in mid-May. That’s right…I bit the bullet and resigned from my corporate communications job, and in another month, I’ll be making my own way in the freelance world. The writer’s pack would get me off to a great start (and help to quiet the nagging “OMG, what have I done?!!” thoughts running through my head). Believe me, no one would appreciate that pack more than a newbie like me!

Happy birthday, Freelance Switch!

First of all. WOW.

The Designer’s pack is amazingly awesome and I would love to win it. Here’s a few reasons why:

1) I love design. It’s almost sick. I never try to win contests, but I knew I couldn’t pass this up. These prizes are unbelievable. I feel like such a dork, once I saw what you are giving away my heart started beating faster and I could even feel my pupils dilate. I am truly passionate about design.

2) All of the prizes are what I truly need and will use. I dream of a graphics tablet every time I scan something and fight with the anchor points in Illustrator. The moleskin notebook is just waiting for me to sketch some new ideas. The books want to replace old design and typography books from the 70s that I bought at thrift stores. Those markers want me to make beautiful patterns with them!

3) Financially I just can’t get this stuff yet. I just graduated from a private design school (with embarrassingly large student loans) in December. Just a few weeks ago I quit my job as a bartender/waitress and decided it was finally time for me to follow my dreams as a freelance graphic and web designer full time. As fantastic that is, there’s not a lot of extra cash, even if it is for business expenses. I know I can do it on my own, I have faith in myself, but this stuff would help a lot.

And lastly, I just wanted to say thanks so much for the opportunity to even win this stuff. You already provide unbelievably useful information to us freelancers every day and its really great that you would celebrate like this with us like this on your birthday! Thank you!

Mmm… the Writer’s Pack!

Why choose me? Because I’m getting ready to take the leap and embark on what I hope will be the most fulfilling, exciting and profitable adventure of my life in freelance writing, and if I want to survive, I’m going to need all the help I can get!

Awesome, guys. Keep up the amazing work.

-Jeff

*.*.*Happy Birthday*.*.*

Wow and prizes too… nice

I’ll participate by picking:
3) The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack

I’m surprised my self as I would have thought #2 was more suited for me but at the moment I’m learning CSS from the ground up rather then trying to relly on WYSIWYG’s. That way I can do standards complaint websites.
Also I already have a small wacom tablet so what’s the point of getting another.

- Interface design perhaps that can be used for Aero, Silverlight, etc.
- Backup Drive… Brilliant… could always use a backup!
- CSS Orelly book ~ that would be nice as I’m learning it at the moment.
- Web Standards Solutions, that’s what I’m aming for with learning to code.
- Headphones, nothing like working with some great music for some inpiration. Personally I like Trance ~ Tiesto or Armin Van Buren
- Notebook Stand, well don’t have a notebook yet but if I do go for a macbook pro instead of my pc this will suit it well.
- Freshbooks ~ yes this will definetly be better then me sending invoices via paypal.

Thank you for offering up these useful prizes for the community.
You guys are always looking for way to help everyone progress, that’s why I like this site and visit it on a daily basis.

Good Luck to everyone.

My Choice: The Writer’s Prize-Pack

I was introduced to writing at a very young age. When I was about 6 years old, I had my first exhibition. My pieces of creativity were pinned to our home curtains! I would invite neighbors and my relations who lived close by, to come over for the exhibition. At the time, my motivation for holding an exhibition wasn’t because I loved writing or any style of creativity. It was because I used to get a few coins every time someone came to visit the “exhibition”! Looking back at it now, it all seems a bit embarrassing. Whenever there are family reunions, these things have a nasty way of coming to haunt me!
In school, the form of writing was essays. I didn’t like writing essays. Possibly because English Literature was the only subject I didn’t get an A! Then there was university. Every assignment was followed by report. That was when I began to realize that there was no escape from writing. Then it finally happened.
I was in my final year at university and I had to write my BSc thesis. I was really in love with my project. It was a software project on web services;WSDL,UDDI (never mind, if you are not aware of the technical jargon.) That was when the web services concept started to lift off. A lot of people were interested about the project and their interest was very encouraging to me. In order to get my idea across, I had to write. This time it was different because I was writing about something I loved. It didn’t seem like “just another assignment”.

After graduation, I began my career as a software engineer. Again, No escape from documentation and writing. That’s where I discovered the world of blogging and the beauty of “having my own mic”!

Why do I deserve the chosen prize-pack?
I live in Sri Lanka and English is not my first language. What I presented above was a glimpse of my journey.I have come a long way, to be where I am today. And I know there is still more room for improving my writing. The books in the writers pack are appealing and I feel I can benefit from it.

Writing has always been (and will be) my way of discovering the “gifts” I have and then finding ways to share them with others.

I Wish Freelance Switch a very happy birthday and continued success!

Web Coders Prize Pack

Despite my chosen profession as a graphic designer (although I call myself an ad man quite often too), I loves me the internets! I honestly believe the web is the future of design so I need some tools to make that a reality. As an avid freelance web designer and soon to be college graduate these are the tools I need and can’t afford. If that’s too truthful, then how about this:
The fate of the internet depends on me winning this prize pack. Without it, the next big thing won’t happen. You’ll throw off the space-time continuum and stall the growth of the internet as we know it. I’ll leave the fate of our most precious resource up to you.

hmmm… I want the coders prize pack despite being a designer/illustrator. Maybe change the books for the prismacolors, or for the design books (if it’s possible). My current HD is getting stuffed, and those senheisers will do a lot to keep my parents asleep in those long cold freelancing nights where music is key to maintaining sanity. Anyway I think i deserve that prize because i recently (6 months ago) made the jump (despite whole hearted objections from my family), & have a big school debt to pay, & what’s worse, i have to deal an old 4 year old Pentium 4 that is involved in a fight with Painter X, or any CS3 application (and losing)… (just in case you’re wondering the software licenses aren’t exactly bought you know, but sshhhh!!!)… Anyways, maybe that sounds normal to a lot of you, but i’m kinda different. I’m a 22 year old guy trying to make a living as a freelancer in a country where hourly wages don’t exist and marketing dudes are the apparent design experts, and haggling is the “de facto” standard (well to be honest that maybe happens in other places too). I don’t want to sound like a whiner or anything, but check out the stats. (wikipedia or something) Normal people in Ecuador don’t earn as much (compared to other countries), and the design profession doesn’t have much value here amongst the possible clients. So please, folks please help out here . Another thing despite the clever and interesting replies, all you 15 year old freelancers that have replied to this thread still have mommy & daddy to help out with the educational payments. I don’t think it’s fair to compare to people that have more realistic responsibilities than dreaming. Not that you shouldn’t… (reply #1 got me thinking of this, but all the other 15 year old’s were just enough).

Anyway’s that is all.. greetings & happy birthday folks… you’ve got a killer & helpful project going on here. Thanks for everything so far.

All of the packages are sweet, but I’d have to choose number three, mostly for the books that are included.

Why? Well, I used to work with computers a lot (doing some web design, spreadsheet stuff, general business junk), but thanks to market over-saturation and the inability to go to college (due to time and money not lining up together) I was forced to get into customer service and eventually oilfield and truck driving. Lately, I’ve been checking into getting back in the ‘computer job’ market, but of course I’ve been out of it too long (according to potential employers).

My dream is to run my own business from home, but the truth is I don’t have the time to go take classes at the college (or online for that matter). I think that access to those particular titles will help me catch up a bit with the newer design styles, and perhaps help me to build at least a semi-acceptable portfolio.

3. The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack. I don’t “deserve” any of them, unless you call following your blog since it began and dreaming about freelancing deserving. I simply would enjoy any of the prize packs. The web coder’s prize-pace would be awesome. I could use the headphones to drown out the noise in my open cubicle, and actually get some work done. The hard drive would be used for some virtual machines. They perform much better on another drive. I’ve already read Web Standard’s Solutions so I would give that to a friend who still uses Frontpage. The other two books look like good reads. FreshBooks would be sweet since I’ve been taking on side projects. Oh, … and the laptop stand? That’s to guard against Local Warming, the new threat to mankind: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/203

Thanks, and keep up the great work!

I’d love the designers pack, because I love every. single. thing. in. it.

It’s not so much that I deserve the Web Coders pack per se, it’s more that these items offer an escape – nice headphones that let the world melt away or, hell, I could just run away somewhere with lots of stuff on that portable hard drive. But no, running away from my work is not the answer (although the notebook stand probably makes more sense to my partner than the bread board I use).

I would loooooove to win Prize Pack #1, the writer’s pack, because I love this website so much that I want to have the tools to start contributing to the site! I am not primarily a writer, so my writing skills could use the improvement brought by the prize in order to start my own blog and contribute to Freelance Swtich. Make a new freelancers’ dreams come true, and let a non-New Jersey native win :-p

I’ll take the Designer’s Pack.

I find design to be a fascinating thing that is in more places than most people would think. As much as good design excites me, bad design makes me cringe more than anything.

I’ll stay short and sweet: I would love The Designer’s Prize-Pack. I’ll be spending all of my extra cash this summer buying into the Mac world. So these sorts of fringe things aren’t really on the agenda.

Oh, and I’m so extreme I counted to infinity this week. Twice.

3) The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack

I think all of us freelancers could use a little boost! I also really love the combination of both practical items, billing solution (which I bet most of us are paying for), and books to improve ourselves. And finally I really need to work on improving my CSS skills!

My choice is “The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack”

Why to choose me?

I am a web programmer and I always wanted to be a freelancer, because being a freelancer I can try out new and latest technologies which was not possible in my corporate day job. It was Freelance switch which gave me the confidence that I can survive as a Freelancer.

Now I have laid down a clear plan of how and when I am going to totally switch from the day job to freelancing. I have started doing freelancing work on the side now together with my day job and soon will be becoming a full time freelancer. And once I become a full time freelancer, I will be in need of all the things that you have specified in the web coder’s pack. So if you give the prize to me then I can become a full time freelancer a bit earlier than I have already planned.

Thank you Freelance Switch.

I choose The Designer’s Prize-Pack

As a creative director, cameraman, graphics guy, sherpa, grip, best boy and show evangelist – I’m going to need every tool, scratch pad and color palette I can get my hands on! My partner and I run a two-man show with very demanding schedules on the most limited of resources. We are the definition of Indie-freelancers.

My personal wet dream is the Cintiq (which by the way was a great review and only made the pain that more visceral – thanks). I’m also not afraid to say I have actually bought you guys a cup of coffee… (loved the pitch for money using the coffee/paypal donation).

So yeah, help a starving new show get it’s colors! Thanks for the great content!

1. I’d like the designer’s prize pack please.
2. I think I should win because the Genius tablet would allow me to illustrate on the computer using my left hand again, or maybe it would just be fun to watch the power struggle for the cursor between the mouse in my right hand and the pen in my left. (Also, I think the pencils, markers, and sketchbook are so delightfully analog.)

Happy Birthday Freelance Switch!

Prize pack 2.

As an avid reader and huge fan of Freelance Switch, based on the amount of knowledge I have taken from the site, I should be offering you guys these prize packs. However I have some how tricked you into giving me one. I’m a coder and I’m a designer. Maybe I Should ask for the writers since I could add that to my bag of tricks but I’ll stick with what I know.

Main reason you should give it to me?
I’ve literally never one any contest or prize drawing/give away thing in my life ever. and I’m 25. My luck should be changing any day now I hope. In keeping with the freelance switch way of thinking tradition which is making yourself better at what you do. Maybe you guys should help me out once more by giving me a leg up with these great tools that will be put to use instantly.

Thanks for your time and attention!

Congrats on the Birthday and thanks for an always entertaining / interesting site.

I’ll toss my name in for the Designer’s Prize-Pack.

Why?

Well I already have been working as a Web Developer for several years and actually have purchased many of the items in the web-coders prize pack. So that pack would be wasted on me.

The writing pack is interesting but I had my first book published last year and my second one will be published this year – so better to let those prizes go to someone who may need them more than me.

So i want the Designers pack because even though I’m certainly not an artist, I’ve always had a deep appreciation for graphic design and even spent a couple years in college studying it just to gain a deeper understanding of it. So I think being able to explore that side of myself with tools like the moleskin sketchbook and the graphic tablet would be a huge blessing to me.

3. The web coders pack.

I’m currently working for a big corp and i’m going to switch to freelancing by the end of the year. I’m working hard to do all the stuff needed before the switch (my website, biog, networking, documents, …). This pack will certainly help me in my way to this new adventure.

Happy birthday and keep up the great work.

-A reader from Sunny Spain.

1. The Designer’s Prize-Pack
2. Choose me because I have been teaching Print and web design and flash animation to a number of people passionate enough to go to my friend’s Internet Cafe during downtimes. In exchange they buy me snacks or if I’m lucky give me some kind of honorarium, (my friend gets more people to come to their cafe). I am going to leave the comfort of a 8 to 5 job and go freelance this May. I have a Pentium IV PC with 768 DDR Ram and a 21 inch CRT as my workstation at home. I live in Davao City, Philippines. These gift would help a lot more people here! Or in other words, it will help me maximumly.

Congratulations and thank you for this nice gesture. I read your blog religiously.

The Designer’s Prize-Pack

I selected the Designer pack because I’m an “opportunistic” designer and I think that’s is a good enough reason that I deserve it – beside the fact that I’m “poor” and don’t have any items in the package

No one will deny this extra opportunity.

I would chose the Web Coder’s Prize-Pack
because I have my birthday today.

Happy birthday to you, too!

Happy Freakin’ Birthday, Freelance Switch! My wife and I both find your sight incredibly insightful, encouraging and hilarious (almost always intentionally). I hope this is the first of many more years to come!

But on to the nitty gritty. I throw my hat into the ring for the Web Coder’s prize package. Although I am a writer at heart, the hard drive just tickles my fancy and my CSS skills are seriously lacking.

How do I deserve it? I do not. While I applaud the multiple examples of creative self-promotion, which of course every freelancer ought possess, I prefer to throw convention to the wind and instead humbly request your grace. After all, within the freelance community, aren’t the best and most rewarding moments those in which we offer another a hand when he or she needs it most?

No, wait… I meant the moment when we snatch the freelance prize from another writer, designer or code monkey and get to yell, “In your face!” (On the inside, of course. Best not to burn bridges, right?)

In closing, “PICK ME! PICK ME!!!”

I´d like the designer´s prize because I´m incredibly handsome.

The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack!

I deserve it because of those many nights I spend studying CSS. I wanted my personal blog to have an unique design but because I couldn’t afford a web designer I decided to learn everything necessary by myself. It was two years ago and I’m still in love with coding.

The Designer’s Prize-Pack,

Because being deserving is all about furthering ones love for life, and the pursuit of ways to sleep less.

Happy Birthday !!! Freelance Switch

I choose #3 The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack

Why ?

I’m floating on CSS river with 16MB only USB flash DRIVE without knowing any WEB STANDARD SOLUTIONS. My brother always blame me while I’m listening musics as you know why? In case If I have External drive with huge space, I need CASE. The rest, I hope too.

My broken language, Anyway.

1.The Designer’s Prize-Pack,

because I need a grafik tablet, but I can’t afford to buy one yet. It’d be a great help for me, and my future projects.

Thank you FSW!

Web Coder’s Prize Pack (#3), mostly because of my obsession with fish and ducks.

I’d love the web coder’s package, and I’ll tell you why.

About 18 months ago, I did this crazy thing. I mean, if you ask my friends and family, they’d tell you that I was pretty much career tracked to being a tenured professor.. that is, after about six or so more years of college.

What crazy thing did I do? I had a daughter. A beautiful little hell raiser, who lights up my life and lightens my wallet at every turn.

I wanted to spend every waking (and embarrassingly, sleeping) moment with her.. so much so that I took time off from school to be with her. I didn’t want to work corporate, because I didn’t want her in day care. So… freelancing I went.

I spent the last little bit of money I had (reasonably) on everything I’d need to dive head first into freelance development. What was once a hobby immediately became a full time profession… only second to making Binky sing the ABCs and bite her toes. Before I knew it, I was really doing it.. and now, I’m fortunate enough to have a successful agency, AND I’m now going back to college in the summer. I’ve managed to build a solid enough foundation for a real empire. Something that now will work even when I don’t feel like it. Now, THAT’s maneuvering.. and it only took 18 months.

The web coder’s package contains just about everything that I need and can’t get, thanks to tuition. Between school, the little’un, and bills, I can assure you a brokey-broke girl like me would be eternally grateful for the prize. I can definitely appreciate the milestone for an entity like FSw, especially considering how little the percentage of success is for startups. Believe me, I’m right along with you.. and prize or not, I’m definitely cheering right next to you.

I would love the Web Developers Prize Pack.
Mainly because web is something I am really trying to understand better. I’m doing ok with understanding design and the communications and aesthetics that go into it, but taking those ideas and being able to implement them in a web environment is where I am lacking, and with one more year in university I’d like to be as versatile as possible when I graduate.

cheers,
Zach

1. The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack
2. As an avid music-listener, I go through headphones like Vista goes through memory usage: aggressively and without merciful restraint. My current external hard drive is teetering on the brink of being full, bulging at the edges of its plastic case with mp3s, fonts, and my backup copy of Rockstar Freelancer. As a college student, my level of funds can’t keep up with my zeal for learning and books on coding and design. I’ve been in the market for a book on interaction design in particular, so Designing Interfaces would be a perfect addition to my collection.

Thanks for holding the context! You guys never cease to please.

Awesome! First of all Happy B-Day Freelance Switch!! Wish you many many many more 2 come, and many more prize give aways! =)

1. The Designer’s Prize-Pack

2. Those gifts would look great on my desk…. =)

Keep up the good work!

1. Web coders
2. I’m a web designer that has never read a single html/css book. It’s about time I did

After reading the comments so far, i think i came up with the best one.

I’m a poor college student with 5 kids, a dead wife and my roommates keep annoying me. But that doesn’t mather as long as I have my secret lab. Nobody found out yet that I’m combining pink fluffy bunnies with nuclear fusion, thus obtaining ultimate creativity in design ! (insert evil laugh here). And I don’t need your Designer’s Prize-Pack, foolish mortals. Really, I don’t. Keep it. Mhm.

#2 pls.

I’d like to win the Writers Prize-Pack (#1).

Why? I’m actually a coder, but I could sure use those writing books. One thing I’ve discovered since going full-time as a freelancer (just a few months ago) is it doesn’t matter what your specialty is, good writing skills makes every thing you do look better. Besides, once I’m done reading them I could use those books to prop up my broken computer chair

3) The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack

Why?
Well, my apartment was recently robbed and these stuffs seems to be the exactly the stolen things.
/sarcasm

The Designer’s Prize-Pack

just because

Why I deserve pack #1:

…because I bet I’m the only writer on this site who’s also a roller derby player. Any tools that will help me continue to kick ass on paper or on the rink are not only welcome, but deserved.

Writer’s Prize-Pack

sent 4/14/08
–

["Great talking with you today, Mark. Again, this is very timely and ...
...But first, here are some resources I thought you might find helpful in launching your freelance business:
Freelance Switch > http://www.freelanceswitch.com
This is a very hip and resourceful blog maintained by a great writing talent. TONS of free information about invoicing, marketing, client issues, starting/running/maintaining/growing a freelance business. Her paradigm is right on the mark; best freelance blog out there, in my opinion.]

sent 4/15/08
–

["Also, I can not speak highly enough of http://freelanceswitch.com/.
It is a freelancer's blog that has hands down, the best business advice for consultants there is. Its primarily geared to writers and designers, but the business articles are so right on any one can benefit. If there's one suggestion I could make, it would be to sift through their archive of freelancing articles or to purchase their book.]

- – -
The above excerpts copied from my ’sent’ box serve as two reasons why a great product is the best form of advertising, and why speaking highly of another’s good work is good karma (worth a prize pack, right?)

As an online marketer, I have the most use for the drives in the coder’s pack, but would prefer the writer’s pack so I can send 1/2 it’s content to the recipient of email/reason #1. (Mark, a budding freelance writer starting his own communications business.)

Keep that karma going around and coming around!

Web coders pack

Why do I deserve this pack – (honest answer) well I’m relatively new to freelancing and I’m currently programming in the Industrial Automation sector, I’d very much like to expand into web design…. and have you seen the price of this stuff!!!

(not so honest answer) I deserve this ‘cos……. well I just do – I’m great

Prize Package #1 : The Writer’s Prize-Pack

Lol. I’m gonna give most of the prizes in that package to my friends and encourage them to start writing.

What: Designer Pack

Why: I recently started freelancing and it’s depressingly slow at the moment, so a little encouragement would be cool.

Thanks!

I am going for The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack but honestly I could fit into any of those categories
I study literatture for pleasure (pack 1) but work as a web designer and coder (pack 2 &3).

The reason I choose to give as in why I deserve to win is more likely to be cataloged as a desire than a reason.
After many years working on this area, I am finally moving to Denmark to tighten my business relations with some DK colleagues with who I am looking forward to build a long lasting relationship.
Therefore: FreshBooks Software will help me deal with financial matters (it can get complicated when you have clients all around the world!)
the external HDD will help me move with more ease, and avoid taking countless piiles of DVDR with me.
The books, well, I have a 18 trip to Copenhagen and sincerely, I could use some readin besides Quijote!
Headphones are for when my tired eyes cannot keep reading anymore (I am calculating it will be somewhere above the Azores Islands)
And th lappie stand is the perfect piece to put the newly bought MBP in the altar, a chocolate altar !

Prize 3 – The Web Coder’s Prize Pack

I would love to win this pack because these books would be amazing to help boost my library and my knowledge as I work my way through college. Also that external HDD would also be so beneficial for my projects when going to school!

Thanks for offering this contest and happy birthday Freelance Switch!

I literally JUST officially started my own freelancing “business” on Monday of this week– that’s right, 2 days ago; out of the crammed room in the basement of my parents’ house, waiting for my big break to get out. I’ve come a long way since goin BOCES (BOCES.org) during jr and sr years of high school, But, back to the more recent events… I’ve spent much time lately figuring out what exactly to expect when I feel I am finally ready to dive in the pool… which would be this past Monday. Prior to Monday I spent many waking moments (notably on the crapper) checking things out– sort of a reconn mission. (in fact, you know you’re in deep when you can’t find the book “TALENT IS NOT ENOUGH: BUSINESS SECRETS FOR DESIGNERS” next to you once settled in the bathroom…..) [a good book-- highly recommended]
This first week has filled with preliminary tasks such as researching pricing, how to make a contract, where/ how to find clients, online research of what others have done. Nothing would serve such entrepreneurial spirit better than to end up with the perfect set of items to start the physical tools to get things going. I have a friend coming over on Thursday to be my “first client!” so things are already looking up.
Simply put, want and need is equivalent here.
DESIGNER PACK ALL THE WAY PLEEEEEEEEEEEEAAASE

2) The Designer’s Prize-Pack

Why?
Think of being me. Wouldn’t it be nice to get all this stuff for free?

Happy Birthday Freelance Switch.
I hope we all can enjoy this blog for many yesrs to come.
You’ve been really helpfull, because after just one year of professional experience I
decided to go freelance and the blog was there for me to support troughout the way.
I think the best prises are yet to come for me, and all depends on how well I can
manage my business.
Being honest here I don’t think that I’m the exact person that deserves the price.
I beleive good profecionals are reading the blog and some people that relly need and could use
the prises. But I just wanted to take the chance, because life and freelancing is about that, taking chances making mistakes and learning from them (maybe sharing the lessons you learned on
freelance switch )
I choose the designer’s prise pack since I’m a graphic designer. What really interests me are
the “Thinking with Type”, “Desk Pad With Wood Pencil Ledge” and “How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul” because these items would be hard to obtain where I live in Bulgaria.
And I think I could really use the literature to learn more about the profession and develop my skills.
The rest of the stuff I would like to give away to the next person that will be needing it the most.

I wish luck to all the contenders !

I’d love to win the Writer’s Prize-Pack because my lamp is not lightning enough my work space

Also, i’m so curious about that thing that stands behind the laptop that I want to know what is it!
Well, then I’d love to read those books to improve my writing !

BTW, today is the 1st birthday of my blog too!

wow… little to no human contact this week = 3am babble… oops…

1. The Designer’s Prize-Pack

2. I’m currently still studying my design course at university. However, I decided to plan ahead and start my own freelancing business while studying. It has greatly surpass all my expectations, but it still has so much more potential. Winning the designers prize pack would be a god-send. Some awesome new literature to help start a new library of design textbooks and resources that I’ve been trying to save up forever now. I recently just managed to save up for a new Macbook Pro, but winning the Graphic Tablet would be a live saver honestly as its next on the list anyways for me. I would use it every day, I need one so badly. The notebook stand will go great with my new Macbook Pro.

I’m a strong believer in putting your ideas on paper first, before even looking at a computer, so I am always needing new pens and pencils to draw out concepts. And as you guys and girls know, pens, pencils, and rendering markers really do add up in price and be heavy on a students wallet. And although I’m trying to minimize my impact on the environment, sketching concepts requires paper, so the sketch pads would be put to good use.

I know my reasons for winning the prices might not seem as exciting as others, but we all needed to start somewhere to get into the industry. I’m trying my best at freelancing, and any sort of help, (freelanceswitch.com has been an awesome help) even this prize pack would greatly help me.

regards

Oliver

1. The Designer’s Prize Pack
2. Why do I want it?
Because here in Italy there’ll be bad times (for the politics, you know) and I want to go on a desert island, so I need good friends!

Thank you so much!
Valentina form Italy

Web Coders Prize-Pack please!

Why should I get the prize pack? I couldn’t have made the leap in the last two months without the help of freelanceswitch. I even bookmarked most of the articles I read for referring back to it!

http://del.icio.us/matthewlang/freelanceswitch

Happy Birthday Freelance Switch!

Wow…if I could get my hands on the “Writer’s Prize Pack” I would feel like quite the writing stud!

I’m not especially qualified to win this award over anybody else, but I do write for a living and would use each and every one of these tools in my day-to-day business.

I’ve had the digital voice recorder on my wishlist for over a year now as it would help me remember my thoughts when I’m driving (I’m a talking person) and conduct interviews for the little bit of journalistic writing I do.

I have a great headset right now for staying at home – since I use Skype on a regular basis, but would definitely appreciate a collapsible set for when I’m on the road. The prize’s headphones would be quite an improvement over my walkman ones from 10 years ago!

As a rather new freelance writer 8 months into my career, I’m always looking to grow not only as a writer but also as a business person. It’s my personal goal to read at least 3 books each month that will contribute to my professional growth and I’ve had two of the books in your prize pack on my “buy list” for a while now and am sure the others would be great as well.

Ironically…you have also been able to offer two of the only things missing from my desktop… a notebook stand and desk lamp. I’m not sure about the notebook stand, as I’ve never used anything like that in the past – but the halogen lamp would be awesome! Not only would it be brighter than the lights in my room, but it would also allow me to conserve a bit of energy, something that would be helpful for a guy that writes for two environmental publications!

Lastly, Freshbooks is simply awesome. I’ve been using their free version for the past two weeks and am going to upgrade regardless of whether I win this competition or not…but hey, if I could win it for free I’d be stoked!

I don’t expect to win and understand there are many other writer’s that would be as thankful as I am for the great prizes you’re offering. Nonetheless, I would be forever grateful if I was chosen. Heck, I’m grateful without being chosen! This Birthday Bash just proves how awesome everybody at Freelance Switch is and why you guys sit atop my iGoogle homepage. Keep up the great work!

Oh…almost forgot about the Moleskines and pen… Skellie, you know more than anybody that these are the essential tools for any writer. Whoever wins this contest is one lucky son (or daughter) of a gun!

Oh – and let me add…as a Canadian I would go out and buy the same items you had here if it turns out you can’t ship the items to me here. Why? Cuz it’d be the fun thing to do. Nobody prefers money over gifts for their birthday…do they?

2 ) The Designer’s Prize-Pack
I admit I’m more a programmer than a designer, but during my last period in my work as a freelancer I do design as well and want to improve my skills in this and I also admit that I like designing very much.

1) The Writer’s Prize-Pack
2) I am a freelance writer from a small village in a third world country trying to catch up with the rest of the world. Many say that technology has leveled the playing field and that it has given everyone around the world a chance for one’s writing to be read. Not so much in my case. Writing with an aging computer and accessing the Web using a slower-than-dial-up Internet connection makes writing and blogging feel like slave work. While the prizes wouldn’t really help me with these concerns, packing a good pen and notebooks would definitely be a start. Oh, yes. Those books would really help me a lot since I am neither wealthy and well-fed. Help out a poor and starving freelance writer. Pick me, damnit!

Happy birthday, Freelance Switch!

2) The Designer’s Prize-Pack

Why?
Just because I deserve it and you are very generous.

I would like the developer prize pack just because I was one of the first to read you guys and congratulate you: http://freelanceswitch.com/general/a-warm-welcome/#comment-347

Thanks!

p.s. I think that to read all these comments will need as much time as to compile the freelance survey results

Well, it is difficult to say why i deserve a prize over anyone else. I would like the designer’s pack because i am a 24-year-old french female student in master degree in webdesign and i am willing to begin a freelance career in webdesign, graphic design and illustration ?
oh and also because i have no luck at all, every time i participate in a lottery or any contest i loooooooooooose :’( *bump*
Moreover I always dreamt of having enough money to have a graphic tablet, that will be so awesome to draw directly and to have the freedom of making my imagination get real !
oh and i need a hard disc to stock all my personnal works hehehe :p (random fact looooooool)
Thanks anyway for your generosity and for having read my wish.
Happy birthday

I deserve the writer’s prize pack because I’m awesome. And a freelancer.

Other than that, well, I live in Argentina, and while I could plausibly buy them stuff over the internets, my cash-money reserves are low enough as it is.

I want^H^H^H^Hneed that prize, not because I’m poor (i’m more middle-class-y (I’m uber-classy, but hot in the same way)), but because I need to improve my writing. My blogs need help, it’s being held hostage by poor grammar and sub-par spelling (the kidnapper has requested 300 posts in order to release my blog into freedom). And you don’t want blogs to suffer, do you? Won’t anybody think of the children^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hblogs?!

Also, when I rule the world, you’ll be allowed to live.

Okay, sillyness aside, man, that is some awesome swag right there. The recorder better be industrial strength, ‘cuz it’ll be used and overused. The pen… oh god, the pen… that sure can take down a sword.

The only item I don’t really mind are the earphones, but if everything else is a thousandth as awesome as I’ve heard, man, that’s 1000 times better than anything I own… I need them moleskines… my precious…

Pretty please, with sugar on top?

Help a freelancer. Think Tordek.

Happy Birthday! I choose the Web Coder’s Prize-Pack.

Why I deserve this? Because I need those things to be better!

Have a really great birthday!

3) The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack – I deserve it because well I am a stay at home mum who loves to design. I’m starting out in this industry and I can’t afford all those things. I am self taught and your site has been a big influence. I never missed to read one post.

I am probably too late it seems. shouldn’t loose hope though right?

Happy Birthday.

1. The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack
2. I deserve to win because I dared to start med own webcompany, dared to stay alone without any constant income and have no regrets of doing it! I still haven’t been rich, but I love my work and still life after my dream!

I never see any people from India winning any online contests. Since I fall in that category, how about making a change?

I want: The Designer’s Prize-Pack

I’d love to get the Web Coder’s prize (#3)

Why would I deserve it? Because that’s what I do mostly … I’m striving to perfect myself in Design as well, but I just don’t really have the hand to use that tablet to its full potential.

I plan to go freelance myself in about an year, as soon as I get a solid footing to start with. And all the items in the pack would help me greatly. I wish I had them or your great articles at hand about an year and a half ago, when my first (unsuccessful) attempt to go full freelancing happened. I know that because of you I’ll be better prepared to take that step again.

In the end, I wish you a Happy Birthday and many more successful celebrations like this.

The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack…

I feel I deserve this because… Well, the headphones alone would make life much easier – I have a two year old son who demands that I listen to him shout to high heaven all day long when I try to work, and conveniently goes to bed once I have finished working for the day!

The harddrive would also be awesome as I can’t really afford an external drive and one day I just know I’m gonna get bit in the ass after not having backed up

As always, I’d also like to sweeten by post by bribing you: The sites fantastic! I read almost every post and recomment you to every other freelancer I meet

2) The Designer’s Prize-Pack

Relocation, relocation, relocation! That’s why. In three months I have to relocate from Barcelona to Mexico City and I need to do a lot of freelance work in order to survive. And why the hell would one move from sunny Barcelona to monster Mexico city? Well, love. I’m going after the woman I love.

I would LOVE the designers pack!

It would be to selfish of my to say that I deserve the pack, but after taking care of my two kids all day, going to work for hours and still trying to inspire others to do what they love- I feel that a little love coming my way would be wonderful. Finally I would have a sense that I actually exist, that you actually read this comment and understood where I’m coming from. I need a little boost to keep going- It’s a lonely road and knowing that you care would give me so much more energy to do what I’ve been doing for this long.
I love you guys, I really really do!
Ali
p.s. I’ll totally understand if you decide to give it to someone else. No hard feelings. I swear. I mean it. It’s totally cool…really.

You know how public toilets are always scribbled? People even leave phone numbers on them. “Call this number for free sex!”, they say. When I was twelve and first saw such a statement, I naively wrote it down, thinking it would be handy. Three years later, at the age of fifteen, I found that note and decided to call it, just out of curiosity. Palms sweaty, fingers shaking, heart racing. I was nervous as I punched in the number, not knowing what to expect.

It led to a much disgruntled car mechanic, who didn’t really feel like giving me free sex. He did mumble “I thought that message was long gone…” though. I kept the note as a memento.

Yesterday, nine years later, I found the note again. And I decided to initiate a project. So far ten public toilets in my town have been scribbled with the exact same message, in the exact same look:

The Toilet Project
Heya! What’re you thinking about? Send me a text or multimedia message at [phone number], and let me know. Love, the Project Manager.

My goal is to have that message up on all of the public toilets in my area, and publish the responses on a web site, and quite possibly, a book. A coders web pack would help with the first step.

The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack is my choice.

And I would like to win it just because I would like to win something finally.
And I would like to win because I want to see you shipping it to Slovakia, the heart of Europe
And I would like to win because I haven’t forgot to say: The site is fantastic!
And I would like to win because my comment is well structured and short. I think that’s what you need.

And what I need is the Web Coder’s Prize-Pack.

Have a nice day!

I’d choose the Designer Pack

Why? Well, I’m established already with being a coder, but I am moving more into the Designing field which will help me get more freelance work and reach a broader client base. Having this pack will push that out faster for myself and be a VERY valuable resource.
I’m also feeling that I could loose my soul, if I continue to be a graphic designer without that book!!

PS.

Happy Birthday Freelance Switch! Been a long time reader, and this place has been a great resource! Keep on rocking. Always supporting you down under! (Australia)

Happy Birthday!! Neato stuff you have here!

I’d like to enter for the designer’s pack for my hubby – number 2. He is an illustrator and his graphics tablet is getting old and he needs a new one until we can save up for the cintiq you guys reviewed yesterday. He could also use those good markers and pencils for his illustration work. And I think the type book is pretty rad myself.

I got a laugh out of the headphones for the web coder package. That’s good!

Man, what a mission to try and choose between these packs…

I’m actually a designer so that should be first choice, but I already have a tablet and the Adrian Shaughnessy book (not to mention the Moleskine, but I can always do with more of those).

The writer’s pack is mighty tempting, especially the Cross fountain pen… mmmm… and I can pretend I’m a writer too.

Then again, the coder’s pack has the oh-so-useful extra hard drive and yummy chocolate laptop stand.

I’ll tell you what, FSw guys: I’ll let you choose for me Either way I know I’ll put the prizes to good use, and have even more to be thankful to you for than a whole year’s help and advice. Thanks for the blog, you guys are huge.

3) The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack

Why? I took the brave step a couple of weeks ago and quit my day job on a Friday to start Freelancing on the Monday. I don’t want to look back, I know I am going to love it, but I understand it is going to be tough.

I know I will need the help and support of friends, family and strangers alike to make sure that I do the best job for my clients so that I can continue to be a Freelancer. Winning this prize could be one of those bits of help.

‘ello. i’d like the designer’s pack please.

i don’t deserve it so i’ll give it to the Creative Product Design final year graduates at the University of the West of England so they can use it to raise money for their graduation show at the Business Design Center, London 9-13th July this year.

/cheap plug

Happy Birthday Freelance Switch!

I would love the Designer’s Pack. I’m not sure if I deserve it, but it would certainly make my day. I am currently pursuing my Masters (in a really, really, expensive city!) and working as a freelance graphic designer as well. I work my butt off to earn a few bucks, but it doesn’t matter because I love what I do with every fibre of my being. Anyway, the designer’s pack would come in really handy because it has a good mix of the stuff that would help me in both my studies and freelance work.

Here’s wishing you another successful year…

Greetings, FreelanceSwitch!

I’ve been freelancing full-time for well over 8 months and I know how easy it is sometimes, in amidst of all the client-meetings, late-night design marathons and bureaucracy troubles, to simply forget to look back on all the things you’ve accomplished and quietly say to yourself “I’ve done OK”. Overburdened by the rigorous work process we create for ourselves, we often forget what made us quit our day jobs in the first place – that rewarding sense of independence and creative freedom that creeps up our backs every time we finish a new design, “the best we’ve ever made” – it’s what makes it all worth it. And it’s so easy to put that aside and just slide into your next project. We all need to reward ourselves for the work we’re doing, no matter if it is by sleeping through a Friday, or carelessly watching cartoons with a bowl of ice-cream in our lap. Or winning a FreelanceSwitch Designer’s Prize Pack for that matter. We deserve it for the work that we do. I know I do.

So happy birthday, FreelanceSwitch! You’ve done great.
To many more!

I have picked up #3. Which is “The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack”

Simply because, “I AM A WEB CODER” and I deserve it. I have passed so many valuable times of my life at http://www.freelanceswith.com from the very beginning of its birth. I love this site and I would love to get something solid to show up. hee hee.

BTW: I never won a prize before . So, make me proud and confident..pls……………………

Congratulations and Happy Birthday!

I’d like to win the “Web Coder’s Prize-Pack”.
Why? Easy: People say I’m a webcoder, and I think I could make big use of it:
1. Seagate FreeAgent Go 120GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive + Case Logic Small External Hard Drive Case
-> Because my local SVN repositories are full and since the year 2000 or so I’m a bit unsure what to delete, so I avoid deleting and archive everything. There’s always the fear to delete something that could have been used.

2. Sennheiser HD 215 Extreme DJ Sound Headphones
-> Actually I have some hama speakers on my notebook which cost around 10$ and they exactly sound like that–

3. CSS: The Definitive Guide
-> I had a good mentor when I started web coding, but I think I could learn a bit more with that

4. Web Standards Solutions: The Markup and Style Handbook
-> Maybe I can fetch some good arguments for my next browser war discussion?

5. Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design
-> I would love to use this for my latest AIR development ideas

6. Belkin Cushtop Notebook Stand – Chocolate
-> It would be great to have this! No more burn holes in my thighs! Yeah dude!

7. One-year Shuttle Bus subscription to Freshbooks
-> My doves are untrained and I was already looking for a serious delivery method for my bills. So maybe this could replace the dovecote?

Cheers and rock on,
markus

Hi..ok so finally someone is here to give me a gift. Ya I deserve it , please. I launched my blog recently and it hit the digg front page on the first day of my disclosing it. And then what a pain it was when it went down even with Media Temple GS. It came out that the problem was one of my plugins but I am still mad. What a loss of visitors. But I think Writer’s Prize pack could help me come back to senses and write better articles and also venture out in the freelance world. So the Writer’s Prize please…pleaseeeeeeee…plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Thanks a ton !

Abhijeet

Web coder’s pack or Designer’s pack (I do both).

I should win it because I’m totally flabbergasted by the amount of comments already on this post. Offer free stuff and it really draws the crowds, eh?

All I wanted for Christmas was parts of the designer’s prize pack, especially some items of it. Well, I didn’t get them on Christmas, so why don’t I get them on the second best celebration in my calendar .. your birthday. Some of the items like the moleskine and ebony pencils are items which I can’t get in my country from any shop and just the thought of having one of them makes me feel at least a bit more professional. And since I know you would read through all hose comments I have one extra request : Keep up the good work for many years to come, pleeease

For the hundreds and hundreds of hours I have worked hard in providing freelancers and regular users with free Tutorials I deserve The Writer’s Prize-Pack.

First off, thanks for the great site.

Second, I’d love the pack nr 3 with the book substitution option.

My reason: I am taking the plunge to full time freelancer at the end of May. I’m friggin’ excited but also scared out of my head. A win in this competition would be a real kick start to my freelancing as I’ve been planning on buying the hardware bits of the pack anyways. So winning in this competition would save me a big amount of money that I could then put back as an emergency cushion for my business, this reducing the anxiety of jumping off the firm ground.

Happy birthday from Finland!

happy birthday! thanks for providing articles, blogs and helpful tips to us your loyal fans/ readers/bloggers. gosh you’re prizes are really tempting. since you’ve asked, i only want one, the moleskine ruled notebook. that’s it. i know you’re giving away the whole package, but i really don’t need them. just the moleskine ruled notebook so i can scribble away my thoughts, put it on my bedside table, read and write before i go to sleep and join moleskinerie.
again, happy birthday.

I’m going for the Web Coder’s Prize-Pack, because thats what I do, for the time being anyway.

I’m currently in a crazy slog to get myself into the freelancing world before going back to uni in 5 months. Getting a website up and running, find clients, actually do some website building stuff for a portfolio. And thats only the half of it, then there’s actually preparing to go to uni, becoming a penninless student, and paying £6000 for the priviledge, joy!

So the prize-pack would save me a heap of cash to help me start living the dream.

Incidently, I’m not fussed if I don’t win, I haven’t lost anything for trying, I’m just glad I chanced upon the site. Read every post ’till my eyes bled (figuratively) , bought the book (currently a bible!), had the veil lifted. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing if I hadn’t found you guys

Now at least when I’m a broke computer student looking for work, my upselling won’t be “would you like fries with that?”

Happy Birthday FSW, looking forward to the next year!

Due to this fantastic blog and it’s fantastic articles, I now have no time left to write such a stunning piece as others do.
Not only do I have not the time but I am also too stressed. My wife promised me to beat me up with a piece of wood if I don’t win The Designer’s Prize-Pack. You must know that my wife is 13ft tall and that she has arms like … oh my God! … And you can’t image what that piece of wood looks like. It is NOT a regular piece of wood, it is a killing, demolising chunk of living darkness.
She won’t hesitate to beat me up, she never did. But this time it’s different … This time she will beat the sunshine out of my pretty eyes until there’s nothing left but … petty.

You may wonder why I stay. I’ll tell you … She can make such sweeeeeet love to me. When she’s happy she brings back that lost sunshine in my pretty eyes. Then I get 13ft of passion all over me!
Then she takes my euh … Going too far here I guess.

Anyway, the ball lies in your camp. I don’t like to put this pressure on your shoulders, not at all. But you can choose between my being hit by a trainwreck or me being loved all over the place.

I do not hope, my hope is gone … Left me years ago … Bring my hope back, please. I hope you understand my situation and … Hey wait! I said “I hope”! Oh there’s my hope, it’s coming back! Come on guys don’t let me down, it’s coming back! There it is! It just needs a little push! And I honestly think that that litle push could be The Designer’s Prize-Pack! Yes guys, come oooon!

Got to go … There’s a 13ft tall women who wants to use the internet.

Writer’s pack please…

I am a software developer and can just about write code but when it comes to the English language I am truely stumped. Unfortunately for me there is not a lot of demand for works of fiction written in VB.NET. I did try but did not hear anything back from the publisher. Funny that, it was a great novel about a for next loop losing its way in the class and always coming up with exceptions that were never handled. Such potential…

I would gladly be given some help writing my blog and writing articles and who knows maybe my for next loop will one day see the light of day.

Designer’s pack

Why?

Because i don´t have a girlfriend, and i want happiness in my life.

The Designers Pack

Why? Because my boss is really tight fisted and never buys me anything! Not only that he pays me a pittance and makes me work ridiculous hours, never gives me any credit for anything and keeps all the perks for himself!

Dave Ellis
Freelance Designer and Sole Trader

Props for your blog!

I am a web designer/developer from Italy, maybe your gift can give to a very young italian freelancer (i am 20 years old) some motivation to go ahead in this country where young guys are not considered worth, infact most part of them go away from here, just as I am trying to do.

I hope you will continue to give nice interesting tips about freelancing and web design / web development for another year.

Byeeeeeee!

Happy Birthday, Freelanceswitch! Here’s to many more brilliant articles.

Ahem…so….the Web Coder’s Prize-Pack……P.L.E.A.S.E.

I could really use the external hard drive for my photographic files. Am currently backing up to DVD…I mean really now…nudge, wink, hint, etc.

Web Coders Prize Pack

Why?

Well, I already have most of the things on the list so if you choose me, don’t send me the prizes, donate the $500 to a local children’s charity or homeless shelter or something like that.

Dave

It would make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside if you lovely bunch would cross my palms with ‘Prize Pack 2 – The Designer’s Prize-Pack’.

Just to give you an idea of that feeling, I’ll leave you with some ‘warm and fuzzy’ things to ponder:

cute little puppies
your favorite scarf on a cold winter’s day
tiny baby chicks
Santa’s beard
a cat on fire

Now if they don’t make you feel like you don’t have a care in the world then I don’t know what will

For the last few years I have been planning to go into Freelance Web Code/Design once I finish my a-levels, a way to earn money to pay for university and neccessities.

This plan looked to be a success, until a recent car accident. The incurred costs of the accident mean i will be unable to afford the kit required to go onto this venture. /wanting to pursue a career in web design, i believed the freelancing to be a vital step in work experience and portfolio works, a dream that seems almost shattered, as i am now broke.

It is for this reason, that i believe i would be a good recipient of “The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack”.

Smutchings

I’m hoping to start writing soon and that prize pack number one looks awfully sweet!!!!

Prize: 1# The Writers Pack

I’m coming up to the final year of my degree in English Literature, my boyfriend has finished his degree and has dived in at the deep end to pursue a career in website management and development. The business was set up last year and I have been working so hard writing website content and a whole bunch of other content. Not to mention all those long hours I have put in (unpaid)

With frequent emails from him containing website links with SEO tips, etc etc whilst writing that all important essay on Shakespeare! The writers pack seems like the perfect reward for all of my unpaid work, new found knowledge (with regards to web development lingo) and perseverance.

I believe the writers pack will better equip me for the future.
Happy Birthday to you.

Hi guys,

I would like to pick “The Web Coder’s Prize Pack”.
Why? I think you described it perfectly… becouse i want to upgrade my career tool-kit. I am student – webdesigner, basically working with home pc which is shared by my sister (i like her, but you know what i am talking about, dont you ?) I saved some money over the year to buy my own computer, but it will be enough only for the computer and things you showed are gorgeous. I think the segate is the best, but books are also very valueable.

Thanks and Happy Birthday!

Hi !

Web Coders Prize Pack.

Well for me driving my freelance business means creating a professional network with many experts. I think it’s the most important thing so I’m setting up a course in a graphic designer school : “How to become a freelance graphic designer here… in France “.
I got the idea reading FSW.

With an old friend we’ve created our own brand, and we always keep in mind that we just can’t do everything alone.. so we share our projects with many talented other freelancers. It’s pretty cool : projects are much more interesting and bigger than previouly… and everyone is learning new skills and also things about himself / herself.

I very often read FSW, I’m also listening to the podcast… and from what I can hear or read, I believe that we’re all not so different. I was very bad at marketing and now I did some improvements on my site and also in the way I deal with my clients… so thank you FSW for your advices, thank you for showing the world everyday that freelancers are not lonely, Happy Birthday and…

Vive la France !

Web Coders Prize

The reason I want to win this prize is complicated. It all started when Alan from accounting started busting my chops over some work he wanted done. So I thought to myself, how can I destroy Alan AND get some free stuff. The answer was simple. A Doomsday device. The problem is, even though my device consists of an old muffler, a can of baked beans, a lock of hair from John Howard’s eyebrows, and a small, but significant 10c coin, it lacks, for some reason, 3 web design books and a hard drive.

So please, if you give me this prize, I will put it to good use. I will finish my Doomsday device, destroy Allan and take control of the world. Also, if you give me the prize I will treat the staff nice in my new world, and I’ll bake you a tray of cookies.

But seriously, I just like prizes

For your birthday, I would like the Designer’s Prize-Pack. That felt creepy. Like asking Santa for something, but over the net. And yes, I’m 31 and I still believe in Santa. Anyway…

As you can tell from me goodly Inglish, I need don’t the writer5 pryze pak.

I don’t need the Web Coder’s Prize-Pack as I already know how to hack…. I mean, stress test the security infrastructure of an application. Good save Toddy. By the time they read this entry, I will have “stress tested” the Freelance Switch site and made sure I’m the only entrant. *insert evil laugh*

I need the Designer’s Prize-Pack so I can play with colours and the markers. Oh, and that orange notebook stand, can I get it in pink? I really like pink. Or maybe yellow. Blue? Nah, too…. what’s the word I’m looking for… blue. I’ll stick with the orange. Don’t want to seem fussy and high maintenance or anything.

Web Designer Pack

Venturing into the world of freelance, a big move and costly too. But to not lose focus, and be thankful for all the great things that come my way, I would like to:

…use the new tools to help develop some local charities and community projects that cannot afford my services normaly (or any other for that matte). This would give me the boost to make that leap and produce the much needed websites and material these deprived council-estate kids need in Tower Hamlets, London.

Give me the tools to help others. Just like you would teach a man how to fish, instead of just giving him the fish.

I’m positively swooning over The Designer’s Prize-Pack! You read my mind and went shopping for all the design goodness no one else would know to shop for. And I’ve been wanting to try out a graphics tablet! If selected, I’d be happier than a kid on Christmas morning.

Happy birthday, FreelanceSwitch!

I like your Pippi Longstockingesque approach of giving away presents on your birthday. I would very much like to get the Writer’s Pack. I deserve it for being a wonderful person, but there are also other reasons why you might be willing to give it to me:

1. The social reason
Were I to receive the Writer’s Pack, I’d give the voice recorder thingy to James Chartrand of Men With Pens, the guy who posted somewhere up there that he really craves such a gadget. So I’m capable of sharing, see? (But only the voice recorder!)

2. The tear-inducing reason
I am a single mother and support myself and my ten-year-old son with my freelance copywriting and translating business.

3. The future potential reason
Though I’m not starting out as a freelancer (it’s my fifth year), I am currently writing my first novel. The Writer Pack could help me write the Great German Post-War Novel (they need one, believe me!). That would have to be my second one, though, as the first one is not Great Novel material. Had to start without the Writer’s Pack.

4. The fun reason
For funny, amusing reasons, see the comments above. My own, personal fun reason is that I would have lots of amusing, fun times with that stuff.

Julia

Yes! Yes! That’s what I need!
2) The Designer’s Prize-Pack, pls
Because.. I’m a new born designer and by the way, how to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul?

I would be thrilled with the designers prize pack.

A few years ago (well past my bachelor’s degree) I completed a certificate program in Visual Communications with the intention of changing my career in web design. Now I am working full time as a web designer both for a company and with a small freelance business but I feel that my creativity is at it’s lowest point ever. My days are filled with web fonts and html as well as some interface design and though CSS allows me to “design” on the web, the demands of business web design do not allow me to take the time I need to really do the job I could do. For me, artistic ideas take time to refine and I usually just don’t have the time.

I miss the fun I had in my drawing, art and most of all, my typography class.

So….I’m not doing a good job of connecting the artistic side (whatever little there is) to the “production” side – I miss markers and the possibilities that lie within a sketch book on a sunny day under a tree. The view from the cube is just not the same

Thank you and Happy Birthday – you have a great site!

Happy b-day FSw!

I’d like the “The Designer’s Prize-Pack” because I’m a coder myself. This doesn’t make much sense, but, the truth is that, I’m already web programmer so I would like to improve on other area. And I find design so much appealing!

The Designer’s Prize-Pack please

Why ?

Because i am a young entrepreneur who is a regular visitor to this site and PSDTUT , In fact i am premium on psdtuts , I would like tis pack because it would help me in getting my first really grip on the market and idea behide making a business and living from freelancing , I am only young and i can not really afford to buy all they equipement i need to really get going when you think how much Adobe set me back . This back would help me get moving into the designing world and make me a better freelancer and improve my chances of really making it in the freelance world.

Thanks keep up the good work and Happy Birthday , Hope to see a happy 2nd birthday!

2) The Designer’s Prize-Pack

What I really need is more sleep, and I’m sure every freelancer here knows that money is inversely proportional to sleep. Not having to pay for such goodies would mean I could afford a few extra hours in bed. I would say it’s what I’ve always dreamed of, but I haven’t budgeted any time for dreams.

Think of me tonight as your head hits the pillow as I’ll still be at my desk working to pay for that graphic tablet.

1. Graphic Designer pack
2. Why I want it?
Because in the next two months I am going to have to go full time freelance due to the loss of my job. And because when I signed up to be a graphic designer no one told me I would have to include little children down the street as my competition or the countless numbers of photoshop masters. I kinda feel like when I signed up for graphic design some how, some where someone was laughing at me but regardless of the field or me wanting to live in the country that might consider my trade something more than CAN YOU PLEASE MAKE MY LOGO BIGGER? No, Sir. Your logo is a crap gif which should never be used at all! But instead of explaining much more I’ll leave you with requently asked graphic designer questions I would get..

Q: How do I use this coper?
My A: You put your paper on the glass, put your money in the machine and hit the big green button that says “START!”

Q: I have an idea for a logo could you possibly use the nike symbol just flipped around?
My A: *groans*

Q: So I need copy for my brochure, I thought I could just put pictures of what I do in?
My A: No, Sir. A brochure is suppose to tell a story NOT be a picture book.

Q: Well 10 year old Timmy down the street said he could do this for $50.
My A: Yes, that is because he stole the program and lives in his mom’s house. Could you possibly give me his address so I could report him?

That’s all I got. Thanks guys, great site.

the designer package.

Because i really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really want the graphics tab.

also, people say i go into tantrums and jump up and down if i dont get want i want. (i dont believe them personally)

oh, and happy b’day freelance switch and hey, hi, hello & mio to everyone on the forum.

Happy Birthday! Here is my first and probably last attempt at Haiku

Web coder’s prize pack
Help an aspiring geek
Feed a hungry brain

Community rocks
I am inspired daily
Thank you FreelanceSwitch

Now go eat some birthday cake.

Well, first of all congratulations on your birthday.

I know I don’t post much, but I’m always reading and hearing your post and podcasts.

I would very much be glad to win “The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack” because sincerely I don’t have any option of acquiring such items here in Argentina due to the prices. Those, and specially the books, would really help me out on 2 upcoming projects that I’m working on as a freelancer.

That’s all, congratulations =)

Javier

The Designer’s Prize Pack – because although I could use all three (I do some writing some coding and some designing) my heart goes pit-a-pat for the designer’s prize pack…as a freelancer it helps to do a bit of everything but I prefer to do the design. Thanks for the opportunity. Thanks for a year of tips that keep me coming back!

Apologies if this is a duplicate, I just got an error when I submitted.

Happy birthday Freelance Switch – it’s been a big first year.

I’d love to throw my hat in the ring for the writers pack. I just started freelancing last week and it’s amazing the freedom I feel. I always knew it in theory but to be distracted by myself is so different to being distracted by being in an office and sitting in endless pointless meetings, and then having to go to lunch with colleagues to discuss the endless pointless meetings and how endless and pointless they are – well forcing myself to sit down and write is like walking through a park in comparison (she says as she’s reading blogs instead of writing).

The writers pack would be great because one thing I do miss is being able to call over the cubicle “what’s another word for …” or “Whose or who’s… do I use the apostrophe or the possessive one?”.

I’ve also portrayed myself to clients as bigger than I actually am, so while I might sound professional and that I’m working from a huge office, I’m actually sitting at a wobbly desk on a slowly deflating swiss-ball with some sad looking plants around me. The proper chair and table have to wait until I figure out if I can actually make money outside of a corporate environment.

The prize pack would be a welcome luxury outside a pay cheque as at the moment I can only justify absolute necessities.

Thanks
Cheryl

Howdy

I’m a young freelance web designer… and web developper.

I’m in love with standards, accessibility and usability. With everything that makes the Web a better place for everyone… My work is my passion, and I try to achieve my goals with elegance.

I have a passion, but I also have a dream. In simple words: “embracing the difference”. I aim to travel the world, to live in the obscurest and lightest places, to discover new cultures, to enjoy new experiences, in search of some illumination. I want my life to be rich of sensations. I want my eye to capture new and exclusive feelings.

I also have an hobby: digital photography ~ to help me remember.

To achieve this goal, I’m trying to make my business grow and also making it portable. That’s why the webcoder’s package would come extremely helpful.

(my only wish would be to replace the CSS book by some moleskine stuff if possible, but even if not possible, a good reference would be definitely handy!)

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to help me make my dream true

Prize: Web Coder’s prize pack.

Why I deserve the prize? Basically because I am NOT a freelancer and you have to convince me that switching is a good choice.

I work in Italy, and here a lot of people (definitely a lot) go abroad to find better working conditions.
I want to stay in this country, but I have to change something in my working life. Freelance switching and your prize could be a good starting point. Or not?

p.s.:happy birthday

The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack would help me out a ton. My little 2GB flash drive is getting woefully packed with website files, and my sad little 3rd-gen iPod’s headphones are getting frayed and making lovely popping and crackling sounds when I move my head.

Thanks for a year of wonderful advice, articles, and podcasts, and I look forward to years more!

I pick Designer Prize pack.

Because I really need the book “How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul” as I am losing my soul and shirt trying to be a graphic designer so hard.

Thanks Fsw.

The Designer’s Prize-Pack

I’m a young aspirant artist full of imagination that need a table to draw e learn. The Brazil need appear to the world!

Prize Pack #3 !!

I have been freelancing since October 2007 and have acquired a few good contracts. So good that I can now survive working only 2 days per week while the other 3 days I spend with books and online training to become a cutting edge Web Designer. I have passed up higher paying jobs to be a Web Designer because I love it!!

I would love the Designers Pack.
I’ve been an illustrator working for companies for over 12 years and have finally decided to go freelance. I’ve been selling stuff around the house to buy those necessary software/office upgrades so money is tight. I think this pack would be a great boost in my creative process and get me working off the computer a bit more. Thanks for your consideration and for the great site.

The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack

Because is my first week as a full-time (PHP-CODER) freelancer, and I am quite scared and don’t want to spend a single dollar not even in a coffee until I bill at least 3 times. And It will be nice to have those books.

I desire #2 – The Designer’s Prize-Pack …

because … well we all deserve our best and highest good … we just have to accept It!
I have been lettering, drawing, making art, designing all my life … after 15 years of digital design, I am FREE to be a freelancer!

Did you know that the microprocessor became commercially viable due to the entertainment industry? (Think PONG!)? I used to refinish pinball play fields (they put plastic on them now) and paint signs (they make vinyl letters now) … now I use a Mac or a PC (don’t really care) and the Adobe and Quark apps (still don’t care because they both work) to make my living. I only wash brushes when I want to and I never have to put Letraset sheets in the freezer … too cool! I have also personally sworn off EVER cleaning a film processor again. VIVA digital design!!!!!!!!!

Life is wonderful! Wendy

Prize pack #2 would come in handy.

I have just recently started as a designer and some new and updated supplies would be greatly appreciated.

The old honest approach here.

.mike

1. Web Designers Package.
2. Why do I want it?

I have been full time freelance for 6 months now. Finding Freelance switch was the catalyst for me to quit my cushy government job and jump into this world. By using the Freelance Switch rate calculator I determined that I could do it, and dove head first in.

Life is good, but would be better if I could get my F&^%^ing books straight. I NEED HELP!

Pretty please?

1. The Web Coder’s Prize Pack
2. Why?

Because I live in far far away small town. Search for “Pichilemu” in google.

2) The Designer’s Prize-Pack

I’m a programming student at university, after studying theory and code for the majority of the degree, I took up an elective in Human Computer Interactions (or Interface Design).

Since then I’ve realised how much bad design is out there! I’ve also realise that programmers don’t understand the concept of a good interface and how it relates to the end users rather then the code they’re writing.

So if you send me this pack, I will use it create more ‘human friendly’ programs instead of flooding the world with more stupid/bad/horrible/ugly/boring computer programs! =P

2) The Designer’s Prize-Pack

Why? Because I am a freelancer in a jungle and I could use the help. With the designer’s pack I’ll be Tarzan the king of the jungle instead of Cheeta the chimpanzee. I’ll be able to swing my way over the competition and still have all the bananas I can eat. (Fruit is good for us!) Plus with that tablet I can make myself way more attractive for Jane and when she comes over and see all those books she will know how smart I am.

Cheers
Ed

The Designer’s Prize-Pack.

Although I really don’t think I deserve a price, I would like to congratulate you with your birthday! I think it’s amazing that you have such a huge readers base in just a year. I read your blog regularly and think it’s one of the prettiest designed weblogs I know of.
For that reason I got “inspired” to give my weblog an overhaul. To be honest I copied your colours and some design things (Green links and these boxes). So you see I don’t deserve any prices;-)

I’m still in school and need all the help I can get to bust into a crowded market

Web Coder’s Prize Pack.
Well, just because I would love to have some good books (and of course some useful pieces of free tech ). I’ve got all of my web programming experience off the net, from bits and pieces of tutorials, and it sure would be nice to have something tangible ( I am more atrracted to reading from a piece of paper than off a screen)

I’d choose The Web Coder’s Prize-pack.
Reason: I think I get make very good use of the Sennheiser headphone
as my previous one got stolen while I was sleeping on train!!!

Happy birthday and many thanks to Fsw.

Because I feel like a lucky freelancer : )

Designer Pack

Well, as a designer who has finally broken free of “corporate life” and started freelancing, I have found your site has really helped me tunr my dream into a reality. I am excited about designing again and loving having more control to allow real expression. Why should i get the prize? Well beacuase the first year is though and every little thinkg can make a big difference I kow this prize would, and might be the difference between a successful year or having to go back “corporate”.

I love being a designer, but i love being a freelance designer more

1. The designer’s prize pack
2. Why do I deserve it?

I am graduating from college in two weeks with a major in Graphic Design. I am getting married in June. I am buying a house in May. I am starting a new career in May. I am doing everything everybody usually spans out over a few years all at once and I am broke. The prize pack would be extremely helpful for me to jumpstart my freelancing career and get started out on the right foot.

The Designers Pack

Why? Because starting as a freelance designer is pretty daunting and maybe this beautifull package will encourage me to finaly make the big step….and it will remind me that i got it from the best freelance blog in the universe

Marco

I could use the Designer’s prize pack, because I’d honestly like to know how not to lose my soul in this business.

I think I’ll go with the “The Designer’s Prize-Pack”!

I’m a freelance web developer who has been working hard in the past to get his HTML/CSS coding skills top notch in the beginning of my small career. That means reading the web, reading books, looking at others code and learning from that.

Now I’m working on improving my design skills and been holding on buying a graphic tablet for quite a moment now. Learning more from web design and typography is really something I’m looking for now.

So yeah, could really make good use of that designer’s pack

Can’t leave without saying : Keep up the good work, been following Freelance Switch for a while now.

Prize Pack #2: The Designer’s Prize Pack

I’ve been freelancing full-time for just over a year now (I had been freelancing on the side for about 4 year prior) and web coding has always been my thing, but now I’m working on more and more print design and illustration work, I realize I need the tools to help me develop my skills in this area and get the job done and Prize Pack #2 would certainly help me get there!

Happy Birthday!

A – the Web Coder pack would be great!

B – Being a Graphic designer, I already have most of the items in the designer pack (ie. tablet ,markers and pencils). I been a freelance designer for a little while now and people been asking me to design websites and have them work for them. I started out okay but I need this 3rd package to better my coding skills to make it in this crazy world of ours.

C – On another note, congrats on you guys celebrating your first birthday. I found you guys about 4 months ago and I been reading your articles everyday since.

Keep up the good job on the site.

I would love to win the first prize pack – the Writer’s Prize Pack. I am only just beginning my freelance career, doing mostly technical and ghostwriting. These tools would nearly fill my library and electronics needs.

Freelance Switch has provided me with tools, entertainment and information I have not been able to find anywhere else. Your posts with lists of links for freelancers are priceless and have helped me grow tremendously as a writer and as a business person. The Freelance Freedom comic, while funny, often serves to remind me not to sell myself short just because others may not understand the value of what I do.

I would also like to wish everyone here the best of luck winning. And continued success with their freelance careers.

The Designer’s Prize-Pack

New web designer from Romania, trying to make a name here.
Starter as freelancer, but still a small 10 to 4 job. Those books are a great.

Ty freelance switch.com for all the effort, and so keep’em comming the good stuff.

Wish you happy birthday and many more years to come.

Gief cake

Definitely Prize Pack #3 -

As for why? I think I’m at a disadvantage for winning this. Oh come now, you say, you’ve got just as good a shot as anyone. Well, no – I don’t. I’m not funny or quirky or interesting at all! I can’t come up with some witty anecdote to sway you my way. My clients berate me, my computer has started spitting CD’s out at me and my monitor scrolls the words “You’re a loser” across the screen. I’m sad and pathetic and my self-esteem needs the boost that winning a FSw prize pack would give to me. If I won the Web Developer pack well, *gosh* I’d just be about the happiest gal this side of the Atlantic! I’d feel whole because, well Freelance Switch, you complete me. So please, oh please, make a girl’s heart soar and her ego take a step up! M

Happy birthday FSw – you guys have been an invaluable resource!

Wow! This is exciting! Well, I’m an accomplished designer/illustrator. So I already have most of the things on the designer’s pack. I also have designed some websites, but I would not consider myself a web designer, and have no desire to start doing that. BUT, I would like to write better. Every day I write something, and I don’t have the confidence to write more than I do. I just started a blog, and I would like to be more knowledgeable about writing.

I always told myself that I can’t write. Well, that’s about to change…

Designer Prize Pack please because I’m worth it!
Well the real reason is that I’m a web developer (code monkey) and want to improve my design skills (crayola monkey) so anything that makes me look more like a designer will help and it would nice to win something to cheer me up after being totally p****d off by one of my clients trying to tell me how to do my job!!!!!!!!!! ………… I need a cup of tea

Prize Pack Number 3

My wife is joining the freelance arena with me in her efforts to become a writer and pushing me to be a better developer. Ultimately we need to increase our income to help our newborn son Ethan, who was born without a left hand, obtain the best prosthetics available that aren’t covered under our insurance. We have both learned a lot here and would love to continue our endeavors. Every little bit that we don’t spend on supplies or needs goes to Ethan.

We also love your site. Happy Birthday!

Dan

The Designer’s Prize-Pack

I badly need this pack as I know I deserve this If you wont give it to me, I wont be able to purchase it, I swear and then I cannot experiment with my creative skills and then this world will surely wont get from me what I can produce, and this world deserves

Hey n its not funny, I am just being honest

Thanks, ….ok when ?

Choice – the Writer’s Prize Pack

Reason – I’m a busy mom to three little boys and I’m preparing to launch a VA business in the fall when my mat leave is over. The writer’s prize pack has some wonderful stuff that will really help me out (almost as much as a lot of the info on your wonderful site – thanks!!)

Very cool of you to celebrate your anniversary this way!

1. Prize Pack #3
2. I need it because (thanks to FS) I dared to quit my regular job and started my freelancecareer a few weeks ago.

Price Pack #3 (but all are cool!)

If PricePack.Recipient = Me Then
Me.Happy = True
End If

Happy Birthday!

The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack:

Why you ask? Because I’m a designer at heart trying to improve my coding skills and the color pallet of the images chosen for coder’s pack is much more appealing than that of the others. Yea that’s right, I have a problem and see everything in color pallets these days.

As freelance switch is celebrating their 1 year anniversary, I just celebrated my 1 year anniversary of taking the plunge into full time freelancing a couple week ago. I do web development as part of my freelancing gig and would love to have the Web Coder Prize Pack as a result of our joint celebration.

Another reason would be that yesterday, because of influence from great freelanceswitch articles, I launched my first commercial software product a simple tool to increase your memorization skills – UPurMEMORY (www.twomilessolutions.com/upurmemory) – a windows desktop application that prompts you at user designated intervals to test you on passages you would like to memorize.

I launched it as a way to generate a passive stream of income for myself.

So all in all, I have 2 great reasons to get this prize pack.

Happy Birthday! Thank you for all the great information you provide. Keep up the great work.

I am a writer wanna-be. Please pick me for your “writers pack.” Help my career really take off with all your great prizes! I am so tired of looking up Elements of Style online to find the correct grammar. I am a bit of a Renegade who wants to be Well-Fed and Wealthy, so the books are right up my alley. The rest of the supplies will look great on my desk, even my old laptop would look better with that stand!

2) The Designer’s Prize-Pack

Throughout the last few years web design has been my job and passion. Recently, around 6 months ago, I began work to improve my design skills and subsequently fell in love with graphic design. I absolutely need a new tablet, but unfortunately I’m in a position where that isn’t a viable option for a while.

Congrats on a successful year of operation, I wish you many more!

I’m going for the Web-Coder’s Prize-Pack because I want to be free!

1. Prize Pack #1
2. If you visit my blog (puleen.com) you will notice that it is pretty mundane and boring, I have lots of ideas to write about just not enough experience on how to do it and how to get my message across. Prize Pack #1 will give me a way to capture my thoughts via the recorder and the books will most definitely give me some inspiration on how best to write and get my message across. All else is an added bonus.

Thank you Freelance Switch for giving away The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack to me!
You are very generous and I am very lucky.

Happy birthday!

Hi and happy 1st birthday!

Designer Pack please?

Why? Well it is because I spend all my money, buying domain names and hosting my websites. Instead of spending it on the really important things like paper, pens, and sketch books! Duh. I need on line oxygen…almost all the time!

What a great idea, giving away gifts for your birthday!

If i have to choose just one, I’d go with the Designer Prize Pack, because although i perform every function in my business, my true love is designing. Why, you ask? Well, let me tell you…in the past few years my business has grown astronomically (at least in my eyes), and i’m thrilled. But i have very little time to do the fun things, like designing, sketching, reading Freelance Switch So anything that will help me do my job more efficiently (a tablet!! yes! sketchbooks? Awesome! a stand for my laptop? HURRAH!!) would be MUCH appreciated.

Happy 1st Birthday! and keep the great articles coming.

Please enter me for the writer’s prize package. Why should I win? Hmm. I spend 24 hours a day/seven days a week/365 days a year catering to the needs of my husband and four children. (We have chosen to educate our children at home so I don’t have much free time!) Every once in a while I think I deserve something special just for ME

Happy Birthday to YOU!!

3) The Web Coders Prize Pack

Hmm, I deserve to win because I am a new Freelance startup and am trying to get my first big contract with the Board of Education in my area. This would be an awesome addition to the portfolio and to be honest I need all the help I can get. Haha. Thanks for reading and good luck to all.

Happy B-Day.

Prize pack three please!

I don’t NEED any of this stuff, but it sure would make working on my up and coming web business much more fun after hitting the 9 to 5 all day :-/

Thanks for being Awesome.

David.

If chosen, I’d want the coder’s prize pack. Why should you pick me from any of the other faceless masses? I’m not honestly sure. I’m pretty positive that there are those who are more skilled, more talented, and definitely more experienced out there than I, but I’m just starting out on this path (got my first client this past Tuesday) so I figured I’d throw my hat into the ring and see what happens.

Are there any Childrens’ Illustrators reading Freelance Switch?

No?
hmmm.

Well I’m going throw my hat into the Birthday circle and say that “I’m a Children’s Book Illustrator and I read Freelance Switch!” So much so that I’ve improved my Business Plan!

Now, as an illustrator, one would think I’d ask for the Designer’s Pack. Well, I’m getting work with the stuff I’m using, and the last thing an Art Director needs is one of his or her illustrators changing their style because she won a whole pile of graphic designer stuff. There are plenty of trendy, designee-style illustrators out there already and they definitely do not want any more competition even if I could create wonders with Prisma-Colour markers. So thanks, but no thanks.

So, I asked myself; “Should I enter for the Web Coder’s Prize Pack?” Our website (my Husband Larry’s and mine) really needs an uplift ( http://www.underhillstudio.com ). It’s look’n so tired! I need to change the links and spruce up portfolio pages. But as Web Coder’s go, my coffee table could do a better job. I need a Web Coder more than I need the prize package. Again, thanks but no thanks.

So I’m entering for the Writer’s Prize Package! Why you ask? Because I have less than 5 months to get my book dummy out of my head, down on paper and mailed to my publishers! That’s why. That voice recorder looks sweet and I’m a Moleskine fanatic!! I’m finally putting down the hard earned cash and picking up a Macbook so that laptop cushion could get pretty handy too!
There’s everything in that Writer’s package that could kick my butt and finish my book dummy.
So, think about it. Think about the day when I walk up to the podium to receive the Govenor’s General award for children’s literature (yeah, I’m Canadian), I’ll be thanking Freelance Switch for my sucess!

Just think about it.

And for all those Children’s Book Illustrators who are not here reading all this wonderful information on self employment: You really don’t know what you are missing!

I’ve always had an interest in web design and my last year of college I decided to switch gears and learn up. A few books and many, many late nights later I was working as a professional in the field, and still am. I hope to go full-time freelance as soon as I can and winning the contest would definitely be an additional motivator!

I’d choose the web coder’s gift pack because out of the three, that’s where my strength lies, though I’ve been designer/developer/SEO/accessibility/usability consultant in most jobs since college. I’ve also been able to run my own freelance business part-time for the past 3 years, and it continues to grow thanks to hard work and tips from sites like this.

It’s fitting Dan Cederholm’s Web Standards Solutions is in the prize pack, that’s the book that started me in developing with semantic XHTML and clean CSS!

Thanks FSw!

Prize Pack #1 Please!

I’ve been keeping my head above water as a freelance writer for 5 years now and could really use any help I could get in building up my reference library and my tools. (My microcassette voice recorder is held together with duct tape right now.) Keeping my printer in toner is keeping me broke and last summer I coughed up for a new Mac – so funds are low. But spirits are high! I love the freelance life and look forward to every issue of freelanceswitch.

The web coders prize pack please!

Because I’m a video editor and I need the headphones for my next gig working for ESPN at the Indy 500. I won’t be able to hear when the cars are runing. Oh, and the other stuff is cool too!

AND!

Winning would really boost my fragile ego. I might even be able to leave the house if if won. My therapist says it would be good for me to win too… Oh! And my mom thinks so too!

HAPPY SMURFDAY!

I’d love the #1 WRITER’s PACKAGE

I’m not comfortable with the word “deserve” BUT I have earned my place in the freelance writing world by bowing to office gods for years: editors, professors, you name it, I’ve grovelled at their feet.

Now, one of my main clients involves helping newbie freelance writers break into the biz, and I’ve found it gratifying and a worthwhile endeavor- people have helped me get where I am, now I want to help them.

Also, you should choose me because I would give the Voice Recorder to my buddy Mr. Chartrand up there ’cause I already have that exact one!

Also, I wish to build a huge library of writing book reviews on my website to help newbies choose the most helpful ones, and you’ve got some choice texts there that are already on my “to read” list!

Lastly, my neck hurts- I need that laptop cushion.

Congrats on the anniversary!

I’d like the Web Coder’s Prize Pack.

Going with simply honest:

I deserve the prize pack because I have learned almost everything I know about code through autodidactism. Coding has been my passion since I was 8 (when I discovered BASIC), and it naturally led to web coding as the Internet gained popularity. I’m standards, cross-compatibility and accessibility oriented, and try to educate my clients about these issues.

I’ve been freelancing full-time for a little over a year now, as a way of making sure I can stay home with all three of my children (one of whom is special needs). As both a freelancer and a single mom, my budget is extremely limited and somewhat inflexible when it comes to purchases of new development or tech materials. To illustrate, last year I raised three kids alone on less than $15K in North America, without applying for welfare, so that I could ensure they had my full attention and involvement… instead of applying for any old 9-5 that would accept my resume just to boost our income, and having my children essentially raised in a day care. It was tough, but we managed without anybody lacking anything they needed, and I’m hoping to boost the number of contracts this year while continuing to keep the overhead minimal.

I’m constantly pushing to learn something new each day, about both freelancing and coding. All new information and materials are an investment in building both a better business and a better coder. That’s important when you have a serious drive for continuous improvement. That drive for continuous improvement is part of why my small-but-stable group of clients keep coming back to me, and why they often refer new business to me.

Also, I look equally cute with a pocket protector or high heels, and I make really great cupcakes, cookies and mint fudge. Those things must count for something.

The Designer Prize-Pack

Why?

Before my graduation, I decided to start my own business, in a country (Colombia) where the freelance lifestyle is considered too bad for professionals and the succes is determined only on how many years have you worked in a ad agency. I’m an outlaw , and I’m struggling to demonstrate people that this is by far the best way you can live (with hard work of course!).

Also I have a blog where i’m translating the best Freelance Switch articles to spanish, that’s got to be an extra bonus!!!!

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday, Freelance Switch.

I’ve love the Writer’s Prize Pack!

I’ve wanted to write my entire life. When I was younger, I associated writing with fiction only (and didn’t think I was any good at writing fiction, either!). Now that I’m a little bit older, I realize that writing is more about passion and experience and I’m putting all that I have into working towards a full-time freelance writing career. With three jobs (one full-time and two part-time), I find it difficult to get the bills paid (thanks, economy!), let alone buy myself extra “tools of the trade” (or even get to the store to browse for them, for all that’s worth). All of these prizes would be well-loved, well-used, and certainly appreciated.

Thanks,
Deborah

#2 The Designer’s Prize-Pack for me please

I’m an art school graduate who’s stuck (though thriving) in the coding world, and would *love* to get back into graphic design and illustration again.

Thanks!

The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack.

I’m a web designer/coder from Poland that felt undervalued while reading stories on Freelance Switch for the past 1 year. Earning much less than fellow freelancers from the West.
Until my recent screw-up with a major website. An outage that taught me about humility. I’ve spent the last 3 days pretty much only on coffee, working hard to fix it and lost all hopes for a raise. But at least I no longer feel like I deserve it, which is a very relaxing state of mind.
Still, I wish my hard work and learning were awarded. By The Web Coder’s Prize-Pack for example.

Cheers,

G.Bober

Hi,

Its my B’day this weekend on the 19th of April. So It corresponds well with your 1st B’day very well! I become a big 32 years old.. Man how time flies! Well, I’m going to be a sucker and say that I need/want “The Designer’s Prize-Pack” cause after a Bachelors degree in Graphic Design and 5 years of in the field I think I deserve to get this since you are giving away… and because we share the B’day I will always be reminded of your company and your first B’day. Plus I think your site is awesome and the best freelance resource I have yet found on the net (great Design!).. Great work guys and I wish you many more years of success. What your doing is adding to the community of Design and sharing great stuff!.. Giving is better than taking!

I live in India now as a volunteer for a Media Organization for no salary and I do websites the other half of my time via freelancing to support myself. My big idea is to share my freelance skills to the poor in India…!

Sincerely,
Obed Tewes

#2 — DESIGNERS PRIZE PACK

In an effort to stop bad ideas from plaguing potentially good design, I’ll need these very resources to combat trite concepts and weak typography—all while doing it in comfort and style. Once I’ve created kick-ass design, I’ll need to make sure I bill the clients, painlessly and effortlessly!

Only then, will I be a design hero.

First of all, Happy First Birthday and I hope that you have many more!

I choose the web coder’s pack #3

I might not have a reason as clever or funny as some of the other posters here, but I am going to be brutally honest.

The reason why I think I should win this pack is that I am getting to the point in my professional career that I am getting really sick and tired of working for a company for a few years, put a ton of energy into what I do, only to have the company dissolve the department I am in or move it to another office out of the area. I am in a unique situation where I am not able to move (and no it’s not for legal reasons ) .

I have family members that had gone on to start their own successful companies after they were sick and tired of dealing with the frustration of working for someone else. I feel its about time to start finding something I love working on and laying the foundation to go freelance myself.

I always had an growing interest in developing for the web and the possibilities that it offers as a development platform. In the past I have made a few sites for people such as family members and friends, nothing really hardcore. I have also dabbled in PHP and other web application technologies. I want to start expanding on this love for web development and turn it into something I can make a living off of full time. I feel with some of the items in the prize pack it will help me start building a solid foundation for developing on the web.

The Designer’s Prize-Pack sounds awfully nice…

Why? Because I’m a full-time graphic artist for an insanely busy printshop and publishing company who also is trying to run a part- to full-time website design studio and consultancy in my spare time — without enough capital to really do it right. This often results in 100+ hour weeks, migraine headaches, sore wrists, talking to inanimate objects, and assorted other ailments. The book “How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul” sounds especially relevant right now.

Hi,

I would love to get the book Price Pack #3.

Why? I started freelancing a couple of months ago, with zero in investment and never having read a single paper book on php coding. I used put demos on free web-hosts, but soon had enough projects to require and be able to afford a paid web-host (and a laptop).

I am not exactly rolling in cash, but I am getting more than enough projects to keep me from working on my own site. So maybe if I get those books, I will be drawn away from the computer, and that would prevent me from dying over my keyboard, and thus securing freelanceswitch my undying gratitude for saving my life.

I probably will have found e-book copies by the time this competition ends, but it would be totally awesome to hold books.

. ++MMMMMMMMMMMM +MMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMM. MMMMMMMMM
MM MMMMM
MMMMMMZZZZ MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
+MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM ~MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
+MMMM.. MMM ….. MMMM
MMMMM MMMM+
MMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

(FS Rocks !!!)

The Designer’s Prize Pack because..

I don’t have the money to buy all this great stuff.

I went to school for Fine Art / Illustration so I never got a chance to use these Design goodies I admire so.

I need these Design goodies now so I can finally make the leap to becoming a Freelance Graphic and Web Designer. Along with the inspiration from FreelanceSwitch articles of course!

The Writer’s Prize Pack

I’m pleased to say I have been doing my homework in preparation for my own switch to freelancing for some time, and this blog has been a great tool. I’ve cut back to part time in my regular job, convinced my boss to give me unprecedented flexibility by proving I can be most productive when I set my own schedule, cultivated relationships with a few clients to get things off the ground, and set aside sufficient funds to weather the financial ups and downs. I’m currently in the process of investing in some tools, so winning this prize pack could not come at a better time! I would love to celebrate the anniversary of this blog with my own “freelance switch.”

Happy Birthday to all!

Happy Celebrations !
I’m in for the #1 Writer’s Prize-Pack.
Everything in it is designed for my pleasure/needs/learning ! And I’m right now in the middle of the writing of a new concept with my management/services cie.
Thanks !

2 > The Designer’s Prize-Pack

Why? Well because my Molesquine is almost full, the two books are in my amazon wish-list at almost two years, I have a little 7 years old girl that would love to impress her teacher with beautiful Design Ebony pencils drawings colored with the Prismacolor box, my laptop is hot and burn my legs at night when I am working (freelancing) in the bed at home, the genius tabled would allow me to work better, at the moment I cant track and manage the billing process so a freshBooks acount would arrive just in time, it would make my whole family happier and finally, because I am portuguese, I work and live in Portugal, for (boring) portuguese clients, but I aspire to be a global design, living around the globe, for worldwide clients.

Happy Birthday and success for the Freelance Switch project!

The designer pack.

Because I want it.

Honest enough?

To be completely honest, I haven’t “paid my dues” as a freelancer like most of the readers of this site. I left my job as a consultant last July to pursue my Ph.D. in Civil Engineering. In order to make up for some of lost salary, I started a freelance writing company and a freelance engineering company to help pay the bills. Since these are my two intellectual passions, I thought this would be a dream job. I was wrong.

The Ph.D. work takes approximately twice the time I thought it would and keeps me away from my writing and engineering practice. The Writer’s Prize-Pack has some tools that would enable me to capture my ideas while working in other areas (in particular, the Moleskin notebooks and the voice recorder would be exceptionally useful). It will be another 2 solid years until graduation for me, years that I don’t want to sacrifice potentially great ideas to.

Thanks for the opportunity best of luck to all of the other entrants.

-scm

Definitely the Designer Pack!

Why? What designer doesn’t need inspiration and great tools to keep fresh?!

Of course I’ve fallen in love with The Writer’s Package, but that is nerd love between me and shiny new things.

I’m not sure if I deserve anything right now: I’m currently half-twenty two and half-sixteen years old in my mind, it has been a month since I quit my first job, and I am in a hard place because my parents are forcing me to go “corporate”.

I think, though, that for once it would be nice to be picked for something I love. It reinforces my belief that wishes and dreams do come true, that choosing a path that deviates from the norm can work, and that I have enough gumption to continue what I do – and that is to write and write and write.

Nevertheless, hey — it’s all a matter of luck and grace, yes? Happy birthday, Freelance Switch. May the best man, woman, dreamer win.

Web Coder’s Pack please! it was a toss-up between that and the design one because I do both, but then I realized pencils won’t do much for me when I’m in front of a keyboard. Prismacolors are pretty though…

I deserve it cause my poop smells like chocolate.

Congrats on an amazing first year!

The Writer’s prize pack is off the hook!

I’m just starting to get into freelance writing and if I won this it will definitely push me to write my book giving students tips on saving dough in college. Good luck everyone.

2. The Designer’s Prize-Pack
why?
because passover ( jewish holiday) is coming in a few days and i will be working days and nights straight till the passover dinner begins because everyone of my clients just have to have everything done before the holiday (cause they don’t want to work during the holiday ) and of course i will continue working after the dinner while everybody will go out, go to the beach, meet friends and family…,
please help me help myself with this awesome pack that will make my life a little bit happier and comfortable, thanks, love your blog, number 1 fan of the podcast,
greetings from Israel, happy passover and holidays in general, happy birthday,
hagit

Web Coders Prize Pack

I’ve just set up as a part-time freelance web coder, looking to go full time eventually. I’ve just spent all my money on a new laptop and will be skint for the foreseeable future! The prize would help to ease the pain however

Writer’s pack.

I’m trying to develop several business ideas into plans while doing freelance writing and marketing jobs, helping to take care of my 4-year old daughter and 1-year old son, setting up an office in a closet, and holding a full-time job.

Congratulations on your first year!!
I like the Writer’s Prize-Pack.
I am in debt with you, since I have been living the last 5 years in the 9-5 routine, but after reading your posts everyday I have planned my way out.
Your prize will be part of my freelancer’s kit, a side activity I will start pretty soon. Even though it is a little bit scary, you have showed my it is feasible even in an unstable country as Venezuela.
Congrats again, and remember you have a faithful reader in South America.

I would LOVE to have the Designer’s Prize-Pack.

Both that and the Web Coder’s Prize-Pack are great and I would use, I’m working on two different typefaces at the moment, and everyone who’s ever drawn a letter knows you can’t get the same curves and subtleties with a mouse as you can with a pencil. I also sketch A LOT and supplies dwindle quickly.

I would also LOVE to get rid of this laptop stand my grandmother gave me, and that one is SO stylish. Just imagine how clients would like my office then!

Billing is one of the hardest parts of the business and I’m a designer, not an accountant.

Also, and lastly, I love books and can’t get enough of well written, inspirational literature.

Thank you.

I’d love to win the second number “The Designer’s Prize-Pack”.

I have always longed for a tablet since the time I started to understand the meaning of Computers and Designing. I always had an aim since then, that one day I would own a tablet.. And maybe, this is the time, when my aim or rather dream would come true.

This pack is the best pack that anyone could ever dream of. It’s got what every other designer wishes for. Hoping for the best.

Thanks & Regards,
Sonali Agrawal

I’m a sucker for shiny things. Could I please have all the shiny things in the Writer’s Prize Pack?

Whoa loads of comments already, this is going to turn into a real lottery over the next 7 days. Posting a comment would be futile, perhaps silly but why not just give it a shot. I’m going to ‘Keep it simple stupid,’ after all “Simplicity is the key to brilliance.”

Simply because I just had a kiddo, and want to provide him with what he needs, I’m in a foreign country without a job but taking things positively, I know I have a talent which I try to squeeze the most out of it, so just to make this long story short , I know these could be my tools to start a successful freelancing career here in Spain. Thanks guys!

Package #3 Please!

Started my own company last month! I have a ton of work and no time. Those Sennheiser Headphones would sure be nice while I’m busy hammering out kickass websites. I like the laptop stand too (in silver though).

Thanks and Happy Birthday Freelance Switch!

I don’t deserve the Designer’s Pack.

Hi–

I would love, love, LOVE to win the Writer’s Pack, because I am at the point with my business where I need to either go bigger (Woo!), or go home (”Get a Real Job”).

As a single parent, I really enjoy (and let’s face it, NEED) the flexibility and increased earning power that freelancing gives me, so obviously I want to buckle down and work to strategically expand my business in order to maintain that flexibility and earning power for the long term

Anita Williams
Poppermost Communications (Yes, I’m a huge Beatles fan)
http://www.poppermostcommunications.com

The Web Coder’s Prize Pack.

- laptop fan burns my leg hairs (plea for stand)
- just lost an internal HD a few weeks ago with tons of unbacked up stuff (plea for Seagate External)
- just got married and my wife is going to college. she always bugs me with questions about her homework (plea for industrial size headphones to play dumb that I can’t hear her)

oh yeah … Many Happy Returns of the Day Freelance Switch!

and

already told 10 people today alone about this site.

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