Sparkfun Free Day
And just like that, it’s over. I wasn’t able to get through to place an order, despite having a shopping cart all ready, an account setup and even getting a page to pick my shipping method. The server load was just too much for them.
I hope that they talk about what happened behind the scenes today — was it all server load as suspected or were there issues with bandwidth as well? It would also be interesting to see where the orders that did make it come from.
I also suspect that this will eventually show up in a textbook on how to effectively use $100,000 for promotion. Sparkfun showed up as a trending topic on Twitter and was the number 1 search topic on Google as well.
And finally, I have to say even though I didn’t get anything, it does make me smile that a company that specializes in electronic parts for hobbyists was able to get this much attention. I hate to say it, but Sparkfun is the modern day equivalent of what Radio Shack was back in the 70s and early 80s. Radio Shack has since then given up on the electronic hobbyist in favor of selling cheap electronic gadgets and cellphones. Maybe that was the right path for Radio Shack to take, but at least we have companies like Sparkfun taking their place.
