Jeff from the AWS blog emailed me to tell me the server used in the video was an old $69 piece of junk. I won't publish his email, since I didn't ask his permission, but he asked why I didn't think the contest was legit.

Here the email I sent back (take note of how much less antagonistic I am):

Hey Jeff,
Thanks for acknowledging my concerns. I kinda thought the server was just a case, but I still don't see the point of the demonstration and feel that it's an example of excess that many start-ups can't afford. Isn't the point to be building, not destroying?

As far as the contest not being legit. I don't mean it was rigged. It was fair in the sense that you could put me in boxing ring against 80s Mike Tyson and call the match straight-up, but I'd still get my ass kicked every time. You said yourself that you were impressed with their Backlot product. I'm not denying it's impressive, but at the same time it took a enormous investment in hours and money to get to that point. How many of the 900 other entries could really hope to compete with that?

I think if this contest is going to happen again it would be better to have two different weight classes (to keep with the boxing analogy). Let the heavy hitters duke it out for the top prize and at the same time run an undercard with some of the smaller entries.

Thanks, Matt

It kills me (in a HAHA sense) that Jeff ended the post I linked to with "PS - I am sure that the first comment will be "When are you doing this again?" I don't know!", but here we are over a month later and the only comment is me bitching them out.