Choosing a winner from the comments

We were running a short campaign, and the comments were starting to come in. I remember looking at the list, feeling that familiar tension between wanting it to be fair and not wanting it to feel like a cheap trick.

Watching the conversation unfold

At first, it was quiet. Then a few people chimed in, and you could see others joining because it felt like a real conversation was happening. I kept checking back, not just to count entries, but to see what people were actually saying.There was a moment where someone shared a story related to the product, and a few others replied to them. It wasn't about the giveaway anymore; it was just people talking. That felt like the whole point.

When it was time to pick

I copied all the names into a text file. It felt more tangible that way, less like data and more like a list of participants who took a moment to engage. I wanted the selection to feel as respectful as that engagement was.Using a random wheel was the obvious choice, but it also felt like the right one. It removed any doubt. I could just let the mechanism do the work, and my role was just to witness it.

The spin itself

I clicked the button and watched it blur, a little nervous for no good reason. When it slowed, it passed over a few names I recognized from the thread before settling.

After it landed

I announced the winner in the comments, tagging them directly. A couple of other people congratulated them. It felt clean, and the conversation just kept going for a little while after.