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UPDATE 1: The TechSmith Terrible Screencast contest has been extended until June 20! Please keep submitting your Terrible Screencasts nominations! Thank you!

UPDATE 2: In addition, we've heard a lot of feedback (thank you!) and we've responded with a blanket anonymity rule- your identity and submissions will never see the light of day outside TechSmith, so no fear! We're not trying to embarrass anyone, just trying to understand what makes bad screencasts so very bad.

How many of you have watched a terrible screencast? I know I have. Heck, I've made my fair share of terrible screencasts!

I'm happy to announce we're having our first ever TechSmith Terrible Screencast Contest!

Here at TechSmith, we are proud to make products for entertaining and effective screencast experiences, and we love to hear about examples of exceptional screencasts. However, it's hard to ignore that some screencasts are, well, exceptional in a different way. We like hearing about those too! Nothing can teach us more about what not to do in a screencast than learning about the most devastatingly terrible experiences you've had with a screencast (not to mention they can get pretty darn funny!)

Send us your stories of the horrors of screencasting, and win acclaim and a $50 Amazon.com gift card!

Here's more info about the contest:

• Deadline: June 6th, 2011
• Instructions: Send your story of a terrible, awful, very-bad no-good screencast that you've had to endure to userexperience@techsmith.com with the subject line [Why Did I Watch This]. (click on the email address link above and it should fill the email address and subject line for you automatically)
• There's no need to send links or the screencast in question- just describe the experience in gory detail! We're interested in your impressions and stories more than anything.
• Prizes will be awarded for Worst Instructional Screencast Story, Worst Required-For-Work Screencast Story, and Worst Overall Screencast Story. Prizes will be a $50 Amazon.com gift card!
• NOTE: The Terrible Screencast Contest will be completely anonymous- we won't reveal the names of winners or the submitted stories or screencasts themselves. We're not trying to embarrass anyone, just understand what makes bad screencasts so very bad.

Prizes will be awarded for Worst Instructional Screencast, Worst Required-For-Work Screencast, and Worst Overall Screencast. Prizes will be a $50 Amazon.com gift card and immortality, as your tale of woe will be published in the official TechSmith blog (don't worry, we'll be happy to keep you anonymous!).

Thanks, and we can't wait to hear your worst!