The point is that Upshot wasn't granted an 'exemption' in any sense of the word.
Salesforce had already decided that they were going to win, and now they are being forced to justify that decision in the context of the rules.
Going forward, there is every reason to assume that future hackathons/competitions run by salesforce will be likewise pointless to participate in, unless you have been given the nod by Salesforce.
They haven't just set a bad precedent, they have totally trashed their credibility.
I am taking bets that the next time they run a hackathon there will be (anonymous) stories of Salesforce leaning on their 'partners' to ensure they get a sufficient number of entries.
The point is that Upshot wasn't granted an 'exemption' in any sense of the word.
Salesforce had already decided that they were going to win, and now they are being forced to justify that decision in the context of the rules.
Going forward, there is every reason to assume that future hackathons/competitions run by salesforce will be likewise pointless to participate in, unless you have been given the nod by Salesforce.
They haven't just set a bad precedent, they have totally trashed their credibility.
I am taking bets that the next time they run a hackathon there will be (anonymous) stories of Salesforce leaning on their 'partners' to ensure they get a sufficient number of entries.