We used to have a contest, but interest waned, so it went on hiatus. As for the "winner" listed on the home page: we wrote up a review and linked it to our favorite screenplay formatting shareware! If enough folks are interested in resurrecting this contest idea, we'll start it up again (contact information). The section immediately below proposes a topic for the next round:
"Music to surf by"
Send us a short, snappy, humorous essay (approximately 50-100 words) on the topic of your favorite music about computers. The winner's name and entry (plus a link to his/her home page, if s/he wishes) will be published on the F12 home page. Honorable mentions will be listed and linked below.
Make sure you're not infringing on anyone's copyright when you submit your entry; we don't want to steal any material. By entering the contest, you're assuring us that your text is cleared for publication. Include the URL link you wish (if any), and eMail your completed submission to us. And if you have a hot idea for a contest that hasn't yet been defined, suggest it!
The best entries received before Thursday, October 31, 2002 at 23:59:59 UTC (press Back to return) will be published.
CONTEST #709:
Road trip!
Make your flight reservations at TravelWeb, check airline and meterological info at The Weather Channel, reset your watch at World Time Zones, check telephone dialing instructions at Telstra, convert your height and weight into the units of your destination at Entisoft, and find out how much and what kind of Currency you'll be using. Then get some more International Travel Tips, or use direct interfaces for the above at The Hungarian Alchemist and Screenwright(R) Communications!
CONTEST #708:
Sports!
Here are some organizations which either license, certify, or provide governing direction for sports we enjoy: Professional Association of Diving Instructors (SCUBA), United States Parachute Association (skydiving), Soaring Society of America (gliders), Federal Aviation Administration (airplanes) and Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (just about everything else that leaves the ground).
CONTEST #707:
Wanted:
With media attention focused on the murder of Gianni Versace and the suspect Cunanan, perhaps we could all help by periodically checking The FBI's Ten Most Wanted List, persons Wanted By The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, along with Scotland Yard's Appeal For Assistance, Interpol Fugitives, and The World's Most Wanted.
CONTEST #706:
Space, the final frontier:
There's been a lot of news from outer space lately, so here's a link to the Mars Pathfinder photos (they're getting millions of hits, and if the main site doesn't respond well, try one of these mirrors). You can also take a look at info about/photos of Space Station Mir.
CONTEST #705:
Meta-info:
To get an idea of the range of information that's available in cyberspace, start with The Internet Classics Archive (ancient Greek and Roman texts) and Greek Mythology, then work your way through The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Project Gutenberg, and finally, discover what the U.S. government knows about your neck o' the woods in the C.I.A.'s World Factbook.
CONTEST #704:
Internet insider alert(!):
Cyber-trivia: if you want to find out how the modem manufacturer U.S. Robotics got the name, read the science fiction classic I, Robot by Isaac Asimov, or I, Robot: The Illustrated Screenplay by Harlan Ellison and Isaac Asimov (from the Screenwright Book Nook collection).
CONTEST #703:
This site changed our lives:
Alchemy is alive and well... The Hungarian Alchemist - Anikó J. Bartos seems to be in a perpetual state of flux. With convenient interfaces to the I Ching, Runes, Tarot, Numerology, Palmistry and the more prosaic time, measurement and currency converters, it seems that anything can be changed into anything else - Fahrenheit into Celsius, dollars into francs, even your name into your destiny!
CONTEST #702:
This review had a certain "religious" tone:
Ego Te Absolvo: when you're down in the dumps, send your Prayers Heavenbound, unburden your sins at the Internet Confession Booth, and after you're feeling stronger, submit an Ordination Form to obtain an official Universal Life Church minister certificate!
CONTEST #701:
This was a collection of some L.A. sites:
Everyone always asks what it's like out here in Lalaland. So, go ahead and knock yourself out - envy the current L.A. weather, surf report, sky info, lotto draw and film schedule. Of course, no virtual visit to the Southland would be complete without a look at the freeway commute and the ol' Seismo-Cam.
CONTEST #612:
This was a review of the sites to bet on:
Easy Come, Easy Go... You can read our description of the weekly big-bucks draw in Liechtenstein's InterLotto, but there are other places to bet on the Web, too: try InterKeno in Gibraltar, Gamblenet in Grenada, NetPirates in Antigua, or Virtual Vegas (oddly enough, no money changes hands in this Vegas). If you're looking for a way to pay for your wagering, check out CyberCash and First Virtual, or apply for a WebCard. Alternatively, you can try for a loan at the oldest Internet institution of its type, Security First Network Bank.
CONTEST #611:
This was a sampler of stress-reduction sites:
Existential
anxiety about the holidays? If you want to investigate
the ancient illuminator of synchronicity, this
I Ching
website generates the Book of Changes oracle without coins or yarrow
stalks. Simply type a question and click your CONTEST #610:
This was a review of our favorite netsurfing music:
Kraftwerk The Mix (Elektra) - As the package says, this collection has been "Re-recorded, Rearranged and Reprogrammed in the Digital Domain". With song titles like Computerlove, Pocket Calculator and Homecomputer, who can resist a high-energy, digital re-mix of Kraftwerk classics? This German supergroup has been around for a couple of decades now; they fade in and out of popularity in the U.S. With the current rage for 'industrial' music (high-tech, electronic, good dance beat), they've been experiencing a resurgence in this country, and you may see them out on the road (or should we say Autobahn?) soon. Favorite lyric: "I program my home computer - lead myself into the future."
CONTEST #609:
"How I got this way"
WINNER! - MsScarlet aka Heather (Buena Park, CA):
I was a teenage modemhead. It all started so innocently: a few minutes here, 24 hours there. Chatting and surfing the WWW were ways to spend my lonely Saturday nights. But then, things started to get ugly. I knew I was addicted when I snuck my laptop into bed at night, just to be sure I didn't miss anything. It was a twisted love affair. When school was in session, I craved that sweet sound... when my modem would connect once more. My whole body ached when forced to spend a moment away from my beloved Internet. Then, one day, I got an ISDN line, and I was a modemhead no more!
CONTEST #608:
This was a review of our favorite yuks:
If your sense of humor runs in the same unusual (some might say sophomoric) vein as ours, Yahoo's Monty Python category bears checking out. The index also has a section for our other favorite comedy group, but this Firesign Theater site seems to have more information and entertainment value.
CONTEST #607:
"My favorite URL (as opposed to my favorite baron or duke)"
WINNER! - Kevin A. Densmore (Santa Clara, CA):
The Burning Man Archives: Every Labor Day for the last ten years, artists, poets, performers and locos of all stripes have gathered in the high desert of Northern Nevada to burn down a four-story sculpture in the shape of a human being. Although it harks back to ancient sacrifices, it's a joyous ritual with no dogma, and participants rave about the transcendent nature of the experience.
Honorable mentions for Contest #607:
A special thanks to Isabelle Saint-Guily (Paris, France) who allowed us to use her entry as a shining example for a few days:
Peeping Tom Homepage is your eye out on the RW, while you're here in cyberspace! Access a camera overlooking Sydney harbor, a golf course in Maui, or a street corner in Boulder. If you don't have a frames-enabled browser, you might have more luck in Tom's Basement. You can also try Tom's, Kat's, Leonard's and EarthCam's frameless pages.
Albert C. Cashman Jr. (Niwot, CO):
The insomniacs who nightly choose the tube over the Net might be interested to know that Dave and Jay have staked out their turf in our medium, too: The Late Show and The Tonight Show. I'll bet I can get an eMail in the Ol' CBS Mailbag (lswdl@aol.com) before you can...
Michael Kay (Philadelphia, PA):
For those who follow the Old Religion,
Ár nDraíocht
Féin ("arn ree-ocht fane", Irish for 'Our Own
Druidism')
offers a rigorous Neopagan clergy training
program. You'll also discover a wealth of pointers at
Pagan Web Links and
Pagan
Resources. Tarot and Qabalah enthusiasts may find a home at the
B.O.T.A. Mystery
School.Geoffrey Sorrell (Lindfield, NSW, Australia):
With the blizzard of Free
Speech Online blue ribbons, it was only a matter of time before
someone felt they had to do
this...© Alan C. Baird