The Y2K

    Put Up or Shut Up Contest

$$$ BIG CASH PRIZE $$$

Everybody, it seems, and her aunt has an opinion about "Y2K." Y2K is currently everybody's favorite disaster scenario. And it's easy to see why! Some people see it as a way to make a lot of money in consulting, others merely see it as the end of the world -- at least the world as we know it.

At any rate, time is running out on the Y2K discussion. Come January 1900 -- I mean 2000 -- we'll begin to know for sure what forecasts were correct and which ones weren't worth the electrons they were written with.

We here at Municipal Technology (http://www.scn.org/tech/mt) want to acknowledge those who forecasted accurately and those who contributed in some way to the education or entertainment of their fellow citizens.

All entries must be postmarked by August 1, 1999. Each entry must be typed on one side of a single piece of white paper. Please enclose a 1 - 3 sentence synopsis at the beginning of the entry. NO ELECTRONIC ENTRIES PLEASE. Winners will be announced by April 1, 1900 -- I mean 2000.

The winning entry and honorable mentions will be posted on the mt web site.

---

Contest Rules

The winning entry will be based on accuracy, specificity, and magnitude of prediction. Inaccurate, vague, or trivial entries ("my computer might not work correctly") stand little chance of winning. Contestants should not cause problems in order to win this contest. The first honorable mention will be based on usefulness. In other words, entries should suggest reasonable, practical, and socially responsible steps that could be taken; stockpiling ammunition, for example, would not meet this criteria. The second honorable mention will be awarded based on strangeness, anxiety, aloofness, clarity, ambiguity, zowee-factor and/or any of a host of other criteria that happen to strike me as interesting and/or important at the time of reading. This is clearly the coolest category in which to win! Decisions of the judge will be final. They will be absolute, resolute, and unchanging. Do not attempt to bribe us in any way to win the big cash prize or, even, the smaller, no-cash-value honorable mentions. No members of our immediate families are eligible for the fantastic prizes. Only one entry per person. All entries become the property of MT. The GRAND PRIZE is one hundred American dollars and we really will pay it. We Promise.

Send entries to Y2K Put Up or Shut Up Contest, c/o Municipal Technology, 2202 N. 41st, Seattle, WA 98103. USA. Reminder: All entries must be postmarked by August 1, 1999.