arnold@ucsfcgl.UUCP (Ken Arnold%CGL) (05/06/86)
(The following comments assume you have a 4.x fortune program in /usr/games. If you don't, you are still welcome to participate.) For years you have been reading the output of /usr/games/fortune, watching while others contributed for you. Now your public fortune program needs *you*. It is time for you to do your part, by contributing to the fortune database. To help people get into the mood, I am hereby announcing The "Give Away A Fortune" Contest Open to young and old alike (you need not be 18 or older to enter; in fact, a mentality of a two year old is said to help), I will be awarding prizes in the following categories: (1) Most fortunes accepted (scene & obscene)* (2) Best single fortune accepted (not serious) (scene & obscene) (3) Best single fortune accepted (serious) (scene & obscene) (*) The distinction is that "scene" fortunes are those which are not likely to offend anyone (the normal fortunes), and the "obscene" are those which may offend people (the "-o" fortunes), not necessarily due to language or sexual content, but also politics and religion. My tolerance for limericks is quite limited, however. I expect something out of the ordinary for this overused form of sexual folklore. All decisions of the judges (just me, actually, but I always wanted to use the judgmental (as opposed to editorial) "we") are arbitrary, capricious and final. If you want to see the kinds of things that have made it in the past, just run fortune. Most fortunes are designed to be clever and witty, or sometimes just bizarre, and some make a point while they're at it. A few (very few) serious ones get in just to avoid consistency, and to make some useful point. All quotes from somebody (especially those covered by copyright) should be properly attributed. This keeps everyone happy and out of trouble with the law, where everyone approximately = me. Submissions should be by electronic mail to fortune@ucbvax.berkeley.edu or ucbvax!fortune or the address that comes with this letter Winners will be announced around the end of June (to give everyone lots of time). All winners will get a signed, printed copy of the fortune database (with their fortune(s) installed), and an official "I Gave Away A Fortune and All I Got Was This Cruddy 5 Cent Screw" 5 cent screw, replete with certificate. To facilitate this, please send a mailing address along with your submissions. If you don't want your real name used in the announcement of winners, tell me what you do want used. No guns or bombs, please. Loud noises scare us. Ken Arnold, "The Mad Philosopher" N.B.: Submissions from "randchar" will not be accepted. P.S. For net.jokes people, the alleged humor in this article is, itself, supposed to pass for enough to qualify for net.jokes. If you don't think so, the following joke will have to do, though I find it *extremely* offensive myself, and so it is rotated (so I am not intersted in any complaints): Jung'f terra naq fvgf bhg va gur enva? Cnggl B'Sheavgher!