Read all the rules carefully before requesting your Flash trigger. This includes the challenge rules and the Interim rules.

Thanks and good luck.

Post questions here or there, if you have any. IMPORTANT: But do not email your questions. Use the boards.

--HSO

EDIT: thanks go out to autumnmuse for helping to choose this week's material. Address all complaints to her.

Q: How long does it take after I send an email until I receive the flash topic email?

A: HSO in London and Mike in Texas have tested it several tims, and as a result we expect you to receive the return email within minutes. We are using a major internet provider service to handle the auto-reply, so we expect the service to be reliable.

Q: Why did the rules change so much?

A: They are interim rules and we have (hopefully) learned from our mistakes! We expect this version to work better. Well, at least we hope it will.

mikemunsil

Q: Okay, so I have 1.5 hrs to write my story. Does that mean I need to email the finished story back before the time limit is up?

A: Yes. If you're story is later than 1.5 hrs, then it will be disqualified from the vote. It will still be posted, however, as a disqualified entry. And you will still receive critiques and comments.

Q: What format do I send my story in?

A: Good question. Acceptable formats are: .txt, .doc, and .rtf, or embedded into an email. If you choose to embed your file into the email, be sure to add extra line breaks between paragraphs. This will make it easier on us. Also, if going for embeds or .txt, find a way to show Italics. A typical way is to use an underscore, such as: _this is italicized text_, but this isn't.

1. Your spam protection is too good. I cannot read the e-mail address on the image no matter how big I blow it up. It's Greek to me.

2. There are additional rules, some contradictory, some just more. I assume that the stuff about the honor system and 8:00 Monday due time are void since you've done this auto-mail system now, but what about the things like must be suitable for children under 13?

*checks*

Hey, it does say that. Mike when did you add that in, and why? That's a bit too restrictive, in my opinion.

OK, I modified it. It was in there to protect me because most of you are not registered members,and thus you have not agreed to my terms for posts to the board, which include that you state that you are 13 years old or older. It now asks you to include a note in the subject line of your response to the effect that it contains over 13 materials. That way we can add it to the subject line of the post on Liberty Hall.

Regarding the legibility of the email address issue:

Christine, I forgot about your difficulty. I apologize. I will email you the email address under separate cover.

Regarding the 08:00am times issue. That stays the same. Check on Liberty Hall for the local time zone of the Moderator. It is given to you in the Flash Topic. Since you have most of Friday, and all of Saturday and Sunday to select a time to write, I have no qualms about forcing you to meet the Moderator's local time. I placed a link to a time zones calculator AND a map on Liberty Hall to make it easy to correlate the Moderator's times to your time. So, plan ahead.

Note: HSO is at GMT+1, I believe. If not that, then probably GMT 0.

mikemunsil

I'm definitely GMT 0.

Basically, I'm 5 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. This means, for the US, entries are due by:

EST: 0300
CTL: 0200
MTN: 0100
PAC: 2400

Plan accordingly, you must start at least 1.5 hrs before the due time, preferably earlier. (I think I have that right... if not, would someone please correct me. Thanks.)

EDITED to assuage anyone's fears. As noted below, the contest is running from now until the Monday 0800 GMT. Sending your request means you are ready to start the challenge. It also starts the timer that same moment. You will actually have LESS than 1.5 hrs -- but only a few minutes less, save for a glitch.

You can send the e-mail whenever you like from now until about 6.30am on Monday.

But you MUST send your submission back within 1.5 hours of getting the e-mail that tells you the subject / picture - whatever is in it.

We've also clarified the rules in the Challenge topic, as well as the Interim Rules topic. Just FYI.

By the way, we currently have 3 completed stories, and several people under way as I type.

Just a quick point: Remember to give your flashes titles. Do they need a title? No. But it helps.

Thanks to everyone who has participated so far.

And, fortunately, it seems our auto-reply system delivering the trigger word is working well. Can't wait for a completely automated system...