I didn't forbid second guessing if you (or me) failed your first try. Nothing but forum rules and common sense prevents you from posting every five minutes saying "getdate(); (gettime();+5)"

July 14th, 6:00 pm GMT.

In any case, surely it's an unfair contest for those who discover this game next year.

You make it sound like if 1 Karma point was like... what? 1 million dollars? A new free house? Free booze?

I think it was yesterday.

Edit:  While thinking of karma, it's five higher today.  I look to see what you idiots have misused it for this time, there's nothing there...

The contest is unfair to all those who don't have internet access. It's unfair to all those who has internet access but don't know about the game (and contest). It's unfair to all those who have internet access, know about the game but don't know baout the contest. It's unfair to all those who have internet access, know about the game, know about the contest but are too shy to post. Or really don't know what to post. Or the forum ate his post. And be happy and I didn't add rules covering the legal like: "Karma can only be given to those living in countries where Karma Laws apply blah blah blah blah"

Any contest is by definition unfair based in that not everybody will be able to take part. Never. Except if you are playing The Game. Ops. Be it because of time, chance, luck, geographic location or simple skill, contest are unfair. Drinking contests are unfair to me because with 2.5 beers I cannot walk straight. If I were to offer a drawing contest it wouldn't be fair because many people doesn't know how to draw. If I were to give 20 alpha keys to the first 20 users to post in my thread, it would be unfair because all those not logged in that moment would be at a disadvantage. Etc.

Now, let's see before I have to tear off my eyes:

1. The most obvious (but higly ignored seems) fact. How is that I can participate if I cannot give myself Karma? If I had been right at first guess (or a later one), would had it been fair? I cannot even be rewarded!!! Yet, this little fact seems to be ignored quite a lot. Guess why.
2. "Some fame": really, because guessing right when a videogame's alpha date will make you get a better job, make it piece of cake to get a table at the most expensive restaurants and sky rocket you in your political career. Between other things. Really. Seriously. How could I guess that "bragging rights" for guessing an alpha date could be so highly valued?
3. 1.Karma.point: Uuuhhhh! Who cares about World Peace? 1k $? A T-Shirt? Crysis? Ha! Nothing can compare to 1.Karma.point. Because that single point can mean the difference between life and death.  Between success and failure. Families put their hopes and dreams in winning this single Karma point. Some users would even kill other users for it. Markets hold their breaths waiting to know the winner of such important thing. The fact that it could be won by a random fella who post just once with the most accurate date for the alpha relase, could mean broken families as their hopes and dreams become shattered even after being posting 24 posts a day with guesses. Also it would bring violvence to the streets as people kill each other in desperation and anger by their lost chance of getting that higly preciated Karma point. That random fella's stock options would sky rocket while the rest of the market crumbles, such is the power of the Karma point.

I cannot stand such misery and tragedy that will be caused by my silly thread. I cannot bear the shame it supposes all that suffering, all those broken families, all that senseless violence... I knew I should have offered far less serious than a karma point. Maybe 2 million dollars and a Ferrari. And used a census for those who were to try to guess a date... forcing every single human being in the world to try to make sure that no one could complain about being unfair (no, animal lovers, I'm sorry but animal rights don't include to guess the date of the Elemental alpha... no matter how much you complain). No! NO!!!  The shame is just too much for me!   There is only one punishment cruel enough for me to compensate for all this misery I have brought...

NTJedi - you're missing the fundamental point of his (sarcastic) argument, and the point of this thread (as I see it). This is a contest in the loosest definition of the term, and I suspect its primary function is to give people like us, who are hopelessly addicted to these forums, something to do akin to twiddling our fingers while waiting in anticipation for the alpha to arrive.

This Argument is silly, because I clearly won the contest!