www.whyville.net Mar 7, 2003 Weekly Issue



TIKE
Times Writer

The Mysterious Blackout and Shutdown

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My friends and I have just taken over Whyville West in hopes of making it our new spot to hang out. To be quite honest, it is a cheerful place, with its luscious green grass, a nice view of Myville, and spaceship hovering up above. Okay, back to my article -- sorry about always being carried away with the "moment".

Many of you might remember when the terms blackout and shutdown were pretty common around Whyville. Moreover, many of you know that it is unlike me to sit back and let a good story go to waste. Therefore, I have come up with a well-researched article on the mystery that lies beneath the top-gates of Whyville.

If you are an older Whyville citizen, then you just may remember the time of the "Great Blackout". For everyone, it was a time when Whyville shut its doors and citizens were not permitted to enter. There were many questions about why such a thing could happen. In addition, many suspicions rolled around Whyville. The Times itself joined in on the exploration. The workers for the newspaper created a whole series called "The Whyville Blackout" dedicated to the stories that many Whyvillians created. You could even vote on which story was your favorite. The three finalists of the story telling contest were Amanda, Etrnl*, and Spazchick. You can read their submission in the article titled "Blackout Finalists".

The Blackout lasted for a few weeks, and left several citizens worried about Whyville???s future. They wondered what caused the blackout, and if Whyville was ever going to re-open its doors. Many citizens blamed themselves for the Blackout, saying that it was bad language and behavior that caused it to happen. Others suspected that is was a type of evil monster who wanted Whyville to be gone forever.

The real reason behind the mysterious blackout was simply that Whyville was moving to a new server, and it had to be down for a couple of weeks.

Shutdown is a very blunt word because when you think of it, you automatically think of something bad. Do you remember the time when City Hall shut down? Even today, it would be interesting to see how Whyville would survive without the support and backbone of City Hall and the other wonderful Whyville workers. Basically the shutdown was caused by Whyville needing repairs, since it is always expanding, growing, learning, and asking questions, just like its citizens do.

Obviously there were valid reasons behind these events, but it is interesting to see the different imaginations of Whyvillians blossom into action. It has been years since the Great Blackout took place. However, if another shutdown or blackout occurred in Whyville today, there would be many frantic and worried citizens, many of whom see Whyville as another life.

People have called Whyville an entire lifestyle simulation, and they are correct. It is nice to see how Whyville has been accepted into the lives of so many. It also reminds you not to take anything for granted (but that is a different topic, open for discussion).

Perhaps some sleep looks good for me. Yes, it does. Anyway, remember to keep that funk alive!

TIKE

 

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