Dear Whyvillians, I've gotta admit I don't go to Whyville as much as I used to but the last time I did go there I was shocked, nay disgusted to see one of the new features to Whyville. If you have not already guessed from the title I am talking about clams for cash. For $20.00, you can buy 3000 clams, the same amount it took me to earn in about one and a half years.

On the one hand, every self-respecting business needs money. Whyville needs money for server costs, bandwith, etc. They just set us a challenge to reach 15,000 citizens, that'll sure cost them a lot of money. Plus, I guess people want clams and Whyville wants money. You know, 2+2=4 right?

However, here is a quote from an article made in '02

"Also, one of the best parts of Whyville is the fact that everybody comes here equal. It doesn't really matter how rich you are in the real world. If you work hard and figure out the games, design great art, submit the best articles, then you can be a millionaire! You see how that would change if we gave out clams for money."

That was made by none other than City Hall. She later went on to say that Clams for Cash would "undermine what the town stands for". What a royal filp flop that was! We all know that in an "Internet site" with over 2 million users, there are going to be some people who are very rich. There are also going to be some people who can only get on Whyville at school because their home does not have a computer.

Imagine the scenario, the poorer Whyvillian has a 124 clam salary and is a Face Designer who has practically dedicated their life to Whyville and makes about 2,000 clams per week. The richer Whyvillian has a 10 clam salary, comes on every once in a while and buys a $20.00 clam voucher each week so makes 3,700. Who just got the better deal? Who LEARNED from Whyville? Wasn't that the point of the site in the first place

I read an article the other day with TIKE, a very notable citizen in Whyville, telling us how proud he was of Whyville for not accepting the "Clams for Cash" idea and how disgusted he was at the people who supported the idea. How is he going to feel now eh? He talked about the true meaning of the Whyville Way and how experiencing things will help enrich your life. I'm afraid guys, in real life, you have to earn your money. I mean, if life was like Whyville makes it out to be, we should be demanding Whyville give us $20.00 for every 3,000 clams we make.

I'm not going to tell you to boycott Clams for Cash. For one thing, this article won't get published. But I urge you to think about this. Whyville was started as an educational site. Without you citizens trying to follow the Whyville Way, trying to learn things, trying to encourage equality between everyone, there will be no Whyville.

Whypasses enhance your experience, Clams for Cash will destroy it.

Cobd