A method for conducting a contest using a network is provided. Displayed, on a
practical screen of a user computer operably connected to the network at a user
site, is a plurality of pick spaces, a virtual television set including a first
virtual screen, and a virtual computer including a second virtual screen. The apparent
area of the first virtual screen constitutes a first display area of the practical
screen for showing successive images selected from a first plurality of images.
A preselected one of the first plurality of images is designated a lesson image.
The apparent area of the second virtual screen constitutes a second display area
of the practical screen showing a rolling counter. The rolling counter depicts
successive ones of a plurality of available characters, each character being displayed
in the rolling counter for a preselected duration. Each time that the lesson image
is shown in the first display area, a screen cursor is simultaneously positioned
within the second display area, and a pointing device operably connected to the
computer is simultaneously triggered, the then-current character shown in the rolling
counter is assigned to a successive one of the plurality of pick spaces. Thereafter,
the assigned character is displayed in the corresponding pick space. When each
pick space displays an assigned character, an entry data packet is assembled including
data indicative of the assigned character in each of the plurality of pick spaces.
The entry data packet is transmitted from the user computer across the network
to a remote site.