12/3/09 update: We’ve hit the 48 hour mark.  We’ll get a post up tomorrow, but everyone from Ashish through Randall will be getting an invite.  Thanks for posting!

We previously wrote about how to organize the Google Wave sidebar with tags, and we have at least a couple of additional Wave-related posts coming soon.  These posts probably don’t interest you, though, if you’re not using Wave.  Wave invitations were once very hard to get, but have become more common now.  We’d like to do our part by offering 20 invitations.  Read on for how to get one, so that you can get in on the fun.

We’re not going to do this on a first come, first served basis.  When other sites did that, I always happened to stumble on the post after it was too late.  What we’ll do instead is have a set period of time to request an invitation, and then I’ll generate random numbers, and use those numbers to pick from among the requests.

The way to get in the running for an invitation is to simply post your request in the comments, along with a statement either about what excites you about Wave, or what you might use Wave to do.  Make sure you include your email address in the proper field, so we can get your invitation to you.  Nobody else will see your address, and we will only use it to send you your invitation.

The request period will run for 48 hours from the time this post goes live.  Shortly after that, I’ll make the picks, and send out the invitations.  Wave invitations are more properly called nominations, because accounts don’t activate immediately.  In our experience, though, it happens pretty quickly.

So . . .  ask away.