Post by David Pierce. Find me on Twitter.

Forgive me, anyone who’s not between 16-24 – this one’s not going to do you much good.

There’s constant discussion, on the Web and off, about what students really want. We’re a group of early-adopters, but we’re also super-skeptics when it comes to using something.

What we want, what we like, and how we work and act are a total mystery to most companies. And that bodes poorly both for companies, who can’t figure out what we want, and for us, who never get what we want from companies that don’t get us. Some have tried to figure it out, but no one seems to have hit it yet.

Which is why I think the Network of Cool is so, well, cool.

The Network of Cool (NOC from now on), a project I’ve gotten involved with over the last several months, is in the process of launching in a big way from Launchsquad, an awesome, tech-heavy PR firm. Technically, I’m the Commissar of Cool (which, all will agree, is the awesome-est title ever), but I’ve been part of the process of trying to figure out what students want, and how to get us involved.

NOC is first and foremost a predictive gaming system. Basically, what it means is that members will be asked a variety of questions, about topics ranging from “which movie will make the most money this summer?” to “who’s going to be first to a billion users – Twitter or Facebook?” You’ll bet on an answer, and if you’re right, you win! It’s not gambling, I promise. It’s predictive gaming.

Those players who are most consistently right, and even those who just consistently play, get rewards – iTunes gift cards, Amazon fun, and the like. We’ll also be drawing smaller groups out of the game for more focused chats and research about a particular topic.

There are a bunch of reasons this network is cool, from both sides. For students, it’s a way to get your opinion and ideas out there, to get a pulse on what’s coming down the road, and to be part of a network of smart students. It’s also a lot of fun, and a sweet way to win stuff. Winning stuff rules.

For businesses, it gives them a way to get a read on what students think, what we know, and what we see coming. By getting involved with an established group of smart people (like yourselves – and good-looking, too!), it’s a way for a company to get a handle on coming trends, developments, and demands, three things students tend to be at the front of.

Moral of the story: if you’re between 16 and 24, go join the Network of Cool. It’s a great team of people over at Launchsquad putting it together, and being a part of the Internet-wide focus group to talk about what matters is going to be a lot of fun.

Invites are coming shortly, so head over and drop your info off at the invite page, and go win some stuff.

And by the way? Avatar’s going to make a lot more money than any other movie this year. Blue guys + James Cameron + super-weird trailer = billions.