set contest status to pending

Fixed link in `inc/guidelines.pending.hdr`.

Improved link in `inc/rules.open.hdr`.

Updated timestamps and sitemap with `make gen_status gen_sitemap timestamp`.

Changed `bin/status2html.sh` VERSION from "1.4.3 2024-08-05"
to "1.4.4 2024-12-29".

Performed `make quick_www` on macOS to complete the above.

status.html

@@ -25,14 +25,14 @@
 <!-- END: this line ends content from: inc/head.default.html -->
 
 <!-- -->
-<!-- This web page was formed via the tool: bin/gen-status.sh -->
-<!-- The main section of this web page came from JSON and other data files -->
+<!-- This web page was formed via the tool: bin/gen-top-html.sh -->
+<!-- The content of main section of this web page came from: status.md -->
 <!-- -->
 
 <!-- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -->
-<!-- The main section of this web page was generated via the tool: bin/gen-status.sh -->
-<!-- The main section of this web page was generated via the tool: bin/gen-status.sh -->
-<!-- The main section of this web page was generated via the tool: bin/gen-status.sh -->
+<!-- !!! Do not modify this web page, instead modify the file: status.md !!! -->
+<!-- !!! Do not modify this web page, instead modify the file: status.md !!! -->
+<!-- !!! Do not modify this web page, instead modify the file: status.md !!! -->
 <!-- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -->
 
 <!-- Markdown content was converted into HTML via the tool: bin/md2html.sh -->
@@ -425,16 +425,18 @@
 
 <!-- START: this line starts content generated by: bin/status2html.sh -->
 
-<h1 id="the-ioccc-is-closed">The IOCCC is closed</h1>
-<p>The IOCCC is <strong>NOT</strong> accepting <a href="next/submit.html">new submissions</a> at this time. See the <a href="years.html">IOCCC winning entries page</a> for the entries that have won the IOCCC.</p>
-<p>Watch both <a href="status.html">this IOCCC status page</a> and the <a href="https://fosstodon.org/@ioccc"><span class="citation" data-cites="IOCCC">@IOCCC</span> mastodon feed</a> for information about future IOCCC openings.</p>
+<h1 id="the-ioccc-is-not-yet-open">The IOCCC is not yet open</h1>
+<p>While the IOCCC is not open now, there is a tentative opening date for the next IOCCC.</p>
+<p>See the <a href="news.html">IOCCC news</a> for details including the tentative scheduled opening date.</p>
+<p>A preliminary <a href="next/rules.html">IOCCC rules</a>, preliminary <a href="next/guidelines.html">IOCCC guidelines</a>, and preliminary <a href="https://github.com/ioccc-src/mkiocccentry">mkiocccentry tools</a> have been posted.</p>
+<p>Comments and suggestions on these preliminary items are welcome, see <a href="faq.html#feedback">FAQ 0.5</a> for information on how.</p>
 <h1 id="status.json">status.json</h1>
 <pre><code>    {
         &quot;no_comment&quot; : &quot;mandatory comment: because comments were removed from the original JSON spec&quot;,
         &quot;IOCCC_status_version&quot; : &quot;1.0 2024-03-09&quot;,
-        &quot;contest_status&quot; : &quot;closed&quot;,
-        &quot;news_update&quot; : &quot;2024-12-29T07:03:37+00:00&quot;,
-        &quot;status_update&quot; : &quot;2024-12-24T01:52:32+00:00&quot;
+        &quot;contest_status&quot; : &quot;pending&quot;,
+        &quot;news_update&quot; : &quot;2024-12-29T09:57:30+00:00&quot;,
+        &quot;status_update&quot; : &quot;2024-12-29T10:01:35+00:00&quot;
     }</code></pre>
 
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