[Additions for 5/18/2000] I've added a new section in the right column. If any of you have read Newsweek, it's equivalent to "The Last Word." Essentially, I'm going to rip off their title, and their idea, but apply it to RPGs. Basically, it's a column that I'll update weekly with where I think that the RPG companies, games, markets, or consumers are going. It's essentially an editorial of sorts, but more focused on the current state of things than on being some sort of debate-fodder. Hopefully other staffers will write some of their own, and those will go up there as well.

I hate dial-ups. But on the other hand, I love having summer be over, and no more work to do for classes. I actually had a nightmare last week that I had forgotten to do a paper for one of my classes, that sucked. But it's over, and I have more time to spend doing this stuff, which I'll need because dial-ups are SLOW!

So I've come up with two ideas as to things we're going to try for a bit of time, and see what you guys think of it. The first is that I've gotten lots of very positive feedback about comments on editorials. I think that I'll extend this by creating a section under new editorials in which I'll put editorials I wouldn't post otherwise, with helpful comments for everyone to see. I'll either allow you guys to send in editorials you think need help (and if they don't, I'll make comments as to why it *is* good), and if I get editorials that I think would be good to make comments about, I'll e-mail the author for permission to post it there.

The other thing that someone suggested, is that I give you guys a theme for updates, you know, something to inspire people to write, and to have people pool their thoughts on a topic. I'll find some fancy place to put these topics, but in the meantime, I'm just trying to get this dial-up-update up. So this week's topic is: "The religious imagery in playstation games has increased drastically with the advent of the Playstation. Agree or disagree with a reason why." If you guys think of good topics (not "which game do you like better" but actual things you want to know more about, just e-mail them in).

I have two reservations about doing all this. First of all, I am no authority on the subject of editorials, and I am by no means proof from grammar and spelling mistakes. Fortunately, I make all my grammar mistakes at very appropriate times so that they're halfway humourous and I can pawn them off to intentionality. I just don't want you all trying to justify English papers by saying that the editorial guy promoted use of humour or somesuch. Essentially, I want to help you guys out, and make the column more enjoyable, but I'm not the authority (on anything but timely bad-grammar and rambling).

Well, I have 50 e-mails in my inbox this week. Tons of it is feedback, which makes me incredibly happy. I'd like to thank those of you that took the time out to give me constructive comments. Even negative comments were framed in such a way as to make them helpful instead of hurtful. I believe that I've taken just about every comment that got e-mailed to me, so if there's anything you guys want to see, or don't for that matter, drop me an e-mail.

Ever had your mind go blank? I did. I think I'm going to start a list of stuff that I'm doing, crazy ideas I have, and crazy ideas I want to have. Hopefully then my mind won't keep going blank. I do have one more idea, but that has so little to do with the column, that I'll detail it later.

So in short, send in things you want me to critique, as well as normal eds. Quantity is coming in bulk, pardon my lack of replies as I settle down at home. Next week, there are gonna be some HUGE changes as I finalize some stuff and change things up a bit.