Aphelion Editorial 045

Hello and welcome!

Well, that time has come again-- another new issue ofAphelion and you want to know what has been on my mind over the last month. Well, I've been busy with the IRC channel, #AphelionWebzine running on the Filknet IRC servers. Our latest addition to the website is the IRC channel for a 24-hour live chatroom. I've been spending a lot of time in there with the IRC program running in the background while I do other things. I can check my e-mail, surf webpages, run searches, write-- and still have the IRC channel running for me to peep into at odd moments when someone visits. The channel is fast becoming a production tool, also. That was proved during the layout of this very issue. I recieved all the info by e-mail that I needed from Cary and Jeff to do the story links for this issue and met with Jeff online to check my work. He did and sparked off another fit of creativity in my humble self. Thus this editorial was born... As for the chat channel? It has been going very well, with the free flow of ideas having already paid off in new story ideas for several chatters. Anyone can visit whenever they want, and the Aphelion staff tend to pop in and out at any time. As is illustrated by this recent conversation in the channel;

Vila: Serials updated.
Vila: Now for the short stories...
doc: ok, shower and shopping...back later
*** doc is now known as doc_afk
Vila: OK. The working copy for March is now online for checking.
Geoffrey: okidokee
Geoffrey: Looks good so far
Vila: drafting the editorial... but its trying to flee to Canada.
Geoffrey: I still like that background
Geoffrey: What's the editorial about?
Vila: Nothing, so far. That the chat has been working out well.
Vila: First paragraph stuff.
Geoffrey: How about promoting it as a terrific place for writers 
to talk with other writers about their problems, revisions, rewrites, etc
Vila: I oughta quote you in that- using preformated text tags in 
the editorial.
Geoffrey: Which quote?
Vila: "How about promoting..."
Geoffrey: Oh :)
Geoffrey: *whistles innocently to himself*
Geoffrey: Max, give me a lite
* Max places a flaming hoop in front of Geoffrey 
*** Wormtongue has joined #AphelionWebzine
Wormtongue: Apologies if I suddenly drop out - my server keeps 
disconnecting me!
Vila> Hi, Wormtongue.
Wormtongue: evening all, how goes the struggle?
Vila: Going well.
Vila: We have been busy programming Max.
Geoffrey: Sorry...Franci is still being endlessly fascinated by Max
Geoffrey: I feel like a child with a new toy :)
doc_afk: s'ok. back later, folkes.
Wormtongue: Am i missing half the conversation here?
Vila: Bye Rob.
Vila: Bye Rob.
Geoffrey: Bye Rob
Wormtongue: Bye Rob
Geoffrey: Max...Max is the new toy.
Max: yes, Vila?
Wormtongue: OOOOOkay! Go Max
Vila: What are you, Max?
Max: I am an AI- an infobot: if you address me 
by name I can store and retrieve useful factoids 
for you. /msg me with the word 'help' for more information...
Vila: Max, what do you do?
Max: That's simple, really. I hang out here 
and keep the channel open.
Wormtongue: Repeat: OOOkay
Wormtongue: max?
Max: yes, Wormtongue?
Wormtongue: coolness!
Vila: He's a bartender, short order cook, and 
infobot all in one.
Vila: OK-- The editorial for March is done.

As you can see, its a forum for serious debate and brain-storming, as well as a fun time. Max is always online to keep the channel open, so no matter what time it is where you are, feel free to check out this new IRC channel. There are links scattered about the page that will lead you to the chat channel. I'll repeat then here for you; Aphelion IRC Chat Info & Schedule if you want to read up on what schedule has evolved for staff visits or IRC in general before chatting, and Aphelion Instant Java Chat for those of you who want to dive right in to see what the fuss is about. With 50 to 150 hits a day registering on the counter, I know that there are readers out there that might want to pop into #AphelionWebzine once in a while.

I asked Jeff for a quote about the chat channel:

*** Geoffrey has quit IRC (Ping timeout)
*** Geoffrey has joined #aphelionwebzine
Geoffrey: I REALLY need to disable call waiting
Vila: LOL!
Geoffrey: Especially when it is some damn telemarketer
Vila: I've been getting a lot of them this week too.
Vila: What would you say about the channel to someone reading my editorial?
Geoffrey: It's a genuine mix of boisterous fun and serious discussion about 
writing; the arts in general; and life, the universe, and everything.
Vila: OK, that's a great blurb.
Geoffrey: Best of all, it's true too

'Nuf said. I'm through blathering about Chat. Now I'm going to blather about the great review that Rickey R. Mallory wrote about Aphelion over on the "Suite 101" website.

In his intro to his February 28th review, he begain by saying "Aphelion Appeals to the Senses: Aphelion SF/F Webzine is one of the oldest, and probably best, webzines out there, dating back to 1997, and descending from the now defunct, but excellent Dragon's Lair." And he goes on from there to get really complimentary. The review itself is at Science Fiction and Fantasy Webzines as are many other Webzine revirews Rickey has done.

I like to take this time to thank Rickey for his glowing review. And I'd like to hope we've gained another loyal reader, also.

Thanks for your time.

Dan

THE END

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