It's sometimes interesting to sit back and think about what the *StarShip* is. It's not a real place, but an electronic juncture, somewhere between here and there, a place where telephonic pulses mix and mingle, and in so doing CONNECT us all. And it's always felt like home. After all, you don't travel to the *StarShip*; it comes to you. And best of all, you can log on any time and touch base with friends all over the world. I suppose this comes from the fact that I do all my telecommunicating from home, but I tend to think of the *StarShip* as a giant living room, complete with comfortable couches, snacks, and (of course) electronic gadgets. Looking back, I've invited a lot of people into my living room, and I've visited many others. But it isn't always just an electronic meeting; I've had the pleasure of coming face-to-face with many of my online friends over the years. From Digital to Analog Although *StarShip* crew member Bob Eller (BOB.ELLER) and I used to live on opposite ends of the country, we "met" online, and had been friends for many years before I relocated to Sacramento. Thanks to that online connection, Bob knew I was a writer, and when Digital Creations needed a manual in a hurry, he gave me a call. We've collaborated on three manuals in all, thanks to that online connection. In fact, that's how Peggy Herrington, LiveWire's Editor, and I met. At first, we exchanged notes on the Bulletin Board, and chatted in Conference. Then, at AmiExpo, we finally got together in person, with a fairly large crowd of our fellow Amiga online brethren. When Peg was looking for someone to write a few tunes for the late, great AMnews, I sent her email and got the gig. We've both been through a lot since then, but it's good to know that she's never further away than my modem. I'm not the only one online who has a "Peggy" connection. Amiga journalist extraordinaire Denny Atkin (DENNYA) was a college student when he first bumped into Peggy right here on GEnie. Not long after that, he loaded up the Pinto and headed for California, to work with her at AMnews. That stint, it's fair to say, led to his current position as Entertainment Editor with COMPUTE magazine. It goes without saying that with so many friends gathered in one place, we all share a feeling of accomplishment when one of us Does Good. And, in fact, one of us did real good recently, on a national scale. When Dennis "Bug" Schaefer (D.SCHAEFER4) dropped in to tell us that his Amiga-created animation would air as one of NBC's "peacock" spots, we all tuned in to watch. (It's the one featuring a ghostly hand flipping a light switch surrounded by light bulbs.) I suspect that somewhere in America, somebody pointed to the screen and yelled "I know the guy who did that!" Nice job, Bug! Love and War Of course, all's fair in love and war, so you'll even find *StarShip* folks meeting in battle. The tournament feature in the hot World War II flight simulator, Fighter Duel Pro 2, is so popular it has a topic in the *StarShip* Bulletin Board. There, veterans of virtual air duels meet to brag about their prowess, trade tales about battle maneuvers, and make plans for the next duel. Drew Dorman (GHOST.RIDER) presides as tournament master, and Matt Shaw (M.SHAW15), from Jaeger software, is on hand to take suggestions, share tips, and drop hints about the next version of Fighter Duel. As in any community, you'll find all sorts of folks in the *StarShip*, from tax accountants to nuclear engineers to college students. The next time you pick up the AmigaGuide version of ViewPort, click on the highlighted name of the author of an article. You're sure to get a kick out of learning a little more about the person behind the name. By the way, next time you have any of your online friends over, you'll want to spruce up your Workbench and impress them. If you're using MagicWB (file #22006 - highly recommended!), be sure to check out the "Wallpaper" uploads. There are four in all, files #22421 - 22424, with patterns ranging from textures to pop art, from grids to fractal dragons. You're sure to find just the thing for your Workbench to wear when company drops by -- virtual or otherwise!