A couple quick things I have to clarify for the record.

1) I get over 500 messages a day, when the internet railway is
working (which it hasn't the last couple/three days). No problem,
except when people send me 4, 6, or even 10 private email messages in a
day, asking questions that should more properly be asked in the public
forum. Otherwise a) I end up answering the same question, privately,
over and over, b) I don't answer in which case I'm seen as snubbing the
person. In particular, I'm often sent long, LONG messages requiring
very detailed discussions in private mail...and if I stopped to answer
all of those, nothing in the public forums would get answered, and no
scripts would be written. And again I'm in the position of a or b above.

If you have a question about story, or characters, or other B5
elements, unless there's some profound and overwhelming reason why you can
NOT let others see it, *POST IT IN THE PUBLIC FORUM* so that the discussion
can serve others who may have similar questions. There is no reason why
that kind of discussion should be kept in private mail. And if it's
public, it has a much better chance of getting a reply, or an in-depth
reply, than if it's private.

Just trying to get some kind of handle on the huge incoming email
problem before I drown out here.

2) Regarding the B5 snail-mail box...that address has been provided
as a drop for mail for the cast, primarily, and somewhat for myself. It's
basically a fan-mail address. But lately, more and more, people have been
sending in mail with story ideas, which my staff generally catch before I
see it. The usual line in the letter is, "I know you said you couldn't see
story ideas in the public forums, so I thought I'd send this to you in
hard copy so you could consider it."

NO, NO, NO, NO and, in case I wasn't clear....NO.

One person even has begun sending *weekly packets* of stuff, and this
one's going to have to go to Legal Affairs to beat the crap out of him.

The mail drop is provided, by me, out-of-pocket, as a courtesy to the
fans. It is not to be abused. If story ideas/outlines/scripts continue
to arrive -- they are currently being either round-filed or sent back
unopened, if we can tell what they are -- I will have no choice other than
to close the mail drop.

I hate to be a grump about this stuff, but as more folks find the
show, correspondence-related matters threaten to spin out of control, and
it's important to kind of re-establish the ground rules a bit. It's only
a relatively few folks who're not getting or haven't heard the message,
but it's worth stating for the record anyway. So if this info could be
included in the faq, that'd be great.

3) Quick aside...to the person who sent me the private mail about
candles...which I accidentally deleted and couldn't find again to reply...
the answer is yes, and thank you.

jms