ALL RIGHT! Executive decision time.

It has come to my attention that the whole asking for nominations thing just isn't working anymore. Either people don't care, or something. The idea just isn't as exciting as it used to be, or what? I hear from some sources that it seems like a popularity contest, and I don't want that. So here's what I'm going to do.

Instead of asking for monthly nominations and running a poll each month, in the future I'm just going to randomly pull names out of a hat. Yes. That's right. The good old random name generation hat pull trick. You can either trust that I'm really doing this or kiss my shiny white behind. I don't really care which.

I will, however, still accept suggestions for names to go into said "hat." It probably won't literally be a hat, but you know... Same concept. I'm going to go back through and find all the names that were nominated. All names that did and didn't make it on the polls. All the names of characters who weren't voted into the Character Spotlight feature of the month.

I'm going to write all those names down on little slips of paper. Fold them in half. Drop them in a box. And blindly pick one each month. I'll add names to that box as they are given to me, or as I randomly stumble upon them somewhere and decide to add them myself.

Again. Feel free to nominate more names. Drop them here in this thread, send me a PM or an e-mail, yell at me in an IM, whatever. JUST GIVE ME NAMES so that it's more random goodness to blindly pick from each month.

I'm done with this begging and pleading crap.

I haven't been role playing enough to suggest anyone Age of Conan ate my soul.

RenArcher (Danie). BUT, I cannot do that interview due to prior agreements, so someone else will have to. Still, there's a name for your hat.

1. Curse you Age of Conan! -fistshake!-

2. What prior engagements are these? Don't tell me you can't write CS articles for me anymore! O.O

Why not just "use up" the previous nominees until they are gone?

No, I just can't interview Danie. And, well... if you tell me to interview Eve, I'll probably tell you to stick it. :-P

OIC. If Renne or Alysia get picked, I'll just have to either do it myself or beg someone else to do it for me.

I suppose I could use up the previous nominees, but here's the thing. I've received enough names, both here on the boards and behind the scenes, in PMs or IMs, to last us up to five years now. Just about. I think at last count I had 56 names in my little pouch to pick from.

Now. I could, I suppose, draw 5 names randomly from that "hat" at the beginning of each month. Instead of asking for more nominees and coming up with fail like I had for July here. I asked for names and got none in time to set up and run a poll, and I even posted early! That's the disappointing part.

So either I'm randomly picking one, or I'm randomly picking 5. If you guys still think it's worth running a poll, just let me know before the first of July. If I'm going to run one, it's going to start then and I need second opinions. There still won't be a Character Spotlight feature article in the July issue. It's just too late to ask Steff to get busy.

I was also thinking that it might be nice to give her more time to contact, interview, and write her articles. It's tough to do that much work in 15 days; I can imagine. Knowing I only have that much time left to format and publish the next issue stresses me out a little too.

Blah blah ramble. In any case, popular opinion on this matter is likely to overrule any executive decisions. I just hate thinking that the Character Spotlight is turning into a popularity contest in the first place. I'd much prefer it to be an any random Joe or Jane can win sort of deal. All based on chance from being the one picked blindly from a group of 50-60.

Which seems more fair? Voting or Random Pull?

Just go and pull 'em from a hat, Ehz.