January 30, 2001

RinkChat, NH - RinkChat's room capacity was drastically increased Friday, shortly after last week's announcement that Mountain Stream would be expanded to accommodate the large crowd expected at the upcoming RinkAwards ceremony. But Samuel Stoddard, proprietor of RinkChat, says the timing of these changes was unrelated to the RinkAwards.

"The renovations were to be for Mountain Stream only," Stoddard said Monday in a taped interview with himself. "The addition of user rooms to RinkChat left Mountain Stream and Forest Glade relatively unaffected." Mountain Stream and Forest Glade are the two primary general-purpose public chat venues in RinkChat.

"The Mountain Stream expansion will be less tangible in nature," Stoddard said when pressed for details about his plans for the room. "Specifically, I will make up the changes."

Stoddard refused to comment further, but his remarks prompted speculation from eager RinkAwards fans.

"This is lame. If it's not real, what's the stupid point?" said RinkWorks staff member Snook Draddots, of Dooby, MN. "Bookmark me!" he added.

Others were less critical.

"By using our imaginations to envision the conditions the RinkAwards require to proceed, the RinkAwards ceremony remains true to the spirit of the archives they recognize," said RinkAwards analyst Dr. Veronica Cronch. "Imaginations are wonderful things!"