I worry sometimes about Amiga users and their future sometimes, but it has nothing to do with OS upgrades, processor changes, MIPS or Microsoft.

A lot of different things drew us to buy Amigas in the first place, but there's at least one common thread that's made us keep them over the past few years--a certain high tolerance for adversity. It's much easier to give in than keep struggling against it.

This has a lot of positive points. It can get negative, however, when it turns into a love for adversity and people start seeking it out where it doesn't exist. Suddenly, the world is full of conspiracy. Anybody who doesn't have an engineering degree is an idiot who wants to destroy the Amiga. Little off-handed remarks turn into flashpoints for a pointless argument. Hard-working members of the community who are trying to help people out are accused of being criminals.

This sort of thing isn't just unproductive but it's downright destructive, moreso than any external problem. Because the key to wanting to stick with the Amiga is that one enjoys using it more than anything else, for whatever reason and whatever application. Or maybe because the company amongst the users of other computers isn't as nice. But when the company you're keeping starts acting as I just described, suddenly the Amiga is a much less enticing option. What company would you rather keep?

I don't think I'm being alarmist or overreacting. Some people just can't turn off their self-defense mechanisms and see everything as a threat, a conspiracy, a challenge to their thinking. But sometimes, there really are good things. Sometimes someone really is trying to help. And sometimes the other guy isn't out to get you, he's just not interested in helping you out.

PS: After 107 regular issues and two special reports, it's time to close the book on the AmigaGuide format of Amiga Report. It's been a good workhorse but we've decided to move on to HTML. Objection has been slight but vocal, and as a partial compromise we're going to put out a very low-frills plaintext version created from the HTML for those unwilling or unable to read the HTML magazine. More information on changes in AR distribution can be found in the News section.

Also, I'm going to put off the latest installment of "People who work harder than me" until next issue, but some sort of special achievement award is due to Ken Anderson, who put together one of the most ambitious articles ever to run in AR--a reader survey of your top 100 favorite games. Be sure to check it out.

- Jason