More From the Emailbag
Does Xenite.Org appeal to children?
"Kids love science fiction and fantasy," Michael says. "So, yes, there is some appeal. When the Chlldren's Online Privacy Protection Act went into effect, I nearly took the (Xenite.Org) network offline. It just didn't seem like it would be worthwhile."
What sort of liabilities does a non-commercial Web operator assume?
"Most site operators are probably too small to worry about that," Michael says. "But there are so many laws out there, you never know what you can be held accountable for. We try to be careful, but I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop. I keep telling Dixie we're going to incorporate. Just as soon as we figure out how to make enough money to pay the bills...."
After Parma Endorion was translated into Spanish, Michael began receiving email from Spanish-speaking readers. "Fortunately, I can read it better than I write it," Michael laughs. "But I also use online translators to help me read messages in other languages."
When first seeking help to translate Parma Endorion, Michael carefully wrote a letter in Spanish to be posted in the forums on the Elfenomeno Web site. "It was a pretty good letter, if I say so myself," Michael laughs. "But I forgot one of the most important rules of translation: don't use special words or jargon. So, I wrote that I wanted to contact other Tolkien fans."
Fans? Does the Spanish-speaking fandom call itself that?
"Nope," Michael admits sheepishly. "I overlooked the fact that the translation software replaced 'fans' with ventiladores (ventilators)."
However embarrassing it may have been for someone named Martinez to make that mistake, the letter did get the point across. When the ventiladores stopped laughing, their Webmaster wrote back (in better English) offering to help with the project. The Spanish-language edition of Parma Endorion has proven to be one of the most popular Spanish-language eBooks in the world.
When people heard that Peter Jackson was making a Lord of the Rings movie, thousands of fans began scouring the Internet, looking for ways to join the cast and crew.
"All the major Tolkien Webmasters were inundated with questions from young actors, merchandisers, and just about anyone wanting to be connected with the movies," Michael says. "I generally tried to explain that Xenite.Org was not connected with the production and so forth. Occasionally I would pass on an email address or telephone number just to get people to leave me alone. But I doubt anyone in the United States had much luck."
The world was watching New Zealand with baited breath, and New Zealand was watching...Xenite.Org (and Suite101).
"People would write to me and say, 'Mate, you've been quoted in the local paper,'" Michael says with a smile. "Okay. Thanks." One reader sent clippings of several articles in New Zealand papers where Michael's comments about hard-core fans had been cited. "Some of the New Zealand press actually wrote to me and asked a few questions," Michael continues. "For a while, I think all the Webmasters spent almost as much time answering questions from the media as from the fans."
Michael's review of the Internet preview, released in April 2001, was quoted around the world. "I was the first person to post a review," Michael says. "What a night that was. About 100 fans waited anxiously in TheOneRing.Net's chat room (Barliman's). As soon as the first person got a connection, we all jumped on the server (along with hundreds of thousands of other people). It took me about four hours to download 1-1/2 minutes of preview footage. Then another hour or so to write the review. I was exhausted and went to bed around 6 AM. When I woke later that day, I was a little more well-known than I had been in the morning."
