Why am I responding to my own card? I am trying to establish on-going links between related cards so that future generations can trace the evolution of the Archipelago experiment. Therefore, for the next few issues at least, I will create a new Suggestion Box card and link it to the previous card.

When making suggestions, please respond to THIS card. I will also use this card to describe any modifications or general reactions. I will also respond to each individual suggestion card. Incidentally, thanks for the suggestions and comments you've made so far; they've REALLY helped make this a better program. Keep 'em coming!

There are quite a few improvements to announce this time around so hold on to your scroll bar:

• You no longer need to use arrow keys or other keyboard commands to navigate through the "My Contributions" transit stack. The exisiting arrow BUTTONS on all varieties of Archipelago card will function appropriately from inside the transit stack. Those cards without arrow buttons (like Request and Gift Introduction Cards) will sprout arrow buttons as soon as they enter the transit stack. Voice card left and right arrow buttons will no longer send you zinging out of the transit stack. You can now examine the transit stack in peace and comfort!
• The final checklist feature should now work properly. Items unavailable in the current issue will be crossed out and the Examine Packages box will be checked as soon as all the packages have been examined (for more information about checklist malfunctions see item one of John Card Number 23).
• If you transmit multiple updates to your Member List cards, the earlier versions will be automatically deleted.
• You can now create Hello Cards from inside the current voice volume as well as from the Archipelago main screen. Just go to the index card and push the "Say Hello" button. Or press the New Card button and specify "Hello" or "Opening Message" as your title. If you have already created an opening message, you will be asked if you wish to edit the existing card.
• Hello Cards now contain two new buttons which allow you to skip directly to the next (or previous) hello card in the volume! You can now quickly read through all the opening messages without having to bounce back and forth to other screens.
• The speaking card feature has been improved so that it's harder to trigger accidentally and easier to stop. To read your card aloud you must now click only on the bullhorn button in the upper left corner and nowhere else. Macintalk will read the card one paragraph at a time; to stop it BETWEEN paragraphs hold down the option key.
• You can now click on the title of a card to change it. This only works with newly minted cards (that is, cards still inside the transit stack).
• If you wish to flip ahead to the next unexamined voice card, hold down the option key while you click on the forward arrow (or backward arrow). The program will start scanning the volume until it finds an unexamined card or until it reaches the end of the volume.
• As you examine each new card, a little diamond (◊) appears in front of the card's title on the index screen. Thus from the index you can see at a glance which cards have been read.
• Whenever you RESPOND to a voice card, your icon will appear in that card's first available reply box. This enables you to hop back and forth between the source card and your new response inside the transit stack. This feature also prevents you from making two responses to the same card (if you try it will give you a chance to edit the existing response).
• Whenever you first create a new voice card or opening message, an explanatory note appears in the text field informing you that you are inside the transit stack. You can always push the bent arrow return button to return to the current voice volume (or the downward arrow to see the source of a response). You can also create another new card from within the transit stack. As soon as you start typing, the explanatory note will disappear.