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CL9:     WELCOME TO THE EC ISSUE 47!
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CL1:Yes indeed, a very warm welcome to all
of  you  still hanging in there, still
reading  the  Eurochart.   We have now
become  so  small a scene, that I know
most  of  you  in  some  way or other,
which  makes  writing this feel like I
am  writing  a  personal letter to you
all.

CL0:This   editorial  might  be  the  most
important  one I have ever written for
a  diskmag  because it heralds change,
and a pretty big change too.  You will
be  able to read all about this in the
Eurochart, but here I will nonetheless
introduce you to these changes.

CL1:Our  beloved  scene  is  dying; we all
know  this, although at some times, at
some  successful  parties, we are able
to  ignore this fact.  Now however, it
is  becoming  much  too clear where we
are  headed,  and  I  think this makes
many   of   you   despair  and  become
inactive,  as  in your heart, you have
given up hope.  I can feel this change
in  the  scene,  we have laid down and
are  ready  to  die  now, and I do not
think  it  will be all too long before
we   pass  the  point  of  no  return.
However,  refusing  to  accept this, I
have  tried  to think of alternatives,
and there is only one, like it or not.

CL0:As  we  did when we upgraded from A500
to  A1200,  we  must  now go PPC; more
specifically,  we  must  buy either an
AmigaOne  or  a  Pegasos,  and start a
scene  there.   We  can  keep  our 68k
scene  too, but if we want to survive,
we  must also make the jump to the new
'Amigas',  if  we  do not do this, the
few  productive nostalgics who are yet
left  to sustain the scene we have now
will  not  be  enough  to  hold it all
together.  It is already coming apart,
so  NOW  is  the  time to do something
about it.

CL1:Recognizing  that  the Eurochart has a
very  special position in all of this,
it  has been decided that we must lead
by  example  in  this.   This  means a
reorganizing  of  our  charts,  a  new
magengine running on PPC, and sadly, a
delay  for  issue  48  until  there is
something  to vote for, until there is
a new PPC scene.

CL0:I   have   never   been  particularely
interested  in  the PPC, I do not have
one  myself,  I have focused on what I
liked, the 68k scene, and I would like
to  continue solely with that, were it
possible.   Sadly,  it is not possible
to have an active and living 68k scene
anymore.   We  can  have our nostalgic
trips  down  memory  lane  any time we
want,  but  if  we want a living Amiga
scene,  the time has come to focus our
attention on the PPC and especially on
the  Amiga  successors,  Amiga One and
Pegasos.   No,  I  do  not  like this,
being  who  I am, but I still think we
have  the chance and ressources needed
to  create a new scene, attracting new
sceners,   making   new  art,  sharing
spirit  with  the  old, nourishing the
old,  so  that  our 68k scene need not
fade  out  completely and only live on
in memory.  I would not say this, if I
thought there was any alternative, but
the only alternative would be memories
of the past.

CL0:We  desperately need feedback, we need
more  sceners,  we need motivation, we
need  competition,  in  short  we need
life.   These  things  will never come
again unless we create a new scene for
ourselves  now.   It  is quite simple,
and  I  not  only  hope you will agree
with  me,  I  hope you will join us in
advancing  the  scene,  join us on the
new computers, producing for it.

CL1:Neither IRIS nor the EC are abandoning
you;  we want to save the Amiga scene.
However,  this  will  be an effort all
have to share in.  Soon, when we begin
to  see  whether  AOS4 arrives and the
Pegasos2  has  established itself, you
will  need to make a choice.  Will you
support the effort, will you buy a new
computer  and  work  to  create  a new
scene for both computers, while at the
same  time  keeping  in  mind  the 68k
computer  you  left?   Do  you  feel a
spark  of  interest  and  fire kindled
within your breast, thinking about the
new  frontier,  the new possibilities?
If  not,  I  think  you have chosen to
abandon  the  scene, or rather; to let
its  downward  slide continue, because
as  stated;  there  is  no alternative
anymore,  someone  will have to act to
save  the  whole.   We can't let a few
people continue working on PPC, liking
their  productions  but  doing nothing
more about it.  We will all have to go
PPC now, with the new computers.

CL0:Where  is the Amiga in all of this you
might  ask?   Well,  the Amiga died in
1994, and neither the AmigaOne nor the
Pegasus  are  Amigas, though they have
the  name  and  possibly  some  of the
design-spirit  behind  them.   No, the
Amiga   will   always  stay  68k,  but
nonetheless,   the   Amiga  scene  can
encompass both the 68k and PPC scenes,
if  we want it to.  You might cling to
the past, to the Amiga being 68k only,
as  do  I,  but still you will have to
admit  that  if  you  want  an  active
scene,  you  must accept the fact that
we  need  to  buy the new 'Amigas' and
produce  for  them in order to have an
active  scene,  that  might  hopefully
also encompass the old 68k scene.  So,
this  is a group effort from the whole
scene.  Take it or watch the 68k scene
die.

CL1:However, this is 'only' the editorial,
I  have written a great many different
(and  not  so  different;  sometimes a
message   needs   to  be  repeated  in
various  ways  in order to get across)
articles  about all of this, including
information  about  the  changes  this
implies for the Eurochart.  As always,
you  are  naturally welcome to send in
feedback,   which  will  be  reflected
upon.

CL0:Moving  away  from that, the maintopic
of  this  EC,  we  hope  that you will
notice  that this is a somewhat 'phat'
issue.   The  only  real disappointing
thing about this issue is probably the
number  of  voters  (79), otherwise we
think  it is looking very good indeed,
with a respectable amount of articles,
considering  the  lack  of  support so
common  these  days.  We hope you will
enjoy this issue as it is, and reflect
more  over  the  messages contained in
the  mag  than  you  might usually do,
since  we  have  come  to a crossroads
now.

CL1:In   other  developments,  Adonis  has
stepped  down  as a co-editor, wanting
to  concentrate  on his upcoming pack,
and  instead  Zerox has really stepped
in  and  done  a  lot of work for this
issue,  as  should be apparent for all
when    you   browse   the   articles.
Meanwhile,  Dr.  Doom has been doing a
fine  job  of putting it all together,
but will also step down as a co-editor
from now on, due to his hate of boring
work, which the making of a diskmag is
so  full  of.  Thus we are somewhat in
need  of fresh and willing sceners for
the  next  issue,  and  we welcome any
application  for the job as co-editors
of  the Eurochart with joy.  Zerox and
myself  certainly  won't  survive  for
long  doing  all  the  work, so please
think  about it.  With all the changes
coming  up, you will likely have quite
some   time   in   which  to  do  your
thinking,  before a new issue will get
relevant.

CL0:This  is  almost it for now.  As I sit
here, thinking about the scene and all
my friends, I get a bit sad, as I know
this  is  not  what  many of you would
want  for the future.  Believe me when
I  say  that  I would not have decided
upon  this course for the EC, unless I
thought  it  absolutely  essential for
our survival.  Now is the time to act,
and  so  I  did.   I hope you will all
come  to  the  same conclusion, but if
not,  it is also quite understandable.
In  any  case,  I  look forward to the
discussion,  and  I  look  forward  to
seeing  what will happen.  If you want
to  attend a good party before summer,
the  Breakpoint  2004  party  held  in
Germany during the easter will without
doubt  be  your best choice.  I invite
all  of  the Amiga scene to come there
and   release  their  art.   Both  the
Eurochart staff aswell as IRIS will be
there,  and  naturally there is a good
chance that you will see some stunning
68k  presentation  from us.  Let's all
meet  there  and  have  a  good  time,
celebrating our unique scene!

CL4:              Darkhawk
