Network Computingwww.networkcomputing.com

Take our publication: One percent of our 220,000 IT "fanatics" adds up to 2,200 people who should be contacting us on a regular basis -- grilling us on the technology issues we address, the findings we talk about after testing technology solutions, and the expert analysis we share. But instead of having our e-mail boxes jammed with information and comments from you, we mostly receive the standard fare of spam and vendor product pitches.

Sure, we get some comments after each issue, but not 2,200. Where the heck are you?! I wish we did get inundated every time we hit your mailbox, but the reality is that only a select few -- far less than 1 percent -- take the time to write to us with comments or suggestions.

I find this strange. After all, every time I sit down and talk with a reader, he or she has plenty to say about technology and business and how well Network Computing covers them. And our editors -- your peers in IT -- take part in huge e-mail threads internally that deal with everything from emerging technologies to which companies are dropping the ball and trying to sell inferior products to you. So I know you're out there, sitting around just like me, having an opinion but being too lazy or scared to share it.

We want your opinions, no matter how trivial or off-the-wall they may seem. Actually, it's more than just a want: It's a need. We take your comments seriously and consider them when making strategic decisions on what we cover and how we do it. One of the best ways for us to stay relevant and write about the technologies and issues important to you is to hear about them from you.

I enjoy sports-talk radio so much because I get to hear other people's thoughts on the things that interest me. I experience that same enjoyment when I get mail from a reader about a recent piece we've published. Such correspondence gives us the opportunity for a discussion, a chance to share an alternative viewpoint. There's just too much going on out there to do it alone; why not take advantage of us and get our opinions on the topics most important to you. All it takes is an e-mail.

I'll do my part and make that first call to the radio station the next time the know-it-alls there need some straightening out. I'm sure with my rapier wit and irrefutable logic, I'll be able to win any argument they toss at me. Either that, or they'll just hang up on my sorry butt.

One last thing! Be sure to keep your eyes open for our Sept. 30 issue. Some ultrasecret and ultracool things are about to happen within the pages of Network Computing. I think you'll be quite impressed. And if by some strange reason you're not, let us know that, too.