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 The Website at the End of the Universe
by erik lars myers
 To the People of the Regime: Welcome.
Allow me to take you on a tour of the (current) features of your new abode away from abode. Your website. The People's Website.
Your atelier: First, let to explain what an atelier is. Merriam-Webster defines atelier as, "an artist's or designer's studio or workroom," and that is what your atelier can be. If you have something you want to work on for a while and then share with the rest of the Regime, you can work on it here. It will be saved for posterity in our lovely database here, and only posted to the front page when you request it to be. If you see a movie or read a book and want to sit down and rattle off a quick review to the rest of us, sit down and do it. There are no length requirements, there is no grace period. I don't care how you write it or how much you fucking swear (you cock-breather), I want you to be comfortable and to have fun.
Your profile: Share a little about yourself! I tried not to make it too serious. I don't want your social security number, I do want to know what book you might be reading right now, and what's stuck in your CD player -- because it might interest me, too. I might want to know what your Yahoo! Messenger ID is so that I can bug you while I'm at work.
Your picks: As we are all opinionated people, and have our favorites, and as those might change on a semi-regular basis depending on what underwear we collectively put on each morning, I wanted to allow a spot to show it off. In the picks section you can choose a book, a movie, and a work of music, write a short review (if you choose) and it will ultimately link to Amazon so that anybody who's interested can buy it (this also, inadvertently, supports the site -- we'd get a cut -- any proceeds currently go toward server maintenance -- as soon as there are proceeds there's a People's Regime bank account opening.
The boards: You didn't think that there wouldn't be a place to gab, did you? Free form board posting, at your leisure. Only Regimistas and Inner Party members can post on the boards, so regardless of who might be hanging around reading/writing pieces out on the front pages, only a few can come inside and talk on the boards. Like spandex, it's a privilege and not a right.
The levels of membership: There are currently 3 levels of membership on the Regime.
Any new member, when they sign up, is automatically a prole. A prole can read and discuss any of the articles and/or columns out on the front page, and set a profile, but that's it.
If they're around for a while and are generally liked, the general assembly of current regimistas may decide to invite a prole to become a regimista. A regimista can set picks, and view and contribute to discussion on the boards. Everyone who is a member of the Yahoo! Group The_People's_Regime will automatically be raised to the level of regimista when they join (let me know if you want a special title). Or at least when someone in the Inner Party gets around to doing it.
Oh yeah.. the Inner Party. The Inner Party are they who have a little bit of admin control over the site. They are the people who can promote a person to regimista (or demote them back to a prole!), edit columns or articles that may be offensive or error-filled, or (as soon as I get around to programming it) have moderator control over the discussion boards. With such power, you'd imagine that members of the Inner Party are few and far between, and you'd be right.
Finally, what you see before you is a work in progress. Never do I want to sit down, look at the piece that you see in front of you and say, "That's it. I'm finished. No more." So to that end, I'd like to invite you share your ideas and suggestions, but be careful. I cry if you criticize me too much.
But seriously -- in the end? Enjoy it, People. It is yours.
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