Well, it's not Tech sports news, but it's big news to me - HokieCentral now takes credit cards!  It took me months, and many dollars, and unfortunately a little heartache, too, but I now have the capability to charge credit cards for HokieCentral memberships and merchandise orders.  This greatly simplifies and eases the process of becoming a HokieCentral member, because you can now do everything on line, without having to fill out the form, print it, write a check, put it in an envelope, etc., etc., .... (snore).

Now that I'm a "credit card merchant," as they say in the business, here's what I've done so far, and what I plan on doing in the future:

• All of the membership forms that are accessible from the HokieCentral Membership Page are now set up so you can enter your credit card information and submit it on-line.  I'm sure many of you will have questions about the process, particularly about security, so feel free to drop me an email with any queries that you have.  I will write up a form letter of "Frequently Asked Questions" that should answer any questions that you may have.  Those of you who don't have any questions ... knock yourselves out.  The forms are easy to use.

• HokieCentral members:  I'll be converting the Members-Only Storefront over to a credit card system, as well.  It won't be as sophisticated as some of the "shopping cart" systems you've seen on the web, but it will enable you to use your credit card to order HC merchandise.

• Upcoming specials:  over in the Members-Only Storefront, in the coming weeks, I'll be having a fire sale on some HokieCentral merchandise.  First, I'll have to set up the forms to do it, but then you'll be able to order some neat stuff, cheap.  Also, a little further down the road, I'll have some unique, never-before seen merchandise that will be available to members through The Storefront.

Being able to take credit cards is a big deal to me, and it will help you out, too, because it will speed the processing and payment of orders.  As the membership list grows and grows, it's always a challenge to stay on top of the mountain of work that it generates, and my new status as a credit card merchant will help.

Having said all that, let me take a moment to encourage you to sign up for membership, if you're considering it but have been putting it off.  The merchandise is nice, high-quality stuff, and HokieCentral members will tell you that access to the Members Only area is worth the money.  Last week's "Favorite Hokie Athlete of All Time" article in the Members Only area was very well received, and in the future, after I transition the Special Features section over to the Members Only area, the Members Only access will become even more worthwhile.

So if you're thinking about becoming a HokieCentral member, go for it, because if you like the site, it's definitely worth it ... and now it's easier than ever to sign up.

Well, no, not at this time of the year, as you well know, but I won't let that stop me.   Now that I'm done with the credit card stuff, I'm about to start work on a new Special Feature that I plan on having finished by Monday.  It's going to be an interesting and informative article, and I won't give away the topic, but I will say that it's an emotional one for Hokie fans that always sparks debate and lively discussion when it surfaces on the message board.

For the Members, I also plan on having a new HokieCentral Update soon.  There have been some interesting goings-on here behind the scenes at HokieCentral, and my new status as a credit card merchant is only part of it.  So look for a new HC Update, an updated Membership List, and updated Hit Statistics soon.

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