Recently, several of you have inquired about the use of automated programs or other means to play Gamesville games--essentially the question is, does Gamesville support or allow "cheat" programs?

In a word, no. Gamesville and its parent company Lycos do not approve, allow, or condone any kind of cheat program.

In fact, the use a cheat program violates the terms of service for Lycos, violates Gamesville's official rules, and puts your use of Lycos and Gamesville at risk--not to mention that downloading cheat programs from third parties may put your own personal information at risk.

First, the Lycos terms of service makes it very clear that using automated means to enhance play in our games is prohibited. See the "Member Use and Conduct" section at http://info.lycos.com/legal/legal.asp#Member.

Second, the rules for Gamesville and any jackpot game (such as Magic 21) or sweepstakes game (such as the GV Rewards sweepstakes) we operate prohibit players from acting in an unsportsmanlike or a disruptive manner. Cheating, by its very definition, is unsportsmanlike because it violates all aspects of fair play, and it's disruptive because it negatively impacts the legitimate players who are adhering to the rules.

Finally, the use of computer programs, scripts or any other devices to automate any aspect of play in any Gamesville game can put your own privacy and your own computer at risk.

Think of it this way: If an individual or a company is willing to provide you with a program that will help you cheat us, what makes you think those same people are not willing and able to cheat you as well, by either misuing your personal information and/or loading spyware onto your computer?

Gamesville is working hard to prevent the use of cheat programs. Right now, we're focused on two main goals:

• The first goal is to educate players about the potential consequences of using these programs--at a minimum, the use of these cheat programs puts your eligibility for winning prizes, or even playing at Gamesville, at risk; at their worst, cheat programs may put your own personal information and your own computer at risk.
• The second goal, which is ongoing, is creating ways to unravel the efficacy of these cheat programs and also catching and stopping users from using cheat programs on Gamesville.

Several concerned folks have written in and posted to the blog, accusing different users of cheating. The very idea of "cheating" deeply bothers and offends us, so we can understand the frustration you might feel if you see someone you think might be cheating. However, accusations back and forth in a public forum are not productive in the short run and are not healthy for anyone in the long run.

If you suspect someone of cheating, there are two basic options. The first option is to ignore the suspected cheater and simply focus on your own game and your own enjoyment of that game. The second option is to report the suspected cheater to customer service for investigation. Please be sure to include the suspected cheater's full username, the specific reasons why you suspect this player of cheating, and any details or screenshots you feel will help prove that this player is cheating.

If you suspect someone of cheating, whichever option you choose, please do not argue with or antagonize the suspected cheater in chat or elsewhere; this serves no tangible purpose other than to breed ill will among the community.

Note: We will never discuss ongoing or completed investigations into specific users who have been accused of cheating.

Once you've reported a suspected cheater to customer service, your job is done; please leave it up to our customer service representatives to  conduct their investigation and render their decision.

Either way, we're thankful that so many of you enjoy Gamesville and want it to be the best it can be. And never forget: Gamesville takes fair play seriously, and has measures in place to make sure cheaters never prosper for long.

Sincerely,
Chris Cummings
Manager, www.gamesville.com

Gamesviller "sugarbritches37" of Emporia, VA, won $4,999 playing Three-Eyed Bingo on May 18. How will she spend her winnings? And what does her member name mean, exactly? Read on...

GV: Congratulations on your win! How does it feel?
ML: It's amazing. I can't believe it finally happened, and that it happened to me!

Set the scene for us: What was it like when you realized you had bingo?
I was playing, and it was getting close. I had one number left to check off; there was one number left to call. When that last number came up and it was my number, I was speechless. I clicked the number, clicked bingo, and that was it. I just started screaming. I even took a picture of the screen with my cell phone's camera, so I could send it to my daughter who was off at college.

Any plans for your winnings?
I'm going to take my daughter to Orlando, because she just loves Disney. I'm going to have fun and also pay some bills.

You have an interesting member name, "sugarbritches37". Care to explain?
I used to be a truck driver. I lost so much weight trucking that my pants started falling down. One of my friends nicknamed me "sugar britches" because of it, and it stuck with me ever since.

Are you still trucking?
Not any more. I was a teacher for two and a half years prior to being a trucker, and I took up trucking for a change of pace and to prove to myself that I could do it. Now I'm working for a non-profit, mentoring youth.

Tell us about it.
It's called "New Destiny", and it's designed to help kids who are at risk get back on track. I'm helping to build it from the ground up, and we have a number of different organizations in the city helping out.

That sounds very rewarding.
It is. When the kids go back to school in the fall, we're going to have a great after school program for them. I think it will really help them and the community.

When you take time for yourself, what do you like to do (besides playing at Gamesville, of course)?
I love puzzles; the harder, the better.

Any favorites?
The double-sided, 1,000-piece puzzles are my favorites. If I'm on a roll, I can finish one of those in about 48 hours.

What do you do with the puzzles when you're finished?
Some of them are really like works of art, so I end up framing them and hanging them around the house or giving them away.

Thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Enjoy your winnings, and thanks for playing at Gamesville.com!

This recipe for World Class Mashed Potatoes was sent to us by Gamesviller "Tinkerbell8805" from Springfield, MO.

Ingredients:

• 5 slices of bacon (chopped)
• 8 whole mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 10 big Russet Potatoes
• 1 stick of butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 3 tbs veg. oil
• 1/2 tsp salt and pepper (add for taste)

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Peel you potatoes and cut them into quarters. Put them in a pan. Add water. Boil until tender.
3. In your skillet, add oil, bacon, mushrooms, and onions. Fry all that together until the bacon and onions are done. Set aside.
4. Mash the potatoes. Add butter and milk. Add the bacon, mushrooms, and onions. Mix all that together. Add cheese on top.
5. Put in oven for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Then serve. Enjoy!!!

Do you have a favorite recipe to share with the Gamesville community?

Send it to: members@gamesville.com

Please include:

•    your Gamesville member name
•    the complete recipe with ingredients and directions

If we use your recipe as a feature article, you'll receive 200 GV Rewards!

Today's best pet comes from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada...

Pet Owner:
Gamesviller "peggyt10"

Distinguishing Personality Traits:
Peggyt10 says: "Squirt was the runt of the litter, and eventually we discovered he only had one eye. But that hasn't stopped him from doing anything at all. Squirt is very affectionate and likes to be scratched. As you can see from the picture, Squirt isn't a squirt anymore, weighing in at 11 pounds as of his last vet visit. For some reason, Squirt doesn't like to catch birds or other creatures; instead, he likes to make friends with them. I've even seen him grooming a squirrel!"

Want to share photos of your own favorite pet with the Gamesville community?

Send photos to: members@gamesville.com

In addition to your pet's picture, please include:

• your member name
• your pet's most distinguishing personality trait

Please note: All submissions become the sole property of Gamesville, which reserves the right to hold, reject and/or edit submissions without notice and without limitation in perpetuity.

At Gamesville, we love hearing from previous winners, and it's especially great to hear when someone's winnings let them do something fun, different, or even life changing.

Debra Furman (a.k.a., Gamesviller "nursedeb50" of Ladson, SC) won Three-Eyed Bingo back in 2004, and she recently sent us this follow up...

"Just wanted to drop ya'll a line--give you an update--I won on Three-Eyed Bingo a couple of years ago. I used part of the money to buy a peanut wagon so I could have a different profession. The wagon that I bought was 4'x5' with one pot on it, and I made a good profit off it.

"Recently, my 72 year old father made me a new peanut wagon with 6 pots (a burner under each one), a 30 gallon water tank, lighting, and an air conditioner. I now sell three times what I was doing just a few short years ago.

"I have tried really hard to take every penny I can and reinvest it to the peanut business. I just want to say thank you for providing Three-Eyed Bingo; I would have not had the money to start my peanut business if it wasn't for you folks. You made a big difference in my life. THANKS."

We were doing some spring cleaning around the Gamesville offices this weekend and discovered this ad that appeared in a number of magazines back in 2000/2001. It's kind of cheeky, so we thought we'd share it with you. Click the smaller image for a larger version of the ad.

Back in 2001, Gamesville had a commercial that appeared on television sets across the United States. Check it out below by pressing the "play" button; I also included a couple old Lycos commercials from that same era that I really liked.

And if you haven't tried it yet, check out Lycos MIX for all your video sharing needs.

Everyone, please put your hands together for Gamesviller "sugarbritches37" of Emporia, VA, who just took home $4,999 playing Three-Eyed Bingo. Congratulations!

Puffer Popper makes its debut on Gamesville, with chat and more. Please let us know what you think of it.

We also have a bunch of new download games including Slingo Quest, Magic Match: Genies Journey, and Belle's Beauty Boutique. Check it out!

Gamesviller "ascendedspirit" from Nova Scotia sends us this joke:

A sales rep, an administration clerk, and their manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. The three of them rub the lamp and a Genie comes out.

The Genie says, "For freeing me, I'll give each of you one wish."

"Me first! Me first!" says the admin clerk. "I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world."

Puff! She's gone.

"Me next! Me next!" says the sales rep. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life."

Puff! He's gone.

"OK," the Genie says to the manager. "What is your wish?"

The manager says, "I want those two back in the office after lunch."

The moral of this story: Always let your boss have the first say!

Do you have a joke to share with the Gamesville community? Do you want to score 100 bonus GV Rewards?

Post your joke here--and please remember to include your Gamesville member name so we can credit the joke to you.

If we use your joke as a featured post, you'll receive 100 GV Rewards.

Please note: All submissions become the sole property of Gamesville, which reserves the right to hold, reject and/or edit submissions without notice and without limitation in perpetuity.