http://web.archive.org/web/20010524041112/http://www.mclink.it/com/agonistika/pbm/inglese/palm_ing.htm
NOTE: The Agonistika Association was established in 1991, with a mandate to promote simulations, role-playing and family games in Italy.
[The Nicky Palmer Interview] Aonistika Review
For those that don't know, Nicky was a member of the English Parliament from 1993 to 2010. He still seems to be active in Diplomacy circles.
He's active on BoardGameGeek, too.
When he ran for office, he dropped the "y", becoming just "Nick". I suppose, if he decides to pursue a third career in porn, he could drop the "k" as well, becoming "Nic Palmer", which sounds more than a bit lascivious.
-- Bo, formerly Bob, McLain
When I received a e-mail response from Mr. Palmer to an e-mail that I had sent to him earlier that same day, back on June 16th of this year, here is how he signed his e-mail:
Nick(y) [gamers still usually add the y!]
Yes, he's trick(y) that way.
That's funny, Bob.
Just read through this short interview (linked in the OP), and found this quote, relevant today: "In 1983 I decided to create "Flagship", which remains the leading in- ternational magazine on this hobby. The release of "Flagship" had an immediate and unexpected effect: it lead to a marked increase in the number of players. The number of GM's rose drastically to 250, and the players to 10,000-20,000."
Maybe S&D will ultimately increase the number of games and players out there.
I remember when Flagship first came out. I still have the first dozen issues or so. Nicky Palmer was a teammate on my first full game of Empyrean Challenge. He was quite the leader back then, launching a team newsletter at the same time I tried launching mine. He was (and presumably still is) charming, witty, and very much infected with the thrill of PBM possibilities.