The Lord of the Rings Online Interview

Ten Ton Hammer has posted a short interview with Turbine's Meghan "Patience" Rodberg, in which the community manager addresses a handful of questions about the company's upcoming MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online. Here's a bit to start you off:
Q: Keeping on top of Tolkien lore is one of the challenges Turbine faces, what with licensing issues and a fan base that is extremely knowledgeable. Does this affect you much in your position as community manager? Is it necessary for you to have a good understanding of Tolkien lore?

A: It's funny how much Tolkien lore I've picked up just through osmosis in the last year. It does help me to have a basic working knowledge of the lore; however, I sometimes feel that not being so heavily invested in it (personally) helps me to interpret the community's feedback a little more impartially. I don't have a pre-conceived notion of how things (should) work.

It's interesting how differently people interpret the lore. One has only to visit the LOTRO forums to see how passionate people can get about even small details like the proper color of squirrels in Middle-earth, even though Tolkien may have never really addressed the color at all.