That's because the Spellcasting Foci have their own little subsection, which you are conveniently running together with the main section. Taken by itself though, that subsection was not as specific as some people seemed to require, and changes were made to reflect the category limitation. Unfortunately in doing so, the wording of the Errata has inadvertently altered one of the Focus' prime functions.

All of this, as I have said numerous times previously, is just my own opinion on the matter. It is also how I will continue to run things in my games, and how things have been run in every single SR4 game in which I have ever played.

I wouldn't mind someone like Synner dropping in here to give us his opinion. In the meantime, I have sent an email to the powers-that-be inquiring about an official ruling on the matter.

Be assured that I will post any such reply (in full, unedited, and with my original question, as has always been my habit), when and if it arrives, no matter what the contents.

I do resent the implication that I am in some way 'more biased than the norm', or the like. I feel it is quite uncalled for. Everyone has house rules, and yes, that will definitely be one of mine if word does come back that your interpretation is correct. But the fact is that I honestly believe that the wording of the errata is an oversight, and that it was not the intent to remove the Drain application of Spellcasting Foci.

Not so much more than others that have expressed the same opinion that I needed to be singled out and named twice in your post when that post was specifically not addressed to me.

Ok, consider it to apply to anyone that is going out of their way to put back a rule that the erratta was taken out. I mentioned you because you were the one arguing over and over about it without actually supplying any evidence beyond "I think they screwed up."