diff --git a/Scripts/Commands/Decorate.cs b/Scripts/Commands/Decorate.cs
index 0407f1884..fe2daf250 100644
--- a/Scripts/Commands/Decorate.cs
+++ b/Scripts/Commands/Decorate.cs
@@ -1055,7 +1055,7 @@ namespace Server.Commands
 					break;
 			}
 
-			if ( line == null || line.Length == 0 )
+			if ( string.IsNullOrEmpty( line ) )
 				return null;
 
 			DecorationList list = new DecorationList();
diff --git a/Scripts/Gumps/Guilds/New Guild System/GuildInfoGump.cs b/Scripts/Gumps/Guilds/New Guild System/GuildInfoGump.cs
index 7925b3d7b..c439fa568 100644
--- a/Scripts/Gumps/Guilds/New Guild System/GuildInfoGump.cs	
+++ b/Scripts/Gumps/Guilds/New Guild System/GuildInfoGump.cs	
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ namespace Server.Guilds
 				AddButton( 40, 251, 0x4B9, 0x4BA, 4, GumpButtonType.Reply, 0 );	//Charter Edit button
 
 			s = guild.Website;
-			if( s == null || s == "" )
+			if( string.IsNullOrEmpty( s ) )
 				s = "Guild website not yet set.";
 			AddHtml( 65, 306, 480, 30, s, true, false );
 			if( isLeader )
diff --git a/Server/Mobile.cs b/Server/Mobile.cs
index 904f20417..5af4d89ac 100644
--- a/Server/Mobile.cs
+++ b/Server/Mobile.cs
@@ -4666,7 +4666,7 @@ namespace Server
 
 			text = regArgs.Speech;
 
-			if( text == null || text.Length == 0 )
+			if( string.IsNullOrEmpty( text ) )
 				return;
 
 			if( m_Hears == null )
diff --git a/Server/Network/PacketWriter.cs b/Server/Network/PacketWriter.cs
index 00e9a36a7..b90353c0d 100644
--- a/Server/Network/PacketWriter.cs
+++ b/Server/Network/PacketWriter.cs
@@ -207,7 +207,19 @@ namespace Server.Network
 				value = String.Empty;
 			}
 
-			byte[] buffer = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes( value );
+			int length = value.Length;
+
+			m_Stream.SetLength( m_Stream.Length + size );
+
+			if ( length >= size )
+				m_Stream.Position += Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes( value, 0, size, m_Stream.GetBuffer(), (int)m_Stream.Position );
+			else
+			{
+				Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes( value, 0, length, m_Stream.GetBuffer(), (int)m_Stream.Position );
+				m_Stream.Position += size;
+			}
+
+			/*byte[] buffer = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes( value );
 
 			if ( buffer.Length >= size )
 			{
@@ -217,7 +229,7 @@ namespace Server.Network
 			{
 				m_Stream.Write( buffer, 0, buffer.Length );
 				Fill( size - buffer.Length );
-			}
+			}*/
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -231,10 +243,17 @@ namespace Server.Network
 				value = String.Empty;
 			}
 
-			byte[] buffer = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes( value );
+			int length = value.Length;
+
+			m_Stream.SetLength( m_Stream.Length + length + 1 );
+
+			Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes( value, 0, length, m_Stream.GetBuffer(), (int)m_Stream.Position );
+			m_Stream.Position += length + 1;
+
+			/*byte[] buffer = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes( value );
 
 			m_Stream.Write( buffer, 0, buffer.Length );
-			m_Stream.WriteByte( 0 );
+			m_Stream.WriteByte( 0 );*/
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -248,13 +267,20 @@ namespace Server.Network
 				value = String.Empty;
 			}
 
-			byte[] buffer = Encoding.Unicode.GetBytes( value );
+			int length = value.Length;
+
+			m_Stream.SetLength( m_Stream.Length + ( ( length + 1 ) * 2 ) );
+
+			m_Stream.Position += Encoding.Unicode.GetBytes( value, 0, length, m_Stream.GetBuffer(), (int)m_Stream.Position );
+			m_Stream.Position += 2;
+
+			/*byte[] buffer = Encoding.Unicode.GetBytes( value );
 
 			m_Stream.Write( buffer, 0, buffer.Length );
 
 			m_Buffer[0] = 0;
 			m_Buffer[1] = 0;
-			m_Stream.Write( m_Buffer, 0, 2 );
+			m_Stream.Write( m_Buffer, 0, 2 );*/
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -270,6 +296,20 @@ namespace Server.Network
 
 			size *= 2;
 
+			int length = value.Length;
+
+			m_Stream.SetLength( m_Stream.Length + size );
+
+			if ( ( length * 2 ) >= size )
+				m_Stream.Position += Encoding.Unicode.GetBytes( value, 0, length, m_Stream.GetBuffer(), (int)m_Stream.Position );
+			else
+			{
+				Encoding.Unicode.GetBytes( value, 0, length, m_Stream.GetBuffer(), (int)m_Stream.Position );
+				m_Stream.Position += size;
+			}
+
+			/*size *= 2;
+
 			byte[] buffer = Encoding.Unicode.GetBytes( value );
 
 			if ( buffer.Length >= size )
@@ -280,7 +320,7 @@ namespace Server.Network
 			{
 				m_Stream.Write( buffer, 0, buffer.Length );
 				Fill( size - buffer.Length );
-			}
+			}*/
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -294,13 +334,20 @@ namespace Server.Network
 				value = String.Empty;
 			}
 
-			byte[] buffer = Encoding.BigEndianUnicode.GetBytes( value );
+			int length = value.Length;
+
+			m_Stream.SetLength( m_Stream.Length + ( ( length + 1 ) * 2 ) );
+
+			m_Stream.Position += Encoding.BigEndianUnicode.GetBytes( value, 0, length, m_Stream.GetBuffer(), (int)m_Stream.Position );
+			m_Stream.Position += 2;
+
+			/*byte[] buffer = Encoding.BigEndianUnicode.GetBytes( value );
 
 			m_Stream.Write( buffer, 0, buffer.Length );
 
 			m_Buffer[0] = 0;
 			m_Buffer[1] = 0;
-			m_Stream.Write( m_Buffer, 0, 2 );
+			m_Stream.Write( m_Buffer, 0, 2 );*/
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -316,6 +363,20 @@ namespace Server.Network
 
 			size *= 2;
 
+			int length = value.Length;
+
+			m_Stream.SetLength( m_Stream.Length + size );
+
+			if ( ( length * 2 ) >= size )
+				m_Stream.Position += Encoding.BigEndianUnicode.GetBytes( value, 0, length, m_Stream.GetBuffer(), (int)m_Stream.Position );
+			else
+			{
+				Encoding.BigEndianUnicode.GetBytes( value, 0, length, m_Stream.GetBuffer(), (int)m_Stream.Position );
+				m_Stream.Position += size;
+			}
+
+			/*size *= 2;
+
 			byte[] buffer = Encoding.BigEndianUnicode.GetBytes( value );
 
 			if ( buffer.Length >= size )
@@ -326,7 +387,7 @@ namespace Server.Network
 			{
 				m_Stream.Write( buffer, 0, buffer.Length );
 				Fill( size - buffer.Length );
-			}
+			}*/
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
diff --git a/Server/Network/Packets.cs b/Server/Network/Packets.cs
index a2f676a99..198124228 100644
--- a/Server/Network/Packets.cs
+++ b/Server/Network/Packets.cs
@@ -477,13 +477,16 @@ namespace Server.Network
 			{
 				string name = info.Crafter.Name;
 
-				if ( name == null ) name = "";
-
-				int length = (ushort)name.Length;
-
 				m_Stream.Write( (int) -3 );
-				m_Stream.Write( (ushort) length );
-				m_Stream.WriteAsciiFixed( name, length );
+
+				if ( name == null ) 
+					m_Stream.Write( (ushort) 0 );
+				else
+				{
+					int length = name.Length;
+					m_Stream.Write( (ushort) length );
+					m_Stream.WriteAsciiFixed( name, length );
+				}
 			}
 
 			if ( info.Unidentified )
@@ -695,12 +698,14 @@ namespace Server.Network
 
 			string question = menu.Question;
 
-			if ( question == null ) question = "";
-
-			int questionLength = (byte)question.Length;
-
-			m_Stream.Write( (byte) questionLength );
-			m_Stream.WriteAsciiFixed( question, questionLength );
+			if ( question == null )
+				m_Stream.Write( (byte) 0 );
+			else
+			{
+				int questionLength = question.Length;
+				m_Stream.Write( (byte) questionLength );
+				m_Stream.WriteAsciiFixed( question, questionLength );
+			}
 
 			ItemListEntry[] entries = menu.Entries;
 
@@ -717,12 +722,14 @@ namespace Server.Network
 
 				string name = e.Name;
 
-				if ( name == null ) name = "";
-
-				int nameLength = (byte)name.Length;
-
-				m_Stream.Write( (byte) nameLength );
-				m_Stream.WriteAsciiFixed( name, nameLength );
+				if ( name == null )
+					m_Stream.Write( (byte) 0 );
+				else
+				{
+					int nameLength = name.Length;
+					m_Stream.Write( (byte) nameLength );
+					m_Stream.WriteAsciiFixed( name, nameLength );
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -738,12 +745,14 @@ namespace Server.Network
 
 			string question = menu.Question;
 
-			if ( question == null ) question = "";
-
-			int questionLength = (byte)question.Length;
-
-			m_Stream.Write( (byte) questionLength );
-			m_Stream.WriteAsciiFixed( question, questionLength );
+			if ( question == null ) 
+				m_Stream.Write( (byte) 0 );
+			else
+			{
+				int questionLength = question.Length;
+				m_Stream.Write( (byte) questionLength );
+				m_Stream.WriteAsciiFixed( question, questionLength );
+			}
 
 			string[] answers = menu.Answers;
 
@@ -757,12 +766,14 @@ namespace Server.Network
 
 				string answer = answers[i];
 
-				if ( answer == null ) answer = "";
-
-				int answerLength = (byte)answer.Length;
-
-				m_Stream.Write( (byte) answerLength );
-				m_Stream.WriteAsciiFixed( answer, answerLength );
+				if ( answer == null ) 
+					m_Stream.Write( (byte) 0 );
+				else
+				{
+					int answerLength = answer.Length;
+					m_Stream.Write( (byte) answerLength );
+					m_Stream.WriteAsciiFixed( answer, answerLength );
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -2889,7 +2900,7 @@ namespace Server.Network
 	{
 		public UnicodeMessage( Serial serial, int graphic, MessageType type, int hue, int font, string lang, string name, string text ) : base( 0xAE )
 		{
-			if ( lang == null || lang == "" ) lang = "ENU";
+			if ( string.IsNullOrEmpty( lang ) ) lang = "ENU";
 			if ( name == null ) name = "";
 			if ( text == null ) text = "";