[F] afp 10th birthday - Why Fandom is a Good Thing...
Karen
Subject: [F] afp 10th birthday - Why Fandom is a Good Thing...
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett, alt.books.pratchett, rec.arts.sf.fandom,
rec.arts.sf.written
From: Karen <ka...@lspace.org>
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 19:44:23 +0000
Message-ID: <AEg7gLLX...@goodgulf.demon.co.uk>
...partly because people like me send you party invitations like this :}
There are several cross posts to groups which I know from past
experience have an interest in the subject. Trim list as appropriate.
BTW for non Pratchett group readers the [F] in the subject line is a tag
used to denote Fandom issues and activities afp. There are a good few
Discworld Con attenders and readers amongst the cross-posted groups as
well as a goodly number of old lags^W afpers, and this is an
invitation/suggestion to old, current *and* new. There are still names
here on each of the rec.arts groups which are familiar to me from the
time afp was incepted I think.
The cross interest also stems from the recent discussions on rasfw about
attending Conventions as a newbie or otherwise, and the general
discussions on the trends in fandom activities on the newsgroups, and
also the apparent cliquiness that some perceive. Its a recurring theme -
I've written a lot over the years on all these anyway so I'll get on
with it :}
If you are one of those people who are familiar with the story and the
length of some of my posts <g> feel entirely free to skip straight down
to the bottom where it says 'So Whats on Offer'. *That's* the important
bit - where you pick up your personal invite.
Let me digress, I like digressing.
This is a sleep deprived memory speaking but currently I think there are
four main newsgroups, a couple of IRC servers, mail lists of Pratchett
related games, fan fiction etc, the L-Space Web resource
<http://www.lspace.org> for all things Pratchett related, innumerable
other linked sites, and many Fan activities including the two previous
Discworld Conventions in 1996, 1998, several Clarecraft Discworld events
(kind of camping conventions:) on the 'in between' years and now a third
Discworld Convention planned for 2002 - A Discworld Oddessy
<http://www.dwcon.org> for which there is a blatant plug discretely
tucked away in the .sig...
Not to mention the many, many real friendships, acquaintances, marriages
and even babies... amongst all four of the cross posted groups. And of
course our own L-space goddess, Colette Reap, known to many of you on
all four groups. Ahem.
These have been spawned from alt.fan.pratchet which in turn, if the grey
cells function correctly, came from the rec.arts sf groups with a bit of
input from those monastery types...
*I* happen to think all this fannish activity is a Good Thing and
something worth celebrating, especially at a time when fandom in general
is often considered to be in decline.
Now I could quote you, dear readers, section 8 (subsection something or
other, has to be a subsection) of the AFP FAQ (well in fact there are a
number of them...) where much of this is explained very clearly in best
Sir Humphrey speak.
But why make life easy for you? There is a time line to go look at:
http://www.lspace.org/fandom/afp/timelines/afp-timeline.html with some
early details.
But I like my version :]
Lo! and In The Beginning there were Pratchett fans wibbling around
assorted Listserv and Usenet type places.
A voice called from the wilderness that was rasfw (or asr or wherever, I
forget now) 'Let us come together and fight ye battle of independence in
that place known as alt.config [tremble ye at this point], we will
proclaim the independent homeland of alt.fan.pratchett'
So they did that.
Then after a while of wittering and chewing the sacred juniper berries
in Pratchett land, and merrily putting bits and pieces onto various web
pages, and writing FAQs and all the other things that people do in the
absence of a RL, some bright spark suggested that it might be pretty
neat to have lspace.org as a domain to keep all this stuff together
under one identifier. Well that was the rationalisation anyway. You
won't catch me calling it a vanity domain...nononono. Not with four guys
carrying leathermen anyway.
So they did that.
Along the way assorted people who did and/or do stuff in the world of
Pratchett fandom picked up lspace.org addresses, because we make a handy
contact point for anyone seeking information on said fandom activities
or Pratchett info in general.
People wrote biography pages, games pages, archives, set up and ran
whole DW Conventions, organised many, many RL get togethers. Some of
those who started on the newsgroups have since moved onwards.
<wonders> is it promotion do you think to give up the AFP FAQ and take
on the Perl FAQ? </>
Well it takes staying power to last on *any* newsgroup for 8 years, but
even that presence does exist and still in a major contributory role in
terms of Pratchett fandom.
So why do people move on and why do people join (aka why am I cross
posting this to catch some of those old and hopefully new members).
Because as with any newsgroups afp-current is a different place to afp-
last year, five years ago and afp-tomorrow. That is why people move on -
sometimes groups evolve away from you and you have seen all the bread
threads, and cascades, and semi-regular subjects and the likes and its
time to find a new watering hole. All that really matters is that the
place is left in tact for others to follow. And sometimes you go back to
them. But hopefully people who had fun at one time on afp will join with
those who are current and those who are future in celebrating what is
quite a significant bit of fandom achievement grown from its original
usenet base.
The L-Space web resource, the Cons and much more have their roots in the
newsgroups and gain many volunteers from that pool of people. Hopefully
it feeds something useful back in to the newsgroups as well as Pratchett
fandom at large, and even fandom at large. (And no, that doesn't go up
to doing homework for those hopefuls mailing such requests to
libr...@lspace.org, or posting them to afp!)
When Craig Harding newgrouped afp in response to Karl Geppert's request
like so:
Newsgroups: alt.config,alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: newgroup alt.fan.pratchett
From: earthbound misfit, I
Date: Thu30 Jan 92 23:50:57
Control: newgroup alt.fan.pratchett
This is a newgroup message for the group "alt.fan.pratchett", designed
as a place to discuss the writing of humourous fantasy author Terry
Pratchett. This was discussed on alt.config where the consensus emerged
that this would be a worthwhile newsgroup and alt.fan would be an
appropriate location in the altnet, following in the footsteps of groups
such as alt.fan.douglas-adams.
I wonder if he thought it would not only last and evolve actively
through a decade of immense change on Usenet and the advent of the web,
but be a source for one of SF fandom's more active corners.
I think its something that fandom in general should celebrate - the
ongoing success in both small and large ways. Spreading the word about
'books we have loved' and stuff. And having a good time along the way :}
So What's on Offer (and why mention it so early?)
================================================
Nothing for people that don't read my every word lovingly :p
The early mention is for planning what will be a whole series of events
culmination in the summer. I'm kind of hoping that this will attract
lots of interest from not just current but old afpers, and new or would
be afpers. That could be a *lot* of people.
To this end the Discworld Oddysey 2002 committee (mostly rooted in
afp...) have offered to act as host for a large celebration/party type
event to take place at the Convention. Obviously this will be for *all*
Con goers because the whole concept was born from afp, and therefore I
reckon they all have something to celebrate in this. And hey its a
party, afp wants its friends there as much as family :}
Any suggestions that Paul Rood (the Chairman) and his committee now run
screaming when I approach them to suggest further 'offers' they may wish
to make me for afp are entirely without foundation... Oh and Paul you
can have your sig back when I have finished it.
I'd really *love* to get as many old and new, UK and international
afpers there to join the current. Hopefully it will be at a time when
people restricted to day passes could also attend.
However that is all in August and although it will be a rattling good
party - it isn't enough.
I'm also proposing a series of the larger meets we have starting in
January/February time with London (I'm doing that one so it'll be
good...have a look at <http://hex.lspace.org/afpmeets/entmeet-1.0/> for
an idea of a smaller version of what I had in mind).
I'm counting on the Benelux crew who are active in RL Pratchett fandom
to produce one of their inimitable Dutch Meets - see <8v08jk$h68$1@falco
n.pds.twi.tudelft.nl> by Leo Breebaart for report on the last one (yes
he did the London report too, he really gets around) and the L-space web
for links to much more of this stuff. In fact they are so organised its
frightening - they even have their own mail list for planning meets
<benelu...@lspace.org>
And how about an Australasian party and a US version? Organisers anyone?
I really hope that the earlier, local and smaller meets will be good
opportunities for new bugs to join us, especially if they are coming to
the Convention. A chance to meet some of the people, be suckered into
volunteering to help at the Con maybe, or simply have a good time. And
for people that cannot come to the Con - I want them to at least get a
decent *share* in the party.
Because when all is said and done - *that* is what fandom is all about.
Sharing what we love, with others, and having a damned good time making
new friends whilst we do it :}
So what do you reckon?
ttfn,
--
Karen/hypatia Ka...@lspace.org
* "2002: A Discworld Odyssey" * The Discworld Convention *
- Hanover International, Hinckley * August 16th-19th, 2002 -
* Web: http://www.dwcon.org/ * Email: in...@dwcon.org *
Colm Buckley
> I'm also proposing a series of the larger meets we have starting in
> January/February time with London (I'm doing that one so it'll be
> good...have a look at <http://hex.lspace.org/afpmeets/entmeet-1.0/> for
> an idea of a smaller version of what I had in mind).
Ooh.
What a wonderful plan. Dublin gets very interesting around the time of
the St Patrick's Day festival (March 17), so I suggest at least one of
the AFP10 (Dublin branch) events take place then. We'll also organise a
'marshalling' party for Irish folks who are going to go to the Convention
in August (and, possibly, all fly out together in true 'Here we go,
here we go' style).
Provisionally, therefore, there'll be a Dublin AFP10 event on Saturday
March 16, 2002... and another on or around August 15th, to get us into
the Con mood...
Did I just volunteer for something? Silly me.
Colm
--
Colm Buckley, NewWorld Commerce, 16 South Cumberland St., Dublin 2, Ireland.
Personal: +353 87 2469146 / co...@tuatha.org / http://www.tuatha.org/~colm/
Business: +353 1 4334334 / co...@nwcgroup.com / http://www.nwcgroup.com/
When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
Karen
>> == Karen <ka...@lspace.org>
>
>> I'm also proposing a series of the larger meets we have starting in
>> January/February time with London (I'm doing that one so it'll be
>> good...have a look at <http://hex.lspace.org/afpmeets/entmeet-1.0/> for
>> an idea of a smaller version of what I had in mind).
>
>Ooh.
>
>What a wonderful plan. Dublin gets very interesting
that an interesting way of putting it...
>around the time of
>the St Patrick's Day festival (March 17), so I suggest at least one of
>the AFP10 (Dublin branch) events take place then. We'll also organise a
>'marshalling' party for Irish folks who are going to go to the Convention
>in August (and, possibly, all fly out together in true 'Here we go,
>here we go' style).
you mispelt "'ere" :]
I have to say that is a sight I would quite like to see...
>
>Provisionally, therefore, there'll be a Dublin AFP10 event on Saturday
>March 16, 2002... and another on or around August 15th, to get us into
>the Con mood...
>
>Did I just volunteer for something?
You very definitely did.
> Silly me.
Never mind, you may rest assured that I will help keep your memory
active :]
I am getting organised slowly with a little help from my friends...
More details imminently, but you are entirely safe from being forgotten,
no worries :]
ttfn,
Karen/hypatia
--
Bjorn Bjornsson
> Colm Buckley <co...@tuatha.org> writes
>>around the time of
>>the St Patrick's Day festival (March 17), so I suggest at least one of
>>the AFP10 (Dublin branch) events take place then. We'll also organise a
>>'marshalling' party for Irish folks who are going to go to the Convention
>>in August (and, possibly, all fly out together in true 'Here we go,
>>here we go' style).
Count me in. I'm starting to get a good idea of how my holidays will be
spent in 2002.
>you mispelt "'ere" :]
'e did.
>I have to say that is a sight I would quite like to see...
>>
>>Provisionally, therefore, there'll be a Dublin AFP10 event on Saturday
>>March 16, 2002... and another on or around August 15th, to get us into
>>the Con mood...
We shall have to ask People That Matter to bring out the DW diaries and
calendars for 2002 *extra* early. This kind of organising globetrotting
will have to be done using [R]elevant materials *grin*
Bjorn
--
Björn Friðgeir Björnsson http://www.undo.com/bjorn
My afp Photo Album is at http://www.undo.com/bjorn/photos/afp/