FORKNI-L
Digest - 12 Jul 2010 to 16 Jul 2010 (#2010-124)
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010
There are 4 messages totalling 217 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. Once upon a time.... (4)
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Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:41:47 -0400
From: Greer Watson <gwatson2@r.......>
Subject: Once upon a time....
Once upon a time, there was a mailing list. And we looked upon our
handiwork, and it was good.
This has been the *second* long hiatus this summer. (Either that, or I
somehow got delisted. But I suspect not.) Of course, it *is* summer, with
all that entails--there are people off on holiday, and others who are
working extra hard trying to cover for them. And then there are those who
are packing, filling the tank, and stocking up on suntan lotion.
Meanwhile, I've made the odd page on the Forever Knight Wiki. But I've also
done some work on another wiki, Fan Lore
(http://fanlore.org/wiki/Main_Page).
Looking at Fan Lore takes me back--to a time not all *that* long
ago--when Susan Garrett posted here to FORKNI-L asking for help. Back then,
she wanted people to help her on a Forever Knight section she was doing on
Fan History (for it was a few months later that we made the jump to Gaylin's
little FK Wiki, and turned it into the giant project it has become). Fan
Lore has much the same avowed intent, but seems to have a greater sense of
ethical responsibility.
Susan wanted help from list members in order to preserve as much as
possible of our history before it vanishes from memory. That seems to be
the goal of Fan Lore. This means that it's not quite the same as the *our*
Wiki. Obviously, it's broader in scope: their purview is *all* of fandom.
But in some ways it is also narrower: we do pages on everything FK-related:
canon and background material as well as fan stuff.
Nevertheless, there is an overlap. Anything about fan activities is
relevant to Fan Lore. They have pages on conventions, fanzines, fan fiction
and art, and websites. So our factions are certainly relevant, and so are
our Wars.
Therefore, now and then, I've popped over to do a page or two in
their section on Forever Knight. (Not that I've neglected *our* Wiki, I
hasten to add.)
Anyway, the past day or so, I've been browsing through old links pages,
following up dead links to pages that don't exist anymore. Some of them
(not all, alas) were preserved by the Archive Project, which means that
they're still accessible via the Wayback Machine. The copies are often
regrettably imperfect. Graphics missing. Screencaps gone. Maybe even
nothing but the index page. That sort of thing. However, you sometimes hit
a perfect little website where their archiving bots got everything.
For example, following up a comment made by Cousin Mary on her LJ
blog, I discovered The Raven's Cellar
(http://web.archive.org/web/20080504084821/www.lisacaps.com/ravenscellar/).
Now I'd barely heard of them in one of the more extensive faction lists.
Not surprising, since there were only a couple of faction members who were
really active. But apparently they were an offshoot of the Dark Perks, and
posted their stories to the DP list (so the people there read them). Then
the stories were archived on this little website, which also has a lovely
banner and one nice bit of art.
Today, I was browsing again, and came upon Allison Percy's web pages on the
Shrewthering. Which connect to another site where Siona posted pictures she
took there. Of course, I promptly made us a nice Wiki page about it all,
but...it got me thinking.
There *must* be people on the list who remember back then! Since I didn't
join until 2004, this is history to me--fascinating, certainly, but....
Well, let's face it, I'm kind of doing archaeology, here. Although I
certainly remember a time when this list was more active than it is today (a
time when we often had four or five posts a day, and sometimes more), I have
no personal memories of the heyday of the fandom when the list chattered
madly on so that people got digests several times a day.
I can't even browse archived posts from those days, since FORKNI-L
didn't get archived until 2000.
I never took part in a War, though the last of them--War 12--took
place in the fall of 2004, a few months after I joined.
I never went to any of the conventions.
But I bet some of *you* did. I know people sometimes comment on
being, like me, relative newcomers to the fandom; but I'm pretty sure there
are some of Ye Oldtimer Folk still lingering on.
So....
Sure memories are fallible. We don't, most of us, keep detailed diaries
(especially not in those pre-blog days). But *any* memory you recall is
better than no memory at all! How about a reminiscence or two about the
Good Old Days? For the wiki, I guess. (I promise I'll be gentle.) But,
even more, for all the rest of us who've come later.
Greer
gwatson2@r.......
http://www.foreverknight.org/FK4/
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:42:21 +0000
From: nancykam@c.......
Subject: Re: Once upon a time....
----- Original Message -----
From: "Greer Watson" <gwatson2@r.......>
>>>There *must* be people on the list who remember back then!
<raises hand> Yes, I'm here. Joined in 1994.
>>>Although I
certainly remember a time when this list was more active than it is today (a
time when we often had four or five posts a day, and sometimes more), I have
no personal memories of the heyday of the fandom when the list chattered
madly on so that people got digests several times a day.
When I joined, the list volume was about 150 messages a day, and GOOD
messages---lively discussion about interesting topics. Ah, the good old days.
>>>>I can't even browse archived posts from those days, since FORKNI-L
didn't get archived until 2000.
I had heard that some members kept their daily digests during the heyday of the
list, although I don't know if any still exist. They would make fascinating
reading. I've always thought it would be awesom to post digests, one a day, on
the current list so people could see what the FK discussions were really about.
>>>>I never took part in a War, though the last of them--War 12--took
place in the fall of 2004, a few months after I joined.
Good lord, it's been 6 years? I confess that I was the War Maestro for War 12,
and I keep meaning to move the War 12 website from its current location to my
own so that it doesn't suddenly disappear. I should think about that...
It was a quiet little war, only half the size of earlier ones, with only a few
explosions. I'm sorry that it had to be the last one.
>>>>I never went to any of the conventions.
Well, I can't say there were dedicated FK cons, really, although FK used to be
part of bigger ones. I always thought of LCA as the real FK get-together,
especially since so many people from the production were involved in it. Ah,
LCA---that was such an awesome experience, and we had such a good time with
Nigel and Brock, and Nick Gray and Jon Cassar and Kathryn Long and her mom and
brother, and...oh, yeah, those Nikita people. <g>
>>>>Sure memories are fallible. We don't, most of us, keep detailed diaries
(especially not in those pre-blog days). But *any* memory you recall is
better than no memory at all! How about a reminiscence or two about the
Good Old Days? For the wiki, I guess. (I promise I'll be gentle.) But,
even more, for all the rest of us who've come later.
The first think I think of with the fandom was when I wrote my very first
fanfic, "Suburban Life." It was to be a birthday present for Susan Garrett.
Someone had invited people to write little stories for Susan's birthday as a
thank-you for her own lovely fiction (which was the first fanfic I ever read).
That summer of 1996 I happened to be spending two weeks house-sitting for a
woman who kept a horse where I kept mine. She and her husband were going off to
China for a few weeks and didn't want their house and their two dogs unattended.
So I lived in this fabulous house with Elvis (yes, he was just a hound dog) and
Charlie, a big ol' lab. Marilyn said, "Oh, you can use the computer in the
kitchen if you want," and one warm, summer night I was plinking around on it.
And I got the idea, hey, I'll spend some time and try this fanfic thing. And so
for almost the entire two weeks, I wrote, and deleted, and wrote, and deleted,
until I had cobbled together a little story on a 3-inc!
h floppy disk.
When Marilyn and her husband returned and I went back to living in the real
world (that house was amazing!) I very tentatively posted my story on FKFANFIC-L
(messing up a few times, as I remember---getting the format and line width and
number of lines etc. right wasn't that easy if you had no experience!) and to
Susan directly. I was astonished when I actually got email from readers, with
compliments and criticism or just "thanks, cute story!". And Susan very
graciously sent me a nice little note with nice comments. I was floored.
So that encouragement got me to think about writing another story. And then
another, and another...and you know what? I printed out my stories, and I
printed out every single comment I got from anyone regarding my stories, and I
now have a file drawer in my desk at home filled with folders, one for each
story. I confess that about once a year I pick one folder at random and read
those comments again, and get all warm and glowy about how rewarding and fun it
was to post stories back in the old days. Some stories received upwards of 50 to
75 comments, and those folders are over an inch thick. People really took the
time to write thoughtful, interesting feedback then.
It was an engrossing, entertaining, and rewarding time to be a part of the FK
family. I wish it could come back, but alas, I think that train has long passed
us by. Thanks for collecting memories, Greer.
Nancy Kaminski
nancykam@c.......
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:16:56 -0500
From: Joni <bleuunicorn@v.......>
Subject: Re: Once upon a time....
When Susan first asked for help, I looked back in my saved files thinking I had
saved all the Wars and such that I had participated in. Somewhere along the
way, I lost a lot of data in an e-mail crash. I never attended a convention
but I did go to someone's house once and tried on LaCroix's cape. I believe IL
Jules had it.Â
I can remember some things but not a whole lot.
JoniÂ
Author of Eyes Of The Jackal http://www.synergebooks.com
Eyes Of A Jackal Merchandise: http://www.cafepress.com/eyesofa
Blue Unicorn's World: http://byjoni.com
Twilight Times: http://www.twilighttimes.com
Denton Writer's League: http://byjoni.com/DWL
On Jul 16, 2010, Greer Watson <gwatson2@r.......> wrote:
Once upon a time, there was a mailing list. And we looked upon our
handiwork, and it was good.
This has been the *second* long hiatus this summer. (Either that, or I
somehow got delisted. But I suspect not.) Of course, it *is* summer, with
all that entails--there are people off on holiday, and others who are
working extra hard trying to cover for them. And then there are those who
are packing, filling the tank, and stocking up on suntan lotion.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:54:43 -0700
From: Nancy Braman <knightwind1228@y.......>
Subject: Re: Once upon a time....
Greer Watson lamented: "I can't even browse archived posts from those days,
since FORKNI-L didn't get archived until 2000."
Greer, check out my Dusty Vaults page. It currently has some of 1996 (thanks
to Stephen Fellows) and the last six weeks of FKSPOILR. It will eventually
have much, much more.
I'm currently working on pre-July 2000 (May and June have been uploaded), and I
also have digests of 1998-9, and *possibly* some of 1997.
And, as the TV hucksters say: But wait--there's more!
Susan Garrett has sent me a *huge* amount of digests, 1996 and earlier. I'm
currently working on them, as well, but there will likely be no more uploads
until September, when I will once again have access to FTP. When the project
is finished, the site will have most of list history available for everyone's
reading pleasure. It's not the same as actually having been there, but it's
the next best thing, right?
I'll keep the list posted on future uploads and also will post on my LJ
account.
Nancy
Nancy Braman knightwind@k.......
http://knightwind1228.com/ http://mysticalcat7.livejournal.com
What time is it...what day is it...what century is it? - Nick, Forever Knight
Good morning is an oxymoron -- Me
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End of FORKNI-L Digest - 12 Jul 2010 to 16 Jul 2010 (#2010-124)
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