Byte Marks
Beam yourself up to Usenet

By Burt Lum

Star Trek is about as old as the Internet. Both born in the mid-1960s, both steeped in technology, both having the distinct ability to bring hopeful nerdiness out in the best of us. Over the years, the Internet has become the earthbound vehicle enabling us common folk to soar with the Starship Enterprise.

With the much-anticipated debut of the latest Star Trek incarnation, called "Enterprise," fans have a new focus for their energy. Web sites are popping up like mushrooms after a fall downpour. But rather than reference the myriad sites dedicates to Star Trek, I turned to an old favorite pastime: perusing Usenet newsgroups.

For those new to the Internet, newsgroups predate the Web itself. Back when Pine (for e-mail) and ftp (file transfer protocol) were the most common interfaces, newsgroups rounded out the triad of killer apps. The network of newsgroup servers across the Internet provided an online bulletin board for collaborators to post messages and to solicit responses from their peers. In spite of all the cool Web developments, newsgroups continue to have a strong following.

Perhaps even before the airing of "Enterprise," the newsgroup alt.tv.star-trek.enterprise appeared. Cross-posting also occurred at rec.arts.startrek.current. These are the two main newsgroups that have the latest public discussion of all things Enterprise. If you are a fan of Star Trek, and I am a self-confessed addict, then these newsgroups are a must read. Functioning as an electronic town hall, postings range from opinions on the theme song and characters to critiques of specific plot inconsistencies. The discussions of Jolene Blalock as an emotionless Vulcan (T'Pol) can get quite impassioned.

Posters on the newsgroup also will share their Web sites containing images, review articles, info trivia, episode trailers and even full-length features to download. I found one such site at FSFA.org's "Enterprise" site. Dedicated to Enterprise, the site provides downloads of entire episodes, a hefty 900 megs for the two-hour premiere. This is fandom to the extreme. Step behind me, please. ;-)

Burt Lum is one click away at burt@brouhaha.net.