An empassioned statement!

[martok2112]

Alright folks...I have seen enough petty accusations to realize that those who mask themselves under the moniker of "true Galactica fan" are fakes beyond comparison!

I have a really good buzz happening right now, so forgive me if I come across as a bit brazen...but this MUST BE SAID!

I AM a TRUE GALACTICA FAN! I support both the TOS and the new Galactica show with equality.

There are several MAJOR sites of Galactica fandom that have my UNCONDITIONAL support! Such sites are Cylon Alliance, Colonial Fleets, Galactica2003.net, and Battlestargalacticaclub.com.

In each of these sites, I have seen at least a TOLERANCE, if not a support, for fans of the new Galactica. Where this whole "bottom feeding" theory comes from...I do not know. But I do know this: The "site elders" of other sites that know and love "Colonial Fleets" offerred their support at a time when CF was going through tumultuous situations. Take a GOOD LOOK around, folks! You will find fans of BOTH Galacticas on each of these MAJOR sites. That the webhosts, who for the most part are fans of the Classica Galactica, have allowed the new Galactica fans to speak their thoughts screams volumes for their integrity, openmindedness, and esprit de corps for all fans of Galactica!

And in truth, we are ALL fans of Galactica, regardless of where we stand. My good and dear friend, Muffit, affirmed this with a very simple statement. Long Live Galactica Fandom! I know that she is, at heart, a Classic Galactica fan, as am I...but she has come to realize that there is a fandom for this revered icon of space fantasy, regardless of where said fans lie. Many such luminaries of Galactica fandom have also come to this acknowledgement...and to them, I remove my flight helmet and salute them proudly.

My friends, regardless of where you stand on the issue, there is NO NEED for division! There are fans of the Classic series who will remain true to the memory and spirit of the series. There are fans of the new show who will remain true to the incepts of that show. And there are those of us who LOVE Galactica regardless, because the story is STILL THE SAME!
That's right...everyone take notice! I said the "story is still the same!" I am not a Ron Moore apologist, or a Classic show apologist. I can see with my own two eyes, and my heart of hearts that the story of Galactica has not changed at all!
I can tell you right now that the classic show moves me in every bit the same way that the 2003 version does! I think that speaks volumes for a sci-fi/space fantasy icon that has stood the test of time, even if it is retold much grittier in latter day science fiction.

There is considerable room for improvement with the new miniseries...and I think if the right steps are taken, even hardcore fans of the Classic show would stand up and take notice.

I have posted this message on EVERY MAJOR Galactica board...because we ALL need to pull together as one, regardless of where we stand, and support Galactica, whether through continuation, or reinvention, or in our own hearts and minds!

I now stand off my pulpit, and await the judgment of the masses,
Respectfully to all, LONG LIVE BOTH GALACTICAS,
General Chang aka Martok2112

[callsignfalcon]

what can I say but: Amen to that!

[larocque6689]

There are several MAJOR sites of Galactica fandom that have my UNCONDITIONAL support! Such sites are Cylon Alliance, Colonial Fleets, Galactica2003.net, and Battlestargalacticaclub.com.

Eh???

You should have added Subspace G2003.

[Antelope]

If only your statement was true. I don't want to impune any Galactica site but I came here originally because one of the major Galactica sites you mentioned took down all mini based threads created by their members and forced them onto one gigantic thread. The same day this occurred they made a statement that the site was for TOS and a continuation. They made it nearly impossible to discuss the mini based Galactica in a sane way. They have a beautiful site (if not the best) but it pays lip service to ALL Galactica fans. I think the main purpose of the one and only mini thread is so the few regular posters who all hate the mini can lambast a newbie who hasn't figured out the real deal.

One of the other sites you mention is a "Gentlemens site". I never applied to join when back in December I read at Colonial Fleets they weren't taking new members. I guess too many pro-mini people applied. I hope their policy changed but I feel no need to bother so long as Colonial Fleets is still up. I guess after Colonial Fleets you have a Battlestar 2003 dedicated site left.

When Colonial Fleets died last week did any one say at the other sites say welcome, we would love to have you? The answer is No! Although some Battlestar Galactica sites were more than happy to point you off there site to subspace.com, a site primarily designed for Star Trek fans. Imagine that, a Star Trek site is more welcoming to TOS/mini fans than the Battlestar Galactica web establishment.

I don't mean to offend but in the spirit of the new no holds barred Colonial Fleets, it's the truth as I see it.

I love the fleets specifically because it is the only place on the web where ALL fans of Battlestar Galactica are welcome!

[Dawg]

If only your statement was true. I don't want to impune any Galactica site but I came here originally because one of the major Galactica sites you mentioned took down all mini based threads created by their members and forced them onto one gigantic thread. The same day this occurred they made a statement that the site was for TOS and a continuation. They made it nearly impossible to discuss the mini based Galactica in a sane way. They have a beautiful site (if not the best) but it pays lip service to ALL Galactica fans. I think the main purpose of the one and only mini thread is so the few regular posters who all hate the mini can lambast a newbie who hasn't figured out the real deal.

One of the other sites you mention is a "Gentlemens site". I never applied to join when back in December I read at Colonial Fleets they weren't taking new members. I guess too many pro-mini people applied. I hope their policy changed but I feel no need to bother so long as Colonial Fleets is still up. I guess after Colonial Fleets you have a Battlestar 2003 dedicated site left.

When Colonial Fleets died last week did any one say at the other sites say welcome, we would love to have you? The answer is No! Although some Battlestar Galactica sites were more than happy to point you off there site to subspace.com, a site primarily designed for Star Trek fans. Imagine that, a Star Trek site is more welcoming to TOS/mini fans than the Battlestar Galactica web establishment.

I don't mean to offend but in the spirit of the new no holds barred Colonial Fleets, it's the truth as I see it.

I love the fleets specifically because it is the only place on the web where ALL fans of Battlestar Galactica are welcome!

As a member in good standing at Cylon Alliance, antelope, I can assure you that your statement "I guess too many pro-mini people applied" is in error. The Cylon Alliance boards became a "gentlemen's club" because of the influx of troublemakers - not the influx of "mini fans." We have a number of people who are overjoyed at the prospect of the RDM series who are highly respected members at CA. These "pro-mini" people are respectful in thier dealings with their fellow members, as you are here, and are treated the same in return, as you are here. It's no different at bsgclub.com, which also has a number of members who enjoyed the mini and look forward to the upcoming series. The actions taken at the other sites is because of the troublemakers, who insisted on coming in and baiting the TOS fans, trying (and occasionally succeeding) in causing disruption and trouble.

I am
Dawg
:warrior:

[Dawg]

To continue (it was the end of my workday when I posted above; I'm home now):

There is something you need to remember, antelope, and I'll state it publically so everyone, regardless of how they see the mini can also be reminded: if it wasn't for TOS and its fans for the past quarter century, the mini (and any following series) would never have happened. Because of the people who carried the torch for 25 years, you and I are having this conversation. You - and I - owe people like Titon, OWD, Micheleh, Richard Hatch, LordStarFyre, TwoBrainedCylon, Conundrum7g, jewels (I could go on but you get the point), a huge debt of gratitude for bringing us to this point.

Yes, all views regarding BSG are welcome here, Don and Tom have made that clear. But only if the people who hold those views treat the others with respect and consideration; they've made that clear, too. The other sites will be run according to the guidelines of their owners and administrators.

To be honest, I'm looking forward to more conversations with you - I look forward to trying to convince you that you're missing a piece of the BSG puzzle. ;)

I think CF will be the forum where we can do that.

I am
Dawg
:warrior:

[Antelope]

Is cylon alliance accepting new members again? If they are I might like to join.

As for Battlestar Galactica club they make no bones about how they treat the mini and mini discussion. If you call the one and only mini thread a good spring board for discussion we will just have to agree to disagree. I was a regular visitor to the site in the couple weeks prior to the mini threads eliminations and the posted statement. From there own words at the time it was told that the elimination of the threads was because the site was to support Battlestar Galactica (meaning TOS only) and a continuation. The owner I guess felt like he was doing someone a favor by leaving the one thread. They kicked one pro-mini person off the board during the two weeks prior to the announcement and he posted nothing derogatory of a personal nature. The mods just didn't like his opinion (I am sure they would dispute that--any negative comment in reference to TOS is a personal attack to them). In the past I tread lightly when I'm there so I don't end up on the prison barge. I was a bit out of control last week when posting there basically asking for the mini to be treated like any other aspect of Galactica. Of course it made no difference (Go to subspace)!

People who own sites are free to do what they want to do. I have nothing against the other Galactica sites, their owners, or moderators but I won't say they are a friend of open discussion or are there to serve ALL Battlestar Galactica fans. My main point is that Colonial Fleets was the only place to go for real open discussion on ALL aspects of Battlestar Galactica for all fans:

Cylon Alliance: You can't talk if you can't join
Battlestargalacticaclub: Designed to curtail mini discusion
SCIFI: Moderators out of control (delete half my post) and slow post times
All other sites: low traffic = low discussion

[Antelope]

How can you tell who is a troublemaker before he/she posts?

If 67,000,000 people watched TOS and maybe 1,000 (at most) post at the various Galactica sites. How does cylon alliance distinguish between the trouble makers and the other 66,999,000 fans who could potentially apply to their web site. I doubt they or anyone else have a data base of web hucksters. Their system however is great at deterring new members which is probabaly their real goal.

Since I have been at Colonial Fleets and Battlestar Galactica club I think I saw 3 (maybe the club has a few more when I quit looking regularly) total people kicked off between both sites during the past 70 days. I hardly call that a massive invasion of hucksters. The few troublemakers I have heard about tend to be big members in the internet scifi community or young kids with foul mouths.

[Antelope]

I am grateful to all who came before for holding the Galactica torch. I am also a realist and know that the real reason Galactica is on the air is because of the almighty dollar. SCIFI or anybody else cares about the 4,000,000 plus target audience not the 200 or so regular web posters or the convention crowd at Galacticon which loses money. Even a driven Hollywood insider with a personal stake like Richard Hatch couldn't get Galactica back on television or in a theatre. We probably owe more to the success of Star Trek in syndication than anything any one or all the Galactica fans ever did.

You can't have it both ways: The fans gave us a remake but SCIFI doesn't listen to the fans.

I think the fans helped keep Battlestar in the media eye and I think SCIFI wanted to give what they thought most fans would want to see. The focus group crowd is seldom the same as the 1/100 of 1% hard core fan you and I represent.

[Boomer65]

As for Battlestar Galactica club they make no bones about how they treat the mini and mini discussion. If you call the one and only mini thread a good spring board for discussion we will just have to agree to disagree.
I think that if you look closely the moderators at BSGClub haven’t singled out mini discussion for this treatment. They seem to have a penchant for combining related discussions – e.g. they did the same thing to the CF-closure threads. While I don’t agree with it (like you, I think that threads will live and die naturally without moderator intervention) I can see why they’d do it. Why have 8 threads open in different forums that are discussing the same thing? And I have been able to voice my criticism of both the mini and TOS without getting banned or flamed.

That said – I get the definite impression that it’s A’okay to flame or be rude to a BSG03 fan at BSGClub but you’d better have your bags packed if you even think about flaming TOS or being rude to a TOS member. Flaming or rude behavior, IMO, shouldn’t be tolerated – period.

[Dawg]

You know something, Boomer, I don't get that impression when I'm there. I think what we're looking at is a simple difference in perception.

As a fan of the mini, you're going to be more sensitive to criticism of the mini that someone who isn't. By the same token, a TOS fan is going to be more sensitive if TOS is criticized. What you may see as something that pushes the limit I might see as reasonable discussion, and vice versa.

It's important that everyone remember that as they're posting their views, and not take offense quickly - unless, of course, the language is so over the top that it's obvious somebody's looking for a fight. At that point, you notify a mod and don't engage the troll.

Originally Posted by antelope526
You can't have it both ways: The fans gave us a remake but SCIFI doesn't listen to the fans.

I think the fans helped keep Battlestar in the media eye and I think SCIFI wanted to give what they thought most fans would want to see. The focus group crowd is seldom the same as the 1/100 of 1% hard core fan you and I represent.

Actually, you can have it both ways, antelope. It's your next sentence (bolded) that is the key: it's the fans who kept BSG a viable franchise, but when Skiffy got their hands on it any thought of those very fans flew out the window. Their true motivations for doing as they did will forever remain uncertain, whether to just maintain the copyright, to try to "de-scifi" it, but it was confirmed by Hammer herself that the target audience they were after was the apparently iconic 18-to-25 year old males. They deliberately ignored the very fans that kept the franchise alive. And, don't be surprised if you wind up ultimately being ignored, too.

(I agree with you about the focus group, BTW.)

And, bottom line, it really doesn't matter anymore. The mini was completed and aired, and there's apparently going to be a series (congratulations, Aaron, and hopefully to Don, too). We can now set our sights on the future, with the upcoming series and the movie effort we'd all love to see.

See 'ya 'round the campus!

I am
Dawg
:warrior:

[unowhoandwhy]

Flaming or rude behavior, IMO, shouldn’t be tolerated – period.

If only everyone could live by that creed it would be a better world. I did feel welcomed by MediaBlvd on the galactica2003.net site when CF closed, and am still a member, but that is definitely pro-mini (although I haven't seen any anti-TOS flames, which is a plus) and also doesn't have a whole lot of traffic.
So, I am very happy that CF is back up & able to accept ALL fans of BSG into the fold.

Because I love :love: :love: :love: :love: BSG - no matter the version.

[Patricia]

MediaBlvd welcomed me with open arms--and no one has seriously ticked me off there, either...yet ;o) They said something to the effect of: "Come on in--we have hot coffee, blankets and Aaron Douglas...!" I laughed out loud and settled in for a stay.

I'm a big fan of both the original and also the miniseries, BTW, and am still trying to wrap my mind around the enmity to the new version....I JUST DON'T GET IT. Mythic stories are ALWAYS retold and reimagined as time passes. Each version is a new opportunity to sink into a timeless story and fall in love all over again with favorite characters.

When TOS was aired, I'd already had a mad crush on Lorne Green since I was a little girl and Adama was the most wonderful character he ever played......But when I saw Edward James Olmos in the part, I just melted into a puddle! He brings a modern day sensibility to the roll, along with complexity of character and an interesting dark side. Why, pray tell, should I restrict myself to ONE fascinating man instead of reveling in TWO?!

Patricia

[Antelope]

I think the TOS/mini fans that came to the boards in the past 90 days will never understand the enmity. I am now a regular but came because of interest generated by the mini. Over time I learned that basically a couple people with an agenda months ago started using fake names to generate a pro-mini bias at sites and were outright hostile to the majority anti-mini posters. When this was finally figured out the individuals and their 50 odd pseudonyms were deleted. Since then the mini topic has been raw to the about 50% of the current regular posters whose relationship with Galactica on the internet goes back years and includes much frustration.

Those of us who came since then have only seen the hostile side of many of the angry TOS only fans. I think the pro-mini crowd, now nearly 50% of the regular posters at Colonial Fleets was painted with a broad brush.

In the past 6 weeks or so however and after many discussions on the subject I think most of the "old" regulars and "new" regulars realize that both groups are nice people and that 95% of all groups loved the original series and are "true" Battlestar Galactica fans. We certainly won't always agree but everyone who is a regular is polite and seems to respect each other.

It was for this reason I think so many were upset when Colonial Fleets closed down. It was an island of tranquility (or sanity) in a Battlestar world were feelings were still raw at other sites. I think as the the pro-mini posters who visit Battlestargalacticaclub point out, you need to walk with soft shoes at sites where the anger is still there. We may haved loved Battlestar Galactica since 1978 but most of us "minifans" are "strangers" to the Battlestar web prior to the past 3-6 months.

I hope over time most Battlestar fans become like Dawg and myself. We probably agree about 25% of the time but enjoy reading each others post 100% of the time.

Some enmity is also based on the fear that if the current version succeeds it will mean the end of the other versions out there that most regular posters supported. There is also fear that if the new version fails it will mean Battlestar failed when their preferred version was never given a chance. In life fear will often turn to anger. Bonnie Hammer, the head of SCIFI isn't going to post so the next best thing to focus your anger on might be a minifan who is a bit too proud!

I hope the new series will be more like TOS than people expect or that the interest helps the various continuation projects. I want to be positive on the future of Galactica. Time will tell.

[Patricia]

Antelope526, *thank you* for that clear, cogent reply :) Knowing the historical sources of the resentment will help me to keep a cool head when I next stumble over it. I'm a peaceable person who has learned over many years to simply walk away when someone I'm talking to gets hostile, and I would really hate to walk away from this incredibly cool on-line fandom that I didn't even know existed.

Since my getting involved in posting in favor of the new Galactica was actually due almost entirely to fear that the SciFi Network folks would hear only the very vocal panning of the miniseries and make decisions about series based on that feedback, I can understand how it feels to be "shouted down" in what is supposed to be a conversation. It made me feel very defensive and threatened.

It's my hope though that the two camps eventually calm down enough to at least agree on the fact that we are very, very fortunate: Battlestar Galactica is rare, genuinely heart-engaging fiction (myth, IMO) that we have been lucky enough to have been gifted with--not once, but twice.

I was unaware of the other projects that had been begun to bring it into the new century until I found ColonialFleet--and as an artist and a writer, I know painfully well that it's not an easy thing to be forced to quit on a creative project. Not for any reason. There's a natural grieving period to be lived through before everyone can move on.

Here's hoping that this fandom can heal the rift before it becomes a chasm:thumbsup:

Pat