Guide to Lyst Culture **********************
(written for the B7 mailing list at http://lists.lysator.liu.se/mailman/listinfo/blakes7)
composed by Kathryn Andersen
version 1.1
Considering the number of newbies who have admitted to being nearly frightened away by the manner of folks on this list, and wondering how much larger the number who *were* frightened away, it was deemed a good idea to write a Gentle Introduction which will lift confusion and humanise the apparently terrifying denizens of these electronic halls.
If there be errors here, then send the corrections forthwith to the maintainer of this document. (See above)
This is by no means meant to replace the actual Lyst FAQ (at http://www.lysator.liu.se/~calle/b7list/FAQ.html) but serve as an adjunct to it.
This is *not* a rule-set of customs. It is *descriptive* not proscriptive. The actuality, not the ideal. The distillation of our understanding of what the Lyst is like, so that folks don't have to read a year's worth of posts in order to get an idea of what the heck is going on here...
Also, if you're new to the net, you might find the following helpful - common E-Mail abbreviations http://www.zeusprod.com/glossary/mailterm.html - Netiquette (net etiquette) http://dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/Beginner_s_Guides/Netiquette/ - The Google Search Engine http://www.google.com which was used to find the above URLs...
Lyst Culture In A Bottle *************************
What's this "Lyst" business? =============================
The mailing list blakes7@lists.lysator.liu.se was the first Blake's 7 (electronic) mailing list to be created (and it also predates the newsgroup). Note the "lysator" in the address. Since there are other lists (most notably, the Other List (see Lyst FAQ)), presumably to save having to say "the lysator List", a shorthand for that is simply "the Lyst".
Our Esteemed Listowner, Calle, is not a woman. This doesn't stop people calling him "Cally", indeed, it would be almost irresistible not to, considering the subject of this List. Nobody outside his native country can actually pronounce his name correctly, but it may help those who want to try, to keep in mind that "Calle" comes from the same root as "Carl". Not only that, it's a common short form of Carl, in the same way that Dick is for Richard.
Contrary to rumour, "lysator" does not mean "liberator" in Calle's native tongue. It apparently doesn't mean anything in particular.
Posting Style ==============
Unlike many other lists, we don't tend to be chatty, and off-topic posts are (after a while) encouraged to go to the Spin-off list, so that we can get down to the serious business of discussing the political systems in B7 or the nature of terrorism or how teleportation works; or the lighthearted business of Avon's red leather trousers or what kind of ice cream the particular characters would prefer, or how to recast the series.
(Note: it seems that the instructions for subscribing to the Spin list are not in the Lyst FAQ. So here they are:
TO POST: Send an e-mail to b7spin@metva.com.au
TO SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with a Subject line of 'subscribe' to b7spin-request@metva.com.au.
TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with a Subject line of 'unsubscribe' to b7spin-request@metva.com.au. )
It isn't a required custom on this list to introduce yourself, though a few people like to. People also don't tend to issue a formal welcome to newbies -- we just get on with the discussion and expect folks to join in (or not). Please don't consider this unfriendly; it's simply... focused. We're always interested in fresh ideas. If someone doesn't respond to your posting it could simply be because they agreed with it -- and didn't want to write a "me too" post. On the other hand, feel free to consider this unfriendly... but if you do, then it behooves you to go and welcome people, don't it?
If the Lyst seems particularly busy and snarky, it's probably February.
Odd Acronyms and Other Collections ==================================
If you are confused by people referring to "the wrath of FINALACT" or suchlike, be confused no longer.
As with many online fandoms, groups of like-minded fans often declare allegiance to their particular favourite characters, and form groups. Generally in order to be part of such a group... one simply declares oneself to be part of it. One doesn't have to be part of any group at all, and these groups are not meant to be taken deadly seriously either. Though some are more tongue-in-cheek than others. Often they are formed of those who consider their view to be a minority one.
The following list is not intended to be exhaustive.
The Tarrant Nostra ------------------
Yes, this one doesn't have odd acronyms but with such a cool name, who needs them? The first known reference to the Tarrant Nostra by that name is apparently in 1995, though the core group was around for longer than that. The name sprung from the mind of Brooke Barker. This group, is, obviously, those who favour Tarrant. Carol McCoy is "The Godmother" of the Tarrant Nostra; other members may not be so clearly identified.
See also http://www.tarrantnostra.com/
F.I.N.A.L.A.C.T. ----------------
This stands for "Foundation Invalidating Numerous Accusations Levelled At Croucher's Travis". These are the fans who prefer Brian Croucher's Travis, aka Travis II. They have a tendency to threaten detractors with The Comfy Chair, Karaoke music and Teletubby torture. Jacqueline Thijsen is the Chief Inquisitor. Penny Dreadful is their Queen, hopeful of being elevated to godhood, so that Iain Coleman can be Pope.
See also http://tezcatlipoca.algonet.se/cgi-bin/getbyid.pl?id=26736
G.I.T.H.O.G. ------------
This stands for "Greif Is Travis, House Of Greif". Byline -- 'In Time, We All Come to Greif'. These are the fans who prefer Stephen Grief's Travis, aka Travis I. They appear to be less active than FINALACT, probably because they don't perceive themselves to be in the minority.
See also http://tezcatlipoca.algonet.se/cgi-bin/getbyid.pl?id=33344
A.S.K.S. --------
Avon's Sympathetic Kindred Spirits go against the flow of Avon fans because they don't give a fig whether he looks sexy in black leather, they just identify with him. Kathryn Andersen made up this acronym, so she is presumably the founding member.
Gareth's Gorillas -----------------
Fans who are into Gareth Thomas and his work, as distinct from just being interested in Blake (though they are interested in Blake too). Chief Gorilla is Judith Proctor. One may see them at cons wearing "Gareth's Gorilla" badges. Ironically, many of Gareths Gorillas don't actually have Blake as their favourite B7 character.
The Gan Defence League ----------------------
Those who appreciate the unsung and oft under-appreciated Olag Gan. Judith Proctor goes around distributing oak leaves to those who stand up for Gan and say nice things about him.
S.C.A.M. --------
Society for Crushing Animals Maligners, given a name by Una McCormack, the (almost) sole person who not only liked the episode "Animals", but strives to defend it. Dedicated to the art of Justinification (justifying Justin).
Followers of the Goddess ------------------------
The concept of the Golden Goddess Soolin, her Acolyte Dayna, and the Chief Hairdresser Vila was the invention of Ophelia (aka Kanna-Ophelia, aka (name suppressed on request))... not quite as gone as we thought.
Jarrigoths ----------
The Jarrigoths' aim is to over-run the universe, conquering all opponents with their battlecry of JOY (Jarriere! Oh Yes!). Their influence has been far-reaching; not only did they get Jarriere, a minor character who only appeared in one episode (Gambit... Travis called him a powder-puff) into the top 20 of an online poll of favourite SF characters.... but they actually persuaded a fannish model-maker to include Jarriere into their line of die-cast models (after Avon, Blake, Travis and Vila). They are led by Harriet Monkhouse, who, after another Harriet joined the Lyst in 2001, decided to style herself Jarriet (or Harriere) to cut down on possibilities of mistaken identity.
Avon Without Guilt ------------------
Not a terribly active group these days, but Pat Nussman founded "AWG" -- Avon Without Guilt. As in, yes, we *know* it's terribly common; we *know* that more discerning tastes move on from their first attraction to the Dark and Snarly One in favor of the more arcane delights of, oh, The Thane and Bruce; we *know* he has a less than stellar character. So what? We still love him, and we refuse to be guilty about it.
It is worthwhile noting that Barbara Paul dedicated one of her novels to the Avon Without Guilt group. See http://www.barbarapaul.com/holland.html
Sickly Equines ===============
Certain topics have a habit of coming up over and over again. I'm reluctant to call them dead horses, because it can be the case that a newbie can actually offer new insight that nobody's thought of before, and pass the hand of healing over what was once assumed to be a corpse.
- Hey, Maybe Avon Shot Blake's Clone! - Was Blake a Freedom Fighter Or A Terrorist? Should Blake Have Destroyed Star One? - Avon Was Mad (No He Wasn't) - Was Travis only following orders?
Hot Topics ==========
One topic which is pretty much guaranteed to start the fires burning no matter how nicely and calmly people may start the discussion, is slash. If you don't know what slash is, don't worry, since you probably don't want to argue about it either.
An oldish summary of the pro-slash position from Susan Beth can be found at ftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/blake7/misc/slash.defense
A summary of the anti-slash position is at http://www.katspace.com/b7/slashsum.html
Another topic which tends to set the sparks flying is Horizon, the biggest and oldest B7 fan club. Or, more specifically, its Coodinator/Treasurer/etc, Diane Gies. I'm not going to reiterate it here, that would just stir people up again.
Any topic can raise the temperature if it is pursued obnoxiously enough. There has been steam coming out of ears over - whether Deliverance is Sexist - posting style - con reports - religion just to name a few. But don't let that scare you off, we're generally quite calm and rational...
Signs that a thread has gone on too long at too high a temperature are - posters start repeating themselves (worst case, reposting earlier posts of their own) - postings degenerate into a "he said, she said" dissection of why what so-and-so said was insulting.
INTJ? MBTI? Huh? ==================
Once upon a time, someone first brought up the idea of figuring out the Myers-Briggs (personality) Type Indicator for each of the characters. It was mentioned briefly once before, but the topic truly exploded in February 1998 when Adam Fuller posted this -- http://tezcatlipoca.algonet.se/cgi-bin/getbyid.pl?id=21161
Much discussion ensued, and many people went off to http://www.keirsey.com to take the personality tests there to figure out their own type. Of those who took the tests and actually reported back, the majority appeared to be either INTJ or INTP types (and, oddly enough, the consensus was that Avon was either an INTJ or an INTP). This probably explains why the posting style of the list appears so unfriendly -- half of us are closet Avons.
Some people are sick of this topic. Others remain fascinated by it.
Penguins? What's that got to do with B7? =========================================
The connection between penguins and B7 can only be explained by the one who discovered the sinister conspiracy in the first place. For some reason, Calle seems to think it was Una McCormack, but the rest of the world blames it on Neil Faulkner. http://homepages.tesco.net/~N.Faulkner/blakes7/darkheart/darkheart.htm Except for Neil, who blames it on Alison Page.
Acknowledgements ================
Thanks (in no particular order) to Penny Dreadful, Calle Dybedahl, Neil Faulkner, Una McCormack, Tavia, Mistral, Steve Rogerson, Ophelia, Andrew Williams, Sandra Kisner, M, Harriet Monkhouse, Jacqueline Thijsen, Wildean, Harriet, Carol McCoy, Susan Beth, Tiger M, Sandra Kisner, Carolyn, DDJ for additions, comments and corrections.
Where To Find It ================
This FAQ-ish thing can be found on the web at http://www.katspace.com/b7/lyst.html and posted on the Lyst once a month.