Thanks folks for the comments, here's a newer version. More comments appreciated -- any more suggestions for the "sickly equine" category? I just mean things that are likely to cause oldies to groan and say "oh no not that again", not things that are particular people's hobby-horses.

Have I left out any people-groups either?

Guide to Lyst Culture **********************

(written for the B7 mailing list at http://lists.lysator.liu.se/mailman/listinfo/blakes7)

composed by Kathryn Andersen

version 0.2

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, I figured it was a good idea to write a Gentle Introduction which will lift confusion and humanise these apparently terrifying denizens of these electronic halls.

Me saw need, me wrote. If me make mistakes, please tell, so corrections entered.

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.

Lyst Culture In A Bottle *************************

What's this "Lyst" business? =============================

The mailing list blakes7@lists.lysator.liu.se was, so far as I know, 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), 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.

It isn't a required custom on this list to introduce yourself, though a few people like to. People also don't tend to welcome 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. 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.

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 likeminded 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 TarrantNostra ------------------

Yes, this one doesn't have odd acronyms but with such a cool name, who needs them? The first known reference to the TarrantNostra is apparently in 1995. This group, is, obviously, those who favour Tarrant. Carol McCoy is "The Godmother" of the the TarrantNostra; other members may not be so clearly identified.

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. Penny Dreadful is the Chief Inquisitor.

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.

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.

Followers of the Goddess ------------------------

The concept of the Golden Goddess Soolin, her Acolyte Dayna, and the Chief Hairdresser Vila was the invention of Lindley, now no longer with us. But worth a mention anyway.

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)

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

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 Meyers-Brigs (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 There's some archival information on how this thread started on Sue Clerc's pages -- http://members.nbci.com/sjcinct/mbb7.html

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 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 at regular intervals (when I set it up).