From: coyo@darkdna.net   
      
   On 1/11/2015 8:35 PM, mkalte wrote:   
   > There are still new people appearing here! (Like me)   
   > But... I have admit that it is/was only for historical reasons...   
      
   alt.fan.furry is a vitally important component of Furry Fandom History.   
      
   But it's not completely dead. It's undead. *Makes zombie coyote sounds.*   
      
   Maybe at some point the Furry Fandom was really merely a hobby, a set of   
   individuals who shared a common sense of aesthetics, but it has evolved   
   into much more than that.   
      
   It's a subculture, a culture in its own right. It's not just a   
   "meta-genre" it's a society.   
      
   Some major (disputed) values of this subculture:   
      
   * Sexual openness and liberation, a strong anti-prude attitude.   
   * Radical tolerance, even for extreme kinks and perversions.   
   * Affection and generosity, even to strangers.   
   * Implicit physical affection and intimacy.   
   * True companionship.   
   * An inclination toward BDSM playfulness.   
   * An inclination toward creativity, intelligence and technophilia.   
   * Love of animals, both real and imaginary.   
   * A more universal and external view of human behavior in general.   
   * Awareness of humanity's place in the animal kingdom.   
   * Reversal of gay/straight population bias. Gays outnumber Straights.   
   * 5:1 male-to-female ratio, which means women are treated very well.   
   * Emphasis on creative arts, anywhere from music and writing to digital   
   art and sculpture.   
   * Chances to start your own business and work for yourself in the fandom.   
   * Rare sense of community in conventions, festivals, conferences and faires.   
   * Strong feeling of "coming home" or being among people of your own kind.   
   * Relatively safe outlet for rebellious teenagers.   
   * Somewhat more drug-friendly culture, with an emphasis on   
   hard-reduction and pragmatism.   
   * Welcoming and understanding to individuals afflicted with mental   
   illnesses.   
   * Welcoming and understanding to individuals with debilitating or   
   terminal illnesses.   
   * Very welcoming and understanding to severely autistic individuals.   
      
   And that's just the top of the list. As you can see, there's a lot the   
   Furry Fandom can offer someone who wants a place to belong. With the   
   strong emphasis on mutual tolerance and openness, we have a diversity   
   the degree of which is rarely seen on this planet, at any point of its   
   history.   
      
   And that history involves alt.fan.furry, as the nascent Furry Fandom   
   grew and matured quite a bit here.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)