On Wednesday, May 25, 1994 at 1:58:15 AM UTC+4, NOEL TOMINACK, ACS 24-HOUR LAB   
   wrote:   
   > I have been lurking here since the fall of 1991, and only posted   
   > rarely in the past 3 years to avoid problems. But there are 2 things that   
   > have prompted me to finally speak my mind here:  The first has been this   
   > thread about what is right/wrong with furrydom, and the second was   
   > attending a small furry party at the home of Peter Stoller this past   
   > weekend.   
   >   
   > 	I've read both Lance Rund's and Rich Chandler's versions of the   
   > history of furry fandom.  Being a lifelong Maryland resident, I know from   
   > personal expereince that Chandler's history is more accurate--and true.  I   
   > have been saying for 6 years now that there *is* a differece between the   
   > furries on the East and West coasts, and been flamed severely for that.   
   > Its nice to get a little validation, especially when its unexpected.   
   > 	[One thing I will add to Chandler's history, is that on the East   
   > Coast, several small furry "core groups" formed in certain cities, usually   
   > via anime meetings and groups.  Unfortunately, this did not happen in   
   > Maryland and it looks like I am the only active fur fan left since Vicky   
   > Wyman moved to Virginia]   
   >   
   > 	From my own observations, furry fandom never quite caught on here   
   > as it did out west.  I (as well as Ray Rooney and Kevin Carroll) helped set   
   > up furry paries at Balticon and Philcon, and I have gotten people   
   > interested in what is out there, some of them even stayed interested.   
   >   
   > 	Now I am not sure about Lance's expereinces, but I have truely been   
   > an outsider/outcast in furry fandom for reasons way too numerous to mention   
   > here.  In fact, Edd Vick once referred to me as a "Furvert Expatriate" and   
   > I kind of liked the term so I kept it.  Even though I have been through the   
   > wringer and am not exactly on the 'A' list of fur fans--I still enjoy the   
   > fanzines and meeting people at the cons.  Yeah, I am bitter, outspoken,   
   > and have more attitude than tact--but I wouldn't give up the freindships   
   > and the fun I have had despite all that.   
   >   
   > 	Actually, I see the emergence of two types of fur fans, the "old   
   > school" fur fans--the ones who have been fur fans for many years, and the   
   > new one--the people who discovered furrydom through FurryMuck and gifs on   
   > the net.  I've watched the two interact at Philcon and at Stoller's furry   
   > party, and noticed they keep to their own groups.  Perhaps this is what   
   > Lance was trying to get at with his lost sense of community.   
   >   
   > 	But all this influx of FurryMuckers is a *good* thing!  I remeber   
   > at Philcons in the past where there were maybe 20 or so fur fans who came   
   > to the con just for the furry stuff.  At the 1993 con--we took up an entire   
   > floor!  (There should be a lesson in that for Balticon :/ ).  Sure, furry   
   > fandom is no longer the tight-knit little core groups that I remember, now   
   > there are a lot more people and an expanding market!  I only hope the Old   
   > School fur fans can see that becuse of the Internet that this influx will   
   > make us more respectable, and that we can all become one big group.   
   >   
   > 	The Internet is also bridging gaps between the West Coast and the   
   > rest of the country, now there are fur fans all over the country and they   
   > communicate quickly and easily.  Its a shame all that debate over scanning   
   > and gifs started up.  I once forsaw somone being able to assemble a furry   
   > fanzine with scans and desktop publishing--and then Emailing the finish   
   > product out--paperless fanzines.  Could the Old School out West be   
   > concerned they are losing some of their prestige becuase of this?   
   >   
   > 	Anyway, its nice to see some discussion going on.  Next post I will   
   > rant and rave a little about various things:  the floodgates have been   
   > opened.   
   >   
   > __________________________________________   
   > * Noel J. Tominack (noel@umbc2.umbc.edu)  |   
   > * University of Maryland Baltimore County |   
   > * All opinions are mine mine mine! 	  |   
   > * ________________________________________|   
      
   Hey my dude, can you hook me up with their history, I want to read it.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)