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Fan Snobs

I've also found that there is little tolerance among mundanes for referring to the first Star Wars movie as "A New Hope," much less ANH. Either will result in blank stares, followed by incredulous laughter. Word to the wise.

Actually, I saw Star Wars opening weekend, and have NEVER referred to it as either A New Hope or ANH. It has been and will always be Star Wars.

Agreed, the movie as originally shown is named "Star Wars". "A New Hope" is just the beginning of George's descent into the madness of fiddling with the films.
 
Are there actually people who think of "American Idol" as thought provoking? Its a singing competition. Even the "dullards" know that. Why that particular show, popular though it may be, gets brought up in these types of converations puzzles me.


It's exactly because it's popular.

To some people, "popular" is a dirty word.

"It is more often pride than lack of enlightenment that makes us oppose so stubbornly the generally accepted view of something. We find the front seats already taken on the correct side, and we do not want any of the back ones."

--La Rochefoucauld, Maxim 234
 
But on the other hand, How long has it been that TOS has referred to the "classic"?? A few years by my reckoning. I caught onto it here back then and have never changed. I remind you this WAS a FEW years ago.

They started referring to TOS as "the classic" in the 80s, certainly once TNG arrived. I've never encountered "CST" before this thread, so that one's new to me and I've been online since the mid-90s. I do remember seeing STA in place of TAS when referring to the animated series. And STNG and simply NG for the Next Generation...

I agree with the OP that some people just get too anal about it. It's one thing to say "Do you mean TOS?" and even pointing out that most people use that one rather than CST and make the suggestion to use TOS instead. But to be sarcastic or stupid about it, I can see why that would be off-putting.

Alex
 
Actually, I saw Star Wars opening weekend, and have NEVER referred to it as either A New Hope or ANH. It has been and will always be Star Wars.

Exactly. To most folks - not just mundanes - that's just the movie's name.

Most folks = mundanes. You're just repeating what I said. ;)

This place is the only place I've ever seen people use terms like ANH, TOS, frakking, etc. It's just specialized jargon. "Fan snobs" who use other specialized jargon are delusional to think it carries any value beyond the place that it is used.
 
After fifteen years of talking to people online I just ignore any circumstance in which I'm clearly not going to make a difference. At best I'll just say what I feel and leave it at that.

I've run into so many snobs over the years that they all just kind of blur together, and I also realize a person's definition of that word and concept vary wildly.

The ones that can be a little harder to ignore are the ones you meet in real life, but more than often a good joke will shut them up.

As for myself I try not to look down on anyone who likes something I personally find to be repulsive. People are going to like what they like, and all I ask of anyone is that they're honest with what they love. If they are then I really have no business saying anything but my opinion if it's asked for. Just because I don't like something doesn't mean it's worthless. I just happen to think it's worthless, and my opinion is as significant as that person wants it to be.
 
Actually, I saw Star Wars opening weekend, and have NEVER referred to it as either A New Hope or ANH. It has been and will always be Star Wars.

Exactly. To most folks - not just mundanes - that's just the movie's name.

Specifically: Star Wars, You Know, The First One.

And don't forget Star Trek: The One with the Whales.

I have never met anyone who was not a hardcore fan who actually knew the title of that movie.
 
This place is the only place I've ever seen people use terms like ANH, TOS, frakking, etc. It's just specialized jargon. "Fan snobs" who use other specialized jargon are delusional to think it carries any value beyond the place that it is used.

My personal favourite candidate for Special Hell are people who use 'verse.
 
First, I think it's important to use emoticons when expressing an opinion outside of general knowledge. It really is hard to express emotion outside of sarcasm.

Second, I think understanding the fan lingo is important BUT it is really important to educate newbies. I've never seen anyone be too abusive. More likely they are too friendly.

Third, Sci-fi fandom is actually pretty well behaved. Sports, politics, religion, that's where the real jerks are. Honestly you can't debate the finer points of taxation or personal privacy without de-evolving into a flame war. We've grown a long way from the utterly ridiculous "Enterprise-D vs Star Destroyer". That truly was the low point of internet sci-fi fandom.
 
This place is the only place I've ever seen people use terms like ANH, TOS, frakking, etc. It's just specialized jargon. "Fan snobs" who use other specialized jargon are delusional to think it carries any value beyond the place that it is used.

My personal favourite candidate for Special Hell are people who use 'verse.

Hey what's your problem with Browncoats?! I like 'verse. Not only is it a good short hand for universe but it has a nice literary allusions as well.
 
First, I think it's important to use emoticons when expressing an opinion outside of general knowledge. It really is hard to express emotion outside of sarcasm.

Second, I think understanding the fan lingo is important BUT it is really important to educate newbies. I've never seen anyone be too abusive. More likely they are too friendly.

Third, Sci-fi fandom is actually pretty well behaved. Sports, politics, religion, that's where the real jerks are. Honestly you can't debate the finer points of taxation or personal privacy without de-evolving into a flame war. We've grown a long way from the utterly ridiculous "Enterprise-D vs Star Destroyer". That truly was the low point of internet sci-fi fandom.

How can you be too friendly to a newbie? Someone who is nervous about not being able to fit in, and always worrying when they don't see a reply to their post(s) (Many newbies think when they post something and no one responds to it, it's a sleight and because they aren't in a specific clique, they don't always realize their post just didn't add anything that needed to be commented on).

I say you can never be too nice to a newbie

SciFi fans can get just as ugly as Sports, politics, or Religion fanatics, I post with many SciFi fans in a politics debating forum on another site. And...LOST fans on the ABC LOST board had many very cruel and vindictive posters

Deckard, does your objection to 'Verse, extend to using it with a show, such as Whoniverse or Buffyverse, for example?
 
How can you be too friendly to a newbie?

Two examples come to mind

First the "Immediate response" which appears to show hostility.

The second is the long winded dissertation which can also appear as hostile.

Oh and then there is the infamous Pile on (several posters responding at once).

Personally I think you are right it's more of the issue of newbie nervousness than geeks bullying people with their vast storehouse of useless knowledge (made more useless thanks to Wikipedia).
 
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