Rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5

rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated is a moderated Usenet newsgroup that focuses on the science fiction television series Babylon 5 and the works of writer J. Michael Straczynski. It was spun off from its un-moderated version, rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5, in 1996. The newsgroup counts Straczynski as a frequent contributor, and was among the first internet-based fora where fans interacted directly with a 'showrunner'.

In the early 1990s, several newsgroups were created that focused on the sci-fi show Babylon 5. One of these groups, rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5, gained notoriety for the participation of Babylon 5 creator and writer J. Michael Straczynski. Straczynski had long participated in many online forums since the 1980s, and is widely credited as being the first notable artist and celebrity to interact with fans online, even before the advent of the Internet as it is now known.

Straczynski interacted with Babylon 5 fans on rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5 and similar groups on GEnie and CompuServe, however rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5 slowly turned into a morass of spam and 'flame wars' (usually perpetrated and carried forward by a rather small group of people). The more Babylon 5's ratings increased, and the more attention was drawn to Straczynski's involvement in the group, the more extensive and vitriolic the many flame wars got. By the end of 1995, Straczynski was also being 'net-stalked', and had to scrap a script in pre-production because fans were posting story ideas. Eventually, Straczynski left rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5, focusing on the moderated Internet based forums.

A group of fans then proposed the creation of a moderated version of rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5. The resultant Request For Discussion became the most replied to RFD in the history of Usenet at the time (surpassed only by the rec.music.white-power newsgroup vote), and the proposal overwhelmingly passed, creating rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated. The majority of rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5 contributors, as well as Straczynski and other Usenet personalities, flocked to the new group, essentially continuing rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5 in a more controlled environment.

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