ALT.SF4M

  The REAL FAQ

   • d*******s@n**.********e.com
     12/06/1996 00:00:000 UTC

     This is the REAL FAQ for alt.sf4m, last updated 17 April 1996

     1) WHAT IS alt.sf4m?

     Alt.sf4m is one of the oldest groups on Usenet, as can be seen by it

     being outside of

     established hierarchies like alt.alumni.* or alt.rec.arts.*. Groups

     on Usenet used to

     be named quite chaotically before the present naming conventions were

     instituted.

     See the group naming FAQ, which is posted to alt.answers regularly.

     Under the current conventions, alt.sf4m could be named alt.sex.sf4m,

     alt.sex.swedish-female-for-male, or perhaps more properly

     alt.fan.swedish-female.

     It would not be established as a top-level hierarchy, which suggests

     lower level

     hierarchies below it (for example, alt.sf4m.binaries.pictures.erotica.)

     Unfortunately,

     this group fell into disuse and has since been taken over by a group of

     net.posers (see below).

     2) WHAT IS A NET.POSER?

     Net posers are people who take over a newsgroup and subvert its

     purpose. They

     make up some topic that sounds plausible, based on the title of the

     group, and

     discuss it there (although the group originally had some other

     purpose).

     3) WHY DO THEY DO THAT?

     Some are renegades from alt.syntax tactical, out to deliberately

     confuse; some are

     merely out of touch with reality and honestly believe that the topic is

     valid.

     3) SO, THIS ISN'T A SCIENCE FICTION GROUP?

     The "Distinguished Gentleman from Nebraska" (Dave Weingart)

     notwithstanding,

     there's not a whole lot of Science Fiction all over the Net. There

     certainly isn't

     any here. Please refrain from posting Science Fiction wants and

     desires unless

     they somehow relate to sex, specifically with Swedish females (of any

     species).

     4) WHAT IS THE SCIENCE FICTION FORUM?

     Nothing. The Science Fiction Forum is just a play on the name of this

     group. It

     doesn't really exist. This sort of thing is unfortunately common on

     Usenet. See

     for example, alt.devilbunnies or alt.culture.electric-midget. The "Fake

     FAQ" that

     is sometimes posted describes:

     Founded in 1969, the Science Fiction Forum (abbreviated as sf4m) is

     a lending library and general discussion organization located at

     the State university of NY at Stony Brook on Long Island, NY. Forum

     membership is open to all interested parties, whether or not they're

     connected with the University in any formal way; the sf4m's mission

     is to serve the university and the university community. However, the

     university community is fairly loosely defined; we have active

     Forumites worldwide. For more information, check the Forum's home

     page at http://www.sf4m.org

     As stated above, this seems generally plausible, but is completely made

     up. Don't

     be fooled.

     5) WHY DO PEOPLE POST SEXUAL MESSAGES TO alt.sf4m, instead of some

     place like alt.sex.wanted?

     There are many reasons. This is the proper place for messages relating

     specifically

     to Swedish females and erotic massage. Many of the messages posted

     here don't

     come right and tell you what they're looking for; certain "code

     phrases" are used.

     This is to maintain "plausible deniability" as the actual purpose of

     the message is

     illegal. "Babylon 5" is such a code phrase. References to a

     "Convention" should be

     clear enough.

     There is also a certain quantity of "Spam" that results simple because

     "sf" comes after "se" as in "sex"; these messages can be easily

     confused with "true" sf4m

     messages (but usually lack the proper code words). Also, a city in

     California also uses the abbreviation SF, which has lead to some

     confusion.

     This FAQ is automatically posted once per blue moon to alt.sf4m

     ----------

     David Hodges

     Anarchy. It's not the law, it's just a good idea.

     On Usenet, it's just an observation.