The Cliff Notes Guide to ASC

1. What is ASC?

2. What types of stories are allowed at ASC?

3. How do I access/post/read ASC?

4. What is ASCEM?

5. What is ASCA?

6. How should I format a story for ASC?

7. What is ASC etiquette?

8. So about those Awards...

9. What is the Trekiverse Archive?

10. A brief guide to Who's Who on ASC

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Note: This is a very basic overview of ASC and I've tried to make it as user-friendly as possible. I've linked to the relevant FAQs for more specifics. Suggestions/comments should be sent to me.

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BASIC DEFINITIONS:

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions -- basically a collection of questions and answers. Newbies to online forums (whether it be message boards or mailing lists etc) to read the FAQs before participating in discussion.

ISP: Internet Service Provider. This is who you get your internet service from. Examples include AOL, Earthlink, Roadrunner, and AT&T, just to name a few.

Netiquette: the etiquette guidelines for posting messages for newsgroups. Netiquette covers not only rules to maintain civility in discussions (i.e., avoiding flames). In most cases, netiquette is enforced by fellow users who will vociferously object if you break a rule of netiquette.

Newsgroup: (often abbreviated as NG, aka Usenet) A cross between a mailing list and a forum. Anyone can post and messages are read like email.

Newsreader: Sometimes spelled as one word, a news reader is a software program that enables you to read messages posted to Internet newsgroups, and to post your own messages.

Definitions paraphrased from webopedia.

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1. What is ASC?

ASC is alt.startrek.creative -- a newsgroup for all flavors of Star Trek *stories* with unmoderated posting. Anyone can post – no sign-up process required.

ASC, in general, is where many Trek writers first got their start and it's still the first place a lot of people come for a Trek fix. So while it might look 'quiet', be aware only a small percentage of ASCers actually delurk to post.

The Virtual Staff Office (VSO) conducts official newsgroup business. The VSO is responsible for the smooth running of the newsgroup's services, such as FAQs, Status of Stories Posts, Awards, and Archive.

Status of Stories (SoS) are posted to ASC on a weekly/monthly basis by the SoS maintainers depending on their RL schedules. The SoS posts list every story posted to ASC during a particular time period. The SoS is a good resource to see if stories in your favorite series were posted during a particular time period. It's also a good check for YOU as SoS posts are used to compile Awards listings

* The official newsgroup FAQ is available here.

* The 2002 FAQ for the Awards is available >a href="http://www.trekiverse.org/FAQs/ASCAwards2002.txt">here. (note: this FAQ changes annually but the basics remain the same)

2. What types of stories are allowed at ASC?

ASC welcomes all series – TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY and ENT. In addition, crossover stories (such as Stars Wars crossed with Trek) and Original Character (OC) fics based on the Trek universe are also popular.

ASC doesn't place restrictions on story ratings -- all stories rated G to NC-17 are allowed. There are no restrictions on genre of story either -- general (crew), het (male/female pairing) and slash (female/female or male/male pairing) are welcomed on the newsgroup.

In addition, slash stories are *not* automatically NC-17 unless the author feels it's necessary to rate hir story as such. Most NC-17-rated stories posted to ASC feature explicit sex, whether it is het or slash. The author can use hir discretion in rating a story.

3. How do I access and post to ASC?

There are two methods for posting to ASC. One way uses Google Groups and the other uses a news reader.

a. How to use Google Groups:

Google Groups requires you to sign up for an account with them. The account is free. Once you sign in, the process is very similar to posting to a mailing list. Just type in a subject line, paste in your story, click submit, and voila!

Note: Google Groups can take up to 3-9 hours to appear on the Google Groups site; those using newsreaders, however, will see the post almost immediately.

More info on how to use Google Groups.

b) How to use a newsreader:

You need to first find out if you have newsgroup access. Your ISP should be able to tell you this information. They will also give you instructions on how to access newsgroups.

You will need a newsreader. Netscape provides a free newsreader with its mail software as does Outlook Express. Free Agent (available for download here ) is another such software application. You would configure your newsreader the same way you would configure an email client such as Eudora or Outlook mail. In order to access the newsgroups via your ISP, you will need the following information:

i. Your user ID for the news server (your ISP should provide this)

ii. Your password for the news server (your ISP should provide this)

iii. The ISP's news server (your ISP should provide this)

Specific information on how to configure a newsreader is available in the help section of the newsreader program you choose to use.

If your ISP doesn't provide newsgroup access and you don't wish to use Google Groups, check here for a listing of companies which do provide newsgroup access, either for free or for a fee.

Note: The above are merely suggestions, not recommendations, for newsreaders and/or newsgroup servers.

c) Read-Only Access to ASC

There are two ways to read ASC.

You can subscribe to ASCL which is the stories-only version of ASC. All stories posted to ASC are forwarded to you via email by Katie Redshoes and/or Stephen Ratliff. However, there is no way to post feedback to ASCL -- readers can send feedback privately to the author's email addy, hopefully provided in the header on the story.

Help on using Yahoogroups here

News2Web provides read-only access to the newsgroup for free. If you posted via Google, you will probably see your post show up here 10-15 minutes later. You can read ASC here.

4. What is ASCEM?

ASCEM is a sister-group of ASC. It stands for alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated and, you got it, the focus is on erotica.

Like ASC, any rating of fic is allowed on ASCEM from G to NC-17. However, the majority of stories which appear here are rated PG-13 and higher due to the emphasis on erotica. All series, pairings, characters, genres etc are welcome on ASCEM.

Due to heavy spammage on the first two versions of the newsgroup, ASCEM is moderated and available either at google groups or on yahoogroups.

The official FAQ for ASCEM is here.

Note: Unlike ASC, ASCEM does have a moderator: Dina Lerret. Depending on the moderation queue, there may be a delay before a newbie's posts appear on ASCEM.

5. What is ASCA?

ASCA is alt.startrek.all-ages, another sister-group of ASC. Like ASCEM, ASCA is moderated and can be accessed via a newsreader or Google Groups. ASCA is the only ASC* group with rating restrictions: no story posted there can be rated higher than PG-13.

If you have a question about whether your story is appropriate for ASCA, please direct it to one of the ASCA moderators (listed in bullet point #10 at the end of this FAQ).

The official FAQ for ASCA is here.

If a story you posted to ASCA is rejected by the moderators for content, you may appeal to have your story reconsidered. Appeals procedures are available here.

Note: Having a story rejected from ASCA does NOT impact whether you can post that same story to ASC or ASCEM.

6. How do I format a story for ASC? What are the character codes? What are these headers everyone talks about?

Formatting for ASC is very similar to that of a mailing list and involves just three steps:

i. Save your story as a text file. Please, turn off smart quotes or any special characters that MS Word might insert; these can come across as gibberish in newsreaders and render a story unreadable. Copy and paste your story into a newsreader or Google Groups posting -- just like you would for a Yahoogroups post. In addition, please single space within paragraphs, do not indent, and double space between paragraphs. Label all parts of a story (1/5 etc) and try to keep each segment under 20-25 K in length (about 3-4 pages).

ii. Put a header on your story. This is the first thing that goes into the body of your post to the newsgroup. At minimum, your header should include the following information: Title, Author, Email, Series, Rating, Pairing, Summary

Sample Header:

Title: Touch

Author: Seema

Contact: seemag1@yahoo.com

Series: TNG/VOY

Part: NEW 1/1

Rating: PG-13

Codes: P/J

Archive: ASC yes, everyone else please ask

Summary: Sometimes, it does take one to know one...

Note: You may want to 'spam-proof' your email address. 'Spam-proofing' protect your email address from spambots (those evil things which go about harvesting your email addresses from newsgroups, websites etc). Examples of 'spam proof' email addresses (capitalized letters should be discarded): ficcer@yahoo.comEDY, ficcer at aol.com, etc. (Unfortunately, Google doesn't allow spam-proof emails for posting purposes, but you can spam-proof email information in your header).

A few words about ratings: Most ASCers prefer authors use ratings for a variety of reasons. In addition, if there is subject matter that may be disturbing or offensive to readers for whatever reason, please place a warning at the beginning of the story. The warning does *not* need to be explicit and can merely say something along the lines of "This story may feature content that may disturb some readers." For guidelines on how to rate your stories for ASC, please check the FAQ.

iii. Write a subject line. Your subject line should include the following: Series abbreviation, Title, Rating, # of Parts

Sample Subject line: NEW VOY Skin (P/T) [R] 1/2

Please note that consistent formatting makes the Archivist's job easier!

Archivist's Formatting Advice.

The current character codes for ASC are here.

Want advice on how to write a summary? Carol Thomas has some.

7. What is ASC etiquette?

Every online group has its own culture and ASC is no different. You'll find a diverse group of people on ASC, representing all Trek series. Many authors who post to ASC have been writing for a long time. Some specialize in one series or one pairing/characters, others dabble in a variety of series. All co-exist fairly peacefully together (though, there is the occasional spat, ASC is really just one big happy Internet family).

Yes, ASC *is* large and can be intimidating, especially as it may seem at first everyone knows everyone else. However, that's *no* different than any mailing list. Friendships on ASC develop just as they do on a mailing list. Here are some basic suggestions on how to become a part of the ASC community:

i. Feedback -- ASC isn't a quid pro quo venue. However, offering FB to authors is a good way of establishing your name on the newsgroup. Got a question on *how* to feedback? Peg Robinson offers advice.

ii. Respond to Feedback -- Did you receive FB? Thank the FBer -- they will appreciate it. You can do it either privately or publicly (many ASCers thank each FBer individually and publicly).

iii. Be respectful of others. Yes, we've got a FAQ for debates too.

iv. Please ask the original author for permission before MSTing a story. FAQ.

v. If you'd like to play in another author's sandbox or use their original character, please email them first and ask for permission.

vi. Participate in the Awards -- the Awards are a major event. Tell an author you love hir work.

vii. Flames are not appreciated. The "Star Wars is better than Star Trek" argument has been done as has been "My captain is better than yours!" Comments like this are usually ignored or, if in the mood, ASCers settle for a nice troll roasting.

viii. ASC is very much a community, just like a mailing list. It's give-and-take. No one person runs it, no one person is responsible for what happens on the group.

In general, ASCers are very friendly and open to newbies. So hang in there and have fun!

General rules of netiquette.

8. So about those Awards...

The ASC Awards are a yearly event on ASC. ASCEM has their own set of Awards called the Golden Orgasms (Golden O's). Every story posted to ASC during the Awards year is eligible; there are no nomination procedures. The Awards year for ASC runs from February 1 to January 31. Every story posted to ASCEM during *their* Awards year is eligible for the Golden O's. The ASCEM Awards year runs from January 1 to December 31.

The ASC Awards are feedback-based (the ASCEM format is different and will not be talked about here).

What does 'feedback-based' mean? A vote is made on the basis of comments written for a story. For example, a vote can be something as simply as "I loved this story about Data's cat." The longer the FB, the more points a vote gets.

Note: The ASC Awards are about generating feedback. The spirit of the Awards is a very special part of the culture. Many long-time ASCers care more about the FB than winning. Because the Awards are extremely work-intensive, ASCers feel their Awards are very meaningful and they are well-aware of the recognition bestowed upon them by their peers.

Categories for the ASC Awards change from year to year based on stories submitted. Every category must have at least 8 stories written by 2 different authors. Thus a category which may have been in existence the previous year may not exist the following year and vice versa.

Want more information about the Awards? FAQ.

Past, present and future Awards site.

9. What is the Trekiverse Archive?

The Trekiverse Archive houses approximately 11,500 stories. All stories posted to ASC, ASCEML and ASCA will eventually be archived. For a variety of reasons, there's a backlog of stories right now so it may seem like ENT is being neglected; that is however, not the case. Currently, the backlogged stories number about 2,000, down from 3,500 from about a year ago.

The Archive is a volunteer-effort and is maintained by Katie Redshoes and Stephen Ratliff.

10. Who's Who on the ASC VSO?

This is not a complete list of VSO members, only those whom you'll meet on ASC most often.

* Archivist: Katie Redshoes -- redshoes at ix.netcom.com

* FAQ Maintainer: Stephen Ratliff -- Stephen at trekiverse.org

ASC's SoS (Status of Stories) FAQ Maintainers:

* TOS: Rocky -- roq at iname.com

* TNG: Ke Roth -- keeroth at startrek.net

* DS9: Gabrielle Lawson -- inheildi at earthlink.net

* VOY: Seema -- seemag1 at yahoo.com

* ENT: Meghan Elizabeth -- megsalot at hotmail.com

* MIS: Stephen Ratliff – Stephen at trekiverse.org

ASCA Moderators:

* Stephen Ratliff -- Stephen at trekiverse.org

* Jemima Pereira -- trek at jemimap.cjb.net

2002 Awards Staff (these positions/names may change in the future):

* Coordinator: Seema

* Tech Support: Stephen

* Assistant Coordinator: Sara Goose

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Credits:

The Cliff Notes Guide to ASC was written by Seema. Official ASC FAQs linked in this document are the domain of Stephen Ratliff, FAQ Maintainer for ASC*. These FAQs are linked with his permission to avoid reinventing the wheel.

My gratitude to the following people for their help in compiling/editing this Cliff Notes Guide to ASC: Djinn, Lori, Jemima, RabbleRouser, Rocky, and Stephen Ratliff.

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Seema is a long time Trek ficcer who can be found either sipping margaritas at the zen resort or hanging out at ASC