FidoNet Star Wars Echo
Encyclopedia
The FidoNet Star Wars Echo was a FidoNet
"echomail" message forum distributed on bulletin board system
s (BBS) in the 1990s. Discussing George Lucas
' Star Wars
saga and pre-dating the modern Internet
, it was one of the earliest influential forms of Star Wars on-line fandom
.
, Kevin J. Anderson
, Brian Daley
, Barbara Hambly
, Shane Johnson, Vonda McIntyre
, L. Neil Smith
, Kathy Tyers
, Tom Veitch
, Timothy Zahn
— along with occasional Lucasfilm
representatives, West End Games
freelancers, and employees of Dark Horse Comics
.
In November 1994, the Echo launched a monthly on-line newsletter/fanzine
entitled Out of the Maw. Echo member Rich Mason also compiled his own fanzine, entitled Starfighter Command.
The Echo pioneered a parallel message forum devoted to playing the Star Wars Role-Playing Game on-line.
Due to the participation of the early Star Wars authors and some current and future West End Games freelancers, Echo members were credited with helping to flesh out some of the early Expanded Universe material.
In late 1994, some members of the Echo attempted to compile a CD-ROM
containing all of the Star Wars digital media—images, sound files, text documents, etc. -- that were available on-line at that time (very little by modern standards). It was a non-profit endeavor, asking members to pay only the cost of the blank CD-ROM. However, when members approached Lucasfilm's licensing department for permission to create the CDs, that permission was denied, and the CD-ROM was never distributed. This attempt by the fans encouraged LucasArts
to create its first early commercial Star Wars media compilations, and to develop a strategy to deal with the protection of their intellectual property
on-line.
When the arrival of the Internet quickly eroded the use of BBS systems and FidoNet, Echo members made the migration and created some of the important early Star Wars fan web sites (such as Echo member Mike Farnham's Star Wars Inter-Fido site), and Echo moderator "Skip" Shayotovich later served double-duty as president of the America Online Star Wars Fan Club (link). Naturally, many Echo members also became involved in the rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc (RASSM) newsgroup
, and there was a friendly rivalry between the two groups for a time.
FidoNet
FidoNet is a worldwide computer network that is used for communication between bulletin board systems. It was most popular in the early to mid 1990s, prior to the introduction of easy and affordable access to the Internet...
"echomail" message forum distributed on bulletin board system
Bulletin board system
A Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and log in to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, a user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging...
s (BBS) in the 1990s. Discussing George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
' Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
saga and pre-dating the modern Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, it was one of the earliest influential forms of Star Wars on-line fandom
Fandom
Fandom is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest...
.
Contributors
Noteworthy participants in the Echo message forum included Star Wars authors Roger MacBride AllenRoger MacBride Allen
Roger MacBride Allen is an American science fiction author. He was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and grew up in Washington, D.C., graduating from Boston University in 1979. His father is American historian and author Thomas B...
, Kevin J. Anderson
Kevin J. Anderson
Kevin J. Anderson is an American science fiction author with over forty bestsellers. He has written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and with Brian Herbert is the co-author of the Dune prequels...
, Brian Daley
Brian Daley
Brian Daley was an American science fiction novelist. He also adapted for radio the Star Wars radio dramas and wrote all of its episodes.-Biography:...
, Barbara Hambly
Barbara Hambly
Barbara Hambly is an award-winning and prolific American novelist and screenwriter within the genres of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and historical fiction...
, Shane Johnson, Vonda McIntyre
Vonda McIntyre
Vonda Neel McIntyre is an American science fiction author.-Biography:Vonda N. McIntyre, daughter of H. Neel and Vonda B. Keith McIntyre, earned a degree in biology from the University of Washington in 1970. That same year, she attended the Clarion Writers Workshop, founded at the Clarion...
, L. Neil Smith
L. Neil Smith
L. Neil Smith , also known to readers and fans as El Neil, is a libertarian science fiction author and political activist. He was born on May 12, 1946 in Denver...
, Kathy Tyers
Kathy Tyers
Kathy Tyers is an American author and musician currently living in Bozeman, Montana.-Biography:Kathy Tyers was born and raised in Long Beach, California. She obtained a degree in microbiology from Montana State University, where she met her future husband Mark Tyers...
, Tom Veitch
Tom Veitch
Tom Veitch is an American writer, best known for his contributions to the Dark Horse Comics line of Star Wars comic books, primarily Dark Empire and Tales of the Jedi. For DC Comics Veitch wrote Animal Man, along with two Elseworlds series featuring Kamandi and an elder Superman...
, Timothy Zahn
Timothy Zahn
Timothy Zahn is a writer of science fiction short stories and novels. His novella Cascade Point won the 1984 Hugo award. He is the author of nine Star Wars Expanded Universe novels, including seven novels featuring Grand Admiral Thrawn: the Thrawn Trilogy, the Hand of Thrawn duology, Outbound...
— along with occasional Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....
representatives, West End Games
West End Games
West End Games was a company that made board, role-playing, and war games. It was founded by Daniel Scott Palter in 1974 in New York, but later moved to Honesdale, Pennsylvania...
freelancers, and employees of Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
.
History
Founded on February 25, 1991 by moderator Eli "Skip" Shayotovich, the Star Wars Echo quickly became one of the most popular forums within FidoNet.In November 1994, the Echo launched a monthly on-line newsletter/fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
entitled Out of the Maw. Echo member Rich Mason also compiled his own fanzine, entitled Starfighter Command.
The Echo pioneered a parallel message forum devoted to playing the Star Wars Role-Playing Game on-line.
Due to the participation of the early Star Wars authors and some current and future West End Games freelancers, Echo members were credited with helping to flesh out some of the early Expanded Universe material.
In late 1994, some members of the Echo attempted to compile a CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
containing all of the Star Wars digital media—images, sound files, text documents, etc. -- that were available on-line at that time (very little by modern standards). It was a non-profit endeavor, asking members to pay only the cost of the blank CD-ROM. However, when members approached Lucasfilm's licensing department for permission to create the CDs, that permission was denied, and the CD-ROM was never distributed. This attempt by the fans encouraged LucasArts
LucasArts
LucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC is an American video game developer and publisher. The company was once famous for its innovative line of graphic adventure games, the critical and commercial success of which peaked in the mid 1990s...
to create its first early commercial Star Wars media compilations, and to develop a strategy to deal with the protection of their intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
on-line.
When the arrival of the Internet quickly eroded the use of BBS systems and FidoNet, Echo members made the migration and created some of the important early Star Wars fan web sites (such as Echo member Mike Farnham's Star Wars Inter-Fido site), and Echo moderator "Skip" Shayotovich later served double-duty as president of the America Online Star Wars Fan Club (link). Naturally, many Echo members also became involved in the rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc (RASSM) newsgroup
Newsgroup
A usenet newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users in different locations. The term may be confusing to some, because it is usually a discussion group. Newsgroups are technically distinct from, but functionally similar to, discussion forums on...
, and there was a friendly rivalry between the two groups for a time.
External links
- The RASSM History Archive discusses the history of the Internet's rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc newsgroup, in which many Echo members played a part. (Since both groups were operating in parallel for a time, many of the debates and issues discussed on this site applied to the Echo as well.)
- FidoNet Star Wars Echo on Wookieepedia