Newbie Info Kiosk
(originally written and posted to ATXF by Bernardine; updated by
bjruef)
Welcome fellow phile!
There are a number of resources designed to assist
newcomers to alt.tv.x-files which can be found at The X-Files Mytharc
and Newsgroup Information Resource main page at
http://www.oocities.org/~bjruef
including links to this version of the Newbie Info Kiosk file,
Myrke's Newcomer Friendly Tips and "Ketchup on the X-Files" a
collection of synopses of the mytharc/conspiracy episodes. The Kiosk
contains links to several sources of information including the
Official Fox Site (which
includes all past episode summaries and a FAQ in the feedback
section) and the
Official X-Files
FAQ written by Pat Gonzales and hosted by Mike Quigley.
-----------------------------
ATXF
(alt.tv.x-files) is a large and
fairly evolved group so, for the continued comfort and safety of all
passengers, the following Info Kiosk has been prepared to acquaint
newcomers with the lay of the land. This Kiosk does not contain
background information about the series, it is simply a welcome mat
for newcomers. There are two comprehensive FAQs that are posted to
this group including Pat G.'s
"XF FAQ" (in 5
parts) and Al's
"Read This Before
Posting" FAQ posted on a regular basis. Newcomers are encouraged
to look for and read these FAQs.
....................................................
1.0 Generally Speaking
All netiquette rules apply including alerts indicating
that your posts contain SPOILERS, if applicable. If you have a
question that is not answered by this Kiosk, you can
mail me privately and I will try
to find an answer. Your question may even be added to future versions
of the Kiosk. For a general overview of Usenet rules and regulations,
visit HERE.
(i) Do not post binaries to this group. If you have something
relevant to the topic that you feel you must give to others, post the
binary to alt.tv.x-files.binaries then post an article at ATXF
telling people what can be found or allow them to email you directly
for the file. Binaries (for the uninitiated) are audio, grahic or
other data files (versus text files).
(ii) With obvious leeway for some *creative expression*, true
fan-fiction (scripts, short stories, etc.) should be posted to
alt.tv.x-files.creative.
(iii) Posting *tests* can be done in alt.test or any of a number
of other groups in the "alt.test" hierarchy. Posting a test with
"Sorry!" or "Please don't read" is not acceptable. Use the alt.test
hierarchy for testing out your signature, etc.
(iv) Be careful how you quote! Most newsreaders show different
levels of quote such as:
>Poster 1
>> Poster 2
>>> Poster 3
Make sure you know what you're doing when you snip and quote or
you could attribute something nasty (or brilliant) to someone who
didn't say it.
(v) Do not post in HTML format in ATXF. Many newsreaders now
support HTML but Usenet is accessed by many news servers where this
format is not readable. The HTML code comes across in the message as
gibberish. Remember that not everyone has the same capabilities as
you do (computer, speed of download, type of newsreader) so limit
your posts to text only. Check your preference settings to make sure
you post in text not HTML. Also, be aware that attaching signature
cards and image files to the end of your messages will also be picked
up as binary files for those reading text only and are not acceptable
for Usenet.
2.0 Spell Checker
There are often liberal variations in the spelling of
character names. If you would like to be correct, check here:
FOX MULDER, ALEX KRYCEK, DANA SCULLY, ALEX KRYCEK, MARITA
COVARRUBIAS, ALEX KRYCEK. Did I mention that it's ALEX KRYCEK?
Check the Official X-Files site or use a search engine to find the
website resource of your choice and take note of additional
characters and the correct spelling of their names.
3.0 Abbreviations and other Acronyms
Because it is the way if the net, and because it makes
us all sound so damn knowing, we have a complete set of nicknames and
acronyms that can be very confusing to newcomers. A few of the most
popular are decoded here for you:
DD -- David Duchovny, actor playing Fox Mulder
GA -- Gillian Anderson, actor playing Dana Scully
CC -- Chris Carter, creator The X-Files and
Millennium
1013 -- Carter's Ten-Thirteen production company
Ratboy -- Krycek
LabBoy -- Agent Pendrell, the FBI lab technician
often consulted for forensic data/reports
CM, CSM -- Cancerman, Cigarette-Smoking Man (same
guy)
ATX -- Or ATXF, alt.tv.x-files (as in YOU ARE
HERE)
TXF -- The X-Files
UST -- Unresolved Sexual Tension, a perceived
non-platonic attraction between Scully and Mulder
Shippers -- those who perceive the aforementioned
UST, as opposed to NonShippers or more specifically, NoRoMos (people
opposed to a Mulder/Scully romance on the show). Shippers is derived
from the term relationshippers. A new addition is Fencers, or those
who are waiting out the debate on the fence.
Consortium -- the nefarious panel of suits that
oversee the conspiracy, AKA the "Smoke Ring". Chris Carter has also
referred to them as The Syndicate.
WMM - Well-Manicured Man -- the elderly gentleman
who appears to have a key role in the Consortium.
Mytharc - the Mythology Arc (so named by CC) --
the continuous sub-plot relating to the abduction of Mulder's sister
Samantha and government conspiracy and involvement in genetic
experimentation.
MOTW - Monster of the Week. As opposed to
Mytharc, these episodes are stand-alones featuring various creeps and
crawlers.
M&S - Mulder and Scully OR Moose and Squirrel (a
brilliant reference to Rocky and Bullwinkle originated in ATX by Gia
Gittleson).
Uniblonder - Or Unablonder, Uniblonde -- Mulder's
new (possible) informant, the smoky blonde Marita Covarrubius,
Assistant to the Special Representative to the Secretary General.
SRSG - See previous, the bureau that X's dying
message led Mulder to pursue.
Oiliens -Wormlike alien life-forms brought to the
mytharc in Tunguska/Terma
Bounty Hunter - AKA the Schwartzenalien and a host of other
nicks. The hulking alien with the ice pick who chases and destroys
alien hybrid beings.
Plam - Stilleto ice pick weapon used first by Alien Bounty
Hunter. So called because of Mrs. Mulder's hospital bed attempt to
write "lamp" and because we had nothing better to call it (though I
like alien pithing device).
This is a short list and, as such, is limited. For a new and more
frequently updated list of acronyms check out these sites:
Acronym Lookup -
www.ucc.ie/cgi-bin/acronym
Coz's List of ATXF Acronyms -
www.enteract.com/~coz/TV/XF_Acro1.html
4.0 Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why the X on the Window?
Although this is now a thing of the past, the masking
tape "X" was Mulder's signal to herald his informant -- the now
deceased Mr. X. Prior to this, Mulder signalled X's predecessor, the
paternal Deep Throat, by shining a light in his window which would be
visible from the street. Check out
Al's archived
list of interesting answers to the "X in the Window" question.
2. Where do you get show titles?
Good question and it's not a mystery. Some programming
mags include show titles, the BEST way is a webpage like
The Official XF
Site's Episode Index. Quite frequently, newsgroup participants
post the latest list of upcoming episodes from the official site or
you can determine the title after the first airing when half the
posts will include the title...and hopefully a spoiler warning.
3. What is X-Ville?
For a complete description of X-Ville and all its
parts follow the links below to the X-Ville Homepage (webmastered by
the hypertalented Alby Reid):
http://members.aol.com/AlbyReid/X-Ville/MainPage.html
--- (main)
http://members.aol.com/AlbyReid/X-Ville/FrequentlyAskedQuestions.html
---- (FAQ)
4. How can I avoid all these X-Ville posts?
Perceptive scrutiny or news reader options such as
kill-files (or filters) and alphabetical header outputs. This is the
case with any of the post which you have no interest in. The
newsgroup is a free, uncensored society. The best way to get along,
stress free, is to avoid topics you have no interest in by screening
headers and using the delete function liberally.
5. Are you people obsessed?!
Yes, but we refused to be ashamed as well. Seriously,
there is sometimes a misperception that because we entertain
ourselves further in this newsgroup with often passionate
discussions, that these issues also affect our qualities of real-life
and otherwise keep us awake at night. Not so. It's a hobby -- often
challenging and always fun. Our motto, courtesy of gizzie, has become
"We're not obsessed, we're focused."
6. Does Chris Carter read this group?
In a Rolling Stone article, Carter confirmed that he
lacks the time and opportunity to follow the group himself anymore,
but receives a synthesized report from an assistant. It has often
been suggested that people involved in the writing or production of
the show lurk or visit from time to time. As a side-bar however,
personal letters to Chris Carter are in poor taste on ATXF and should
be sent instead through viewer feedback at the
official webpage.
7. When will The X-Files go into syndication?
The X-Files began airing August 19th on the FX cable
network. For information on the schedule and air dates for the FX
channel, check the official FX
Network site (good luck; the links are down more often than not
and its annoying Java crashes my computer when I get tired of waiting
and try to beat a retreat...beware). On October 18th, The X-Files
began its syndicated run on non-cable television stations throughout
the US and Canada. Various stations picked up the syndication rights
in each city so you need to check the broadcast schedule for your
particular area. Visit the official XF site for a list of
stations and
episodes, or
check your local TV guide listings. Most stations are airing episodes
on the weekends, some stations both Saturday and Sunday.
8. Is Chris Carter leaving the X-Files or is the series
ending?
The latest information is that Carter, Anderson and
Duchovny have contracts for seven years. Rumor has it the show will
go at least seven years with Carter at the helm. The implication
being that at the end of season seven the television show will cease
production and the series will continue in a movie franchise after
the year 2000. But when asked directly about an eighth season,
Carter, as elusive as ever, commented that with The X-Files "you
never know."
Chris Carter does have a new project in the works. Aside from
continuing to helm The X-Files and Millennium, Carter has plans to
adapt a six issue comic book series called Harsh Realm to the small
screen. Visit the Harsh Realm
site or the author James Hudnall's website,
TheHud.Com, for more information,
news and rumors. Currently, rumor has it the show will be shot in
Vancouver and that the lead character will be played by Nicholas Lea,
who is still enjoying infamy as the recurring character of Alex
Krycek on The X-Files.
The show moved to LA to begin shooting season six. The final first
unit filming ended in Vancouver on April 29th, 1998. If you want to
pay your respects to the Vancouver Crew who did not make the move to
LA, check out the ATXF Vancouver Crew
Appreciation Page. You can leave a note in the guestbook sending
the crew your well wishes and thanks.
9. Is there an X-Files movie?
The feature film began filming in June/July 1997 and
wrapped at the end of the summer hiatus leaving the crew only a
minimal break before filming began for season 5. Reshooting took
place during the fifth season leading to several episodes either
Scully- or Mulder-lite. The working title of the movie was
"Blackwood" but was then advertised as "The X-Files: Fight the
Future." The final product, though, was simply known as The X-Files
Movie. Here is a link to the
Official X-Files Movie
Site. The movie had its North American release on June 19th, 1998
with various dates through the summer in other countries.
10. What is the OBSSE?
The Order of The Blessed Saint Scully the Enigmatic is
a fan group dedicated to tongue-in-cheek reverence of Dana Scully.
Visit their Sanctuary at
http://security-one.com/obsse/.
11. Where can I find X-Files related books and episode
guides?
There is a fantastic resource at the DDEB3 website
allowing the purchase of XF-related books from Amazon.com. By
purchasing from the DDEB3 Book Nook, your purchase will afford a
donation to the charity of the DDEB3's choice. Plus, the website has
taken the time to organize all the XF-related books in one place for
ease of ordering. Visit the DDEB3 Book Nook at
http://www.ddeb3.org/books/mainindex.html
then follow the link at the bottom to view the David Duchovny and
XF-related selections.
12. Where can I go to find transcripts or reviews of
episodes?
To find information about upcoming episodes and those
that have already aired, a good one-stop source is
Tiny Dancer's Site. You
can find transcripts from episodes from seasons up through the
current episodes. This site is updated regularly and the transcripts
appear within a day or two of an episode's airdate. It's a great site
to bookmark. Aside from transcripts, reviews of the episodes can be
found at Laura Burchard's
X-Review
site. She compiles and categorizes reviews from every reviewer she
can find on every episode. Extremely comprehensive. Or you may want
to start by reading reviews from ATXF's incomparable
Autumn
Tysko.
13. What am I forgetting to ask?
Well, I'm not a mind reader but here are a few
additional links. If you are looking to buy some Official X-Files
merchandise, visit
FOX's
online store. I can't vouch for any of the products or prices but
it *is* the official site. Also, the
Official X-Files Site has a
section listing books and magazines that are available along with the
addresses to write for back issues. The Official Site also has a
section listing the episodes currently
released on
video. To find XF-related multimedia, check out the
X-Files Multimedia Archive. This
site used to have even more resources but they were paid a visit by
the FOX lawyers. They still have a huge collection of images, etc. so
it's well worth a visit. Finally, another one-stop shopping website
is the Miningco's X-Files
website. David Swinney, who runs the site, has amassed a huge number
of links and resources and categorized them for ease of use. Take the
time to drop into the MiningCo site since you might want to bookmark
this one, too. (MiningCo recently changed their name to About.Com.)
NOTE: The X-Files Official Site also has a FAQ which they
have composed based on mail through their "Feedback". Please see
http://www.thex-files.com/feedbac2.htm
for answers to more frequently asked questions.
5.0 Links for more Info:
http://www.thex-files.com
- Official FOX page containing history and upcoming episodes
http://www.mjq.net/xfiles/index.html
- Mike Quigley's page containing Pat Gonzalez's FAQ and lots of other
archival data
http://www.turning-pages.com/xf/xf.htm
- Al Ruffinelli's X-Files Page including XF 101 and lots of
information and selected links
http://www.insanity.com.au/td/
- Tiny Dancer's homepage with tons of quotes, notes, sounds,
transcripts, etc.
http://members.aol.com/AlbyReid/X-Ville/MainPage.html
- Official X-Ville Homepage by Alby Reid
http://security-one.com/obsse/
- OBSSE Sanctuary hosted by the Reverend Mother Nancy, ncs.
