JMS on CompuServe (Aug 22, 1996) * FINAL FIVE SPOILERS *
Brent Barrett
bbarrett at speedlink.com
Thu Aug 22 13:53:24 EDT 1996
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The following posts DO contain SPOILERS for
upcoming Babylon 5 episodes.
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This SPECIAL section of "JMS on CompuServe"
posts contains spoilers for the Final Five
episodes of season three.
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Continue at your own risk.
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THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL IS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE
RESPECTIVE MESSAGE AUTHORS AND CANNOT BE
REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED
PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.
Note that JMS has expressed his public permission
that all of his messages may be reproduced freely.
I give permission for my summaries to be reposted in
any form, however I reserve all rights to them and
the right to revoke this permission at any time.
**********************************************
This SPECIAL section of "JMS on CompuServe"
posts contains spoilers for the Final Five
episodes of season three.
**********************************************
[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #563998-<Walkabout>
Sb: #564078-<Walkabout>
Sb: #564264-<<Walkabout propaganda>>
#: 563998 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
21-Aug-96 02:59:02
Sb: #563505-#<Walkabout>
Fm: LAURENCE MORONEY
>> (And my problem with the other fellow wasn't so much the synopsizing, as
that was all he ever did, moments after the show, just to be first, and never
took part in >>anything else.)
Lost the context here a bit....
Who was that?
Not me???? :-0
Laurence
#: 564587 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
21-Aug-96 21:09:45
Sb: #563998-<Walkabout>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, that ain't you, don't worry, that's old news.
jms
#: 564078 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
21-Aug-96 06:51:21
Sb: #563505-#<Walkabout>
Fm: NIGEL NIXON
>> {As you are probably aware, you're not just anybody in this forum,
you're not "just one of the guys". When you ask for something as you did
ask Laurence, it can and often will be taken as an urgent suggestion to
cease and desist. You are being respected a lot -- which is a good thing,
but which has its drawbacks.}<<
Gerald does have a very good point.
While you hold the view that it's better for people to see episodes cold, some
people don't want to do that (and, indeed, may have to wait several months to
see the episodes concerned) and _choose_ to read, where available, detailed
synopses of episodes they haven't seen.
Now if you say, "I don't think you should do that, you'll get a whole lot more
from the episode if you see it cold." Then, assuming that someone's posted a
detailed synopsis in a spoiler marked thread, people have a choice of whether
to follow your advice or not.
However, if you say "I'd rather people didn't post such detailed synopses."
Then, because (like it or not) what you say _does_ carry a helluva lot of
weight here, people will stop posting them, people will tell other people not
to post them, Lee (possibly) will move any that are posted out of sight.
Do you see what I'm getting at? Because of the words you used you're cutting
people off from information rather than letting them make their own choice as
to whether they read it or not.
Just my tuppenceworth.
Nigel
"My brain has failed you! Bad brain! Bad bad brain!!"
Dictator of France, Duck of Normandy, Minister of Bad Puns.
Chancellor of the Ex-Keffer. Attractive dude! Official!
#: 564588 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
21-Aug-96 21:09:47
Sb: #564078-<Walkabout>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
So where is the problem with, let's say, a person putting up a spoiler
that says what basically happens in the episode, adding, "If you want a more
detailed analysis, email me and I'll send it along."
But bear in mind, again, folks can post here whatever they want; I'm not
in a position to stop anyone. If I have any moral authority on an issue --
dubious since I'm not sure where I left my morals anyway -- that's fine, but
I'm not going to pressure anybody to do anything...that ain't how I work. How
people perceive me is beyond my control, and when the poster here apologized
for the long synopsis, I told him he didn't have to do so.
This really ain't a big issue, folks...I saw something, had a gut
reaction to it, and said what was on my mind. I can't start censoring what I
think because someone might take it too much to heart...yes, the person has a
right to post what they want, and I have an equal right to respond as I feel is
appropriate. I'm being as honest in my reactions as anyone else. Who in this
room has a problem with that?
Unless you're saying I should just shut up when I see something I feel
strongly about...which seems to me just as bad as anything else being discussed
here.
jms
[ Summary: The viewer who feels strongly about propaganda in the Babylon 5
story responds to JMS' last message with a counter-argument and
questions about Minbari involvement in the war effort. ]
#: 564589 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
21-Aug-96 21:09:50
Sb: #564264-<<Walkabout propaganda>>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
John...you're getting too wrapped up in this. For starters, having just
had a MAJOR WAR with the Minbari, which nearly wiped out Earth, and many folks
back home *hating* the Minbari...do you think for one second that they're going
to believe a word of what the Minbari say to them? Do you think the government
would allow this to go through unjammed? Hell, EarthGov would have a field day
with this..."See? It's all alien propaganda, just like we told you, they're
trying to destabalize Earth."
Second, I don't think the Minbari have the propagandists, writers,
directors, and others needed to put together a propaganda network, and would
find the whole idea immoral to begin with...and a couple of paragraphs of text
are meaningless...Earthgov says "it's not true," and it's your word against
theirs. That's why you must have absolute, unvarnished PROOF, otherwise it
blows up in your face, which any journalist worth his or her salt knows.
Again your suggestions don't touch reality at any two contiguous points.
Also, I can't keep track of, or answer, 15 or 20 questions in one
message; if you've got a point to make, do so concisely.
jms
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