Oh, there's *lots* more surprises and sucker punches than that in the
show...trust me.

BTW...someone dropped me an email note mentioning in passing that
somewhere else there's a discussion going on about *this* discussion, and
indicating that my presence here inhibits criticism of B5.

First, if I believed that, I wouldn't be here. Second...it ain't true.

Along with logging on here and on a number of other systems under my own
name, there are a few BBSs -- regional and national -- which have B5
discussions giong on where I also hang out...but either under a pseudonym, or
without leaving messages, thus no one knows I'm lurking. I do this in order
to get an unbiased view of the show, without my presence affecting the
discussion one way or another. Call it a control group, if you will.

And on those forums where I'm not known to be there, what you get are
generally "I liked it" or "I didn't like it," about as broad as that. Very
little of the (to use the phrase of others) nits and detailed analyses that go
on on the systems where I *am* known to hang out. Since there's a conduit for
direct feedback to the show, people here and on the other services where I'm
on as myself tend to provide MORE criticism of the show, not less. In some
cases, the occasional person may feel that he HAS to find something to nit at,
because there is the implicit request for feedback.

Nor do I try to get in the way of negative feedback; if I think that
someone is getting personal in an attack, or making an unfair accusation, or
blaming me for something that the show never did...I fire back. I try to
answer all questions as non-judgmentally as possible, and if someone asks if
something's going to be done, point to the forthcoming episode where it *is*
done.

I don't try to change people's opinions here (I let the show do that),
don't try to intimidate people into silence (I don't think it's *possible* to
intimidate this particular group in *any* event), and I have a much lower
estimation for those who skulk off in dark corners to mutter their criticisms
of the discussion here than speak openly. I'm insulted by the allegation, and
frankly think that anyone here who has been taking part in the discussion here
should feel insulted about being portrayed as spineless and toadying, which is
the implicit statement behind the allegation.

If I *ever* got the impression that my presence here was inhibiting an
open discussion, inhibiting criticism, I'd log off. But near as I can tell,
being here *encourages* criticism, in greater volume than elsewhere. The day
that changes, I'm outta here.

jms