March 13

[Zeke]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]

Today I'm going to try something Derek suggested. 5MV has a pretty long history now -- nearly four years, which is about twelve in Internet years. TrekToday, which is only a little older, has for some time run a feature in their Site Columns articles called Trek Two Years Ago. This is a summary of the biggest TrekToday news items from two years ago (natch). Doing something similar here would let us spotlight the best fivers of yesteryear -- narrowing things down a bit for newcomers who see our massive archives and wonder where to start.


So, about two years ago today (March 8, 2002), 5MV wrapped up the original Next Generation Week with [i:post_uid0]Star Trek: Generations[/i:post_uid0] (../nextgen/generations.html), the very first fiver by Derek Dean. (It's pure coincidence that this two-years-ago thing was Derek's idea, honest.) When I first got his submission, I was actually a little miffed because I liked ST:G and had even taken some fiver notes for it already. But Derek's fiver was just too good to pass up. The rest, of course, is site history: Derek went on to become our most prolific guest writer, and joined the staff as Five-Minute Deep Space Nine section head last year.


Also published that day: two TJI articles (#17 (../thisjustin/17.html) by me and #18 (../thisjustin/18.html) by Thinkey) and one of the ENT fivers I'm proudest of, Five-Minute "Fusion (../enterprise/fusion.html)."


Should 5MV X Years Ago become a continuing feature? Let me know what you think in the comment thread below.[/color:post_uid0]

[Marc]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]A recurring feature, yes; a daily feature, no. In other words, it should only appear if something noteworthy actually did happen X number of years ago; otherwise, you might end up with an entry that says things like, "On this day two years ago I posted a link to a virtual bubblewrap site."

On the other hand, to expand your pool of material, you could make X variable; it need not always be two years. And the material could include interesting happenings on the discussion board, such as the initiation of a particularly significant debate or a consultation of the readership's opinions on a matter of site policy (like this one, for instance).[/color:post_uid0]

[Scooter]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]As a newcomer to the site I think a little temporal anomoly section is a great idea. It's fascinating to have a arrived at a time when online web communities, even the ones that do not offer porn, have developed a deep history which can be hearkened unto to shed light onto today's activity.

I think Marc is right in suggesting that this fun idea could easily be onerous to both moderator and reader unless it's kept supple and flexible. But I for one would love to see occasional highlights from bygone years--and maybe even the occasional virtual bubblewrap link, if it turns out that that site was, say, founded by the current junior senator from Nebraska.[/color:post_uid0]

[Zeke]

[color=#000000:post_uid0][quote:post_uid0="Marc"]A recurring feature, yes; a daily feature, no.[/quote:post_uid0]
I never suggested daily. Â That wouldn't work for two reasons. Â One, the daily-update policy is less than a year old, so many days have no history at 5MV. Â Two, I have nowhere [i:post_uid0]near[/i:post_uid0] the amount of time it would take to do one of these every day. Â (And if I did, I'd be defeating part of the purpose. Â I said this was about highlighting our best material, not all of it.)

The idea about including forum discussions is interesting, but the lack of archives past last February would make it tricky, and it would be a lot of work digging through the archives to see what was being talked about in each forum around March 13, say.

[quote:post_uid0]On the other hand, to expand your pool of material, you could make X variable[/quote:post_uid0]

Why exactly did you think I said X? :)[/color:post_uid0]

[Nan]

[color=#000000:post_uid0][quote:post_uid0="Zeke"]Why exactly did you think I said X? :)[/quote:post_uid0]
"5MV X Years Ago" sounds good to me: it satisfies the twin demands of math-related terminology [i:post_uid0]and[/i:post_uid0] being flexible about exact dates.

To summarize: S'very keen. :D[/color:post_uid0]

[Derek]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Ah, yes. Sniff sniff. Five-Minute [i:post_uid0]Generations[/i:post_uid0], my first fiver. I had been led to this site from TrekToday.com and I really enjoyed reading all the TNG and TOS fivers there (not that there were many of each). After lurking for a couple of months, I decided to see if I couldn't write a fiver, so I noticed that FC and INS had been fived and (not thinking that someone else might've called it) just decided to write GEN, without asking, and submitted it in HTML. To my defense, the submission FAQ was not up at the time, so I had no way of knowing. Not long after that, the email address I submitted my fiver from stopped working, so I have no idea how Zeke's email response to me looked. I have to admit, I've always been curious.

But I'm pleased to say that I'm still largely happy with the fiver. The scene I most dislike is Picard's earth-to-the-sun rationalization to Worf. His line is just too long. Oh well.

And Zeke, "Fusion" is definitely one of my favorite of your ENT fivers. The whole Protestant/Catholic thing was inspired. I just re-read it and I'm still chuckling over some of your jokes (even snuck in an eating Porthos joke). Definitely a good one.[/color:post_uid0]

[Katy Jane]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]I like the idea to. :D

And i also want to say that fusion is my favorite enterprise fiver, though Twilight may have edged it out :D

Edit: Just reread Fusion and yep its still my favorite :lol: Along with the catholic/Protestant bit, there's the whole matrix bit and of course...
[quote:post_uid0]T'Pol: Ohm... ohm... ohm....
Archer: Good to see you're meditating again.
T'Pol: Who's meditating? I'm reciting physics terms[/quote:post_uid0]

Classic :D[/color:post_uid0]

[mudshark]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]As an irregular recurring feature, a "looking back at 5MV"-type thingy would be a nifty idea, imo.

As it happens, it was just about two years ago that I finally found my way to the site, having seen mention of it at Delta Blues for some time before. [i:post_uid0]Fusion[/i:post_uid0] and [i:post_uid0]ST: Generations[/i:post_uid0] were probably two of the first fivers I read here, and from there, it was many weeks of poring over the back catalogs of fivers, [i:post_uid0]TJI[/i:post_uid0]s, news items and such.

And giggling a lot. :D[/color:post_uid0]

[Hotaru]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]5MV X Years Ago is kinda cool. It was about three years ago when I found this site. It's neat to look back at old stuff. I think I only ever read Generations once, I forgot how good it was.

I'm thinking that you should look back on major things, like NextGen Week, and such. Well, that's all I have to say.[/color:post_uid0]

[Scooter]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Love this Generations fiver. Any use of Worf's "If you were any other man I would kill you where you stand!" never fails to crack me up.

[quote:post_uid0]Picard: Where am I?
Picard's wife: Heaven.
Picard: And it's Christmas?
Picard's wife: Of course. It's always Christmas in Heaven.
[/quote:post_uid0]

Ah, I can hear Graham Chapman singing about it now... :)[/color:post_uid0]

[Kristina]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]5MV X years ago... great idea - I agree with Hotaru on covering mainly events, though.

And, on another note: π day... *snicker* I wish I had thought of serving pie at 1:59 on Sunday - but we did throw a birthday party for Junior. Does hot dogs count?[/color:post_uid0]

[Marc]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Another nice thing about the "5MV X Years Ago" idea is that it gives something other than a link to post on the daily news page on days when there isn't any other news.[/color:post_uid0]

[Zeke]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Yes, I decided not to point that out in the update, but coming up with link-worthy sites every day is [i:post_uid0]hard[/i:post_uid0]. It would be easy to just do webcomics or Mega Man sites, but I try not to overdo any particular category of link.[/color:post_uid0]

[Wowbagger]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Hate to sound negative, but should Zeke be allowed to spend any more time doing odd things? After all, we did just go through a several week fiver-drought. Or at least it felt like that. But it would be a good excuse to reread old stuff and hear stories from before the Great Arrival (of me, that is).

Wowbagger: Unregistered so John Ashcroft can't hunt me down.[/color:post_uid0]

[NAHTMMM]

[color=#000000:post_uid0][quote:post_uid0="Guest"]Hate to sound negative, but should Zeke be allowed to spend any more time doing odd things? Â After all, we did just go through a several week fiver-drought. Â Or at least it felt like that. Â But it would be a good excuse to reread old stuff and hear stories from before the Great Arrival (of me, that is).[/quote:post_uid0]
I hate to tell you, but 5 [i:post_uid0]is[/i:post_uid0] odd. ;)[/color:post_uid0]

[catalina_marina]

[color=#000000:post_uid0][quote:post_uid0="Guest"]After all, we did just go through a several week fiver-drought.[/quote:post_uid0]
I'm sure there is good reason for that. Besides, I happen to know some of what's coming, and don't worry, it'll be well worth the wait. :)[/color:post_uid0]

[Nic Corelli]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]I like all this green colour code stuff! Let`s keep it![/color:post_uid0]

[PointyHairedJedi]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]I was going to say something about envy and/or monsters, but I thought I'd just save you all the effort and go straight to the thwapping.

*[i:post_uid0]THWAPS self repeatedly with a slice of Lancre Mint Cake[/i:post_uid0]*

*[i:post_uid0]THWAPS self again for the Pratchett reference that nobodyy is actually going to get[/i:post_uid0]*

I've been haveing a particularly random day, so perhaps its better if you just don't ask.[/color:post_uid0]

[taya17]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Are we into random THWAP!ping of PHJ, then? I could do that!

::THWAP!s PHJ with large slice of lemon wrapped around 5-mile long station::

Man, I could get used to this...[/color:post_uid0]

[PointyHairedJedi]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]I don't think you've ever actually needed a reason to thwap me, 17.[/color:post_uid0]

[catalina_marina]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Or anyone else, for that matter.[/color:post_uid0]