Friends, associates and fellow Trekkies,
There's no denying the fact that, as a forum populated with people who have an appreciation for science fiction, discussions pertaining to Star Trek are going to be frequent, in-depth and occasionally argumentative. Trekkies--although much-maligned in some circles--are kind-hearted, but passionate about their beloved sci-fi franchise.
During my 10+ years as a member of the Ars Technica OpenForum, and during my four years as one of its moderators, I have had the good fortune of participating in countless debates about all aspects of the Star Trek universe with my fellow fans (and even some good-natured detractors). Over the years, I hope I'm not overreaching when I say that I feel that I've become something of an authority on Star Trek-related topics for those of us here in the Lounge. By no means am I the most well-versed in Trek lore, or the most passionate about its preservation...but I believe that love of all things Trek combined with my position as a Lounge moderator has made me something of a de facto leader when it comes to Star Trek issues here in our own personal Ten Forward.
It is in this combined role as Star Trek aficionado and Lounge moderator that I bring you this vision for the future of Trek discussion in the Lounge...
We have spammed the Lounge many times over with multiple, and sometimes redundant, Trek threads. I have been just as guilty of this phenomenon as anyone else. Indeed, I have some small measure of pride for how prolific we Trekkies can be in our discussions. However, lest we bring about the unholy marriage of chili and the Genesis Device, this spamming of threads must cease. Just as Earth, Vulcan, Tellar and Andor united to form the Federation, let us unite into one unified Trek thread.
Effective today, stardate 1111.15*, by Executive Order 27483, all denizens of the Lounge shall make their best effort to contain extensive discussion of topics related to Star Trek to this thread, the "Perpetual Star Trek Thread" as it were. Containment breaches will undoubtedly occur, but whenever possible we should do our best to avoid them.
At 1400 EST, all existing and active Star Trek threads will be locked. From that point forward, all Trek discussion must be confined to this new thread.
I thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
The Sam
Chief of Operations
Starfleet Lounge Division
* - By the TOS/movie scale