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Star Wars and RASSM
Back in the days when I was new to the internet, I was at a loss for what I could do. It was the summer of 1997, and I was extremely bored. Our family didn't plan to go on a trip that year, and both of my parents had to work, so I was left at home. Just me and the computer.
Out of idle curiousity, I did a search on one of my favorite movies, Star Wars. I found loads of sites... The Star Wars Page at Texas A&M, Ain't it Cool News when Harry Knowles was still unknown, and tons of fan webpages devoted to this cultural phenomenom. Throughout my searches, I found all of these references to RASSM, and eventually I found a link to this strange page devoted to an entity called RASSM. What is this RASSM all about?
When I read the RASSM FAQ, I learned that RASSM actually stands for a usenet group called rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc which is devoted to the discussion of Star Wars... the movies, the books, the politics, and the upcoming prequels. I lurked or read posts for a little while, then I plunged into the usenet world. RASSMers are very friendly people for the most part. The first post I ever made was a response to an introduction thread and several Oldbies emailed me. I was thrilled! These well-established members took time out of their important posting just to welcome a new member. Out of my two years of frequent posting to RASSM, this is what I remember most.
In November of 1997, I joined #rassm, the chatroom devoted to everyone's favorite newsgroup. I remember my first chat on Thanksgiving Day... I was thrilled to finally be talking to all of my friends in real time. Lily, Nert, Sal, Drake, Maximi, usher, and countless others... I learned to type fast and became an expert at chatroom lingo. We had so much fun on that undernet server... we made a move to starlink when undernet became too unpredictable.
For a while, though, #rassm wasn't so fun... we had a split between two groups of people around the end of summer 1998. I was torn because I loved both groups of people. So I opened up two copies of mIRC and chatted at the same time on both starlink and holonet #rassm. Finally the quarrel was settled, but #rassm never was quite the same.
Real life took a toll at the end of 1998, so my chatting hours are down to a minimal now. I still visit #rassm and my memories of the hours spent there are so precious to me. Now when I go, I see a lot of new people, but I always make it my point to introduce myself and learn about these new arrivals. Many have gone, too... Lily, Maximi, Gray Leader, and Widge-o are rarely seen around #rassm parts, but they'll always be part of RASSM memories.
Now I've moved away from the chatroom and the newsgroup (though I still lurk), but I still get my RASSM dose. How? By @rassm, the mailing list. We discuss everything, from college football to food to computer programming. A new group of friends and regulars emerge from the woodwork.
Through RASSM and its subsidiaries, I've met people from all over the world and gained a new group of friends. It's like a familar niche... a group that will always welcome me. This is comforting on the internet, which is a big cold place to the uninitiated. My advice to you? Go out and learn about something that you love. You'll eventually find a community centered around your favorite hobby. And you'll realize that the internet? It's as big as you want it to be.
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