360 lines
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360 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
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VampNet Conference Descriptions
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This file will give you some idea of what VampNet is about; what we
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like to talk about, and what types of conversations to expect in each
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conference. It may or may not be helpful in making your decision of
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which conferences to echo (G).
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You'll notice that VampNet DOES require aliases for most, if not all,
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of it's conferences. This conscious decision on the part of the Net
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Administrators was made to encourage thought-provoking, creative, and
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intelligent discussions of some rather offbeat subjects. It's often
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easier to write what you really think and feel about a subject if
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you're "incognito".
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VampNet is by no means an "adult access" network, but it certainly
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isn't G-rated, either. PG-13, maybe. You should read NETRULES.TXT
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for specifics regarding what we'd like our guidelines to be, but just
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be aware that tolerance is, in our humble opinion, a virtue.
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Nevertheless, excessive swearing, graphic depictions of sex or violence
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are, shall we say, frowned upon, and probably unnecessary.
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Now, before the entire NETRULES.TXT file is re-written here, on to our
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conferences.....
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VampNet Admin Alias: Not Allowed
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Conference Moderator: Jack Norton *REQUIRED*
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This conference is a place for Net Sysops to post suggestions and to
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look for any changes in policy that might affect them. Note the key
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words, "Net Sysops". No one but VampNet Hubs and Nodes should have
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access to this conference.
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Hopefully, we'll be able to maintain a casual atmosphere here. If you
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have suggestions, complaints, or whatever, let us know. Just be nice
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about it whenever possible.
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VampNet Sysops Alias: Not Allowed
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Conference Moderator: Jack Norton *REQUIRED*
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This conference in intended to be a public forum for Net Sysops to
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communicate with each other. Again, the key words are "Net Sysops." As
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with VampNet Admin, no one other than Net Hubs and Nodes should have
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access to this conference.
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VampNet Chat Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open *REQUIRED*
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Pretty much what the name implies, a necessity for any net to use as a
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catch-all for those discussions that don't quite fit any other
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conference description. Enough said.
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Anne Rice & Company Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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What self-respecting vampire afficianado isn't familiar with Anne Rice
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and the Vampire Chronicles? Rice's Interview with a Vampire, The Vampire
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Lestat, and Queen of the Damned have reshaped the vampire myth in a way
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that no other contemporary horror author ever could.
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This conference is a discussion of Anne Rice, her novels (to include
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ALL of her works), her characters - her world.
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Bram Stoker Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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Bram Stoker was, in his day, the Anne Rice of today. His contribution
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to literature was, quite literally, to reinvent the vampire - from the
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pitiable creatures that they were for centuries in folklore to the
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tragic hero portrayed in _Dracula_.
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This conference is about Bram Stoker, the man, his life, and his
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world, without whom society's fascination with vampires might never have
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existed.
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Count Dracula Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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The other half of Bram Stoker, deserving of it's own discussion.
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Dracula, the tragic, romantic hero, has been revived in so many ways
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that he certainly will live forever. From movies and literature to
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greeting cards and beer ads; ask any five-year old who Dracula is, and
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that child will point to his or her teeth.
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Dracula is a part of our society, and the discussions here will
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discuss the how's and why's of his continued existence.
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Cyber Screams Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Judge
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This is, after all, a net. The combination of vampires and cyberpunk
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was inspired largely by a popular RPG published by White Wolf Games; a
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postmodern world populated by cyberpunks, and yes.....vampires. It's a
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world of darkness and danger, of high-tech and cold skin. Thus, Cyber
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Screams is born.
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This conference is for netrunners and vampires alike. Horror and
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high-tech, side-by-side in the not too impossible future.
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Dark Shadows Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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Who doesn't remember the scariest soap-opera ever to hit daytime
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television, or it's ill-fated "renewal" over twenty years after Barnabas
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Collins had taken his last victim?
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Dark Shadows has a following that is uniquely it's own, all throughout
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the country. This conference is about the show(s), the actors, the
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characters, or anything to do with the world of Dark Shadows.
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Folklore & Tradition Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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Everyone knows that garlic and crucifixes are effective tools for
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warding off vampires, but where do these customs originate? Where did
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the first vampire come from?
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Vampires myths are almost universal around the globe, and all of them
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vary in many ways. This conference is a discussion of those myths,
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traditions, the folklore - anything having to do with the historical
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origin of vampires, or the folklore and tradition surrounding them.
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General Arts Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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Why a conference on general arts on a vampire network? Because many
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individuals who are interested in vampires are also highly creative,
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artistic types of people. Painters, sculptors, you name it. And if you
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doubt it, take a look at some of the art surrounding the vampire myth.
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This conference is purposefully general in nature, not catering to any
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specific artistic discipline. To do so would require a completely
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seperate net (any takers?). Hopefully, conversations between artists
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not covered by the few special arts categories will take place here.
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General Occult Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Nineveh
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While vampire afficianados aren't necessarily interested in the
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occult, many are. It's not such a huge leap, going from a discussion of
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vampires to one on astral projection, or other such discipline.
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This very general conference will accommodate a wide variety of
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discussions. And while not everyone will want to post here, it's here
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for those who do.
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A word of warning to sysops: This is not a debate conference, but
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invariably, you can expect someone at some time with a desire to turn
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this conference into a religious debate. Come to think of it, this
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entire net could spawn such reaction (G). Just want you to be
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warned.....
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Gothic Underground Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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While Cyber Screams is a discussion of postmodernism is the distant
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future, Gothic Underground is here to discuss the postmodern world of
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the gothic/vampire of today.
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This conference is here to discuss the music and lifestyles of today's
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youth, many of whom live a very literal vampiric existence. By virtue
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of it's being included, this conference will also no doubt be a
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connecting point for many - a place to meet new friends and discuss
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their way of life.
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Internet Chat Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Judge
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Anyone who has ever been on the Internet can spend countless hours,
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telling others of the wonders that can be found there - people they have
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"met", places they have "been", and the friends that they have made.
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This conference is intended to bridge the gap between those who have
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been, those who have not, and those who perhaps one day will.
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Modern Music Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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The rhythm of modern music is the heartbeat of the postmodern/gothic
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world, and if you listen to just a bit of it, you'll feel it's pulse.
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From the vampiric lyrics of Bauhaus, The Cure, Siouxie and the Banshees,
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and Concrete Blonde, to the harsh grinding rhythms of Ministry and Nine
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Inch Nails, to the angst-ridden voices of Alice-in-Chains, Pearl Jam,
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and others, this conference is devoted to a discussion of modern and
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postmodern music, both new and old.
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Undead Poet's Soc. Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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Poetry is said to be the most perfect and exquisite form of language,
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and there are many who practice and follow this art extensively.
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Vampire afficianados tend to write rather dark poetry, expressing their
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angst in the tradition of Percy Shelly, Lord Byron, and Edgar Allen Poe.
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This conference is intended to accomodate modern poetry, as well as a
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place to post quotes from the classics.
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Musician's Chat Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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Music is such a large part of the Gothic Underground, and many who are
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a part of that world are musicians. Okay, so even those who AREN'T part
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of that world are musicians also.....This conference is open to ANY
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caller who plays an instrument, or for anyone who ever wanted to. It's
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simply an informal place to hang out, "backstage", as it were, with
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others who share an interest in music.
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Film/Vid/Multimedia Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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One of the most obscure, yet exciting of artistic disciplines around
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is that created by the independent producer - underground films,
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experimental video, or any other type of production. This conference
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is for anyone involved in, or who would like to be involved in film,
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video, or other type of production., to include mixed-media.
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Private E-Mail Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Sysops *REQUIRED*
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This conference is intended to provide a private means for users to
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communicate with the friends they make on this net. There are no public
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messages in this conference.
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Individual sysops are responsible for moderating this conference-
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meaning basically that the net is not used for any illegal activities.
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Since all messages are private, anything LEGAL goes here.
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Role Players Corner Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Equus
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There are many excellent role-playing games on the market, and a LOT
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of people who play them. This conference is intended primarily to
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discuss the White Wolf vampire and werewolf games (which are appropriate
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for this net's theme), but will also allow discussions of other games as
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well. And don't forget the possibility of an active RPG being played
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online - many entire nets have sprung up around this idea, and a lot of
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callers are doing just that.
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Social Issues Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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Social Issues is a conference to discuss exactly what the name
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implies. Departing radically from fantasy, this conference is intended
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for bold discussions of how all of us are responsible for making the
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world we live in a better place. Topics might include the morality (or
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lack of) of war, racism as a social disease, the aids epidemic, the
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homeless, or any number of social issues that affects all of us
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directly.
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Vampire Memorabilia Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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Collecting things is a hobby to countless thousands, many of whom are
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fans of the vampire genre. From movie posters, stills, and props, to
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gargoyles, models, and coffee mugs - the list of collectible vampire
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merchandise is as long as it is varied. Traders and dealers are welcome
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here, to share with others bits of the continuing vampire tradition.
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Vampires in Film Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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A conference that is virtually neverending, this is a discussion of
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the role of the vampire in film. From Bela Lugosi to Gary Oldman, and
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countless others in between, this conference is open to any discussion
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of any aspect of the vampire in film.
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Vamps in Literature Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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Another conference with limitless potential: who could even begin to
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tell you how many books, poems, plays, articles, and other forms of
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written communication have been written about vampires? This conference
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is open to any aspect of the vampire as a literary figure.
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ThŠ„tre des Vampires Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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Yes, there are vampires in the theater, and this conference is where
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anyone wanting to share info on their favorite theatrical performance,
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or just find out what's being done where, and by whom. It encompasses
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actors, directors, technicians, or any other aspect of the vampire in
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theater.
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Wicca/NeoPaganism Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Nineveh
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This conference differs from General Occult in that it focuses on
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discussions regarding a wide variety of earth religions, including Wicca
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and Neopaganism. There are no rules regarding what "is" and what "isn't"
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an earth religion, and there will probably be some crossover between this
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conference and General Occult. The difference remains in the focus, and
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it will ultimately be up to the conference moderator to keep the callers
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on topic.
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Writer's Coffee Shop Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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This conference is for writer's, mainly those into short horror
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fiction. However, like the other conferences, a wide latitude is given,
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and so this conference is open to any writer who wishes to post -
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fiction, non-fiction, poetry, screenplays, are other disciplines having
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to do with creative writing are all valid areas of discussion. Not a
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bad place to just hang out with some friends over a steaming cup o'
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java, either.
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Contemporary Horror Alias: Required
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Conference Moderator: Open
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This conference was created at the request of callers wishing to
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discuss their favorite horror authors. Originally, it was asked that the
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name be "Stephen King and Company," but that proved to be too limiting.
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Contemporary horror, then, is for any discussion on any aspect of the
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modern horror genre.
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EOF
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