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Welcome to AREA 52, STARFLEET International's Editorial WWWSite.
This is the third refit for the AREA 52 WWWSite over the last 5 years,
and one that we hope will serve the membership even better than its
previous versions. In any case, you're wondering "What the
hell is AREA 52," right? Let me provide some details to help
clear up the mystery.
My name is Mike Wilkerson and I am currently serving aboard the
USS ATLAS, the newest
St. Louis-based Chapter of the World's Largest Fan-Run Trek Organization,
STARFLEET
International. As her Commanding Officer, I have found that
Communications, at all levels of STARFLEET, is an imperative action that MUST
take place.
A little bit of background is needed to explain exactly what is going on here, and it
ALL goes back to the month of November, 1996. The Fleet was in the midst of yet
another Fleet Admiral Election, an always bumpy ride for Fleetmembers everywhere.
As the end of the month approached, I realized that MORE and MORE people had a
LOT to say, yet no venue with which to display it. STARFLEET's bi-monthly
publication, the COMMUNIQUÉ' was AWOL, and the Listserver, while an informative device, had become the tiresome with people telling OTHER
Fleetmembers that they should stop "whining and come up with solutions". Well,
according to the American Medical Association, the Psychology Guild and a number
of other popularly-titled foundations, an important thing happens when people
"whine" or vent. They begin to heal.
That's right listeners. The healing process starts and, appropriately, that's where
AREA 52 started as well. I wanted to make a place for people to give their
impression of what was going on, to stay at the PULSE of what was going on with the
Fleet Admiral Election and the Fleet in general. AREA 52 slowly became THAT
place, giving "Joe & Jane Fleetmember" a pedestal with which to voice their opinion.
Period.
With the addition of the editorial cartoon musings of CPTMIKE, the Cartoon
Voice of STARFLEET, an AREA 52 Quote, and links to the addresses on the WWW
for all of the Fleet Admiral Candidates, AREA 52 became "Election Central" for
Fleetmembers all over the Fleet, racking up more than 2000 hits in less than 2
months. Turn the virtual page...
AREA 52 was a hit, Fleetmembers asking for MORE and MORE each time a Three
Day Quote was posted, every time a cartoon came up to the membership via the
WWW... It was satisfying, but how could it be even MORE so? Taking a proverbial
page from everyone's favorite Tool Man, I made it BIGGER, MORE powerful, and
even harder-hitting, with more features and a larger staff.
AREA 52 has evolved into what you all are accessing now, a place for Fleeters to
make their opinions known, to STAY informed, and to be a part in the organization
that IS leading the pack into the, literally, next generation. This site is for YOU the
members of STARFLEET to take advantage of. Whether it be an
"Electrified Toon", or a dashing article from one of our continuing "Staff Writers", or even a
"Guest Writer" article from Joe or Jane Fleetmember, AREA 52 gets YOUR
opinions known.
So, as always, sit back, strap yourself in, and enjoy the ride. My mailbox
is ALWAYS
open...
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