I still haven't found out what slan means, but that's basically because I don't care enough to look it up.

Secret Lover Among Nincompoops?

Slan comes from the A.E. Van Vogt book of the same name. Slans were supposed to be the next level of human evolution, and in the '40s and '50s, "Fans are slans" was a common saying in fandom. The idea was particularly promoted by a fan named Claude Degler, known for traveling around the country from the home of one fan to another. Degler claimed that fans were a new type of human, and he said fans could join together into a Cosmic Consciousness. One fan sent Degler postcards from all over the country that all said, "I have a cosmic mind. Now what do I do?"

Degler claimed that fans were a new type of human, and he said fans could join together into a Cosmic Consciousness.

OK, lets.

Anyone who wants to be part of the Cosmic Consciousness, meet me at my place.

I'm already there, dude.

I'm in the cat.

Duuuuuuude!

sort of like you guys, please don't hurt me, for although there is fear, I do not despise, nor is this said with any derision

Just for that, I shall smite you with the mighty powers of my BNFosity...except no. I wasn't really ever a BNF. I think that I achieved a certain amount of notoriety within the Bronze community but that was a fairly small pond and not representative of the BtVS fandom. And also, I could point to a dozen Brozers off the top of my head that had a higher profile. It wasn't ever as if anyone outside of the small pond knew who I was.

So, while I do sometimes get a few twinges of jealousy when a BNF drops a funny story about their evening with someone, like, say, Tim Minear

I find this statement really odd. I guess because I don't consider Buffistas a "fandom" nor do I think Tim's generosity towards Nilly had anything to do with fandom. Nilly is a cool, interesting and very sweet person. Every member of this community wanted to hang out with her.

I wasn't really ever a BNF.

Have you done a Vanity Google lately?

Also, Kristen Minear is a fabulous google, and google asks me, "Do you mean, Kristen Miller?

Oh shut up, Queen BNF.

Perhaps I was not using the correct definition of "fan" and "fandom," Kristen. I didn't mean it at all negatively. I agree that everyone wanted to hang out with Nilly for all sorts of wonderful reasons. I'm a fan of hers because of her writing and the wonderful, friendly, open way she seems to have with everyone. I do think she's become famous within this community, and that her fame has spread beyond it onto other boards. I don't think this is a bad thing. It's because she's so intelligent and nice, and puts a lot of energy and talent into the community and into expressing her take on things we love.

I don't know Tim or Nilly, and hope that I'm not being too presumptuous, but it seems to me that Tim's generosity to Nilly was because of the wonderful qualities of hers that I mentioned above and in my previous post. I think that he saw something wonderful in Nilly's posts, and wanted to share that in person and with the community. I think this represents the very best qualities of a community, and I certainly never intended to imply any of the sordid or negative implications that sometimes come with "fan" or "fandom."

I'm sorry if there was any misunderstanding, and hope that this clarifies matters rather than mucking them up worse.

My Vanity Google mostly comes up with Alyson Hannigan's name misspelled. And "Allyson A Popgurl."