Hmmm, guess I'm slacking as a Trekkie here. I always assumed the "energy creatures" nomenclature derived from the id-controlled energy monster in Forbidden Planet.

We called trolls "bezoars" at the Bronze, after the creatures in bad eggs that latched onto a host's back in order to control the host.

It's an appropriate Buffy ref, but I've never been able to get over the names of the creatures in the ep since the word "bezoar" basically means "hairball".

Not that that's a bad term for trolls either, now that I think of it.

The Star Trek thing makes a lot of sense though, what with the feeding off the conflict aspect.

EDIT: If we want a Buffy-specific reference, it should be "Do Not Feed The Yoko Factor [Creature]".

We called trolls "bezoars" at the Bronze, after the creatures in bad eggs that latched onto a host's back in order to control the host.

And then a bunch of ex-Pat Bronzers coined the phrase Pfisters after Norman Pfister (one of "The Three") in What's My Line - because it more aptly described those pests that aren't strictly trolls or bezoars. The Pfister looks human, and can even act human, but he's really just a pile of maggots underneath, and sooner or later, after he makes his way into your home, he's going to devolve and get in your hair, up your ass and even duct tape won't keep him out. There's not enough Raid in the world...

Do I get bonus points for knowing that the name of the original Star Trek episode with the energy creature is "Day of the Dove"? No?

I just wanted to add my perspective on how I use the board. I basically have used it for discussion of the shows, since the highly literate discussion has encouraged me to crank up my rusty critical faculties. I try to follow what's going on in Natter, but have never been able to really participate much, even back in the WX days, because I could never keep up. Now that is even more true. I just try to keep up with the show threads these days, and the Two Towers thread, since I am such a Tolkien fan. I don't feel that I'm on the outside looking in, though, because the right-side threads keep me updated.

FWIW, I first came across DNFtEC on GEnie. I think it's a good policy.

If we want a Buffy-specific reference, it should be "Do Not Feed The Yoko Factor [Creature]".

Do Not Feed Yoko!Spike. DNFY!S.

Sorry, just had to. And thanks, scrappy, that's fine.

t /natter

Energy creatures are a sci-fi staple. It would be hard to pinpoint the first one.

Perhaps this should go on Natter, but waking up this morning after falling asleep thinking about this place, I came to a realization of why this place appeals to me.

It's like the BBS's I used before the internet entered the vernacular.

I used to have 5 or 6 BBS's I'd dial into with my borrowed 2400 baud modem. There were different topics. There was natter. There were emoticons. And, there was a slew of regular posters with their own personalities.

The degree of similarity suggests that this was intentional rather than accidental. It struck me in such a way that I had to share.

I think most of us remember some online paradise or other that went down in flames. Mine would be Usenet; other people remember GEnie, or BBSes, or the old Bronze.

It adds to our dedication to keeping this place from following their path.