Alt.startrek.creative Slash Wars

The discussions that took place on alt.startrek.creative in the Spring of 1997 led to the formation of Alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated where adult het and slash fan fiction could be posted under moderation to reduce spam.Alt.startrek.creative.erotica had been created a few years earlier but the debate helped pushed the newsgroup into moderated status after it became clear that Spam was an ongoing problem. Unlike other Usenet groups at the time, alt.startek.creative allowed the posting of all types of fan fiction - and this practice did not change even after the debates. However, for many Star Trek fans, the negativity of the discussions caused them to move to more adult mailing lists where access could be controlled and membership was limited to fans who were accepting of adult themes.
Also see Some Fan Comments During the Planning Stage: The Topic -- "What is Canon, and Should Non-Explicit Same-Sex Stories Be Included?".
For similar fan discussions, see AO3 is open source (2016–18) and Horizon Fan Club's 1999 Discussion Regarding Adult Fanworks (1999).
==First There Were The NC17 Wars: 1997==
The slash discussion was part of a larger discussion about the presence of any adult fanfiction on the newsgroup. On 4/29/1997 Josh Liller posted the following:
Pro NC 17 Responses:
Among the anti-NC17 Responses:
In the end, nothing changed except for one newsgroup member attempting to explain the "birds and bees" of the Internet: 
==Then Came The Slash Debates: 1997==
A few weeks later, Tom, another newsgroup member posted this complaint:
Some members felt that this was a troll,Among then was the fact that the member was using a hotmail account and did not post again in the thread.. Tom did return in another thread a few days later to complain he was being miscast as a homophobe. More in ATTN: People who responded to the "enough gay stories" posts dated May 11, 1997; reference link. however a few did engage:
Others objectors were confused over the differences between alt.startrek.creative and alt.startrek.creative.erotica, wondering why slash writers didn't post their fic in the erotica section: 
Usenet members quickly set them straight:
As for why there are two newsgroups that allow posting of erotic material:
Others pointed out that the Star Trek newsgroup was unique in that it offered an optional separate space for adult fanfic:
And on a final satirical note, a member reminded the newsgroup that all stories were clearly labeled and if they wanted to avoid explicit material all one had to do was read:
==alt.startrek.creative.all-ages: 1997==
On May 15, 1997, a few fans issued a call to discuss the possibility of creating a "family friendly" Star Trek fan fiction newsgroup:
The newsgroup would be moderated and if a story was rejected, it would be reviewed via an appeal process to three moderators. And slash would not be welcomed.
This led to:
Shannara, one of the proposed moderators replied:
To many this felt like carefully engineered discrimination:It did not help that one of the proposed moderators was George Morgan whose abrasive style can be best summed up in the following quote:"Just so you know, it's done. It's called alt.startrek.creative.all-ages. Object all you wish. You have your place. We have ours. Live with it...... Those of us who don't like slash now have our place where we can have our haven. If you must piss on us, Graywolf, be advised that I do have a bucket and
disinfectant :)" Source: multiple quotes from Call for discussion re: alt.startrek.creative.pg-13 dated May 15, 1997; reference link.
Others looked at this as an unwarranted intrusion into creativity:
Not everyone agreed:
The Final FAQ:
Within a year the flow of stories to the new newsgroup slowed significantly and some fans suggested that the moderation be removed to encourage fans to post their family friendly fiction. The moderators insisted however that the newsgroup was not dead, it was just "resting".alt.startrek.creative.all-ages Dated Oct 17, 1998; reference link.
==Some 1997 Final Words==
While the "seperate" spaces was acceptable to some, it was not to others. And eventually, even the debate became an issue as readers (and posters) grew weary of the discussion. In July 1997, a newsgroup FAQ editor called for a "cooling off period" as part of the newsgroup's FAQ:On Usenet newsgroups, volunteers would work on maintaining and updating the group's FAQ )frequently asked questions). FAQs were supposed to represent established customs, norms and rules of behavior and were not to be used to unilaterally set new polices. Unlike mailing lists, the ownership and coordination of newsgroups was less hierarchical and more collaborative. Changes to the newsgroup were to be initiated through "Calls For Discussion" and, after there was discussion, then implemented.
For many fans, this was the final straw.
One member attempted to bring some levity to the situation:
By Sept 1997, another FAQ was issued attempting once again to create and "end point" to the slash debate. The FAQ was ambiguous leaving only the FAQ maintainers in the know of whether slash was on or off topic.
In typical Usenet fashion, many members pretty much ignored the vague FAQ restrictions and continued to discuss the whys and wherefores of slash....
==A 1999 Slash Debate==
As online fandom became more accessible and navigable, so did the abilities of fans to slice their preferences thinner.
In early 1999, a discussion took place regarding a fan's refusal to allow slash on their personal website, a Star Trek: Voyager fiction archive.
The discussion was titled "A Word About Tolerance" and the original poster was Strwriter, later known as thanfiction.
Excerpts from the original post: 
Excerpts from some of the responses:
==References==
Category:Star Trek TOS Meta
Category:Star Trek TNG Meta
Category:Star Trek Meta
Category:Star Trek DS9 Meta
Category:Star Trek VOY
Category:Meta on Usenet
Category:Slash Meta
Category:Star Trek Events
Category:1997 Events