ATT - more than a codeword of Beast Wars Megatron

I just saw Alt.Toys.Transformers (ATT) described as "the Google Transformers Talk Group" on the TFormers.com homepage.

I found this description of what was once the centre of online Transfandom as a "Google talk group" quite saddening.

A.T.T. is a shadow of what it was. I still lurk there, the plain text and lack of fancy formatting is much more work friendly than the big forums. There are a couple of posters that really really get on my nerves, but there is some good discussion at times.

I know Griffin still posts at times. Does anyone else still visit? Would I be right in assuming a lot of our board members have never made a Usenet post at all?

I gave up on ATT years ago, the signal to noise ratio got to the point where I'd spend an hour wading through "me too" and "lol" posts for 1 or 2 worthwhile posts.

Having said that, I still remember its heyday. It was THE trading place - eBay didn't even exist. Everyone knew everyone - even us foreigners (there was I think a Swede, a couple of poms, a Finn, a handful of Canadians and myself). G2 was coming to an end, but the flame was still alive on ATT, rekindled when Kenner decided to produce Beast Wars. Oh the controversy that started!

Oh, and it wasn't the centre of online fandom. It _was_ the fandom. Plain and simple.

Me don't know it even exist. Maybe existed before me STL. :(

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Originally Posted by dirge

... where I'd spend an hour wading through "me too" and "lol" posts for 1 or 2 worthwhile posts.

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I guess weve found the place where all Archer's "Yes Men" hang out after work... :rolleyes::D

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Originally Posted by Pulse

I guess weve found the place where all Archer's "Yes Men" hang out after work... :rolleyes::D

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Well, I'm talking like... 1997, which was before Archer was let anywhere near a Transformer.

Whoa... there's a blast from the past. :D 1997 was the year I joined OzFormers (then known as Austrans).

Yeah, the regulars on ATT comented on that Tformers description, who were also a bit annoyed and disappointed as well. But it only seems to be an absent minded comment by someone who just doesn't know enough about the history of transfandom. Anyone else who has been in the online community for less than 5 or 8 years would probably say the same thing. Especially after google archived and effectively own all past usenet (newsgroup) postings.

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Originally Posted by Paulbot

Does anyone else still visit? Would I be right in assuming a lot of our board members have never made a Usenet post at all?

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It's still one of my newsgroups I update daily, but rarely do I bother to read it. I get the impression some of the members believe themselves to be "true" (ie elite) fans and too stubborn to change, hence why they prefer usenet over message boards.

#wiigii'd! ;)

I used to frequent ATT almost everyday in its heydey - trading/selling/buying TFs without pics, those were the days, especially when the toy arrived looking nothing like its description and having no way to get compensated. I even dealt with Wheeljack's Lab for a Powermaster Optimus which was desribed as C9 complete - his idea of C9 complete however was the toy itself with all weapons, but not necessarily any stickers which it lacked. I even made a post about it and it was only after several users backed my story that he backtracked and sent me a stickered one (although I had to return the first one he sent out of my own pocket). Those were the days before ebay *shudder*. And then you had the "heroes" who thought they were "the shit", picking on and talking down to the newbies. I even remember dealing with Griffin once on ATT for some Euro action masters and then got a lecture about it for trading them off becuase he rather they went to a fan who actually needed them rather than someone who was using them to trade. I did need them - to trade for other things I needed! :p I think of all the current forum memebers, Dirge and Griffin are the only ones I recall participating - anyone else?

I was on Usenet years ago, but I was mostly on alt.toys.transformers.marketplace, not a.t.t. After the advent of eBay and such, the signal to noise ratio got too high, and too much junk, advertising or overpriced crap was on, so I gave up.

It's still a fun place to hang out now and then, even if it's no longer the #1 source of scoops. A lot of the old-timers are still there and they can provide surprisingly deep historical perspectives on things.

Ya know, when they're not saying "LOL" or "Shut it, Deathy."

Similarly, #wiigii! has its moments.

Waaay before my time. :D I was very late in participating in online fandom (at least the ones outside Hong Kong, due to my much poorer English at the time). My first visit to ATT was actually through Google... :o Reading your posts now, I now believe I visited it when it was already going downhill. I did find a few worthwhile posts here and there but I didn't stay and never posted. :(

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Originally Posted by SofaMan

I was on Usenet years ago, but I was mostly on alt.toys.transformers.marketplace, not a.t.t. After the advent of eBay and such, the signal to noise ratio got too high, and too much junk, advertising or overpriced crap was on, so I gave up.

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:)+1 with the alt.toys, picked up some bargains off there many many moons ago:D