Just a follow-up, something I've been thinking about lately.

A couple of days ago, I got a letter in my mailbox here on GEnie. Not
real news there, I generally find 2-4 every time I log on. This one asked
"How can I help B5?"

And I've been thinking about that...and it reminded me of something.
Back at one of the early conventions I went to, to promote B5 after it had
been announced, I voiced an opinion that this could be fair competition for
DS9. And a woman in the audience said, "Yeah, right, and Clinton will be
president."

Now, in retrospect, it's funny, because of how that's all turned out.
But it's emblematic of the reality of the situation we're in at this time: up
against a monolith, with very little press, and not a lot of people aware yet
that we even exist.

So to the question of, "How can I help B5?" that got this train of
thought going...it really comes down to grassroot activities. Twentieth-
Century Fox had originally thought STAR WARS would be a flop, and gave it
*very* little support, just threw it out there to die. But on opening night,
there were people lined up around the block for the first showing...because
word had gotten out, and around.

If, based on what you've read here, on the photos that have now begun to
appear, the promos, the presentations (and we're trying to get as much Out
There as we can so nobody will have to take my word for anything, but can
rather judge for themselves) that BABYLON 5 is something you want to support,
then there are two very important things that one can do:

1) Spread the word. Tell everyone you can about it. Here on GEnie it's
easy to forget that this is a fairly insular environment, and that in reality
only a fraction of people log on here. It has to go outside.

2) When B5 airs, if your opinion is the same, to tell the stations
(specifically, the station in your area) what you feel. Because the stations
are directly involved in the process here, the more support they have after it
airs, the more they'll return the favor.

I often find myself whipsawed between tremendous optimism and excitement
when I see what we're actually *doing*...and tremendous pessimism and
unhappiness when I see how few people still don't know we even exist, and how
little coverage we're getting in a media that's set to promote shows that come
with pre-packaged and recognizeable names.

I know that many of you are already doing this, and this note isn't for
you so much as the new folks we've gained. This has always been a project
which has held SF fandom in respect, and tried to be true to its origins.
Five years on "Why Can't They Get It Right?" panels at SF conventions really
helps you understand what fans of the genre want. We've tried very hard to
deliver on that. In return for which, we need your voice if we are to
continue to be YOUR voice (to quote Clinton).

Anyway, there it is, for what it's worth...midnight ramblings from
somewhere aboard Babylon 5....

jms