What are the biggest letdowns or failures of Trek Fandom?

[admirallukehart]

With all good things, there come the bad. As great as Trek fandom can be, what things out there in fandom do you think we could do without, or could be done better?

[MICHAEL aka. Dr.Mirra Maltox]

For me is the lack of fans and fandom where i live. Around here the closest thing we have to fandom is a 6 hour car trip into califorina to several medeval fairs. If i had the money and time I would go to las vagas, but since i have neither it's not happening

[kukalakana]

oh. Me too, Me too!!

And not to mention my family especially my mum who thinks I'm an idiot for getting a wee bit obsessed with stuff. And my sister who cans Star Trek even though I bet she's never even seen a single full episode.

That's why it's so brilliant that at least there are people to talk to over the Internet.

[Captain E'layna]

Amen to both comments!
Have very little fans out here either. My family thinks I'm obsessed too. Nothing like trying to watch Star Trek without the caustic comments of what's wrong with it.
I want to toss them all out an airlock!!!

Elaine
http://starfans.wtcsites.com

[Martek Dok'Marr]

I'm sorry, but you are in Philly, correct? When I started in fandom I lived in Philly, there are plenty of fans in your area.

[Colonel West]

I'd have to agree to an extent. Fandom should be more social, less commercial.

[MICHAEL aka. Dr.Mirra Maltox]

yes, i don't like the idea of paying a lot of money to just hang out with like minded people.

[Commander Ri'Par]

Not all fan groups charge. I belong to the Klingon Assault Group and we have no dues and 5,000 members worldwide. We are Klingons,not ferengi! What my ship does is try to hang out with fellow trekkies as much as possible. We have and attend paintball wars,bat'leth tournaments,parades,etc. We do it all out of our own pockets.

[Captain Carl Stark]

That's why I'm glad I'm a member of the Seventh Fleet. We've been running for over ten years without charging dues. Some chapters have been running dues free for over twenty years. Why pay to be someone's friend?

[Capt.]

I couldn't agree with you more if I tried

[Ke'reth zantai Makura]

You make the The International Federation of Trekkers sound like Scientologists. ;)

[kukalakana]

I would agree, to an extent.

Out of curiosity, I often ask "what's your favourite...?"

But wouldn't can someone else who thinks differently. That's just stupid.

I guess the way to go there is simply say "Well I know what I like, and if you don't that's your perogative." And eventually if you say that enough, other people's derogatory comments just don't matter.

Either that, or I comment back with a good humoured silly joke of some kind.

[T'Bree]

I so very much agree with you on this point. People in general have become rather oddly defensive over anything and everything! Don't dare cast a dissenting opinion -- and it doesn't even matter upon which subject -- you're suddenly the outcast, leper, unclean! How dare you think differently from the rest of us -- how dare you not like or say anything construed as insulting about (enter subject here).

Sadly, even in the Trek universe this attitude prevails. If you aren't fully enamored of all things Trek you're considered less than a true or hard core fan, even if you've hung around for these 40+ years! Some might even dub you a -- pariah.

Pity. Like you said, we all have our own reasons for what brings us to Star Trek (whichever series) and the emotions that kick into play when watching it.

Some of these arguments, I'm sad to report, have been rather off-putting to me over the years. I still love TOS, but I find my "obsession" dimmed amidst the rancor.