Poll 2

Intro

By Erik Wilson Copyright 1999/2000. All rights reserved.

Just a quick note to start you all off -- first, my apologies for taking so long getting this thing compiled, but there is one hell of a lot of information here. I had some problems with discs that erased themselves, translation and transcription worries, and just my own general laziness and procrastination. Because of the lapse of time between when these answers were first written down and when they’re being posted, some of them are a bit outdated, but I left them as they were for authenticity’s sake. Pretend you’re reading this in early November, 1999. Also, in one section about meeting other cappers, a few respondents addressed their answers directly to me, and that is the “you” that they are referring to.

This is a very long piece of work, and most of you will probably not be able to get through it all in one reading. Feel free to read bits and pieces, skim through when you have time, or just plain ignore it altogether. Your choice.

Beyond that... enjoy!

Question 1

Do you still visit Caption This? If yes, do you go there more or less frequently, or about the same as always? And why -- or why not?

Visit? Pah, I set up residence there. Ayuh, right above those fantastic banners we all know and love. Scroll up a bit, you might see me staring back at you sometime. Why do I live there? Rent’s cheap, nice neighborhood, and always someone to harass for a good cup o' laughs. -- Artanas

Since I am currently in limbo status (out of school, but still unemployed) you might think that I'd be visiting the site more often than I used to. But sadly this isn't really the case. Due to the, like, totally whacked out time system thing that they have going on here in KY my normal capping time has become equally as whacked out. For a while I was pretty much popping in during the 4-6pm PST (or PDT, whatever it is we'll be switching from tonight) prime time slot, but thanks to the brilliant scheduling changes at the SFC my weekday late afternoon/early evening capping buzz has been severely harshed. If I cap nowadays, it's pretty much limited to late nights on the weekends, and some late weeknights (depending on whether there's a good crowd), but that'll probably change once I enter the Happy Workforce. -- SunSinner

Absofrigginlutely. When not confronted by man trouble (don't ask), I try to cap every night I can. When good one-night-threads go back and forth, it's kinda like missing out on a party if you're not there. So I guess that makes me something of a cyber social climber. Who knew? -- Dairai

Yes, I definitely still cap, but I have found that I do so less frequently than in the past. I think this is due to several reasons:- Certain other hobbies of mine - producing 3D computer art and programming being the first to come to mind - seem to take up more of my time than before.- For me, a lot of the fun of CT has become seeing the other "regulars" there, and if I happen to check in when no one I know is around, I tend to drop off quickly. In contrast, when I first started capping, I would frequently stay on with a bunch of "strangers" for lengthy periods of time.- I think I'm somewhat burnt out, and I dread the thought of putting too many captions up on the screen that even *I* don't find funny. -- Geier

I visit Caption This about as frequently as ever, but usually in lurker mode. I prefer to cap with familiar handles, but I see old friends less and less often. Many of my favorites are capping late night now, which is a difficult time slot for me to make. CT also seems to malfunction more often these days, as well. -- MadSigntist

Yes, Usually daily (Mon to Fri) at lunch while at work. -- Daleman

I go about the same as always. I feel as though I have slacked a bit in the year since I started. Mainly because I've found a niche, a show, a group of people....you get the idea. When I started out I was trying to find that place I fit in and it all finally came to be during the morning/afternoon schedule with such greats as "The Six Million Dollar Man", "Wonder Woman", and "Hulk" and has now culminated into a special little hour called "Lost In Space." -- robofreak

Why, yes. Yes I do. I still visit Caption This! The frequency of my visits is probably about what it's always been: in other words, I'm there whenever I can be. -- amycamus

Still? Of course. Less frequently, alas, mostly because I've been very busy at work lately and get home late, and I do other things on the web than Caption This! So it gets squeezed out sometimes. -- Lanzman

I sure do visit CT, though less frequently than I used to, and less frequently than I prefer. For me, there are two reasons I would choose not to cap. Sometimes, the programs are just not interesting enough to bother with. But most often, these days, it's just that, too often, the screengrabber isn't working. -- Occupant

More often - mostly because I've got the access and nothing better to do with my time. By which I mean, I don't do anything better with my time. -- GersonK

Yes, I still visit Caption This, but less frequently lately. I enjoyed capping Star Trek at 7 pm, as it gave me a way to visit my brother, joe678, and daughter, doublestuf, who live a fair distance away from me and cap from there. There was also a regular "Trek Group" (not to be confused with clique by any means) who always showed up, and it was a lot of fun to be with family and friends dissing a show we all knew, loved, and lived to ridicule. My brother and I, being baby boomers, were capping Star Trek back in the '60's, as did some of the other cappers, and the time slot was convenient for after-work fun and games. SciFi saw fit to change Trek to 5 pm EST, and while Hercules can be fun, I consider The Sentinel totally uncappable. It's hard for me so say why, but the atmosphere just changed when the programming did. -- devildoll

Probably a little less frequently, not out of preference, but because I cap from work, and increased work demands have kept me busy. Damn students! But I have managed to stay just as involved (if not more involved) with the "extra-curricular" aspects of capping -- the eGroup, the currently-in-limbo Captioneer News page, etc. -- DiscoBoy

Hmmmm... If, by the term 'visit', you mean pack a suitcase or two, maybe a sleeping bag, rent an RV and live there for most of the time... yes... I do visit the site still. My frequency is about the same. I have the internet open most of the time when I'm at work, and if I am not actively capping, most of the time I'm lurking. Exceptions to this are when I'm using my computer for a different purpose... composing a letter, checking customer accounts... etc. As to the question why... One may as well question why one breathes. In many ways, the insanity of the site keeps the non-cyber world sane. -- Buffoon

Yes, but less frequently. When I cap, it's at work during my breaks or lunch hour, and I'm not hugely fond of the programming SciFi uses during these times. ESPECIALLY since they moved LIS to 12:00 noon, and I take lunch from 11:30 to 12:00. Bastards. We are in the process of getting on-line at home, so it's possible I may do more weekend/evening capping in the future, but I'm not sure. -- LuvBJones

Yes, perhaps more frequently because I can now say I have FRIENDS to cap with. -- BlakHat1

No, because as a college student who values her education, I HAVE NO TIME! That, and when I do go on, there is no one from the 'old school' on anymore. -- Cari

Oh yes! I've noticed in recent months that I frequent the place much less than I used to. Used to be I could spend an entire day capping, but now I tend to cap only when I know there are either people I "know" there, too, or during popular shows that attract a lot of cappers, like "Lost in Space." I'm much more "inspired" during those times and feel I cap better then. If I'm not inspired, I get bored and tend to just stare at the screen. -- Agent_Moldy

Oh, yes, I do still visit CT. Not as often, probably because of work and responsibilities at home. I'm also working on getting my photography onto the internet and available to the public. -- Steve_Reeves

No, and the only reason is because I now work in a psycho library with psycho people, who would raise hell if they caught me on the web. -- suggs

I tend to go in a little less frequently than I used to; it depends on the crowd, most of the time. It may sound stuck up or cliquish, but I enjoy capping with folk that I'm used to being around. Having someone with a gallery that might grab my caps helps as well. -- Neoknight

If I had the time, I would visit CT more. But school is about to eat me alive!! -- Ash_Skywalker

I try to check in as often as I can, but I guess I'd have to say that it's less frequently then it used to be. Thanks to the eGroup, I hear from my fellow cappers everyday, so maybe that's why I don't seem to go as often. -- Cyberbeast

Less frequently than I used to, for two reasons: 1) my work schedule no longer allows me to cap between 1:00 and 4:00 a.m., when I often encountered many of my favorite cappers; and 2) the initial novelty simply wore off. -- NightTrain

Hell, yes! Well, actually, I wasn't capping when you did the first survey, so I guess I've got no former level of capping to compare my current level to. Never mind. -- nashtbrutusandshort

Oh I definitely still visit Caption This, and I don't see any reason why that should stop. You wanna make something of it, pal? At least it's safer and saner than downloading porn all day! Capping "schedule" is probably a misnomer, though, since my captioning has always been a little bit erratic, subject to whenever I can get online and feel like making fun of something. So it's hard to say if I visit more or less often than I used to. Probably less, if only because now I'm working at least five days a week, eight hours a day, and have less time to sit in front of a computer than I used to (bosses are less forgiving than professors if you miss a day). I like to get online at least once a day, but you might not always find me at Caption This! on those days. So, um, maybe I'm there and maybe I'm not. You pays your money, you takes your chances. -- UnReality

I myself rarely visit CT anymore; when I do, I usually watch/read, instead of cap (and caught a capper making jokes about me in the process -- so I've stopped doing that). Why not? Some loss of charm on CT's part; some capping burn-out on my part; I've also developed interests in other areas of the Web, and in RL, and rarely have the time or energy to devote to a good capping workout anymore (*sigh*.....) -- Shandi

I started capping a little over a year ago, and I cap less now than I did then. Mostly this is due to work getting very busy, and having less access to a computer at night, but the recent Sci-Fi channel schedule changes don't help. It's no fun to cap 4 hours of the same show. -- animebabe

Yes. About the same. I'm still unemployed and get paid for doing nothing, why screw-up a really good thing? -- JoeCrow

Yes, I still enjoy Caption This. However, I find myself going there less frequently. I used to make capping a priority over almost everything. I would turn on the computer, and go immediately to Caption This. But, I've found that staying away when my time is idle, helps keep the caps fresh. I don't like repeating captions unless I'm either tapped mentally, or the cap is fresh for the picture. (Sometimes, a funny idea will work for more than one screengrab.) -- Angel_Noir

A little less due to demands of the job. As long as I have a private office, I can cap. Once my company relocates and my office set-up is different, then I may not get to cap during the day anymore. -- bugwber

I don't spend nearly as much time at CT as I use to. I still peek in from time to time to see how many of the handles I recognize, but I haven't heavily participated in Caption This! (except for 5 or 6 captions per active visit) since May. One major reason being that I moved to a city that actually has hundreds of entertainment choices. Las Vegas, Nevada! I still remember you guys, though. -- KINGDINOSAUR

I still cap sometimes, but not nearly as often as I used to. I'm in my first semester at college, so my life changed *drastically*...and my capping time has decreased significantly. That, and I have class when SFC decides to show Trek. -- SpydieGirl

Well if I didn't, I wouldn't really be answering this, mm? I visit quite less frequently nowadays, since I do a lot of drawing and writing, both of which, if I stick to them, could be possible future sources of revenue, and when you're in college, you have to think about that from time to time. You also have these stupid classes where they make you do stuff and learn stuff. And also when you're in college, you're always surrounded by *people*, and you feel all obligated to *socialize* and all that crap. Feh... -- Reynard_T_Fox

Seems that I get out to CT less frequently than I used to. Why? Not too sure. It's usually 'cause I'm not 'feeling the funny' (as wrong as that sounds). But if I'm not capping, I at least lurk for a while. -- BuckFifty

Not really. I'm so busy with writing and college I really don't have the time. So I consider myself a Capper Emeritus. But I love the people at CT and the laughs we all have. -- Imac

Yes, about the same frequency as always. Why? It's fun. It's amusing. And it gives me a low-risk venue to practice being funny. I'm actually a shy guy, and I've been trying to "break out of my shell" for several years. I've always enjoyed comedy (I remember watching Fawlty Towers on PBS back in the early 80s... GOOD STUFF) and I've always enjoyed laughing. CT gives me a way to learn about what is "funny", in an almost voyeuristic way. I cap what comes to mind, and, thank God, someone once in a while says "LOL"... that just makes my day. It's an experiment... a never-ending flight test... most caps fall to earth like so many bricks, but the ones that soar are truly something special. Another reason for my regular appearances are the cappers themselves. Like-minded people get along. Many cappers have common desires... to laugh and to make others laugh. It's a sort of foundation on which anonymous cyber-relationships can develop. Sometimes I wonder what the other cappers are like in their homes... I wonder if I'd like them if I met them on the street. I guess it just goes to show you can't judge a book by it's proverbial cover. -- 402

Of course I do! And I never know when I will be in so I can't answer this question honestly. -- E_B_A

Yes I do, and I go in about the same depending on the quality of the show. Stuff like 'Beyond Belief' or whatever it's called is no inspiration. You can only do so many "Lena, Warrior Engineer" caps. -- Ragbot

Yes, I still visit, although, not as much as I used/would like to. I guess the reason is that being a new father demands a lot more of my time. You know, changing pee-pee diapers, making bottles, changing poo-poo diapers, cleaning bottles, changing spat-up upon shirts (baby's *and* mine), capping, changing poo-poo diapers again... it's a vicious cycle. Also, there are times when you have that 'not-so-funny' feeling, and I feel that I've been needing a Cappingil Disposable Douche® a lot these days, but we all get that way at times, right? -- MrBungle

Yes I do. Strangely enough, since I started a webpage with caps on it, I've not been at CT as much as usual. I try to get in there (ideally) at least once or twice at week. Why not? The answer is simple, my work schedule has been tiring as of late, and I simply haven't had much time. -- GlitterRock

Caption This is the only web location I visit with any regular consistency. And with the possible exception of a search engine, the one I visit most. I don't visit as much as I'd like or as much as I used to. This is due to the fact that I'm in my Junior year of college and spend way to much time doing homework. When I do visit, I still maintain my caption galleries. -- Weird_1

I've always been only able to cap certain shows. I don't cap any of the new line up very well so I haven't been playing that much lately. Also, the novelty has worn off greatly. I still love the game but I miss the feeling of "this is outrageous!" -- Xigeous

Question 2

Many of you stated in the first poll that you capped from work. If so, how do you get away with it? Others said they cap from home or school -- any problems or distractions there? How many of you cap from more than one venue (e.g., work and home, home and school, etc.)?

Home and school are one and the same to me. -- Cari

I always cap at home. -- Occupant

I cap at home, about 60-70 percent of the time alone with the TV or stereo on and a huge mug of caffeine right next to my mouse and ashtray. Distracting? You say distracting, I say cap fuel. Inspiration comes from the strangest of places dontchaknow. -- Artanas

I mostly cap from work - less frequently from my ultra-slow laptop at home on nights and weekends. I used to feel guilty about capping from work, but not anymore. If anything, it provides a respite from a sometimes quite stressful job, and I would wager that it's actually helped INCREASE my productivity. I can get away with it because I do my work quickly and well, and get it out of the way, and because I'm lucky enough to have my own office and a boss who doesn't care what I do, as long as the work gets done. However, the downside is that I always have to deal with distractions (phone calls, visitors, etc.), and as a capper, I'm still in the closet, so to speak, at least here at work. I've been caught red-handed a few times, but of course no one had any idea what I was doing, and, as I said, I don't think anyone would much care. -- amycamus

I cap both from work and home, about half and half these days. I do project work, so I go through times of the day when I just sit waiting for something to happen. How do I get away with it? People pretty much leave me alone to do my thing, so I am rarely bothered. And as long as I meet my deadlines, people don't seem to care. I can't believe that by now my boss doesn't know! -- animebabe

I cap pretty much entirely from home -- but then I'm a graduate student (I almost typed 'gradual', which would also be true) and work a lot at home. If they ever get my office wired for ethernet I'll probably cap some from there when I'm not busy with students -- but when that's gonna happen, I don't know. So home. -- nashtbrutusandshort

I cap in the library during lunch, or I cap at home. I'm never without access to a computer. -- Ash_Skywalker

Capping at work? You mean I could be getting *paid* to do this? Actually, I've been working at my job for almost 2 years, and they just gave me the password to check e-mail last week. Plus, access is on the boss' computer, so if I could cap at work, getting away with it would be impossible. Kinda like getting a raise. Distractions? See above. o/~I cap from home. Yeah, with nobody else. Well you know I cap at home. I prefer to be by myself.~o/ And, incidentally, If you're sneaking around capping at work, school, library, Kinko's, etc... you just might need some help. There are programs that can help you. -- MrBungle

I don't have any jobs or classes where I'm frequently on the computer, so I do it in my spare time in the little computer lab in the basement of my dorm. There are often people watching TV or playing pool nearby, and they're often loud, and sometimes they wonder what the heck I'm doing on the computer, and I explain it to them the best I can while they slowly back away. -- Reynard_T_Fox

Well, I'm good at what I do, so I get a little slack. All the work gets done, early, usually. Besides, I can hear or see someone coming and do a quick minimize(I miss the old days of 'Boss-keys'). Since I don't have a computer at home, I guess you could say I get paid to Cap. -- Ragbot

I have capped from school, but for the most part I caption from home. I don't enjoy web access from work, yet. -- Weird_1

Well, this ties in with my previous answer. I cap from home, so I can go to CT any time. But one of the reasons why I cap is to visit with friends and family, and share a communal sense of humor. My brother caps from work, where he is limited during the work day, but has access to the computer after hours. My daughter has no computer at home or work, so she caps from the internet computer at the public library after she gets off work at 6:30 EST. So, Star Trek was perfect for our little family circle. I tell ya, we really miss it! The library venue is OK - better than nothing - but if there are people waiting on the computers, you are limited to a half hour, and heck, after a half hour, you're just getting into it! I understand my brother is having some trouble with access to the internet for personal use at his work lately. Big Brother is everywhere, it seems. -- devildoll

About the same, maybe a bit less as the novelty has worn off to some degree and I find myself struggling not to repeat caps and to find new and refreshingly hilarious things to say about an episode of Seaquest I've already capped 5 times. The frequency of my visits to CT depends on the bot fodder, who's on (not to be confused with "Who's Next"), how slow the Sick Fish Channel server's running, the phase of the moon, whether I feel up to it after I work so hard, don't you understand, making maple syrup for the pancakes of our land, and whether or not the local sushi joint has ebi nigiri and hot tuna maki on the buffet that night. (as opposed to the cucumber rolls and unidentifiable nigiri that await those unfortunate souls who dare to arrive after 8PM. Yes, not just edible but actually very good sushi is available in upstate SC. The huge Oriental population that came into this area along with the industrial influx of companies such as Mita and Hitachi brought a demand for quality Oriental food other than Kanpai of Tokyo and other knife-juggling non authentic Japanese cuisine. Beats the crap out of Burger King, imho.) -- joe678

I have capped during "work" (I was one of 2 student assistants running the law library during summer weekends a couple of years ago), so unlimited capping would have been no problem if there'd been anything worthwhile to cap. Capping during normal school hours was a bit trickier, but still physically possible (if I was able to snag a lab machine that wasn't in the direct line of sight of the lab gnome in charge of the room). Now I pretty much cap from home, with the only distractions being incessant lowing from the local moocow auction, and the incessant snoring from the local moonshine manufacturer. -- SunSinner

I usually cap from home, CST 6-10, but I sometimes will cap from work...IF the boss is in a good mood, my work is caught up or during my lunch break. The internet connection from my place of employment is abysmal, which makes it hard to keep up if the gallery is crowded. -- MadSigntist

I cap from home and never with any distractions to speak of. Hell, I've capped with James Brown's 19-minute version of "Escape-ism" blasting from the stereo not six feet away from me! -- NightTrain

I cap mostly from work and get away with it because I have my own office with the terminal facing the wall behind me. To add to my moderate guilt, when people walk by my office and see my hands typing away at a furious pace, they sometimes say, "Look how hard John is working!" -- Xigeous

Heh heh, should I tell my secrets? Well, at work I usually do so on my lunch break and am a master at the special windows fast switch "alt+tab" function. Usually I keep a program open that requires a lot of data entry so it seems as though I am actually entering data and just pop the screen up and down as people come into my very busy office. I am the only capper here. As for capping at home, it is a rare occasion, but I have been known to make a guest appearance on more than one occasion. I do feel out of my element when I do cap from home, because it's usually a night or weekend....which strays from my comfort zone. -- robofreak

As above, I only cap on designated breaks. *smug* I work for an educational institution which prides itself on its "electronic learning environment." Employees get web access, and are free to use it as long as it's not for commercial use. I only cap at work at this time. -- LuvBJones

I cap at home. And I am single, so there are little distractions other than my occasional lapse in humor. -- GlitterRock

Capping from work... Most of my capping time is at work. My cubicle (DilbertLand!)is situated such that my computer monitor faces away from the entrance. The few times that someone does invade my space, I usually have time to switch to a document. It also helps that most people who do know that I frequent the site think I'm mostly lurking. Another thing that helps a great deal is that my supervisor really doesn't have a firm grasp of the intricacies of my position. He knows enough to know that he doesn't know, and therefore leaves me alone most of the time. Since I compose most of the documents that are sent out of our office, many times I just appear to be thoughtfully composing letters to our customers. I do cap from home on occasion, but my home computer is... well... a piece of crap. My home modem is only a 14400... pity me. -- Buffoon

See answer #1. -- JoeCrow

At my last contract I capped on-and-off depending on whether the site was blocked at that moment. When I couldn't cap on CT I'd cruise the capper's sites, especially Jazzsoda's. Everyone got a vaguely threatening notice on the proper use of government sites, but since I only had a week left I couldn't give a shit. I'm not sure if I can get away with capping at this new site or not. Hopefully I'll find a new job before it becomes an issue. -- BlakHat1

When I cap, the only distractions are my suitemate purposely distracting me, or friends calling/coming over. Normal life interruptions. -- SpydieGirl

All of my captioning has been from home. Practically zero distractions. I don't have any music playing or have any TV programs on. Kinda like being at a temple of worship. I sit quietly with my twisted thoughts and post them based on tiny freeze-frame random images. It's quite disturbing, really. -- KINGDINOSAUR

I tend to be a Prime Time capper, so I don't ever go to CT during the day when I'm at work. As far as distractions, only the occasional power outage -- Cyberbeast

What first poll? Nobody ever polled me! (You know what I mean…) Mostly from work because my connection at home is much slower and I need the speed of an ISDN to keep up with some of the other Cappers. I get away with it at work because I have a private office with the monitor facing away from the door. When I get a DSL or cable modem at home, I’ll join in more from there during the evenings and weekends. Now, when I’m able to cap from my car, I’ll be really stylin’. -- bugwber

These days most of my capping is done from home. Occasionally, I'll do a few from work - usually on my way out when there aren't many people to look over my shoulder. -- GersonK

I used to work in a place that was so flexible that it was no problem. I was well liked, and always was able to get my work done, so many things were overlooked. -- suggs

I cap from home exclusively, and usually during the late night hours when there's very little chance of someone calling the house and knocking me off my connection. My bedroom door locks, too, so there's not all that much distraction. -- Dairai

I used to cap at school over these crappy network connections (386s that were connected at 14b) and every post was at the very bottom of the page. Even my quickest ones. I've also capped at other people's houses (my best friend has webtv and I tried that but those frigging keyboards suck and it all views funny). I cap anywhere and everywhere I can. -- E_B_A

Usually cap from work, rarely from home anymore. -- Daleman

I cap from work because, quite frankly, it's the most convenient time for me to do so. (Of course, having T1 access doesn't hurt, either...) Luckily, I'm in a position where I won't get into any sort of trouble doing it, just as long as my regular duties get done, too. In fact, when the capping inspiration doesn't hit me, I'll often play Solitaire instead. The bosses don't really care that much. But, a steadily increasing workload means less time to do those things. Or, more precisely, it means that my free time for doing so is broken down into short, couple-minute chunks throughout the day, which isn't enough time for any extended capping. -- DiscoBoy

I cap almost exclusively from home. No distractions except the call of nature. I have capped a few times from some computer training classrooms... briefly and during the lunch break. Otherwise just from home. -- Lanzman

I do still cap from work on occasion, but only at lunch and the end of the day after getting everything straightened up before going home. -- Steve_Reeves

I only cap at home once in a great while anymore. No problems/distractions then. -- Agent_Moldy

I did when I worked in the computer lab but I don't anymore. If I were to cap now, I would do it from my apartment. -- Imac

Mostly from school, during the height of my capping days. The Computer Lab administrator was fully aware of my capping (despite the ban on that kind of thing, posted full view in the lab), but let me continue -- mainly because I behaved myself when in there (sometimes it really DOES pay to behave! hee hee!). -- Shandi

I cap exclusively from home. I don't think it's appropriate to cap from work. But that's just my opinion. --402

I tend to cap from home, at night lately. Was at school. Distractions from home? Mainly other folk wanting the computer (brother and father are both gaming junkies), distractions from school; not allowed to laugh as loud. That pretty much sums it up! -- Neoknight

Things are pretty much the same, for me. I still cap sitting on the floor in the living room of my apartment, with my monitor & keyboard on a coffee table and the TV tuned to the SFC. (I still find it easier to watch what I'm capping, no matter how bad that show or movie may be. Trying to watch something else is just too distracting.) -- Geier

I used to cap from school, but that really was my home for most of the year, so I don't know that anything's changed. My roommate's no longer physically in the same room with me while I cap, and the apartment's a lot quieter than a dorm floor, but plus ca change, plus ca la meme chose, eh? Now, capping from a school computer *lab* is another story altogether . . . -- UnReality

I cap from work and home. At work, it's easy. I work the night shift at a parking facility. I have a color television to watch, a computer to cap on, and very little distractions. My bosses leave at 3PM, and they live over an hour away. At home, it's a little harder. My wife uses the computer to instant message her mom, and I usually get home while she is doing it. After that, we try to use that time to visit, watch a movie, etc. If I find time to cap at home, it's in the early morning hours. -- Angel_Noir

Usually I cap from work during non-working hours, or from a friend's comp at night and on weekends (rarely on weekends, seldom see people I know then). This will probably change later this year, as our resident Netscape Nazis are now convinced that folks who visit non-work related web sites outside of working hours are causing our company's stock to drop like a rock or something, I dunno. (Even though I just perused our "new" corporate Internet policy, and it explicitly states that as long as we're not viewing porn sites, we can pretty much surf da web outside of work hours to our hearts' content.) We just completed our most successful sales quarter ever, so I imagine they're absolutely right about the negative impact of my capping after work. (Hope you're reading this, humorless code boys.) Will be getting my home comp within the next couple of months, so will probably cap from there exclusively at that time just to shut those guys the hell up. I sure would hate for my after-work-hours capping to be the cause of this place going out of business, especially since they pay a flat fee for unlimited use of the ISP, and as long as the Singapore sales office can get on line and entertain the electronics world with their broken English, I submit that my after-hours usage is totally harmless and is not forbidden by official company policy. Cynical about a bunch of white shirt and tie on Friday mousseheads making my job even more oppressive than it is now? Why, never. I have nothing but good will and best wishes for the festering little turds. Thank you for the forum for my ranting and raving about a bunch of guys who used to get beat up every day after school and are now taking it out on the rest of the world. I hope a marmoset shits on your pocket protectors, guys. Just kidding. Bite me. -- joe678

Question 3

Do you think CT has changed because of the cancellation of MST3K? If so, how? Do you feel the same connection to CT that you felt before the cancellation? Why or why not?

They still provide an endless barrage of fodder in the form of programming that serves no purpose other than to be ridiculed. Most of the same people are still there and I think I enjoy the camaraderie more than the site itself. -- JoeCrow

I don't think CT has LOST participants as a result - at least, not many - but I do think that the cancellation has injected a lot of bitterness into the gallery. Bashing SciFi has become an integral and fairly tiresome element of the gallery. Whereas that certainly happened before, I don't recall its ever being so unbelievably hostile. Death threats to SciFi execs? Sheesh! I mean, major kudos to the SciFi people who keep CT going for such a relatively tiny group of participants! I definitely feel the same connection to CT even without MST3K, which always seemed to me something apart from CT anyway. -- amycamus

To know that the true kings of Cap aren't around anymore is depressing -- and I believe that the snide remarks against the Sci-Fi Channel are mounting. -- Ash_Skywalker

I don't really feel that CT has changed because of the cancellation of MST3K, but perhaps the attitudes of some of the cappers has. I think that MST3K brought a lot of us together, but once friendships have been formed, the cancellation of a TV show doesn't affect those friendships. There are, of course, favorite shows that I like to cap, but I do it to be with folks I like as much as I do it to stretch my humor muscle. So, yes, I still feel the same connection. -- devildoll

I haven't noticed much change yet. But I'm of the wait and see school - once they take that "mst3k presents" off, who knows what riff raff will come in. But overall, I find the quality of CT! and my own work there can sort of go in cycles anyway - good for a month, not so good for the next, etc, etc. But then this is probably more perception than truth. -- GersonK

Has CT changed? I think so, and probably a bit for the better. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE MST3K, but now CT is no longer about that. It no longer has that common thread if you will about it. Now it's time to see what CT is made of. I'm for thinking the strongest of cappers will 'last the storm' once the MST3K motif is finally removed. Which in the end, is a good thing for CT. -- BuckFifty

Frankly, I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard "MST3K" was being cancelled. (All right, cappers, you can mail-bomb me now!) It should have gone off the air when Trace Beaulieu, a/k/a Dr. Clayton Forrester from the show's Comedy Central days, quit the show. When all the original cast members have departed, it's time to pull the damned plug, folks! I feel about the same connection to Caption This now as I did before the cancellation was announced. All I need is a good screengrab and I'm rarin' to go! Yee-fargin-hah!!! -- NightTrain

The feeling of *betrayal* is often there. MST is a show that could and should have gone on forever -- Xigeous

I feel the cappers are much more vicious towards the symbols of SFC and any mention of their programming staff. I feel the same connection to CT now as ever. I just don't see CT and MST3K as inexorably linked. I remember CT *before* it became associated with MST3K. -- BlakHat1

I think that there are less casual visitors but the hard core (and you know who you are) cappers still make it by. -- Daleman

While my access time to CT has not changed since the cancellation of the show, my perception of the Sci-Fi Channel's executive decision making has. To cancel a popular show, in favor of a number of programs that are not even in the science fiction genre (Hercules?? Please!), shows a lack of understanding of your target audience that approaches the unfathomable. One thing that is interesting is that, in many ways, I can look at this as an outsider. My cable system does not show the Sci-Fi Channel. I came into the site, not as a big MST3K fan, but as a person who enjoyed the humor of the people who frequent the site. Consequently, my connection to the site is unchanged. The people are still funny... well... other than that Generik guy. -- Buffoon

Many Cappers have certainly become more belligerent towards the network - it’s not the end of the world! It hasn’t really affected me because I have not been able to watch MST3K for a long time - I do not have cable television at home. -- bugwber

As expected, many cappers are giving SFC hell about cancelling MST in their caps, which is their constitutional right, and as long as it's something slightly more imaginative than "SFC sucks!", they can have at it. I felt that the cancellation was probably inevitable, and since the situation between MST and SFC is nothing like the animosity between them and Comedyless Central, I have no ill feelings toward the SFC web people who have repeatedly stated their affection for MST. I enjoy capping just as much now as I did before the cancellation was announced. The executives are another story; I think they're just as clueless as any other network programmers and deserve whatever treatment they get from us, especially Steven Chow who snubbed Mike Nelson at the "Meet The New Boss, Not The Same As The Old Boss" SFC fete. Supposedly Kevin Murphy has a pie hit out on him. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. The skit in one of the Season 10 shows where Mike is eating sesame noodles and totally ignoring Crow was based on that encounter. -- joe678

I haven't noticed a change. Then again I tend to lean towards the more creative captioneers rather than those who quote continuously. Anyway, CT has been and will always be it's own being, the connection will remain as long as the creativity flows. -- Artanas

Excellent question. I hadn't really considered the issue before, but now that you bring it up, it seems that something HAS changed. Though I can't quite say what it is. Maybe it's the unconscious realization that, with "Our Heroes" gone, we're no longer...I dunno..."partaking of their spirit". (If that doesn't sound too weird.) Or maybe it's just that, having seen such a great show needlessly put out to pasture early for such bad & stupid reasons, we're no longer quite the "innocent kids" we used to be. It's hard to keep pretending you'll live forever when even the gods can die... <Insert somber yet inspiring music from Wagner's "Ring" cycle here> -- Geier

Well, maybe someone who hasn't seen MST3K kind of misses the point of what capping is all about. Maybe we could have a training course with videos, handouts (oooh, I just *love* handouts), guest cappers and celebrity spokesmodels. -- Ragbot

Not yet, and maybe it never will. Hell, if it wasn't for the few MST3K images in CT, you could hardly say it was even MST related! The saddening/disappointing/ill thought out/heartbreaking/dooming themselves to burn for eternity in Hell/*stupid* decision to cancel MST3K bewildered me. That show is the only reason I watch the SciFi Channel (The last bastion before total cancellation... should be their slogan) in the first place! Do I still feel the same connection? Hum... I never really thought about it before, but not really. NOT because I don't enjoy the CT community or the fine bunch of denizens therein. Can't put my finger on it, but doesn't quite feel the same. I never would have found CT if not for MST in the first place. CT came up while doing a web search one day in late '97. I've been hooked ever since. -- MrBungle

Can't say I've visited for a couple of months. Wouldn't know. -- Cari

The only real change I've noticed is that there are a lot more "bitter" captions posted (i.e. caps showing upset over the cancellation of MST3K, caps showing displeasure with and disdain for the Sci-Fi Channel assho--*ahem* powers that be who cancelled the show). I still feel the same connection. I think once they take out all the stuff pertaining to MST3K, like "MST3K Presents" (Caption This!), and the character silhouettes, etc., it won't feel the same. It'll still be fun, and I doubt we'll lose that many cappers, but it just won't be quite right. -- Agent_Moldy

I don't think it's changed at all or will change it. This is something most of us did by yelling at the TV at home before we discovered MST3K, so I think it will continue on as long as people have a sense of humor. -- robofreak

I don't think it's changed, but I think we'll see more changes in the future (see below). My feelings toward CT have changed in the past few years, but not because of the cancellation. I've gone through some considerable personal changes, and have just plain gotten older. I think that will always color your interests. I still like CT, but it isn't nearly so important to me as it was originally. I think the main thing will be that MST specific, inspired, or lifted caps will eventually diappear. I'm still seeing them now, and I'm sure a lot of the fans use direct lines that they don't even remember came from an episode (like me), but I think they will eventually dwindle. -- LuvBJones

Changed? Well, aside from the surge in the ever-popular "SFC Executives Have Dog Excrement For Brains" thread (see my SFC Fan Club Page!), I haven't seen much of a change. The MST refs will likely continue in perpetuity, and it will still probably attract mostly MST fans. CT has most certainly developed far beyond MST, that is for sure. -- Reynard_T_Fox

Actually, I don't think CT has changed much with the cancellation of MST3K. While we were all very upset by it, I don't think any of us stopped capping. I think CT allows us all to feel as though MST isn't really dead. As long as we're all there and capping, and as long as we keep the memory of the show alive (and as long as they keep showing reruns), it will never really be gone. -- Cyberbeast

Same connection? Definitely. Maybe more so, now that cappers are mass media's (at least one of the) only imbodiments the MST3K spirit. Changed? Yeah, a little. Don't get me started on the frequency of 'SciFi Sucks' caps... -- Dairai

I think that CT has gotten a little nastier since the cancellation, and while I don't think that the Sci-Fi Channel really cares what we write about it, I hate to see the mood shift. For me, it wasn't always about MST3K... that just got me in the door. So the connection hasn't changed much for me. -- animebabe

I definitely feel the same connection with CT, because it's a connection I'll always feel with the show, even if it will never be on again. Maybe that will change when Sci-Fi's MST3K license runs out and the MST-related graphics are taken down from CT, I don't know. But it won't stop me from capping. -- DiscoBoy

I'm probably one of the few cappers out there who wasn't terribly crushed by the cancellation of MST3K for the simple reason that I didn't have cable at the time and so was never watching the experiments as they were being aired. CT! pretty much can stand on its own without being directly connected to MST3K (and, personally, I found it all but impossible to cap an MST3K experiment, since it's usually in black and white and a good 1/3 of the 'grab is taken up by the silhouettes). However, it does seem as if "something" is missing from CT! now, but I think it's due to other factors, not just the cancellation of MST3K. -- SunSinner

For me, CT hasn't seemed to change at all. Except for the jibes at SciFi for cancelling MST3K, things are about the same. Some new faces which are always welcome, other than that, still the site I always knew! -- Steve_Reeves

The spark is going to be gone. On the other hand, all those pitiful newbies who's idea of funny revolves around "is th viagera wroking yet?" and unfunny remarks laced with profanity, yes, all of them, they will for the most part, go away. No longer will we be plagued by nine year old South Park fans who happen to like MST3K and discover the site... no more crappy people drawn in by the lure of MST3K. I think the community number will die down and the REAL masters will rise to the top. -- E_B_A

Hmmmm... In watching CT after the cancellation, I've seen 'the old gang' drift off, find other avenues of escape... the newer cappers don't seem so polite, but also don't seem to care about behavior in the Gallery... I feel less of a connection to the actual gallery, but I've taken my capping real-time -- into the theaters! -- Shandi

Well, I started to caption before MST3K came to the Sci-Fi Channel, so the site changed when the show was added to the line-up. Many fans of the show were happy to have a new home for the show. Now, the bitterness showed toward Comedy Central is applied to the Sci-Fi Channel. I feel the same for "Caption This" as I always did, I have loads of great friends there, and love to spend time with them. "Caption This" does not require any one show to continue, only the odd sense of humor displayed by its users. -- Weird_1

I don't think it has, all that much. Granted, MST3K was a big spark towards the CT. But, the CThas became its own entity. Yes, it draws a great deal from MST and many cappers use phrases from the show to cap with. But, I feel the CT has evolved beyond the MST part & mental masturbating into an art form that requires the capper to know these things like Shat's rug, and "By this time, my lungs were starved for air" to get the joke. Even current events find their way into the CT. During Kosovo, how many caps were based on the conflict? --144b

There seems to be a lot more anger toward SFC now. A good 10 percent of the jokes are jabs at the channel, where it was perhaps 5 to 7 percent before. Of course, I could just be over-reacting myself. -- Neoknight

Caption This! is a place for spontaneous and irreverent humorists to spew forth all kinds of drivel. MST3K was the bait to lure them to the website. With the series being at an end I don't foresee too many new handles arriving at CT!, but the waters are still teeming with the old school of quipping piranhas ready to attack any and all of the helpless images. -- KINGDINOSAUR

Yes. I don't feel the same enthusiasm that there once was and the general atmosphere has a dark cloud hovering above it. -- Imac

Has CT changed? I don't think so... perhaps the level of anti-SFC sentiment has increased somewhat due to the cancellation, if anything. I still feel the same connection to CT I always have. The cancellation of MST3K hasn't diminished my enjoyment of capping at all. -- GlitterRock

I don't know if it's changed or not. Have many people abandoned it? If anything, I think I see more new faces than I ever did before. Is that good? Is it bad? Are we forgetting our roots, our history? I dunno. I found Caption This! because of MST3K, but I stayed because it's fun as hell. -- UnReality

Well, since my cable company (Jones Communications, World's Crappiest Cable Service) doesn't carry the SciFi Channel, I never had a "connection" to MST3K cuz I never really saw it outside of a few tapes (thanks animebabe!!) and some trips up to my brother's place in Connecticut. However, it does seem that there's a lot more sniping at SFC management by the cappers than there used to be. Maybe it's because we don't have Shat to kick around anymore. -- Lanzman

I don't think CT has changed much... and I don't think the "connection" has changed. I tip my hat to Joel, Mike and the Bots because without them, none of us would be here. But (despite my many digs at SFC) I don't think the fact that they cancelled MST3K changes CT. CT is an offshoot of MST, true. But, they're still distinct entities (at least in my mind). I'd like to see MST3K back on SFC. I was sad when they cancelled it. But I'd hate it more if they cancelled CT. -- 402

I don't think CT changed much after MST3K's cancellation... there's a LOT more SFC-bashing, but the same spirit remains. We're just making fun of SeaQuest and Quantum Leap instead of bad movies. -- SpydieGirl

The only major change that I saw after MST3K was cancelled was a rise in the anti-SFC caps. It used to be that if you capped against Sci-Fi, it was once in a while. Now when you log on, you can almost guarantee someone will dis the SFC. This may or may not be a direct result of the decision to cancel MST3K, but it seems more than coincidental. I still feel connected to Caption This; but it was never who ran the site, it was the concept of the site itself. -- Angel_Noir

I have never directly associated CT and MST, apart from the familliar graphics, so MST not being there will not radically change whether I cap or not, or how I feel about CT. -- Occupant

I feel CT has changed, but not sure if the cancellation of MST3K is the cause. I felt that the merits of CT stood alone, apart from its connection to the show. It really is unique among all the sites I've visited and feel it would have been a wonderful idea, regardless of its affiliation with any TV program...it just happened to be based on and affiliated with the BEST television program. -- MadSigntist

CT has changed only in the sense that people seem even more devoted to it since the cancellation -- but that might be just my imagination. It would make sense, though, as with MST gone CT! is the main remaining outlet for folks who like MST-style agile, situational humor (the rest of television mostly deals in situational comedy, which is far from the same thing -- it's more static, character-based and predictable than capping, which involves the quick comic exploitation of rapidly changing contexts and thus appeals to dimensions of creativity which most sitcoms don't even know exist). I certainly feel a stronger connection to CT! since the cancellation -- as if the baton's been passed to us to keep this kind of wit alive and make it thrive amidst a culture that apparently doesn't appreciate it much. But then I always took the analogy between Mike/Joel and the bots in their chairs, quipping, and us in our chairs, watching, very seriously -- I always felt that the show called its viewers to join in the process, and since CT! actualizes that call in its way, it was perhaps inevitable that CT! would take on new life to many of us when MST finally died. -- nashtbrutusandshort

Question 4

Virtually everyone who responded to my original poll felt that there was a definite community among the people who regularly accessed CT. Do you still feel that way? Why or why not?

Oh yes, I still feel the love -- er, get that community feeling. We all have those two things in common that bond us -- MST3K and a sense of humor. In addition, CT is the one place we can all go to and be judged, well, basically on our personalities/abilities to be funny, rather than our looks, or our money, or our fame, etc. To quote the great Martha Stewart: "It's a good thing." --Agent_Moldy

Yep, humor's a good icebreaker... better than streaking during a family dinner while coated in room temperature Skippy peanut butter... uh, or so I've heard. -- Artanas

I stilll feel there's a sense of community at CT... and the scary thing is that it's more like a 'real' community than ever. We've had people move on, people who only come by once in a while for visits, we have the crazy old men and women who 'hang out' with all the young 'uns, we've dealt with the death of one of our own, found loves, lost loves... all sounding eerily 'real' to me. -- BuckFifty

Well, again, I wasn't there for the first poll, but -- ABSOLUTELY. And this is a source of amazement to me, too, as I was one of those people convinced that the internet would generally be destructive when it came to *real* community. And maybe it is for the most part; I don't know. But the connection I feel to many cappers is at LEAST as strong as that I feel to most non-cyberspace acquaintances, and it's certainly stronger in quite a few cases. I guess it comes down to the fact that communities are built in part around shared interests, and lord knows CT! is one of the few places I've found where my fondness for wide-ranging, wildly creative situational wit is widely shared. Another factor is the genuine sociability of so many cappers, which manifests itself in such common behavior as greeting, complimenting, etc. and in the fact that when disputes arise, whether in the Gallery or in email correspondence, they are often handled in a quite respectful, community-preserving fashion. Indeed, despite their many differences in age, religion, politics, etc. most cappers seem genuinely committed to preserving the bonds that transcend those differences, at least in my experience. And that, I fear, is something you can't say of a lot of other communities, whether in cyberspace or out of it -- especially in contemporary America. -- nashtbrutusandshort

Absolutely. I've met so many more interesting people on CT than I ever have in "real life." It's a joy to log onto CT and trade obscure references with people who actually get a few of them. For example, nobody from work would ever appreciate my Fatty Arbuckle joke. (Where did Fatty Arbuckle go on his vacation? Up in Virginia! But I wanna tell ya...) -- joe678

Most definitely a community! I've seen cappers send out an e-mail to the group which evokes several replies. One day, a capper will send out something funny, and the majority of the group responds with their humorous spin on the matter and accolades. I've also seen that very same capper, the very next day, send out a mailing that evokes conflict and flame mail. In a few days, though, all seems to be forgotten, and it's business as usual. We are who we are, and I think most of us accept that about each other. Sounds more like a family to me. How many times did your brother, sister, or hamster beat the shit out of you growing up, but you still love them (at least until they died and you had to bury them in a shoe box in the geranium bed)? It takes a community to raise a capper. -- MrBungle

More than ever! I've entertained and been entertained by people (mostly West-Coasters) solely because we share a fondness for CT! -- BlakHat1

Of course there is a community. In fact, time and time again, there's discussion of some mass meeting (and it almost happened last summer until Occ and Jazz said they couldn't come). There seems to be that special feeling of belonging that hangs in the air of the true addicts. Go to any random capper's website. I guarantee there's at least a dozen links to other cappers’ websites. That right there is community. I could write an entire list of names (nearly 100 of them, or more) of cappers I know who also happen to know me in some way. Some of us are closer than others. Some of us have met in the gallery or know of each other by reputation or someone's personal gallery. But there's that bond that any internet community has and it will be there long after CT is a distant memory. I've made real friends here. And I'm willing to bet the rest of you have too. -- E_B_A

There's definitely community. There's definitely snobbery. -- Xigeous

More so than I ever did. I think Widget's death really brought people together; in mourning, we discovered a community we maybe didn't know existed. There's the mailing list, more talk about get-togethers, more cap galleries and websites... There's a large part of that community I never see because we live in different time zones and I haven't learned to live without sleep, but I know I feel more like I'm a part of something -- whatever that is -- than I used to. -- UnReality

In my case, the community has moved off CT and into its own electronic kaffee-klatsch, if you will. We send lots of e-mail to one another. I think CT still has a real communal feeling, though. If I cap, I still end up "meeting" people in the gallery. People still tend to want to make friends there, which I think is nice. -- LuvBJones

I definitely feel connected to my friends on Caption This. It is because of the people I've met on the site that I even have a website. It is a group of highly intelligent, highly motivated, and wonderfully funny people! Over the years, I feel I have gotten close to the people I've met. I may not be friends with them in the "I-see-you-every-day-in-real-life" way, but they aren't strangers. -- Angel_Noir

Yes. I'm at a loss to explain it, but it's without a doubt there. -- Dairai

Jeff and I were talking about this the other day (actually, it was really more of his pontification and wild gesticulation followed by my "yes, dear" responses whilst I was filing my nails)... When I first found CT! the primary reason I stuck around is because I literally could not stop laughing at what others were posting to the site. Back then it seemed as if cappers were genuinely trying to make each other laugh. Sure, there was a bit of chatting going on, but it was usually only secondary to the purpose of seeing who could make whom laugh. Looking at CT! now, there's a very good chance that, if I were brand new to the site, I would not stick around. It's kind of weird, but I'd say a good 90+% of newer cappers/unfamiliar handles are about as funny as really old pimento loaf. Most of the time the caps are trite or uninspired or so downright obvious that it's rather cringe-inducing. I lurk more often than not when I don't recognize the handles in the gallery, and when I see them compliment each other for frankly rather substandard caps, it really kinda makes me sad. Sure it's snobby and elitist to say, but I don't think Today's New Capper really has what it takes to play with the big boys. The story's a little different with most of the late night capping crowd, since they know good from evil, and instinctively choose the latter. I can still have a pretty good time capping late at night, but the hours are a bit hard to keep up with. Then again, there are certain cappers (not to be named, but their obvious illustrious nature shines through) who proudly proclaim that "at least the new cappers like me." To each his own, I suppose. -- SunSinner

There is still a sense of community there, but I don't think it manifests itself the same way. It feels less global and more fractionated. This may be due to a greater influx of younger cappers more comfortable with clique behavior, I can't say. -- MadSigntist

Heck yeah. It's a large and fairly divided community, but word still passes from one shift to another who the funny guys are, and it's not as if we have gang wars between the late-nighters and the prime-timers and the afternooners and what have ya. That would be damn silly. -- Reynard_T_Fox

You bet. I think one of the best examples is when Widget passed away. The genuine emotion felt by people at that time was amazing, and I know that I personally was surprised by how much it affected me. For me, I see it more as I cap more. When I first started, I felt very much an outsider... kind of like a freshman walking into a senior class. I think that for those that stick it through, it really pays off. -- animebabe

Definitely. The sense of community among the cappers is the greatest I've ever experienced anywhere on the web. So much so that it's spread from CT, to the websites, to the eGroup, etc. -- Cyberbeast

There's a certain sense of humor common among fans of MST3K, and usually Monty Python and other shows. The sense of humor binds us together... laugh with someone, and you've got a friend. That won't change at CT, unless we all become instantly un-funny. Then it would just suck. -- SpydieGirl

How come everyone has become so political these days? It causes friction among us. Yes, I believe there is still a sense of community, but people should lighten up on the political bunk. -- Ash_Skywalker

Absolutely, as my answer to the first question indicated. In ways, there's perhaps even more of a community than before. Of course, the downside to this is that once people start becoming "real" to each other, various less-pleasant aspects of the "real world" start intruding into the situation, too. Over the past year or two many of us have seen innocent attempts at humor inadvertantly provide offense or somehow be misunderstood to the point that they motivate long socio-political diatribes in response. ...And not the FUNNY kind of long socio-political diatribe, either, but the "GOD, I hate how you know-nothing so-and-so's are tearing down Western civilization with your preposterous, ignorant opinions, and besides, you're fat and ugly, too" -kind. (Well, okay: The "fat and ugly" parts are kind of funny, but as for the rest...!) I still maintain (valiantly and with an air of strained-but-Quixotic chivalry) that much of this is due to the fact that the "hidden intent" of text is much more difficult to decipher than is the "hidden intent" of person-to-person speech. There are no clues of body language, vocal tone, etc. in correspondence to help people determine how a particular statement is to be interpreted. A joke can be thought to be a subtle dig, a witty response becomes an unintended insult, and so on. All because we can't help but try to find & interpret hidden intents that, more often than not, probably aren't even there in the first place. (Yes, Dr. Freud, sometimes a cigar IS just a cigar, and a joke IS just a joke, whether funny or not.) When will people finally eschew all this silly miscommunication, and just embrace Geierism, as God intended...? -- Geier

Not quite as much as before for some reason. Probably because I don't visit as often as in the past. -- Steve_Reeves

I believe that the community is still alive and well. The reason I come to "Caption This" is because I bust a gut laughing at the smart, funny, and quick captions posted by my fellow cappers. -- Weird_1

Absolutely! I've become friends with a great many cappers as a result of CT. And I must say in all honesty, that if I'm interested in capping and check out the gallery first, I am much more inclined to cap if I see a familiar name or three in there, whose humor I know will make me laugh. -- GlitterRock

The community and culture of CT shows a depth and variety equal to any, and in many ways superior to most. Unlike the "real world," people in CT are accepted not for physical appearance or fiscal attributes. If you're funny, you're accepted. Non-funny works sometimes, but over all... funny is status in the community. The "real world" counterparts may have their disagreements over a variety of subjects, but as a community, the support structure within the site is solid and unyielding. I have never seen a capper shoot down another capper within the gallery. People may ignore someone else who's there, but don't outright "dis" them. -- Buffoon

Yes, that was how it always felt. Thanks to your distro list, I feel a part of it again. -- suggs

The community is still there. It may not be as tightly knit as it used to be a couple of years ago, but many unique handles are burnt into each of our memories. Most of which had little, if any, meaning previous to our experience with CT! Some words have taken on completely different meanings. From now on, anytime I hear a clerk tell me the Sunday newspaper is a "buck-fifty" or an angry father shouting at his spoiled brat "I'll tan your ass!" I will be thinking of Caption This! -- KINGDINOSAUR

Oh, yeah! I've encountered some totally awesome people at Caption This. I'd love to meet a lot of you in person someday! Who knows, perhaps I'll get down to Nawlins next year... -- NightTrain

There is definitely a community, but it is less pronounced than it once was. Some of us are moving on in our lives, and those of us who remain are becoming more comfortable with each other. Perhaps it has become less a community, and more a family. -- Occupant

Most assuredly. We email back and forth, exchange snailmail... look how everbody came together when Widget died. The great capper get-together kinda misfired, but we'll try again and it'll be better. -- Lanzman

Sure there is a community, but I notice it has its own different neighborhoods; during the day there seems to be a group of regulars, at night has its own identity, and the overnight group has it's own supply of regulars. But, along with that, each group mingles and overlaps with the others fairly seamlessly. Sheesh! Sounds like a freakin "Get High on People" schpiel... -- Ragbot

Yes, we all share the same sick, rude and disgusting sense of humor. -- Daleman

I think definitely yes. All of us send email to each other about everything from jokes to deaths in the family. We visit each others’ websites regularly (many thanks to the cappers for that one). We know things about each other some of our "fleshy" friends don't know. We stay pretty close knit with the occasional argument and for the most part you see the same people day in and day out. It's like one big happy 200 member family. There are some cappers out there who I feel closer to than I've ever been to some friends of mine here. We get concerned about the well-being of each other, offer support, praise, advice, condolences... I could go on about the kinship I feel with these people all day, but I won't. -- robofreak

Well, I've been in exile, so I can't answer one way or the other. -- Cari

Oh, yes. Perhaps even more so now, with the advent of the eGroup and Captioneer News. Something I have noticed, though (and this could just be my perception and not reality), is that since so many of the "regulars" have become involved with these outside forums (fora?) they have been participating less on CT. Or, at least, there tends to be a higher mix of non-regulars in the gallery at any given time. But this could also signal an increase in the popularity of CT in general, or that more of the newcomers aren't finding their way to the mailing list and the website, or that my perceptions of the whole thing can be seriously flawed. This needs more investigation. Can we get a government grant to study this? Would Jesse Helms approve? -- DiscoBoy

Yes. But I think the camaraderie has lessened due to not as many people capping anymore and the mass bombardments for forwards drifting thru the email post office. -- Imac

To some degree, but I think the community is between the "veterans," those who came in and capped for extended periods of time, over the course of months... actually took the time to ask for email addys, and started talking in (and out of) the gallery. Less so now, with the newer cappers... I think it's because of the age differences; it may be also because many of the 'veterans' are not as active, so the newer cappers are having to start all over again; in a few months, they may be 'veterans' in their own right... -- Shandi

Yes, with a very small exception (Deadly you-know-who) most of the people there get along and seem to enjoy (or at least tolerate) the same things I do. -- JoeCrow

Yes, there is a certain uneasiness of community in the CT. Just don't start swinging Jesus around. Peoples’ toes get squashed when you dog their faith. I thought that the reason to have faith was to fight for your belief in it, and not to stop others from having their own ideas of faith. Yes, there is a spirit of oneness within the CT. But don't rock the boat. --144b

Yes, definitely, and especialy with the new cappers’ e-mail list. It's nice to get a hello from most of the room when you enter, even though I usualy get so caught up in getting out a good cap that I forget to say hello myself! -- Neoknight

Yes. Once again, people with a common interest usually develop some sense of community. It's human nature. -- 402

Oh, there is a definite sense of community among us cappers. There are cappers who visit CT just for the competition, but I'm not one of them. When I check into CT, I look to see who is "in the room." When I see my pals, I feel like I just walked into a party in progress that I'd been looking forward to attending. -- devildoll

Yes. We occasionally get nasty towards each other on some issues, but the community stays strong. This is especially true among the sub-sets such as those engaging in “theme weeks” or among those that enjoy a particular sub-genre of Sci-Fi like anime, etc. -- bugwber

Much more so. Early on, I felt that the community was really a fairly small group of people, and aside from a few email exchanges most of the contact was in the gallery (of course, that was before I discovered that there was a whole OTHER capper community on the dark side of the planet). But now, there are a lot more people on CT, and largely due to your first poll and to the creation of the e-list, the sense of community has become pretty well entrenched. -- amycamus

Define community - but seriously - in as much as I'm able to define it, I think there is one in CT! Heck, there's even cliques. I mean, you can't have sub-communities without a bigger community, can you? -- GersonK

Question 5

Are there any kinds of common capping behavior that you particularly like or dislike? Briefly explain.

Unfriendly, rude people. -- Cari

The only thing that's ever bothered me is seeing captions that appear to be overtly bigoted or particularly stereotypical about various groups. I can never tell whether they're really meant in an Andrew Dice Clay "let's laugh at them obnoxiously because they're different" -kind of way or just as good-natured ribbing. (And given that I am... uh... "different"... myself, it's sort of tough not to take certain things personally.) As I just said above, there are no clues to tell how good-natured (or not) the jokester is trying to be, so I never really know how to properly interpret such comments. If only I could eschew such silly miscommunication, and just embrace Geierism, as God inten... oh, waitaminute... -- Geier

I like it when people type funny stuff. It makes me laugh. I dislike when people request tapings of the Bionic Woman. -- Reynard_T_Fox

Likes: if it's a genuinely funny thread, then I'm all for it! This, however, does NOT include threads which make no kind of sense but which merely seem to be thrown together because the words sound funky. Case in point, lesbian waffles. They weren't funny when first introduced, and repetition does not make it any more funny. And, call me old fashioned, but underwear stuck to the ceiling gets really old really fast. So sue me. Dislikes: in addition to threads which should hang their heads in shame, being given random 'hugz ;)' always makes me feel ill at ease. And again incessant chitter chatter that in fairness to all should be taken to a chatroom toot sweet. And also caps that are so blatantly obvious and unimaginative that the capper deserves to get a wet willy where the sun don't shine. And I want to beat any capper with my tiny fisties for the ever-present "no comment/this doesn't need a cap/this isn't funny WITH graphics/greatly overused and abused Python ref of your choice." There's probably more, but that's what's come to me off the top of my head. -- SunSinner

Mentioned this earlier, but creativity is king with me. As for dislikes... spammers spammers spammers spammers... and spammers. -- Artanas

I like the running gags that pop up with certain shows. There are just certain stand by jokes that can always be made that are always funny. Toupee or girdle jokes when it comes to Shatner, or Brandis/Darwin jokes for SeaQuest, that type of thing. I can't say that I dislike anything. I think that every capper is funny, and even if you don't get a joke, chances are you'll get the next one. -- Cyberbeast

I love it when a random joke blossoms to become a running thread. It's great when other cappers take an idea and run with it.On the other side, I dislike it when people get on CT and do nothing but flirt with other cappers. It's a waste of time and, darn it, it never happens to me!!! -- Occupant

I like running jokes immensely, where cappers go round-robin and shape a twisted tale out of what may be a totally dull show or screenfreeze. Dislikes? The "who farted" newbie school of capping. And even more so when they try to insult other cappers. I tend to put a stop to that immediately. -- BlakHat1

From time to time, we get some asshole whose sole purpose is to cause trouble. Or we get a politically correct -- or, worse yet, religious -- type who feels it his/her duty to admonish my use of swear words and/or my jokes about genitalia and bodily functions. I normally don't do those kinds of jokes, but when I find out that it's pissing off some uptight piece of shit, I'll make a ton of 'em just to set the cocksucker on edge! (Speaking of common capping behavior that some folks particularly dislike...!) Also, the "chat room" atmosphere can be a bit much at times... As for behavior that I like, it's gotta be the threads, man. Suicide Squirrel, Margot Kidder's mental problems, Keogh jokes...fuckin' aay!!! -- NightTrain

I enjoy anything that makes me laugh. Someday I'll send you a picture of my family. -- JoeCrow

A while ago, I backed off capping when things got real petty and childish. Things calmed down a bit, and I lurked for a while until the coast was clear, you could say. I realize CT is an uncensored arena and people can say what they like. Usually, we police ourselves and everyone usually keeps it semi-respectable. If it's funny and it works, fine. If it's done for shock value and just not funny, relevant or it is insulting to someone (kind of like a Chris Rock show), keep it to yourself. -- Ragbot

Hey, if I don't like it, I won't read it. Still hate the influx of kids around the start of the school year who think "*blank* sucks dick" is funny. -- BuckFifty

I don't see a lot of annoying things anymore, but then I don't cap as much as I used to. I don't like people who "scold" others for talking, but then I don't think you should monopolize your screengrabs for long conversations. I'm not real fond of using caps as a means of pounding your political agenda into people, but it's a free country (last time I checked, anyway), so you can be as annoying as you want. Oh, and I guess you'll have a whole DeadlyRinger section, so I won't go into that here. People seem to be behaving pretty well. -- LuvBJones

Vulgarity for vulgarities sake, insulting other cappers for their beliefs or disbeliefs, Deadlyringer! -- Steve_Reeves

I never liked lengthy conversation on Caption This! I always cringed when people used it as a chat room or for endless video tape requests. I'd love to sit down and bullshit with anyone who captions. Just -not- while we're captioning. I am sure people felt frustration as they paused for 10 seconds to think of a great caption only to see it nearly pushed off the gallery page due to someone telling rambling stories about their cat or just entering a cloned plea to have episodes of "Space Precinct" taped and sent to France along with a VCR. -- KINGDINOSAUR

While I enjoy seeing everyone in the gallery, sometimes I resent that I feel "obligated" to say hi to each one individually. I always say "hi all" when I first come in, and sometimes that should be enough. I have a tendency to dislike the cappers who keep asking why no one comments on their caps (What's wrong? Aren't I funny?). I also am emoticonally challenged, as you know. I refuse to use emoticons, but I don't necessarily dislike those who choose to use them. I always feel like a teenage girl dotting her "i's" with little hearts whenever I've tried to use them -- Buffoon

Two Words: Deadly ringer - spamming the board is a pain in the ass anyway you look at it. -- robofreak

I like threads and theme nights, which I think have produced some brilliant sessions. On the down side: (1) Insert porno music here (2) This is too easy (3) This one caps itself... etc. I believe if cappers cannot even attempt to make a gag for their grab, they should refresh and try again. Oh, and how many times have YOU heard, "This is not very interesting WITH graphics"? My other beef is the way some newbies let the site degenerate into a chat room with no attempt to riff the grab. Chatting is fine within the format... otherwise, a chat room is much more efficient. -- MadSigntist

I really don't think that excessive profanity during capping is necessary. It all comes back to the old adage, if you need profanity to make your humor funny, then it isn't very funny to begin with. I'll say some things in CT, admittedly, but there are others whose sole routine is to say "fuck" or "shit" in every cap they make. -- GlitterRock

It's fun when someone brings up a subject, theme or nonsense word ("bunnui" is one good example) and everyone latches onto it and contributes their 2 cents worth and we all end up with great inside jokes that nobody on earth will get besides us. Do not taunt Zyban. Don't care much for certain cappahs who, in lieu of capping, use the site for endless parenthetical comments about their problems with their lives or to criticize the personal lives of other cappahs, kappish? Whatever traumatic experiences that may have happened to me as a child (like taking a hard line drive right in the forehead while playing1st in Little League. Didn't seem to cause any lasting...uh...what was the question?) is totally irrelevant to CT and belongs in my therapist's office and not on CT. -- joe678

The constant bashing of SFC, although I take part every so often, does get old. Also, a few folk seem to like it as a chat room as well; a little chat is okay, but I prefer to keep it to at least 95% captions to about 5% chat. Also, capping about one's self in a way that just isn't that funny (saying how great you are, etc.) is a bit annoying. -- Neoknight

I like funny. Sure, there are some cappers whose work I like more than others, but if I start listing names I'll leave somebody out, I just know it. There probably isn't a regular who hasn't made me laugh, though. I only really dislike spammers, people like deadlyringer who try to annoy and antagonize -- or really are just so stupid they think people want to tape the Bionic Woman for them. -- UnReality

Without naming any names aside from the evil deadlyringer, let me say that there's a lot of stuff that pisses me off. Some of it's slight (not saying "hello" or "thanks" after you've just been told "Good one!"). There are certain people (many of them are regulars) with a bad attitude or a nasty ego that makes me wanna put my fist (and their face) through the monitor. But let's not dwell on the negative... there are so many things to like. I really like threads. Threads help build our community in a way because outsiders JUST DON'T GET IT! They're unintentional inside jokes and they all are worth using at some point. I love it when the room is bustling with all the right people on just the right show/film/infomercial and everyone is dropping precision-tuned wisecracks. I love the feeling of typing fifty straight caps that I KNOW had people laughing (not to say I do this all the time - I'm talking about being in a groove - if you've felt it, then you know what I'm talking about). I love the stinging pain we unleash on the SciFi Channel which, if it knew how bad it and its advertisers were being bashed, would drop CT like a bad habit. I love the people and I love the way we all seem to, for the most part and a few bad apples aside, respect each other and savor each other's company. -- E_B_A

If every other word is a curse word or sexual reference, I get annoyed. -- Ash_Skywalker

I'm really tolerant, but there's a couple of capping behaviors that I don't care for. I don't care for people to use CT for their personal rants, delivered while they're bombed, which they generally inform the room of when they check in, i.e., "Whoa, I'm so faced- what the hell is this show?" or, "Well, f**k, here we have the color blue again!" These folks are in the vast minority, though, and easily ignored. I like quirky, off the wall, intelligent, whimsical, goofy, frat-boy, who cares-type humor. -- devildoll

Nothing is taboo to me except deliberate profanity. If the height of your comedic ability is the "F" word, I don't see us exchanging e-mail addresses. (Of course, there is occasion for "bad words" every cap in a while, but I just can't see anyone justifying repeated overuse of it. It's just not funny.) -- Angel_Noir

It's all pretty endlessly fascinating, so I don't have strong dislikes. I'm constantly amazed by the talent and creativity and consideration shown by cappers. Obviously, I'd prefer not to see deadlyringer clamoring for attention. I get irked at times by cliches ("Are we supposed to be seeing this?" "I'm gay!" "Insert NAMBLA cap here", etc. etc.) and by the occasional capper who feels free to throw up (and I choose those words carefully) any old caption, without much of an effort. I'm disappointed every time someone excuses him or herself from the gallery by saying "there's nothing to cap here" or gets all irritated when the screengrab is blank or frozen. These to me are moments of great opportunity, and it's wonderful to see so many other cappers rising to meet the challenge. -- amycamus

I dislike too many comments on the side of caps. I hate people who say hello and goodbye to every single person in CT. And I hate the conversations that go on (the most famous one was the “tape Wonder Woman for me”). I tried a year ago to get the cappers to have their conversations on AOL's IM or Yahoo's pager. It didn't work out too well, though. -- Daleman

I can't say there's anything I especially like. If you're behaving yourself, treating everyone decently, and trying your best to post good captions, then you're okay with me. I don't, however, care for idiots like "deadlyringer" or "stupid" who post inane junk and nothing else. I also don't care for those persons who post nothing but caps about themselves and how great they think they are, or who think they're better at capping something than everyone else is. There is no one capper who rules over all others. Everyone has his good and bad capping days. -- Agent_Moldy

I hate theme capping. It's the free sport in me that will not go with it. However, there's the running gag. That's fun and can get vulgar sometimes. On Lost in Space, cappers always paint Dr.Smith as a member of NAMBLA. On Star Trek, it's Shat's rug. --144b

I like threads... it takes a special type of creativity to link 3 unrelated grabs into a thread. I also like the cap galleries... BuckFifty's and JoeCrow’s are two of the better ones. I also like the "heyas"... though sometimes CT resembles an ICQ session. I don't like derogatory caps about God. And I am disappointed by the frequency of typos. It makes me wonder. -- 402

I like off the wall caps... ones that twist your brain a little bit. There are some caps that make me spit out my milk cause they are so funny. I also like puns, and I am not afraid to admit it!! What do I not like? I don't care for sexual for the sake of being sexual, or dumb for the sake of being dumb. But those types of caps have merit and value too, and it wouldn't be CT without everyone having their own style and humor. -- animebabe

I like the “theme capping” we occasionally get into, like the night everybody was doing two-word caps. I like the various threads, even if I don't always understand them. Generally the people who show up only once or twice with sixth-grade humor get ignored, but the good folks stick around and join the cult... I mean, the group. With the notable exception of DeadlyRinger, I haven't seen any flame wars or anything on CT. -- Lanzman

I love greetings (hello/goodbye), hugs, handshakes, and even some mild flirting; I love running jokes and in jokes; I love holiday related nicknames. I don't like excessive flirting, because it detracts from the caps, or excessive conversation in place of a cap. -- Shandi

Plenty. We all know 'em. Ass kissing irritates me the most. I see CAPTION THIS and all cyber gatherings like a real life 3D party. You would hardly walk into a room where you know everyone, only say hello to the people you like best, and only laugh at the people you found the funniest. But on the Internet, where you can't suffer dirty looks, some cappers have no problem playing up to favorites and ignoring others. -- Xigeous

Stupid and obscene idiocy. Toilet humour has it's place if it's done well, but just using it for shock value is annoying. I'd rather read a cap of a door or someone looking in horror that says “Oh, my god! We're out of bog roll!” then something like, oh, I cannot even go to that level. You know, don't you? -- suggs

I enjoy those Cappers who are consistently “fresh.” Random quotes from movies that are thrown in just to show off the movie knowledge of the Capper, are, to pardon the expression, “lame-o.” For instance, “Star Wars” excerpts are put in whenever some Cappers cannot think of anything else. Try giving the line a “twist” - we’ll all know what you’re going for. If you get caught up in a particular “thread,” then try to develop it so that others can enjoy it as well. I do get more than a little tired of having to acknowledge Cappers when they “enter” or “leave.” It’s a nice gesture, but gets very tiresome sometimes, and wastes some pretty good Gallery screen-time. Just give a general “hello / goodbye” so that you can be friendly to EVERY ONE in the Gallery, not just a select few. -- bugwber

Although I enjoy the paranthetical exchanges that go on while capping, I'm often annoyed when I see the exchanges on their own without caps. This is particularly bothersome when it's a busy time and the caps are flying by fast. These caption-less caps just waste space in the gallery. (Of course, the limit of only 12 caps in the gallery at any given time makes this worse.) Granted, I've been guilty of this just as much as everyone else, so I'm trying to cut down. -- DiscoBoy

Well, there was one that was much more common a year or so ago but which I haven't seen much of in quite some time now: excessive flirting and chat. Once upon a time there were a few cappers who seemed less interested in capping than in using the Gallery as a chat room to flirt outrageously and chat excessively -- but from what I gather the community and the people involved addressed the problem with considerable maturity, tact, and respect, and it seems to have vanished. There's that community sociability thing again, and my compliments to it! I still see a Cap Nazi surface on occasion, but it wouldn't surprise me to find that these were all manifestations of deadlyringer -- and having only one or maybe a handful of troublemakers in a public space the size of CT! ain't a bad ratio. The only other "common" behavior I dislike is the penchant for vulgarity shown by some cappers. I mean, I'll get nasty myself on occasion, but there are still cappers around who can't seem to post *anything* that doesn't have foul language or explicit sexual references in it. But even this is less common than it was a year ago, it seems to me. The same can be said, I think, of women-, gay-, and ethnic-bashing caps. Heck, I've even noticed cappers poking fun at NAMBLA caps, which used to be something of a CT! tradition. Again, I have no absolute objections to mining such touchy areas for humor -- but I'll only do it (and I sense this is true of many other cappers as well) when I think I can come up with something that works on more than one level and can't be easily mistaken for cheap, cruel, vulgar, stereotype-enhancing insult humor. (It's notoriously hard to come up with criteria for this, but here's an example: I still remember a cap YingYang did during *Sliders*, I think it was, that made laugh right heartily. The grab was set in a tunnel and featured people sitting in a tram-like device; a black man was off to the side looking at them. Ying capped, "Is this the Underground Railroad?" I thought that was great -- it played off a very touchy subject indeed [and deservedly so, in my opinion], but it did so in too conceptually sophisticated a manner to be anything at all like the typical racist joke. Good one, YY.) To say that I DISLIKE this kind of stuff, however (and I want to make this perfectly clear), is NOT, repeat, NOT to say that I think that it ought to be banned or something. CT! wouldn't be what it is if it weren't a free, open, unrefereed public space, and I want it to stay what it is. It takes its tone, vulgar or otherwise, from the people who frequent it -- as they are, so is it. And hell, I think an occasional descent into vulgarity is good for all of us -- we're dirty creatures, after all. But I'll be danged if the overall tone of the Gallery hasn't swung somewhat away from cheap vulgarity and toward intelligent creativity in just the past year -- the result, I suppose, of all the many cappers each capping their way yet organically setting a higher tone for the whole space. -- nashtbrutusandshort

Because "Caption This" is a community we are forced to deal with people we feel are not welcome in the group. The whole "DeadlyRinger" episode should stand as a sign post that "Caption This" users want their group to be considerate, understanding and funny. -- Weird_1

Like: anything can strike you funny now and then, so this is kinda hard to pin down. Dislike: asking if other cappers find your jokes funny (it's impossible to comment on *every* cap that goes by, funny or otherwise,) jokes made solely to be obscene. And Clinton jokes. He'll be out of office in a few months, anyway. Let it go, already. -- Dairai

Yes, as a matter of fact there is. I dislike very much the "Gallery Hogs" that feel the need to carry on a conversation with another capper(s) by adding their little message in parenthesis after their halfhearted attempt at a cap, obviously only making the cap to carry on their conversation in the first place. DON'T GET ME WRONG...there is nothing wrong with the occasional (What show is this?), (Hi Miranda, where you been?) or (Hello, x,y,z!). But if you're trying to court someone while trying to cap Hercules, DO IT IN THE CHATROOM! I think you all know what I mean. Website plugs do not bother me, however. I like checking them out. -- MrBungle

Question 6

Since I’ve been capping, I’ve met quite a few cappers, here in my hometown (San Francisco), and in other places like Denver, Seattle, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Has your participation in CT led to any friendships or relationships outside of cyberspace?

ABSOLUTELY. I have more friends on-line than I do in the meat world. True fact. Pathetic, but true. I suppose it's because we have complementary interests and personalities that draw us to CT anyway, so I think it makes sense. Face it, some of the cappers are just great people and I'm thrilled to know them! -- LuvBJones

Well, no, not really. More, I think, because I have enough trouble forging friendships outside of the internet, in the real world. And lack of money, a car, or days off from work make getting to a capping get-together a little problematic. I try, though. -- UnReality

What a coincidence... I met YOU as a result. Also met amycamus, Jazzsoda, Occupant, BuckFifty (only by phone, but he's a good friend) and of course, my current Ball & Chain (or Punkin as she prefers), SunSinner, who came to live with me in September. -- MadSigntist

Just when you came out to meet Gena and me. -- suggs

Yes indeed -- and again, that's the last thing I'd have expected from the internet, frankly. I've had the pleasure of meeting the three-dimensional manifestations of amycamus and Generik and will be doing so again in New Orleans -- along with a whole lot of others, I hope! And I almost got to meet the fleshly versions of Agent_Moldy and gowest this past summer in Arkansas, but my plans fell through thanks to my summer job. This is quite unusual for me, I think, 'cause frankly, I'm not the most social person in the world. But there's that shared interest and genuine sociability thing again, rising to combat my more customary alienation. Humor really is a social lubricant (watch it). -- nashtbrutusandshort

Yes. Made some good “friend” contacts and even a few “business” contacts. -- bugwber

Why yes, Generik, yes it has - ya knucklehead! If someone had told me 3 years ago that in 1999 a large percentage of my time would be spent writing captions to blurry images on a computer screen, and that some of my best friends would be people who did the same, I'd, I'd... I'd a beaned 'em! It's been tremendously fun meeting some of the people I first got to know through sharing a screengrab. -- amycamus

No. Maybe if we all got together at my place, we could sit 3 of us in front of the big screen for 10 minutes at a time and 'cap' a bad movie. That would be kind of like a relationship, wouldn't it? BYOB. -- MrBungle

"A stranger's just a friend you haven't met yet" comes to mind. I have been lucky enough to meet some of the cappers also, and I find great sounding boards and support from many. We still exchange emails and get together when we are in the same towns. With a couple I talk weekly on the phone. They are friends, we just happen to live far apart. -- animebabe

Yeah, but I've never met anyone personally. Buck sent me a goodly portion of my MST3K episodes. -- Cari

Let's see... I've met a capper who's told me shamefully embarrassing personal information involving tights and a certain Twinkie the Kid costume, a capper who's told of his airport woes involving a mooing ball of some sort hidden in his luggage, a capper who survived eating human food at the Randy Ho and has still not lost his love for pizza, and a capper who quite frankly freaked me out with the thoughts occupying his mind. Oh, and I managed to meet my Bitter Half as well. Oddly enough, I met Jeff about 2 days after I started capping (I remember this, because I checked with the Dominion to find out my original registration date (6/26/97) and the very first cap I ever made to him was on his birthday two days later, when I quietly remarked that the Columbia Pictures Torch Lady was being replaced as his cake topper since otherwise there'd be too many candles... I didn't really know anybody in the gallery at the time, since I was still brand new, but I do remember ragging him...). -- SunSinner

Not to speak of. Which is to say, I won't speak of it here. -- GersonK

My first in-person encounter was with a female capper formerly known as "MADean" and later as "CydD". Believe it or not folks, cappers actually have groupies! We developed an internet romance and became each others’ best friend thanks to Caption This! We see each other around twice a year. She's overdue for her trip, though. Oh yeah, I met this really old guy with gray hair that looked like Generik's dad. Then he pointed out that he sent a picture of himself to a website which was actually taken some time around 1957. It should have occurred to me that no one has their hair in a pompadour or uses that much Brylcreem nowadays. -- KINGDINOSAUR

Sadly, no. I don't travel particularly much. I do know of two cappers who live within a hundred miles of me, but I haven't met either of them. -- Reynard_T_Fox

I've visited a fellow capper in person, but we initially met elsewhere online. Met directly from Caption This? Not yet, but there are several people I'd love to meet eventually. -- Dairai

I've met a few people but, interesting as they are, none live very close. I see Acrylic occasionally and he's an hour away. Moldy, robofreak and I talk so often we feel as if we've met each other. We'll definitely get together someday. -- Xigeous

No. (Not until April 2000, that is.) -- Angel_Noir

Nope, I will not allow any of the people I cap with to violate my personal safety bubble. Actually, haven't had the time to meet anyone and most of the people I befriended live 5000 miles away from me. I guess when telepods hit the market I'll make the extra effort. -- Artanas

Not yet. -- Geier

Not really, although I almost went to that Capper thingy at Mars 2112 a few months ago. I prize my personal privacy, and I have control over it when I'm online; e-mails I can read, then delete, and the like. Maybe that will change, some of you seem like reasonably well adjusted Loonies like myself. -- Ragbot

I'd like to think so. -- Occupant

I've spoken to two cappers (Xigeous & bugwber) on the phone, and exchanged snail mail with Xigeous as well. I've met another capper (Buffoon) at a KC Chiefs game, and that was fun. But that's about it. Well, there _was_ that (almost) meeting between myself, gowest, and nashtbrutusandshort back in June, but all 3 of us ended up having to cancel out on that one! There aren't any cappers living very close to me, so "real life" interaction isn't the easiest thing to make happen. But I'd love to meet some more cappers. -- Agent_Moldy

I wish. Of course, there's still time... -- E_B_A

I've made a lot of friends, but never actually met any. I almost made it to the N.Y. meeting, but due to the fact that it was raining sideways and I didn't have a boat, I aborted. -- JoeCrow

Yup. I share lots of phone time with some of the fine folks I've met at CT. I even have a big visit to the States coming up early next year! -- BuckFifty

Definitely. Some of my closest Internet friends are cappers, and there's a capper meeting planned for those of us who are going to a certain convention (attending: Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett) in St. Louis next July. -- SpydieGirl

I've never met any of my fellow cappers outside of cyberspace, but I would love to!! -- devildoll

Yes. Oh... you want more detail? Okay... Once I found out that animebabe was a local girl, I invited her to come to a Sonics game. I work for the Sonics, so it's no big deal to me to have tickets, but I also recognize that it IS a big deal to some people. Anyhow, meeting another capper was a lot of fun, so when you came up through Seattle, I sort of invited myself into the visitation group, and we had a blast at what became known as "CapFest NW." Four and a half hours of laughing so hard it hurt. Since then, the only other capper I've met was Agent_Moldy, who I invited to a Chiefs game when I visited Kansas City. I am starting to look for cappers whenever I go on a trip now. My upcoming trip to the East Coast in early December promises to be more fun, because of the cappers I'm scheduled to meet. -- Buffoon

Unfortunately no, at least not yet. -- Lanzman

I've met a few NE cappers over the summer and since my work takes me around the country, I hope to meet a few others. And yes, I've developed a few cyber friendships. -- Daleman

I have developed personal friendships with some Cappers. I've never had the opportunity to meet any though. -- Ash_Skywalker

Yes and no. I've only met one fellow capper to date... on one occasion. I would love the opportunity to meet with several others out there. Xigeous has involved several of us into a movie project and my role has led me to videotape a scene in this and send it across the country for him to splice in. So, in a way, it's like I'm there. Call it a VHS-meeting, if you will. -- robofreak

Not yet, unfortunately. Hey, if any of y'all are planning to be in Connecticut in the near future.... -- NightTrain

I have made some wonderful offline friendships and email correspondences. I even got into a rather disastrous romantic relationship (with a capper who shall remain nameless). But let's not go there, okay? -- DiscoBoy

I tend to form a small number of friendships and a large number of acquaintances, and I'm very happy to report that because of CT, I've met my dearest Elle, and several of the funniest and most erudite folks I could ever hope to be friends with. I'm especially grateful for the chance to meet amycamus and Generik, the former for being a Charlotte native who shares my opinion of the culture (or lack thereof) in this aptly named section of the US called the Bible Belt, gathered up the nerve to migrate West and find his niche in life, and both of you for sharing my love of obscure bands and crummy TV shows from the 60's and 70's. And I'd like to state for the record that I did not come to CT in search of romance, especially with a younger woman, it just sorta happened. Due to our geographical separation, I haven't had the good fortune to meet any of you in person (aside from my pal mstal, my sister devildoll and my niece doublestuf, of course), but I intend to change that with the proposed New Orleans get-together and whenever Elle and I can arrange to meet in the not too distant future without me ending up in jail for violating the Mann Act. Apparently very few SC residents even know about CT, but I have met quite a few folks on CT who have seen the giant peach in Gaffney just off of I-85 and wondered why any town would want to have a water tower shaped like a big pink butt. -- joe678

Not as of yet, although one can never tell what the future holds! -- Neoknight

Well, a friend here in town got me involved in CT. But as of now, no. But I am planning on meeting a capper during an out-of-town weekend next year, and there is the hope of a mass-capper meeting at the St. Louis con with Mike and the others in July. -- GlitterRock

My love for EmpressVC has been well recorded, and I've gotten to know several other cappers as well. -- Steve_Reeves

Unfortunately no. I was planning on attending the East Coast Cappers meeting in NY this past year, but I couldn't make it. I haven't given up hope yet though. Even though we're all pretty spread out, I think it's definitely worth making the effort. -- Cyberbeast

Well, I met my fiance' in/on Caption This!! I've also met Generik in real life. I have also spoken over the phone with Xigeous and Werefox. -- Shandi

Yes, but it fizzled out. -- Imac

Not yet, But some day I'd like to meet each and every capper just to put a face with the captions. -- Weird_1

Yes, I have a few, out on Long Island. We even are making a weird movie. And there's a certain Nurse which I always say Helllooo to. --144b

I met Animebabe in Seattle. I really enjoyed our limited time together. I hope she did too. She's every bit as witty/ funny in person as she is on CT. -- 402

See above. I haven't met any cappers in my immediate area yet, but I have met the founding members of MSTies Anonymous of Maryland. -- BlakHat1

Question 7

How would you compare the Caption This community to other online groups?

By Height. -- JoeCrow

What?! There are other on-line groups??? -- NightTrain

We're knee slapping funny and they try to be. -- Xigeous

I'm guessing that on CT there are fewer 12 year old boys pretending to be 18 year old girls than on your average aohell chat room. Obviously, the ability to crank out humorous, witty and fitting captions on the fly requires a certain mental acuity that would be hard to find anywhere else, except maybe the Algonquin Round Table, and I doubt that they ever taunted Zyban, called Roy Scheider "Liverlips," or suggested that Jonathan Brandis be thrown off the top of Beachy Head into the English Channel and then be buried. -- joe678

More exclusive, more laid-back, and a helluva lot more fun!! -- Ash_Skywalker

I have no comparison with other online groups to make with. But I will say that as I got more involved with CT, I was surprised at the closeness and intelligence of those within. -- GlitterRock

Pass. This is the only group I belong to that is exclusively connected online. -- BlakHat1

I don't really participate in any others, so I have nothing to compare it to. -- nashtbrutusandshort

I've seen the same type of familiarity on web posting groups on sites relating to comedy and television shows (i.e. South Park, Buffy the Vampire Slayer). It must be something about people who have common interests coming together, and finding similarities beyond the fact that they like the same show. -- Angel_Noir

I wouldn't. I have participated in a chat room once in my life. Comparing the community and culture of CT to a chat room is like comparing a two-year old child's stick figure drawing to the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. -- Buffoon

I wouldn't. -- GersonK

Definitely more than the sum of its parts. People in this group tend to be contrary to the commonly held belief that all fans of Sci-Fi are nerdy, geeky, computer types who live at home and never get kissed or go out on dates, or can’t interact with the populace at large. Cappers come from all walks of life - I’m constantly amazed at the diversity. Other on-line communities tend to be exactly what they say they are, e.g.: knitting communities are generally made up of older women; folk music communities are generally made up of people who have never owned a Michael Jackson recording, etc. -- bugwber

I don't have much to compare it with, so I'll have to buy a vowel, please. -- Geier

It's definitely unique; more inside jokes, and a wonderful sense of humor that seems ever-present. I've been in a great many community where folk were far too serious. We seem to be a little more on the lighthearted side. -- Neoknight

Since CT is the only online group that matters, I have no opinion. -- Ragbot

Well, cappers haven't sent me money in exchange for baubles and trinkets like the people on eBay. When I need to be cheered up I go to CT! When I need money I go to eBay. I'm really happy most of the time now, but I go broke very fast. SEND ME MONEY FOR HUMOR! McCORKLE MAKE YOU GO "HA-HA" FOR ONLY $5! -- KINGDINOSAUR

Equally bizarre, and pleasantly so. -- UnReality

The only other kind of online group that I ever belonged to was one devoted to the adoration and poking of Dave's bowtie... I really don't visit that one as often as I used to, either, since repeated comments on just how very kewl Labyrinth is get a little old after a while. I did manage to meet online friends that I met there in real life, too, so it kind of evens out. -- SunSinner

I'm not in any others, so I can't compare. -- robofreak

Caption This is pretty unique as an online community. It's basically getting together with friends and watching a TV show together, with all the conversation exchanges and fun-poking that that activity entails. I've never seen anything like it, and am so thankful I found it. I've met some wonderful friends, and we genuinely care about each other. -- devildoll

It's unlike any other to my knowledge. Most of them suck. Ours does not. So there. -- E_B_A

It's the most tight knit group out there. I can honestly say that I consider all of these people to be my friends. Everyone is so friendly to new comers, and I think the general lighthearted environment of CT is what contributes to that. So much so that even the occasional Cap Nazi can be taken with a grain of salt. I can honestly say that if I hadn't found this little group of ours, my life would be very different. -- Cyberbeast

This is all I do online! Isn't it enough?? -- animebabe

More selective on how you can respond. Since we're not really chatting, it allows you to really show appreciation for things you like. If you see a cap that makes you wet 'em, you say so, and it is always regarded as high praise indeed. -- suggs

I'm a member of 2 mailing lists, not related to MST3K. One is more formal than the other, but both are pretty much about a specified topic. The purpose of both is to create a community of sorts where people can come to talk about that specific subject. CT, on the other hand, is basically a game based on a TV show. My point is, that little "game" has created more of a community than both of those mailing lists combined. --Agent_Moldy

We are the sickest and most fun group on the net. I love all the quick wit.-- Daleman

I don't have a lot of experience with other on-line groups. Again, I think each group has a core area of interest that creates a personality for the group. I have noticed that CT people (with just a few exceptions) try to "agree to disagree" on political/religious issues. We stick together to entertain and be entertained by each other, and I think that is the philosophy the majority of CT folks try to maintain. -- LuvBJones

Only other groups I'm involved in are newsgroups, and the people there scare me frankly... especially the ones with facinations about donkeys. -- Artanas

I used to think they were a cut above all of the other online communities I've been involved with (which have been quite a few), but all the recent political and religious arguments on the mailing list have shaken that belief a little bit. Everyone had seemed intelligent, tolerant, and above all that pettiness that always inflicts other online groups, but it turns out some of them weren't. But, as a whole, the CT community is still a wonderful bunch of people and I think we've managed to handle these ideological disputes admirably, although not without a few bumps in the road. -- DiscoBoy

Quite a lot like playing Yahoo! Sheepshead, but with less Wisconsinites. -- Cari

Cappers don't have much respect for convention. -- Steve_Reeves

Well, I like it better than many of the chatrooms I've visited, because of the common bond of humor/scifi/MST3K. It makes a big difference. I'm also part of the online/real life group of people who call themselves 'furrs' (people who connect more deeply with the animals around them and in nature, or who like anthropomorphic art/cartoons/comics/books/scifi/movies), and the connection there is just as deep -- especially on-line, where there is an even stronger community of people who are literally spread the world over. For example: they have rallied around Phibes, when his dad ended up in the hospital for surgery. -- Shandi

Much more fun and friendly than those chat rooms. --144b

I only hang out in one or two other "groups", so my experience is limited. I'd say CT is more vibrant, more energetic. There's hardly any time where someone isn't capping away. I've only managed to "fill the board" with my caps once. Every other time someone else started capping with me. -- 402

From what I've seen, the people on CT seem to be a lot more creative than other groups I've seen. -- Occupant

I've been to a few chatrooms, and Caption This just seems more like a real group of friends to me, not just strangers getting to know each other. Humor's a *huge* part of friendship to me, and that combined with everyone's collective knowledge of refs gives a really comfortable feel to it all. You can't say *anything* without at least one person understanding. -- Dairai

I have no idea... I belong to no other online groups. -- MadSigntist

Haven't had much experience with other on-line groups. But the few chat rooms I've visited have been awfully dreary and depressing and tedious. Plus, people talking about themselves in a chat room never tells you anything about them; on the contrary, with Caption This!, there's a steady Rorschach Test, so you get to know people a lot better. -- amycamus

I don't belong to too many other real online groups, but this one is cool, because the people are generally smarter and certainly wittier. -- Reynard_T_Fox

I don't frequent any other online group, so I'd have to say this community has to be at least slightly better! -- MrBungle

The other groups I've been involved with are more serious in tone. One is dedicated to a business attempt, while the others center around things like Babylon 5, comics, or other common interests. Caption This is almost entirely about making each other laugh, depressurizing, and support through the odd rough spot we all have. -- Lanzman

Nothing else compares with it. As I've always said, CT is basically a chat room with a purpose. It's that purpose that makes it different from a 'regular' chat room, where, let's face it, they're all just big 'meat markets.' Um, if anyone happens to come across *rimshot* a 15 year old girl from South Dakota with the handle "Creamy Buttercup"... it's not me... really. -- BuckFifty

"Caption This" is the only on-line group that I use. (Are there other on-line groups?) -- Weird_1

How often (if ever) do you click on the ad banners while visiting Caption This?

Never. -- Cari

Never. -- Shandi

Never. -- MadSigntist

NEVER! -- DiscoBoy

Never once. -- robofreak

Never happens. -- Occupant

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER!!!! Death to "ads.scifi.com” -- Ragbot

Never. May they burn in hell for wasting bandwidth on ineffectual advertising. -- Lanzman

Never ever ever ever. Ever. Ever. (Really, I mean it.) Ever. -- Geier

Never. Not even at gunpoint. -- E_B_A

Pretty close to Never, Alex. -- SpydieGirl

Never. I may make fun of them capping, but don't click them. -- GlitterRock

Never. Give me one good reason to. "Barbarian Moron" gets promos and a time slot and MST doesn't?! Yep, I'm clicking on that right now... Saaaaaaaaaay, if I give them a bunch of my personal information so they can sell it to various junk mailing lists, I may get a 1 in 100,000,000,000,000 chance to win $500! Sign me up! Oh, what the hell, I already get the Harriett Carter and Carol Wright catalogs, what more do I need in life? -- joe678

Once, never again. -- Steve_Reeves

Rarely, make that NEVER AGAIN! -- Daleman

I don't. I actually also find the WWF BimboBanners kind of insulting while I'm trying to write. -- Dairai

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA... Hoo boy... that's funny. Sorry, but the women of the WWF and the stupid barbarian don't do it for me. -- BuckFifty

I think I clicked on one once, because it said something about winning $100, and another time, because it was advertising an MST3K chat. But that's it. -- Agent_Moldy

In 2 and a half years, I've clicked on 2. One a year, that's my MO. -- Artanas

I think I've done so twice, accidentally. -- SunSinner

About twice a year. -- GersonK

I went to one or two on purpose. And I think I hit it one or two more times by accident. -- 402

Once in a rare while. -- suggs

Once or twice by accident. I quickly hit the "back" button though. -- KINGDINOSAUR

Whenever I've had at least 2/3's of a bottle of Jose' Cuervo and the mouse becomes difficult to control. -- JoeCrow

Maybe once or twice in my entire existence as a capper. -- Imac

Maybe 3 times. One of those by accident. -- MrBungle

I click on the banners one time out of a thousand. If I see something interesting, I usually research it outside Caption This. -- Angel_Noir

Very rarely. -- BlakHat1

Very rarely. They don’t really seem to be meant for the target market of the SFC, do they? But, I know they pay the bills. -- bugwber

Very rarely. I remember a couple of instances where a live chat w/ the Best Brains was scheduled, & I tried to join in but couldn't. -- Ash_Skywalker

Very rarely. Only when I see a live Dominion event that piques my interest, but other than that, I usually stay focused on the gallery when I'm in there. -- Cyberbeast

Very, very, rarely. I clicked on a Neil Gaiman one once, but I think that's it. I try to tune out advertising as best I can. -- UnReality

Not that much. Although these WWF women are tempting me. -- 144b

Other than the women of the WWF? Never... and that one only once. -- Buffoon

Hardly ever, although I'll admit to the guilty pleasure of taking a peek at the page for the WWF babes every so often, when I'm in a particularly dirty mood. -- Neoknight

I don't click on the ad banners anymore, unless I see something that really grabs me, like, "Free gold nuggets to the next 20 people to click on this banner!! Really!!! No Shit!!!!" -- devildoll

I confess, I've clicked three or four times. Total. Ever. One to see the Star Trek credit cards they were selling, once to verify that they made a crappy re-make of House on Haunted Hill (original screenplay? What's that??). Once for the Godzilla movie (IT'S AN IGUANA!!!). Once for WWF because I JUST DIDN'T GET IT.Ask me for an appendix if you want an opinion on the dancing hooters. -- LuvBJones

I will admit that mostly I ignore them... I have no need for a pro-wrestling screen saver. Ocassionally though, I will click on some of the banners and have found a couple of cool sites. I think they should get to know who is using their site, and gear it toward those people. Or maybe I am just a dork, and am the only one who ever clicked the National Geographic link. -- animebabe

Almost never. I think once, maybe a year ago, I clicked on one for some X-Files-related thing, and that's been it. Virtually nothing they flack in those banners ever appeals to me. I keep telling myself that I should get into the habit of clicking on 'em regularly, maybe when I'm finishing a cap session, just to make the bean counters THINK there's one more person interested in the crap they're selling, but somehow I'm always in too much of a hurry. I guess they're making enough money off the site, though, as otherwise I'm sure they'd have closed it down already. After all, they only gave MST three years. Still, I guess I should click on a banner once in a while just to make it LOOK like I'm contributing materially to CT!'s upkeep. Click on one, go take a leak, come back, hit the Back button immediately, and resume capping -- that oughta work. -- nashtbrutusandshort

About once or twice a week - not that I actually pay attention to what I'm clicking on. Every rare once in a while there will be something I'm actually intrigued by, but mostly I click on the banners because the creators of Caption This! have assured us that "as long as people click on banners every so often, Caption This! will stay alive" (or something to that effect). So, I'll do whatever it takes to keep CT afloat. -- amycamus

On average, one banner per visit. -- Weird_1

Several times every session. But only because I have poor mouse control. -- Xigeous

The what whatters? -- Reynard_T_Fox

Question 8

Do you think the CT community has changed, whether because of the MST cancellation or some other reason, or is it the same as it’s been all along?

The handles have changed, but the spirit of community has remained constant since cappers started sending messages to each other in brackets. -- BlakHat1

Would have to say the average age appears to be much younger and, unfortunately, the average IQ and humor quotient seem to have been shaved by a few points. When I first started capping, in June of '97, I was nearly overwhelmed by the constant influx of HILARIOUS cappers of all ages and backgrounds. I really don't see that anymore. -- MadSigntist

Once again, more slurs against the SFC. -- Ash_Skywalker

I see that it has changed, mostly due to peer pressure. Some of the chat room type activites are gone, the excessive flirting for one. But I also see it heading in a different direction. I see us being less supportive of the newbies, and I see less compliments on people's captions. I see a little more of the segmentation of those who know each other from those who haven't been there as long. I know that I am not exempt from it either, but I am trying. Maybe this is the way it HAS been all along, and I am just now noticing. -- animebabe

I personally haven't seen much change about it in the last 2 years, with the exception of losing a few of the better cappers for whatever reason. -- MrBungle

I think it's sort of a constantly evolving amorphous sort of thing - a lot of the changes are still growing pains - the results of having I don't know how many waves of new blood come on and sort of discover and re-invent what the whole thing is about while the older cappers sort of stick around and either institutionalize the thing or get bored with it all or try and re-invent it themselves. -- GersonK

I think society has changed more so than the site. I miss the people I don't get a chance to cap with anymore, mostly because of the unavailablity of really good drugs to keep me awake for three days at a time. --JoeCrow

As mentioned above, we see more anti-SFC caps and negative comparisons of the shows they chose to keep and promote, but I can't say I've noticed anyone leaving or becoming totally negative due to the cancellation. Had the cancellation occurred under different or more hostile circumstances, things might be different, but let's face it, the Season 10 shows for the most part just weren't as good as the Season 8's or most of the CC shows. (With the exception of "Girl in Gold Boots" and "Horrors of Spider Island." It was great to see Joel and Frank back in character, but that didn't make "Soultaker" any more bearable. Plus, Mary Jo trying to be a mad scientist a la Trace was a bad idea, imho. Them chasing each other through the universe was much more entertaining than that "Castle Forrester" crap.) Since most of our little mail group has stuck with CT through thick and thin, there is obviously more to CT than the mutual appreciation of our favorite little cow town puppet show. -- joe678

Bigger, maybe, mostly the same. Maybe not quite as fun since a lot of the late-nighters have been somewhat absent and haven't updated their pages in a while (such as, for example, me), but still cool. -- Reynard_T_Fox

See “belligerent” comment above. -- bugwber

"Caption This" is always changing. The move to remove MST3K from the channel has affected the attitude of the users to the web-host. I can't hate the Sci-Fi Channel because the channel did bring us more years of MST3K then we would have had without them. -- Weird_1

I have noted no real difference in the time I've been involved, except as mentioned above. -- Lanzman

As I mentioned above, I think it's stronger and going to get stronger. With MST gone, it'll now be people who are there specifically for CT, not as a stop over while checking out the 'official' site... of course, it's going to be a really big challenge to bring in 'new blood'. -- BuckFifty

I think a lot of us have become closer through this eGroup. True, there's a lot of forwards and other junk mail, but we've had our own threads and inside jokes -- it's like an extension of CT. -- SpydieGirl

It's changed somewhat since more people have discovered it from school and the like. -- Dairai

The community has changed in their remorse for MST's demise. And it's strange, but I've frequented CT during MST's early Saturday slot, and find only one or two people capping. I'm amazed that more aren't doing it... I'm sure there are those up at that time, in some time zone. Ultimately, it's the same as it's always been, but there is that undercurrent of sadness about MST's loss. -- GlitterRock

Far as I can tell, it's pretty much the same. But I still listen to Haircut One Hundred, so perhaps I'm less aware of change than most. -- NightTrain

Oh it's changed, all right, but not because of the cancellation. When I first started capping, I didn't see a lot of other cappers. Very little was "said" to each other, either, other than "funny <whatever> cap" and "thank you." Those who knew each other a little better would throw in a "hi" and "goodbye", but that was pretty much it. Now there are so many cappers that I have some greeting me like they've known me forever, and I, for the life of me, can't remember ever meeting them! And I'm excellent with names and faces! ('Scuse me as I blow my own horn there.) I've even had people get upset with me if I don't say "hi" to them the second they show up in the gallery. So yes, oh yes, it has changed. But I still love it. -- Agent_Moldy

I have noticed a change, but as I said above, that may just be my perception. -- DiscoBoy

With the cancellation, there won't be many (if any) new MSTies coming in, so I think the MSTies will gradually phase out as its anchor. Of course, I'm presuming that MSTies are the CT anchor. It could be the Sentinel fans now. How the hell should I know. Anyway, the community will always be in flux because people change jobs, go in and out of school, move, make babies, get bored, all kinds of things. Cappers will always come and go and some will come back. Some will aways be there. Too early to tell if the personality of the community will change very drastically. -- LuvBJones

I don't see that much of a difference. Perhaps there's a little more resentment aimed at Sci Fi, but we always make fun of them. -- Occupant

All communities should change and grow or they begin to stagnate. You see new cappers popping up now, and some old cappers who only visit occasionally. Still the "attitude" that's needed at CT, though! -- Steve_Reeves

All the MST refs that followed a new episode are no longer possible. They were a lot of fun. Now we're left to our own resources! -- Xigeous

The CT community, as with any community, is in constant change. That's the beauty of it. That is its very foundation of existence. From the new screengrabs every ten seconds or so, to the people who are participating in the site at any given moment, change is the only true constant. New members are welcomed every day, and people move away every day. Occasionally, people even die. The community aspect of the CT site has never been more evident than when Widget passed away. The support structure, in and out of the site, was amazing! Even the successful captions are in constant change! A good example is the "Close-up picture of my ex-wife's heart" caption I use for a black screen grab. Variations have been numerous, and other cappers have used that line in various forms. From the picture of movie credits (Close up picture of Buffoon's ex-wife's heart, with credits) to the black screen with little bits of light (close up picture of my ex-wife's... oh wait... a shaft of light... my bad!) to the picture of a bunch of white spots against a black background (Close up picture of my ex-wife's black mohair sweater. I bought Head & Shoulders, but she couldn't take a hint!). Strings of caps occur, and variations on a theme are encouraged. One of the highest compliments a capper can receive is when others pick up the tenor of the caption and run with it. -- Buffoon

I think I addressed that above. I think a lot of whatever change has occured has come from cappers actually meeting one another out there in the world. -- amycamus

Didn't you ask this question before? Oh, the community. Can't answer. -- Cari

Isn't this the same as the third question? Really, people, this is what editing is for. (sigh) All right, do I think the community has changed? Well, of course I do. Communities have to change if they intend to grow, mature. I wouldn't say the MST3K cancellation's done much to deter the real die-hard cappers; again, has anyone really abandoned the website because ot it? -- UnReality

Already sorta answered this question... I will say this. People have told me there aren't really any good cappers coming up out of the muck anymore. I don't know if this is pretentious selfishness or if it's just that most newbies don't hang around long enough to really get good (and maybe we scare them off - like I said, the threads are kind of inside jokes and that can be wierd to the uninitiated). I don't know. I don't feel like it's really changed at all. -- E_B_A

I think the community has remained the same. It has grown, but at its core, it's the same -- Angel_Noir

It's hard for me to really judge that accurately, but during the time I'd been on, it seemed to change. Not the older veterans who were already established, mind you, but the newer crops of cappers -- almost as if they are merely on to crack lame jokes, and don't seem to care much for the cappers around them. (I haven't been on any time recently, so I can't judge this statement's veracity, though). -- Shandi

I haven't been hanging out there as often as I use to so it's hard for me to say. I've noticed a few times when threads or in-jokes have run wild. Kind of a "nudge-nudge, wink-wink" type of humor which goes over the head of newbies and rookies. Most of which came about from users who should pay rent for practically living at CT! The humor is still there. It just transmogrifies after heavy use. -- KINGDINOSAUR

Won't change for the people I know or myself for that matter. -- Artanas

Any situation where folk are coming in and leaving all the time is going to change, no matter what happens. I can't say that it's changed for the better or for the worse, but it's definitely changed. -- Neoknight

I think we lost the spark that brought us all together in the first place. I used to enjoy conversations (emails and chat) about the new shows as they were shown. -- Daleman

I don't see any real changes, except for moving around to find where SciFi has put your favorite shows lately. The basic core of the CT community is the people, and we're the same as we've always been. You don't stop being funny, or seeing the funny side of something just because a show has been cancelled. My sense of humor is part of my psyche, part of who I am, and hopefully that isn't going to change. -- devildoll

I can't really put my finger on it but it's changed a little. Maybe it's each Capper establishing a certain style and running with it. Some run too far, crash and burn in a ball of scorched mouse pads, but then return to a sense of normalcy (?). -- Ragbot

It seems to me the same as it has been since day one for me. With the possible exception of my "acceptance" into the community. There comes a time in every capper’s life where he is more than a random name on the board, but a recognized one. That is the only time the experience has changed for me. -- robofreak

Yes, its changed as I said before. The fun, the mystery and excitement, doesn't exist any more for me. Either I know too much about you people or MST's cancellation has been a major buzz kill. -- Imac

I think it's changed with the addition of the Cappers eGroup. It's become much more a part of a lot of our daily lives now, and I think that we all regard each other the same way we do our friends in RL. -- Cyberbeast

I've only been involved with it for a year and a half or so, so I don't have a lot to compare it to -- but I actually think the overall community's gotten smarter, more creative, tighter-knit, and less prone to vulgarity since the cancellation. Maybe this was just a natural evolution as more people attracted to MST-style humor discovered the site, or maybe it's the community subconsciously responding to the show's demise; I don't know. Maybe it's just the result of free interaction between intelligent, creative, generally kind people working each in their own way to create a public space reflective of their characters. But I do think that on the whole, the Gallery's gotten smarter, friendlier, and more creative than it was a year ago. -- nashtbrutusandshort

I feel that the CT changed. It is often mad at SciFi as showed in the last episode of MST and the mean spirited caps aimed toward Bonnie Hammer and others. Most of the caps were justified. -- 144b

Well, I'd have to say it's changed inasmuch as some of the cappers have changed. So in that sense, yes. But, on a larger scale, no it hasn't changed because the purpose is the same... to laugh and make others laugh. -- 402

It's changed. Most of the time if I don't see a familiar handle in the gallery I'll briefly lurk, but most of what I see at that time just doesn't rub me the right way (kind of like how anime capping is when the majority of cappers in there were making totally obscure (to me, anyway) references to the entire anime genre). I can still get laughs out of the late night capping shift most of the time, but a lot of CT!'s charm seems to have rubbed off in other places. -- SunSinner

Question 9

What do you think is the best thing about Caption This since you personally began capping?

Getting to know the people behind the handles and learning what makes them tick. You'd be surprised, there's quite a few evil androids out there hellbent on stealing our nation’s tapioca reserves. Be forewarned! -- Artanas

SunSinner. -- MadSigntist

As the Pillsbury biscuit commercial says, my king-sized papa. -- SunSinner

Old men selling juice machines can rival Billy Graham. Six-year-old girls can be Mounties. A man's ass can have its own fanbase, and no one finds it the least bit odd. If you don't know what's going on, it doesn't matter. Demonic appendages can act. Movie plots end up making more sense. You can write about carrying out your strangest, darkest, and occasionally stupidest desires, and never break a bone or have anyone question your sanity. Simply put, Caption This is the world as I wish it were. Unabashed freedom, baby. -- Dairai

I'd like to think that I've made some of the best friends I will ever have while capping. -- Occupant

I like that people are less fussy about personal messages being posted. While I'll admit, I'm guilty of posting too many personal messages at times, I like to see more capping than personal stuff. So far, the capping still outweighs the personal stuff, though. -- Agent_Moldy

Silently laughing like a drain in your cubicle. Next best thing to suppressing an orgasm. Probably better. -- LuvBJones

The best thing about the site has to be the other sites it has spawned. I can't wait to see my caps posted on somebody's site! I feel validated ("Somebody else got the joke!"). -- Angel_Noir

The fact that I found myself joining a community of people I really, really like without ever suspecting, when I first decided to try capping, that such a thing would happen. I really am something of an alien in "real" life -- few close friends, distanced from family, too weird for "normal" people, etc. (dare I suspect that a certain amount of alienation is common among cappers? I wonder.) -- so when I think about it, I really am pleasantly surprised at how easily I've managed to become a part of -- and, more importantly, to FEEL a part of -- this community. That's been an absolute delight -- and as I've said, it's the last thing I thought would happen when I finally got a web-capable computer. I also cherish CT! for being such a convenient, challenging outlet for my sense of humor -- for lord knows the "real" world just don't offer many of those. (I know you hear me there, people.) A final note: I think we all owe a debt of gratitude to those cappers, such as Xigeous and Generik, who took it upon themselves to link so many of us together in their emailing lists -- and who have occasionally found themselves embroiled in unpleasant controversies as a result. No doubt lists like theirs were where the bonds of our community were first forged. (All together now: Mmmmm.... bonds.) We owe a similar debt to Cyberbeast for setting up and running the egroup -- and hey! that came along right around the time of the MST cancellation, didn't it? Coincidence? The same goes for whomever set up the CT! webring. Hail to you, o pioneers! -- nashtbrutusandshort

The humor and the acceptance of others. Plus, it's a great chance to say all those things they don't want you saying in public. -- animebabe

The fact that there *are* other well adjusted Loonies out there who can make a statement without fear of reprisals. Well, they can assume that, but the ability of others to comment makes it special. -- Ragbot

The proliferation of capper sites and caption galleries, along with the capper newsgroup. They serve as proof-positive to any outsider that we are DEFINITELY a community! -- BlakHat1

I began capping a year ago in November '98, and finding this group of people is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I have found a way to share similar interests and viewpoints, and a way to exercise my sense of humor with people I care about. They are literally a click of a button away. I'm not exaggerating when I say that CT has saved my life. Everyone has to have a creative outlet, and a way to share things with people of like minds. CT was a way for me to find this again. [Schmaltz music in background...] -- devildoll

The dancin' broads... beer's a little watered down, but hell, it's cheap! -- BuckFifty

Same as it was last time: Knowing that, if I'm lucky, I can get butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers to laugh with me, and not at me. (I LOVE twisting their pliable little minds! Mwahahaha... uh <ahem>... nevermind.) -- Geier

The people who I now know from it. -- Daleman

The funny things that people type that make me laugh and milk comes out of my nose and mommy gets mad. And the community feel, I guess, like a chat room without all that annoying chatting. -- Reynard_T_Fox

Getting connections in Cyperspace. Making my first real ebuddies. -- Cari

Getting the opportunity to express my decidedly right-brain mindset in a forum where people actually appreciate it, rather than giving me blank stares or telling me either to shut up or that my jokes are stupid and lame. (I daresay those two adjectives apply less to my attempts at humor than they do to the overwhelming majority of carbon-based crotch product that I encounter each and every stinking day!) -- NightTrain

The constant flow of humor from the cappers, especially when you get to know them for awhile, and can tell how often they come up with fresh humor, as well as a new twist to a running joke! -- Shandi

It's still the funniest, smartest thing I've ever seen on the internet - and that's because the best thing about it is the funny, smart people who make it what it is. -- amycamus

Everyones' willingness to accept you no matter HOW irritating you are! -- Ash_Skywalker

I find that the people at "Caption This" are by far the best thing about the site. The spirit and feeling of togetherness is part of why I keep coming back to visit "Caption This". -- Weird_1

The commercials have DEFINITELY gotten better. In the early days, it was mostly prescription pharmaceuticals and psychics. But seriously, I’ve seen some Cappers go through some personal growth over time. Many of them, I believe, just needed another outlet for their frustrations, creativity - whatever... but CT has provided them with that outlet. -- bugwber

That it's consistently funny and that the jokes continue to surprise and delight me. Or is that two things? Math was never my forte. -- UnReality

I'd have to say all the friends I've made. They're the best bunch of people on the net, and I think that we'd all agree. It's the camaraderie between us all that makes CT so great. I mean after all, all the jokes in the world don't mean anything if there isn't anyone there to laugh at them. -- Cyberbeast

It's a good way to let the comedian in me out without actually getting in front of a microphone or TV camera! -- Steve_Reeves

Being able to crack any joke without too much repercussion. I have an odd sense of humor and, thank goodness, others do too. In fact, it's sort of encouraged. It's like a 'run with scissors' marathon. -- robofreak

The best thing is that someone can enter the gallery and start riffing. And occasionally, they may get an LOL from one of the other cappers. I mean, for a fan of MST and their riffing, to get an acknowledgment like that is incredible! I remember the first time that someone complimented a cap of mine, and as a result, I always tell others when they've struck a particularly funny chord with me. -- GlitterRock

Making jokes with other funny people who worship one of the greatest TV shows ever. -- Imac

I'll have to say the general humor of it all; it's good to lift the spirits after a hard day of work and putting up with family. Also, the capper-run galleries are a blast; I do love rushing in when I know that I've captioned with someone to see if I had made it, and to read the best of what I missed. -- Neoknight

The personal sense of belonging to the CT community. -- Buffoon

Sex with groupies! Ummm, it kept me from killing people in real life while living in El Paso, Texas. I was able to retaliate against infomercials which replaced old movies on late night/early morning television. Much of which was later proven correct after William J. McCorkle's indictment. Do you think the prosecution will use screengrabs? Plus I got to entertain and be entertained by a bunch of funny people who also don't have much of a social life. Probably due to the fact that movies like "Chairman of the Board" and "Son-in-Law" have an audience. I've been robbed at gunpoint and attacked by a street gang. Those events didn't scare me as much as the possibility of meeting someone who -likes- Pauly Shore! -- KINGDINOSAUR

Well, the groupies. Definitely the groupies. -- GersonK

The babes! Er, what was the question? Uh... oh yeah... making the Ball of Fame was pretty cool. Making other people laugh is nice also. And of course there's always the satisfaction that comes in seeing your material posted in someone's gallery. Really, I just like to show off, but I'm thrilled that someone else laughs at me. Really. That's the main payoff. And of course there's that vibe that all the other cappers give off. There's no feeling like it. -- E_B_A

The profusion of cap galleries. They seem to be more common now. I like that -- 402

My neighbor was killed in an automobile accident last spring. I hated that bastard. -- JoeCrow

Grey Zombie's underwear, a never-ending source of fascination and easy material. But seriously, I think our finest moment was the group reaction to Widget's untimely departure. I think we really helped his friends and family deal with the loss. The "final" episode capping session of MST3K was also a memorable event, even if the SFC server was slow as dog poop in January. -- Lanzman

It's got to be the giblet gravy. Or maybe the camaraderie. Hard to tell. Sometimes they're both a little lumpy. -- MrBungle

It's like being in a Borg Collective. No matter where I go, I can always get together with people I know. -- Xigeous

It's having an outlet to perhaps millions(?) reading what has came off the top of my head. Sometimes it's funny. Sometimes it's not But never boring. --144b

The free snacks, the extra sky miles, naked pictures of Tim White, the 6 hour every scrap of film from the cutting room floor inserted someplace into their version of "Dune"... gee, where do I start? (If I ever meet that editor, I Will Kill Him!!!) Seriously, meeting all of youse guys which never would have happened without CT. Also, the opportunity to post some seriously obscure caps that occasionally someone besides me not only recognizes but appreciates. The gratification I receive from that defies my attempts to verbalize it. I'm a bit disappointed that none of you New Yoakahs ever got the reference in my user profile to the late, lamented band Randall's Island featuring renowned session guitarist and one-time Steely Dan sideman Elliot Randall. Their tune "Surrender Your Agenda" was a regular fixture on college radio in the early 70's, if only for the great tenor solo. Oh, well, I'll just keep the S&H Green Stamps and get the hibachi tongs I've always wanted. Only 5 more books to go... -- joe678

Showing off, and being recognized for it. Plus being able to do something with like minded people. -- suggs

Maybe SFC got a faster server... the screengrabber doesn't seem to stick as often, but I'm not there as often either, so maybe it's just me. -- SpydieGirl

Question 10

What do you see for the future of CT? What would you like to see for the future of CT?

I don't know what I see for the future really. I do know that I would like to see it live forever. That's all, one wish. -- robofreak

Big, fat raises for all of us. ...What? We're not getting paid for this? Heck, we oughta be! We're funnier than the majority of sitcoms on network TV, and *they* all get paid. Well, I guess I'll settle for a burger and fries, then. Oh, and a medium Coke. Just lemme pull ahead to the second window... -- SpydieGirl

Well, in the tradition of "if you build it, they will come", I think that if CT is there, there will be cappers. I think there will be die-hard MST3K fans who will boycott it once all traces of MST3K are removed, *sniffle* but I don't see CT folding any time soon, well, unless the idiots at the SFC decide to cancel another popular thing. -- Agent_Moldy

I'd love for Best Brains to acknowledge (in any small way) the capper community. I'd love capper conventions to be more frequent with more attendances. I'd love to see Sliders, Barb Wire & the Child's Play trilogy taken off the air. -- Dairai

I remember in your last poll a question that had something to do with whether there should be any kind of guidelines for cappers. I didn't really think so then, but I'm beginning to think so now. A lot of the new stuff just isn't funny (not necessarily for lack of subject matter...I still have fun capping Barb Wire, no matter how many times the SFC's run it). Is it too hard to *try* to be funny these days? There's always been a tinge of the chatroom in CT!, but most of the time the newer cappers don't realize that CT! isn't primarily a chatroom; it is meant to be a vehicle by which you can express your creativity and, hopefully, make others laugh as they make you laugh. I see less of that now, and it is a shame, since I've had a lot of fun with CT!, and would like to continue to do so. -- SunSinner

That everything it stands for remains the same: Fun, friendship, & MST!!!!!!! -- Ash_Skywalker

I really don't know what the future portends for CT. I DO know that it will be a sad day when the SFC finally removes the picture of Mike, Crow, & Servo from the site. As for what I'd like to see: Gee, I dunno, a good supply of new, previously-unseen caption fodder? Wait, I've got it! Press release, October 30th, 2000: "Comedy Central is pleased to announce the premier of its new 'Caption THAT!' web site, coinciding with the first episode of ‘Mystery Science Theater 4000: The Next Generation,’ a welcome reprise of a beloved staple of its old programming schedule, featuring the talents that made the show great..." ...Hey, I can dream, can't I? -- Geier

I would like to see CT continue. There are still people who worry that with MST going, away, it will go as well, but The Dominion knows that we're the most loyal fan base, probably, of any website. They aren't going to leave us in the cold. I would like to see the technical end improve so it doesn't break down as often. -- Occupant

What would I like to see? Get rid of the damn ad banners! Make the gallery one row longer. Make filling out a Dominion profile MANDATORY! Damn, nothing annoys the hell outta me more than folks with no Dominion profile... that and the 'Sorry, not interesting WITH graphics' caps... gotta have some kind of Death sentence for those schmoes. -- BuckFifty

I'd like to see the Demmy's broadcast on FOX. Or failing that, for CT! to get some respect. -- GersonK

CT probably won't change much, with the exception of the immediate face of it when they take the MST3K name off of it. What I'd like? Well, being the dreamer that I am, I'd absolutely love a little more attention from SFC. Something like a "caption of the show" during the credits in amongst the commercials from the split screen, or more contests like the one during the last scifi.con. Support like this can bring in more talent, and, to paraphrase the Borg, increase our "perfection." -- Neoknight

I would like to see CT continue on, of course, but if it doesn't, I have a feeling that we cappers will find another venue. As the South Park gang says: "Vive la resistance!" -- devildoll

I'd like to see me capping more often, but I don't think that's going to happen. -- Cari

I can see it rolling along until it is too big to stop it. Eventually it will Dominate the World and we, as a group, will control all Media outlets, convenience stores, beer distributors, and ultimately, The Victoria's Secret Catalog photo shoot. As a side note, CT has been, and is, a great way to have some fun, kill some time and generally shape the future of Mankind as we know it. -- Ragbot

If SciFi continues its trend of showing colorless, self-important, poorly-lit dramatic series, I won't be able to tolerate it. A frozen screen grab is more entertaining. I like to cap from movies and really goofy shows. Since we don't have any audio, the visual element of the screengrabs is key to stimulating a good cap. (Or a good crap. O Jack, we hardly knew ye!!) I'd like to see SciFi either liven up their programming (at least during the day), or run alternate programming just for CT. Or give you a selection of channels (see Jazzsoda's site) to choose from. Yeah... as if!! -- LuvBJones

Well, I see a lot more capping, I suppose. And of course, further strides towards a utopian world society of mutual respect and understanding. The usual. -- Reynard_T_Fox

You know what would be cool? What if we all were TALKING!? Over the net!? That would be great! Except those brainless newbies would be doing their wack Eric Cartman impressions and stuff. And I have a feeling some of us are not the most pleasant-to-the-ears type of people out there so maybe that's NOT a good idea. Hmm... howsabout capping other channels? MTV? Comdey Central? Nickelodeon? The Cartoon Network? The possibilities are endless. And I happen to know that there are at least three cappers working on ways to take it outside of the Dominion and let us have our OWN world! We'll see what happens. -- E_B_A

CT will be around for a while, even after the cancellation of MST3K. It gets too many hits a day. "CT... OF THE FUTURE!" would have to involve sound. I can't imagine how it could be done effectively, but that would be awesome. Maybe some of you web page designers/computer gurus can come up with one. Possibly you can use .wav files and instead of posting written text below a picture, it would have a link that would play your audio cap. You could then listen to the caps you wanted to, without worrying about having everybody's voice coming over at one time. Just a thought. Send royalties to the address found in my profile. -- MrBungle

At the risk of sounding cynical, I see a downward spiral into a 90% chatroom until it is un-maintained to death by the SciFi Channel. It was great while it lasted, but I think the old days are gone for good. -- MadSigntist

Knowing the Dominion for this long, I expect nothing but the same old thing. More frozen grabs lasting for hours, if not days... more advertising... more reruns.... more frozen grabs.... same as it ever was, same as it ever was... What I'd like to see? First, an ignore function that would save EVERYONE a lot of stress. Second, kill those friggin’ banners or get a better ad server. Third, a return to regular capping for a few cap legends that have mysteriously vanished recently, you know who you are. Lastly, get a better screengrabber that doesn't pitch fits. -- Artanas

The Future? More really bad programming, more infomercials, more banner advertising. What would I like? Being paid to Cap would be nice. -- JoeCrow

I would like to see more captions/screengrabs in the Gallery so that you can see what you may have missed. Some Cappers have such slow connections, that their caps get in near the end of the queue, and people miss them. I would like to see a system by which Cappers can be “warned” for improper behavior (I won’t address what is considered “improper” here), much the same way you can with AOL’s Instant Messenger. Oh, and better programming… sheeesh! -- bugwber

I'd love to be able to return, but don’t know how I feel about returning to scifi.com. -- suggs

I hope that the community only grows stronger, and that HanoverF can find the time to keep updating the Captioneer News on a regular basis, and that SFC can find it in their hearts to allow more than just 12 screengrabs in the gallery at a time. Plus, I'd also like to buy all the poor people in the world a puppy, because that would make them happy. -- DiscoBoy

An International Cappers Convention! Either in person or online! -- Steve_Reeves

Free snacks, extra sky miles... Seriously, I'd like to see SFC continue to rerun MST shows so that they don't have to change the format of the site. Without the MST connection, I question whether CT will continue to attract people with similar tastes and ability to cap. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think it's a fair statement that without MST to originally bring us all together, our present little group wouldn't be exchanging mails, jokes, quips, tapes, love letters, etc. I'm sure that whatever changes to CT after the MST connection is gone will be minimal as far as existing cappers are concerned, but I'm curious about what new cappers will be attracted to the site at that time. The two concepts go hand in hand so well, it's difficult for me to visualize a CT crowd who never heard of MST or, even worse, either didn't get it or got it and didn't like it. There are people like that out there, believe it or not. -- joe678

I would like one of us to write our own CAPTION THIS game. I'm sure many of us could do it if we had the knowledge. We've had a few bad experiences when we thought we were going to lose the site. We need a backup! -- Xigeous

Hmm... maybe we could cap a video stream, the way MTV lets kids in chatrooms send messages on the air during videos? I'd also like to see the current screen hold more than12 caps per shot, especially during busy shows like Star Trek where you may not be able to see your own cap after you send it. -- BlakHat1

The future of CT is assured by its current successful existence. The opportunity for a channel to increase its audience so drastically is too good to pass up. The advertisers know that even as the cappers are poking fun at their commercials, they remember those commercials. This site is an ad-man's wet dream! Most people tune out commercials... cappers pay attention to them! Even if the Sci-Fi Channel executives screw this up, as they have the channel itself, some other entity will take the idea and use it. -- Buffoon

CT will exist, new people will come and go but it will feel different without Mike and the Bots looking over us. What would I like to see? No banners. No lock ups. Faster screen refreshes. -- Daleman

Well, for one thing, I'd like to see it remain something of a homage to MST even after Sci-Fi stops showing it completely. I know (thanks to Generik's research) that the Best Brains people had nothing to do with the site's creation; however, I think it's safe to say that most cappers came to the site (especially in the early days) through their interest in MST, and the connection between how humor is generated in MST and on CT! is obvious. And lord knows CT! is the only other thing in pop culture for which I have the kind of fondness I developed for MST over the years. I don't think CT! would have developed the way it has without the love many of us share for MST, and frankly, I'd like to see that heritage reflected at the site always. In fact, I guess I don't really want CT! to change at all. It'd be nice if the Sci-Fi people gave it an existence separate from "The Dominion," but that's no big deal. They started it, so they get to keep it as they wish. But the only connection I have to SFC now that they've axed MST is Caption This!; maybe maintaining CT! will eventually redeem the channel in my eyes, but I doubt it. Moneygrubbing corporate media is as moneygrubbing corporate media does. We're just lucky if honest creativity can manage to survive in little nooks and crannies which the bean counters somehow overlook -- or which somehow manage to be popular and lucrative enough for them to appreciate in the only terms ($$$) their system understands. Come to think of it, I guess that's another reason I cherish Caption This!: because it's like a little oasis of intelligence, creativity, individuality *and* community (nourishing those latter two at the same time is often difficult) in the midst of an increasingly shallow, commerce-obsessed culture that often seems bent on reducing people to consumer drones. CT! constantly reminds me that resistance is NOT futile -- that, in fact, it's essential. -- nashtbrutusandshort

I never think about the future. I'm an American, fer chrissake! Short-term profit, that's all that matters! CAPITALISM IS ORDAINED BY GOD HIMSELF!!! LONG MAY THE FREE MARKET REIGN!!! -- NightTrain

It will probably lose the MST theme for sure. Most of the cappers will stick around and thats the way it should work. -- Imac

I want to see CT become a hot topic of discussion in elite academic journals, conferences, and universities. I want to see CT become a live-time, primetime, audience-participatory blockbuster TV program, with million-dollar giveaways for the best captions. I want there to be a CT awards show. I want litigation stretching from Emeril Legasse to Don Lapre, from Psychic Talk U.S.A. to The Juiceman. NOT!!! Seriously, I don't have any big hopes for CT or desires to see it change. It WILL change, probably in some ways none of us can envision. I'm a little nervous about what SciFi will do with it once they eviscerate the MST elements (which has already begun - last time I checked the SciFi homepage there was no link to MST3K). And I guess I'd like to see SciFi and their parent company take a little more pride in what one non-capping Silicon Valley public relations guru has called "One of the Seven Wonders of the Web." But the only change I'd really like to see - and I think probably all cappers feel this way - is for the screengrabs to come from some other sources besides dimly-lighted SciFi programming. There's a whole big world out there just begging to be capped. -- amycamus

Yoda said "Always in motion is the future". I hope that the Sci-Fi Channel will continue to host "Caption This". I hope that the users of "Caption This " can remember that the site was great without MST3K, and could still be great after MST3K if only they will let it. -- Weird_1

Future? I hope it stays. I don't know what I would change about it if I could... except maybe that durn sticking problem! -- animebabe

I think that CT won't change much in the future. Many of us have been in contact with the powers that be at the Dominion and let them know our feelings about CT. They know how much it means to us, and I think it will be around for a long time. As for what I'd like to see, well, I'd like to see CT get more recognition. I think it tends to be ignored when it comes to the Dominion. But then again, maybe that's for the best. It'll keep our little community small and keep it more personal. But who knows what the future holds? -- Cyberbeast

CT's future? More of the same: cappers, cappers everywhere!! Both good and bad jokes to spare! As for what I'd like to see: More of the community-based capper 'networking' that made CT so much fun, and the legendary capfests we all used to join in on!! *sigh*... Miss those days, just a little... -- Shandi

I'd like to see some of its users become paid screenwriters. I want it to be kept just the way I left it while I'm away. When I come home to visit I want it to be as if I'd never left. As if I'd never grown old, bitter, and disillusioned with life. I want it to be there whenever I really need it again. When I come home I want it to be like old times with old friends. -- KINGDINOSAUR

I would love to cap other channels. Like TBN and the History Channel (or Playboy, hee hee!). But as for the future, it's hard to tell. Maybe live voices instead of typing. That would be stupid. --144b

It would be great if they started getting feeds from other networks. The same shows over and over. Now, Lost in Space and Star Trek are great. But some of the other shows (and movies) are not as cappable. Imagine... capping Dan Rather... Bill Clinton... William F. Buckley... the possibilities are limitless. The SFC thing (to me) is getting old. I see a future where the capper can select one of several "rooms"... each of which are showing a different channel. Local News here, CNN there... PBS over there... I don't know... maybe it's one of those "it sounded good in the meeting" ideas. -- 402

The future is to spread the fun to other TV channels. I'd like to see a Caption This! -type site associated with each of the major networks, the various movie channels... hell, even Playboy! Woo-hoo! Maybe the Suits would learn something. More realistically, unless the SFC has the most massive dumbshit attack in their history and does away with the site, I see the future going like the past... more and more names added to the likes of YingYang, Generik, JoeCrow, Dairai, 402, 144b, and of course, BuckFifty. A slow but steady growth in the circle of friends/participants/cultists... whatever you want to call the group. It will be interesting to see what the site looks like once the MST3K elements are removed. -- Lanzman

I'd like to see another caption contest. It really brought out the best in all who participated. I would also like to see an expanded number of caption spaces in the gallery, and NO MORE BANNER ADS!! -- Angel_Noir

I see CT continuing much as it was. Of course, when MST's contract runs out, the silhouettes will disappear, and something new will appear. But all in all, it won't change much. What would I like to see? Something more along the lines of the MST3K: The Home Game experience that SFC did the week before MST's premiere, where they showed a movie on-screen and posted online riffs of it. That would be incredible, and a book for SFC, showing one of their own horrid films, and filling a slot with cappers making people laugh! -- GlitterRock

Yams. Lots and lots of yams. And a Don Lapre benefit concert. Y'know, I haven't a clue what the future holds. But that's sort of the point, isn't it? Provided the Sci-Fi Channel doesn't do much tinkering with Caption This! (i.e. they leave the screwups to their programming department), I think everything will be fine. Everything will pretty much continue as is. Jokes will be made, laughs will be had -- good times. Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time! -- UnReality