VOY: What was the deal with Michael Jonas?

[Deledrius]

Re: The Voyager Conspiracy -- At the time it aired, it really felt like Seven was finally noticing what the audience had been for years.

[McAvoy]

Re: The Voyager Conspiracy -- At the time it aired, it really felt like Seven was finally noticing what the audience had been for years.

I don't know about that. I always mused it was a unintentional jab at fans who creates ridiculous fan theories. Or maybe it was. I doubt it though.

[Deledrius]

That was probably the intent. I've certainly noticed shows doing that in recent decades.

[McAvoy]

Maybe it's my inner pessimism with Voyager. I think they really didn't think about that at the time.

Hinestly, it would make more sense they did it unintentionally. The internet wasn't nearly what it is now then when the episode first aired.

[Deledrius]

Maybe it's my inner pessimism with Voyager. I think they really didn't think about that at the time.

Honestly, it would make more sense they did it unintentionally. The internet wasn't nearly what it is now then when the episode first aired.

The internet was absolutely already a thing by November 1999, and they were well aware of us. Star Trek fans were quite active online, and startrek.com had a substantial presence on the Microsoft Network before that (for some reason, that was its initial home on the 'net).

Remember too that Babylon 5 also had a substantial online fandom, and that show started in 1993, only two years after the birth of the www; at this time most discussion for both franchises was happening in places that predated the web such as Usenet (which continued well into the 2000s for some of us).

I don't know that Braga participated, but Moore definitely did, so they were definitely aware:

In 1997, he was promoted to co-executive producer. He is credited as writer or co-writer of thirty episodes of DS9. Moore is something of an innovator in fan interaction via the internet. He regularly ran online chats with fellow fans via AOL during his tenure on Deep Space Nine.

[McAvoy]

OK maybe I was wrong. But was the internet or whatever it was rife with fan theories?

BTW, I was around at that time too participating in the online discussions. Though I had to do this through my local library on their bare basic computers. One of them was Utopia Planitia boards.

[Deledrius]

OK maybe I was wrong. But was the internet or whatever it was rife with fan theories?

Absolutely. And on the 'zines that predated online fandom as well. This isn't an online thing, it's a human fan thing, and that's been around (no less for Trek).

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Michael Jonas is to (starship) Voyager as Sisco is to Maquis