The 20+ year old sub-culture of Trek fan fiction has led to a bewildering amount of fanfic specific jargon. This is my (Ruth Gifford, ASCEM's FAQ Maintainer and General Busybody) attempt at a guide to help people through that morass of jargon. This glossary also includes certain common 'net abbreviations (marked by the word "'net") and all of the codings used (as of 11/2/97) on ASCEM. My groveling thanks go out to the various denizens of ASCEM who suggested, and helped define, several of the entries. Italicized words are defined elsewhere in the Glossary.

AU -- alternate universe. These are "what if the universe was different?" stories. Example: The TOS episode "Mirror, Mirror" which asked: What if the Federation was mirrored in another dimension by an evil empire? This is a content code.

ACAD -- a code used with a series code in the subject header of a story post to indicate that the action in the story takes place during the Starfleet Academy career of the characters involved. Example: a story using the code ACAD:VOY would be a Voyager Academy story. This is a content code.

AFAIK ('net) -- As Far As I Know.

AFQ -- alt.fan.q. A newsgroup dedicated to the Q. I include AFQ here because in addition to discussions of the Q, Q himself, and John de Lancie, the group often features fan writing involving Q (and the rest of the Q), including various humorous lists that don't get posted anywhere else.

Alternate timelines -- a storyline that takes off from a certain point in canon. While these are technically A/Us, the assumption is that everything prior to the cut-off point was as it was in the Trek series, and that the basic Trek milieu is the one we recognize from the show. Example: "Only Human's" alternate timeline, which assumes Q did not get his powers back after "Deja Q," and takes off from that point.

ASC -- alt.startrek.creative. ASCEM's sister group, primarily for the posting and discussion of general Star Trek fanfic. There is nothing in the ASC FAQ that requests people not to post TrekSmut to ASC and some of the ASCEM writers also post their smut to ASC, because not everyone can access ASCEM.

ASCA -- alt.startrek.creative.all-ages. An offshoot of ASC, ASCA is a moderated newsgroup for stories that fall in the rating categories of G, PG, PG-13. In other words, no stories are allowed that would be considered unsuitable for pre-teens and younger.

ASCE -- alt.startrek.creative.erotica -- TrekSmut newsgroup that was spammed to death. ASCEM rose from ASCE's ashes.

ASCEM -- alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated -- The newsgroup dedicated to TrekSmut and discussions of Star Trek and sex. Contrary to popular belief, ASCEM is not an offshoot of ASC, but the third in a line of TrekSmut newsgroups that began with ASFS.

ASCEML -- A mailing list that is a mirror of ASCEM. Aside from technical notes from the list moderator, everything posted to ASCEML is posted to ASCEM and vice-versa. Subscription rules and information may be found in the ASCEM FAQ.

ASFS -- alt.sex.fetish.startrek; the first TrekSmut newsgroup, which in turn led to ASCE. Now all spam.

b/d -- bondage and discipline. Consent is implied (see bdsm). This is a content code.

bdsm (sometimes smbd) -- This has become a catch-all code used in the subject header of a story post to warn readers that the story includes elements of various type of "rough play." bdsm is assumed to be consensual and, therefore, is *not* synonymous for rape or other non-consensual sexual violence. This is a content code.

BLTs -- Better Living thru TrekSmut. A mailing list originally set up to provide TrekSmut to people who could not access ASCE. BLTs is still an active mailing list.

BTW ('net) -- By The Way.

Canon (also TDC--The Dread Canon) -- the "real" Trek Universe as shown in the TV series and the movies. Any fact gleaned from an episode or a movie is considered canon. The "official" reference works, such as the "Star Trek Encyclopedia" are secondary sources as are certain professional novels (specifically "Mosaic" by Jeri Taylor). Canon often contradicts itself (example: "True Q" and "The Q and The Gray"), but we're not supposed to notice. Fanfic is not canon.

Character codes -- see "romance codes."

Combined story -- a story involving more than one Trek series. Example: A TNG/DS9 story.

Content codes -- codes other than series codes, romance codes, and rating codes used in the subject header of a story post to indicate certain types of story. These codes are listed thoroughout this glossary.

Crossovers (XO) -- a story involving more than one fictional universe. Example: a Star Trek/Babylon 5 story. Abbreviated, this is a content code.

Disclaimer -- The short section at the beginning of a piece of fanfic that acknowledges that the characters and the Trek universe are copyrighted material and belong to Paramount-Viacom, Inc. and that the writer is using them for non-profit purposes only. Please note that this does not cover the writer's butt legally; fanfic is in fact a violation of US copyright laws (since Trek is a US product, this applies to everyone living in a country that recognizes US copyright laws). However, writers may take comfort from the fact that Trek fanfic has been written for 20+ years now and no one's been taken to court yet (at least to my knowledge). For more on disclaimers see the ASCEM FAQ.

d/s -- dominance and submission. Consent is implied (see bdsm). This is a content code.

ep -- episode. Specifically an episode of Star Trek.

f/f -- code for female/female sex used in the subject header of a story post. This is a content code. (for sex code conventions see m/f)

Fanfic -- short for Fan Fiction. Any story written about a universe created by someone else. Specifically, not-for-profit fiction based on TV series, movies, or professional novels.

FAQ ('net) -- Frequently Asked Questions. A document written in questions and answer format that explains the purpose and customs of a newsgroup to newcomers. It is recommended that anyone new to a newsgroup read the FAQ first.

h/c -- hurt/comfort. This is a fine fanfic tradition, in which one character is non-consensually hurt (physically or psychologically) and is given comfort that usually leads (in the ASCEM context) to sex. While the comfort is usually sex, the hurt can be anything from emotional pain to rape or torture. This is a content code.

IME ('net) -- In My Experience.

IMHO ('net) -- In My Humble Opinion.

IMO ('net) -- In My Opinion.

LLAP (or LL&P) ('net) -- Live Long And Prosper.

LOL ('net) -- Laughing Out Loud.

m/f -- code for male/female sex used in the subject header of a story post. This code is rarely used. The usual practice is to use the romance codes. If one character is invented, the Trek character's code is used and then either m or f. Example: Q/f would be a story about Q and an invented female character. In a case where the writer is attempting to maintain a degree of surprise, m/f is one way to do that. This is a content code.

m/m -- code for male/male sex used in the subject header of a story post. This is a content code. (for sex code conventions see m/f)

Mary Sue -- A character who is perfect in every way, and who stands in for the author in a TrekSmut story. The name comes from an old TOS parody story about lucky Lt. Mary Sue who is very young, very beautiful, very brilliant, can repair the Enterprise with a hairpin and has the entire crew of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 wrapped around her finger (one of The Big Three falls in love with her, probably Kirk or Spock). She dies while saving the ship when nobody else can, and even Spock cries on her deathbed. The most famous canon example is actually a male: Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher, who was created by Gene Wesley Roddenberry. "Mary Sue" is considered by some to be a derogatory term, and you should realize that most characters that writers invent on their own are not Mary Sues.

Moderator -- A person who screens the incoming posts to a moderated newsgroup in order to determine if they are compatible with the stated purpose of the newsgroup. For a list of the ASCEM moderators' duties and the stated purpose of ASCEM, see the ASCEM FAQ.

multiple -- Used in the subject header of a story post when the story features a lot of different people having sex all at the same time, or too many pairings to include in a one line subject header. This is a content code.

NEW -- Used at the beginning of the subject header of a story post to indicate that the post is a new story.

Netiquette ('net) -- rules of good and/or acceptable behavior on the Internet. These rules are complex and vary from situation to situation. For more on netiquette, enter the word in any of the big web search engines.

ng ('net) -- News Group.

non-cons -- Non-consensual sexual violence, including rape. Not to be confused with bdsm.

Pairing codes -- see "romance codes."

pre-series -- a code used with the series code in the subject header of a story post to indicate that the action in the story takes place to characters from a certain series before the timeframe of the series. Example: a story that takes place in the timeframe of Captain Picard's command of the USS Stargazer could be coded "pre-TNG." This is a content code.

pre-slash -- A story that sets up a slash relationship, but does not include any sex. This is a content code.

Pro -- professional. The people who actually make money writing Star Trek stuff.

PWP -- Plot? What Plot? This refers to TrekSmut vignettes or simple sex scenes for which a plot is not required, or would get in the way.

Ratings -- A set of codes used in the subject header of a story post to indicate the amount of sex and/or violence in the story. For various reasons ASCEM, and its sister group ASC, use the rating system used by the US movie industry.

REP (or REPOST) -- Used at the beginning of the subject header of a story post to indicate that the post is a repost of a story already posted to the newsgroup.

Romance codes -- A series of letter codes used in the subject header of a story post to indicate who's doing who in the story. See the FAQ Coding Your Story Properly for a complete List

ROTFL ('net) -- Rolling On The Floor Laughing.

ROTFLMAO ('net) -- Rolling On The Floor Laughing My Ass Off.

s/m -- sadism and masochism or sado-masochism. Consent is implied (see bdsm). This is a content code.

Series code -- A code used in the subject header of a story post to tell which Star Trek series the story is set in. (TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT)

Slash -- the term slash does not refer to a violent story per se (although slash can involve violence). In the terms of TrekSmut, slash refers to same-sex fiction. The term originates from the / used between names or initials. More specifically, it started out referring to Kirk/Spock stories and then with the advent of the three other series grew to be a broader term meaning all same-sex stories. This is not a "set in stone" definition, I've heard some people assert that slash is *only* K/S or only m/m. Then again some people say that *all* TrekSmut is slash regardless of the sex of the parties involved. For most people however, the word means same-sex fan fiction.

Star Trek -- If I gotta explain...

Story post -- Specifically a work of fanfic posted to ASCEM (and/or ASC, ASCA, and AFQ). For the ASCEM conventions that writers are requested to follow when posting a story, see the ASCEM FAQ.

Subject header -- The one-line header to a newsgroup post. For the subject header conventions of an ASCEM story post, see the ASCEM FAQ.

TPTB -- The Powers That Be. More specifically, Paramount-Viacom, Inc. and/or Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jeri Taylor (who is really only a PTB on Voyager). This is often used mockingly, or even in complete disdain.

Trek -- Star Trek.

TrekSmut -- a general 'net term for erotica/porn/romances/love stories/whatever that feature Star Trek characters. TrekSmut is a term that was invented in March of 1995 to avoid more emotionally loaded words like "porn" or "erotica."

UST-- Unresolved Sexual Tension. A UST story is one in which either or both of the characters have the hots for one another but do not reveal and/or act on their desires. Canon examples of UST include the Picard/Bev Crusher and the Janeway/Chakotay relationships. This is a content code.

WIP -- Work In Progress. Exactly what it sounds like. The most famous ASC/ASCEM example I can think of is "Only Human." This is a content code.

YMMV ('net) -- Your Milage May Vary. Used after stating personal experience or an opinion.

'zine -- short for fanzine. A fan produced magazine. Some are informational, but many are collections of fanfic, frequently centered on particular series, certain characters or one type of story.