The Official ASVS FAQ

E. I'm new here. What's going on?!

1. Your group is lopsided. How can you expect it to be fair to Wars/Trek?

While certain people are regulars in the newsgroup, the exact numbers of Trek/Wars supporters changes daily. Some days it may favor Star Wars, some days it may favor Star Trek. The group continues on the assumption that all people, regardless of alignment, are reasonable, and will not ignore things just because they hurt their argument.

2. What do all these abbreviations mean?

They're a shortcut to save time, especially when a common term is used. ESB is certainly easier than The Empire Strikes Back. A list of the most common abbreviations can be found in the R&R.

3. What's with all these calculations? Aren't there answers in the technical manuals for both sides?

Unfortunately, many things in some of the older technical manuals for both sides is just flat out wrong. These books were written basically for the entertainment of the fans, and as such, not everything can be trusted. If we see something on screen that counters the technical manual, we will usually ignore the manual in favor of what is seen. If there is nothing on the subject, the technical manual is usually accepted. However, the recently released Incredible Cross Sections books have been carefully researched and are considered highly accurate, especially by Lucasfilm and ILM.
In a surprising revelation, the Technical Manuals for Star Trek actually aren't valid sources of information. In those cases, on-screen evidence is all that can be used to gauge Star Trek's technical capabilities.

4. Why is everyone so worked up over Star Wars weapons being lasers?

The nature of Star Wars weapons has remained one of the oldest in this debate. For a time, it was accepted that, despite the presence of "laser" in the name, they are not laser-based weapons. However, this conclusion has been called into question by other sources, and there is a growing number of people who think some (not all) of the weaponry may be laser-based. Whether it is or isn't, however, is really immaterial; what matters is the weapon's destructive capabilitites, not the means it uses towards those ends.

5. What about Outrageous Okana? Lasers won't even get past the navigational deflector!

If you are unfamiliar with this argument, the episode of the Next Generation "Outrageous Okona" has Riker saying that lasers wouldn't get past the Enterprise's navigational deflector. In other words, it is claimed that Federation ships are immune to lasers. Since Star Wars weapons are called "turbolasers" and "laser cannons," it is argued by some that Star Wars weapons will have no effect on Star Trek ships. Graeme Kennedy, for example, went so far as to claim that a shuttlecraft will be completely unaffected by the blast of the Death Star's Superlaser (the planet-busting weapon seen in A New Hope). This interpretation is, frankly, moronic, and it is understood by all reasonable participants on both sides that even if Star Wars weapons turn out to be laser-based, this line of reasoning is fundamentally flawed. The issue is discussed at length in the R&R.

6. How can you remember all this stuff?

It's not easy! That's why many sites have been posted throughout the internet to preserve information for the public. The most important of these is the group's Rules and Regulations, which has a list of the most common arguments and their conclusions (if any). Also, you can search through previous posts to read what conclusions have been reached.

7. What does "TGOD" mean?

TGOD is short for "The Good Old Days". TGOD is any discussion, usually a type of fanfic, in which the writer acts out the torture and/or murder of other people, usually members of the newsgroup. TGODs are usually limited to willing participants or trolls. TGODs are an artform in some cases, so if you choose to participate, you may want to review some of the previous ones.
A recent variant is STGOD, which usually refers to an organized (using the term loosely) multi-person TGOD involving fleets and armies.

8. What's the point of having a Council?

The Council is a trio of individual's chosen by the newsgroup to reflect group opinion and provide information. They possess no real authority, they exist only to keep newsgroup information easy to find and up to date. The Council is divided into three groups: ASVS Master, ASVS Maintainer, and ASVS Whip. Their respective duties are to call votes, publish the results of votes and threads, and inform the newest members of our groups of the locations of these documents (such as this FAQ).