Does anyone remember the FDC (Future Disney Castmember) usenet group?

[MrTerrorChair]

Since DVC members are true Disney fanatics, I started thinking about my youthful college days at PSU and the hours and hours of "useless" time I spent in the computer labs posting messages to a Disney Usenet group that called itself the FDC (Future Disney Castmembers). It was something like rec.arts.disney.etc/etc/etc. We had lots of fun basically playacting, daydreaming, chatting, and wasting our valuable time on the really important issues of the Disney universe. We all were aspiring Disney Cast Members and we had a great time networking with other Disney nuts.

I was wondering, since many of the people share that same affinity, if they remember that bulletin board? Were a part of it? What their name was? etc.

I remember one guy in particular, I think his name was Todd M, who actually published an unofficial guide to WDW on-line ,then in print form. He started out as one of the organizers of the FDC I think. I sent him my reviews of the golf courses and he used it in his print version. I bought a version of it. It was pretty good at that time (circa 1992-94).

My identity was FDC Uncle Remus, and I approve of this message.

 

[fdcceo]

I remember the FDC - Future Disney Cabinet. I founded it. I also ended up founding the TDC - Trimobius Disney Cabinet, both of which have somehow earned their own WIKI article. I even use my old name in a blog sporadically maintain.

I can't post links since I'm a newbie.

 

[Crissup]

I remember the FDC - Future Disney Cabinet. I founded it. I also ended up founding the TDC - Trimobius Disney Cabinet, both of which have somehow earned their own WIKI article. I even use my old name in a blog sporadically maintain.

Sean? Is that you? I was just explaining the whole beginnings of the FDC to CarolAnnC the other day. That was back in the good ol' days of RAD. I started to lose interest after the split into 5 seperate groups.

 

[Crissup]

Here's the link to the Wikipedia FDC page...

Wikipedia's FDC Page

 

[Camping Cat]

Here's the link to the Wikipedia FDC page...

Wikipedia's FDC Page

It was so much fun reading the titles on the TDC site! Brings back SO many memories. I'm the TDC Hoarder of Piratical Doubloons and Royal Supplier of Beads to the Beadzilians.

 

[fabshelly]

fdc Fabulous *Fabulous* Disney Babe

Remember Michael Pitzel? MICKEYGATE!!!!

 

[vonpluto]

fdc Fabulous *Fabulous* Disney Babe

Remember Michael Pitzel? MICKEYGATE!!!!

Pitzel is back, I think; now available at HSN:

Hot Headz Six-in-One Cold Weather Hat - Item: 913-130 HSN Price: $19.95

 

[Caskbill]

Since this thread is not directly related to DVC (as required by the site posting rules), it is being closed.

All threads started on any of the DVC boards MUST be specifically applicable to DVC in some way, and additionally NOT be applicable to the general public or another group.

Thanks for your cooperation.

 

[KathyTX]

This isn't on-topic for the DVC forums, but it's a fun walk down memory lane that will play well on the Community Board, so I'll move it there!

Pitzel- OMG!!! Pitzel-gate!!!

I can't even remember my RADP name now. I wasn't a huge poster, but I learned a lot, laughed a lot, and met a lot of people on RADP.

After a while, it just got so big and so chaotic (unmoderated newsgroups are pretty wild), that it was harder and harder to find the "real" posts among the noise and I found the DIS.

 

[fdcceo]

John - Yes, that's me (Sean). Occasionally someone will send me a link to something like this, and here I am. I don't think the FDC/TDC will ever truly die. I still see the titles in .sigs in the newsgroups.

When they split the groups, I think it really affected the early online Disney community. The whole FDC/TDC was a nice diversion, but I wasn't going to seek out an entire website or newsgroup just for it. It was always like a child that grew up and moved away too quickly. I was never as attached to it as some of the members. It's too bad we couldn't all just co-exist back then.

Now everyone is in places like these privatized forums. We have hundreds of places to go for Disney discussions instead of just one. I guess that's got pros and cons.

Maybe someday I'll put FDCCEO on my resume. I wonder how far that will get me.

 

[Crissup]

You know, I never posted much back then. Back in the days of Fidonet and RimeNet, if you weren't on a hub site, it could take a week for a post to make it to your BBS, and it was often answered days before by someone else upstream. So, I learned to just lurk and learn. When I found my way to the Internet, it was via a new job working in the national laboratory system, and it was before ISPs such as AOL or Compuserve were allowed access to the net. I loved the anarchy system that governed the Usenet back then. But, mostly, I loved the level of expertise that was available. Who was I to answer questions about Disney when we had the likes of Roberta Brubaker and Steve Soria on the newsgroup.

Thus, I sat and lurked, learned, and just jumped in when I felt compelled. Unfortunately, when the FDC started in on the water cannons and such, I just felt things flew off in another direction at such warp speed, that I just stopped enjoying it all. But, I have to give you credit. The FDC put RADP on the map. Once it got written about in one of the national newspapers, people found their way.

Actually, it's still not much different today. The only difference is, I just don't feel there is the level of knowledge, that I'm searching for, available on the net today. Disney no longer allows their cast members to participate, and what is out there has been hashed over thousands of times.

Thus, many times, I sit and think about the old days, when we were a tighter knit community and people thought we had to be crazy to spend our time reading some Disney newsgroup on that Internet thing.

Whether you put it on your resume or not, you're Disney newsgroup royalty! Something to be proud of.