Decker's ASP
Extracts
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Decker's ASP |
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Last Update:
Wednesday, 20 February 2002 10:10 PM
Hi. My name's Bob Decker. I'm a newcomer to pipe smoking, and I've done a fair bit of reading on it, and I'd like to share some of what I've learned. A newcomer to a newsgroup is, if they're lucky and the newsgroup is old enough, greeted with a FAQ. If they're very lucky, the FAQ has been kept up-to-date. ASP (alt.smokers.pipes) is an exceptional online community because there are many such documents are available at pipes.org and the ASP start page.
However, what is missing for any newbie to any newsgroup is a sense of the culture of the group. A history of what has come before - something that someone gains normally only with the benefit of time. I do not attempt to write such a history, especially as I am exceptionally new to ASP myself. Another way to get the lay of the land is to have a friend sit down and tell you the important bits, so that you can get a sense of who the characters are, and recount those famous old threads. Well, it's in that spirit that I've attempted to extract some of ASP's highlights.
I can't sit down and share a few pipes with you to explain what all's going on here, but I do have, here in January of 2002, a complete Google archive, this website, and lots of time on my hands. And I'm betting that if you're reading this, that you might be interested in this, too.
I have taken my editor's pen to most of these posts. In all cases, the threads represented here are abridged, with many shorter or tangential posts (and portions of posts) removed. I have edited to improve readability, spelling (but not universally... I don't have that much time) and formatting.
The intent of these extracts is to sift the wheat from the chaff, using the benefit of hindsight. Many are the 50 line posts which see only 10 lines included here, for example.
Please drop me a line if you'd like to give me feedback or recommend a topic for inclusion here!
Finally, a disclaimer. The original authors quoted here maintain full copyright of their words.
Pipes Usenet Date Added to ASPE One Pipe, Many Bowls 27 February 2001 25 January 2002 Affordable New Pipe Recommendations 12 August 2001 25 January 2002 $200 Pipe Recommendations 7 September 2001 25 January 2002
Advice & Techniques Usenet Date Added to ASPE Keeping the Pipe Lit 1994-2001 29 January 2002 Stack Smokes 19 March 2000 29 January 2002 13 January 2001 25 January 2002 Matching Pipe with Tobacco 2 April 2001 25 January 2002 New Pipe Smoker Advice 31 December 2001 25 January 2002
Tobaccos: Brands & Blends Usenet Date Added to ASPE GLP's Odyssey 28 January 2002 11 February 2002 Esoterica Tobacco Recommendations 4 February 1997 25 January 2002 Cornell & Diehl Premium Blends 11 January 2000 25 January 2002 Cornell & Diehl Recommendations 10 December 2001 25 January 2002 Aromatic Blend Recommendations 31 December 2001 25 January 2002
Tobaccos: General Usenet Date Added to ASPE Tobacco Moisture & Dehydration 1996-2001 29 January 2002 Mild Tobacco Blends 11 October 1998 25 January 2002 Burley Blend Recommendations 28 September 1999 25 January 2002 Full-Flavored Blends for the Outdoors 17 May 2000 25 January 2002 Virginia Blend Recommendations 6 July 2000 25 January 2002 Indoor Tobaccos for Fall and Winter 17 October 2000 25 January 2002 English Blend Recommendations 7 April 2001 25 January 2002 Barbary Coast and Mephisto Likenesses 27 April 2001 25 January 2002 Blend Recommendations for Newbie 12 September 2001 25 January 2002 Survey: Top Five Blends 19 January 2002 25 January 2002 Survey: English, Aromatics & Pipe Makers 22 January 2002 25 January 2002
Commerce Usenet Date Added to ASPE Mail Order Store Recommendations 12 January 2002 25 January 2002
ASP Culture Usenet Date Added to ASPE It's a Small Tin 8 February 2002 20 February 2002 ASP and Big Biz 29 August 2001 25 January 2002 The Golden Age of Pipesmoking 4 January 2002 25 January 2002
