This entire shipping stuff was new to me until I got into Lost, I never even HEARD of shipping before other than the normal sense of the word..as in shipping stuff to somewhere else etc. But shipping in the context of being a fan of a certain couple some TV show was never something I did or got into. Also am pretty sure that Lost is the first and last show I’ll be a shipper lol.

I DO agree with what Doc write though, and I didn’t think this site was supporting one or the other of the Lost fandom but in fact it supports the show ITSELF. That means all aspects of it, being it the sci-fi aspect, mythology, mystery, action, drama, easter eggs, the romance stuff and everything else.

I’m probably a Jater, but I care a hell of a lot more about how Desmond fits into Widmore’s scheming and what “the Incident” at the Swan was.

As many have mentioned, it is possible to favor a romantic pairing and be still be a rational human being and fan. However, ‘shipper wars’ can produce a lot of nasty comments and emails.

I think all that Doc is trying to do is to remind everyone that no matter what drives your intense interest in LOST, you are welcome here ( as is evidenced by the wide range of items covered and by the contributors’ various viewpoints) as long as you can discuss things politely.

Now, I don’t know what ship do I want to root for: Bencke (Ben and Locke) or Widmen (Widmore and Ben). But, I’m quite sure both of them will end dramatically, unfortunately.

There are hardcore shippers, i.e, ones who try to do everything humanly possible to affect the outcome of the show in favour of their couple, including organizing mass mailing campaigns to TPTB.

Then there are shippers (I fall into this category) who basically only ship while the show is on, and enjoy talking about the relationship developments of their favourite couples.

Then there are the somewhat obsessed shippers, that would perhaps go as far as telling Doc what to, and what not to post on his own site.

Come on Darlton – Give the dog a bone.

I was chilled to the marrow when I saw his little empty dog collar!

That said, I simply cannot fathom how people claim to only enjoy the relationships and not the mythology; LOST is a one-of-a-kind show with a rich mythology and fantasy never seen before. There are countless soap operas that deal with relationships and how anyone can find that aspect of the show more interesting and exciting than the concepts of time travel and the island’s deeply mysterious history is just totally beyond me.

I think the bottom line is, this kind of site should be applauded for allowing a diversity of viewpoint without censure or stifling bias. As long as things are conducted in a mature manner where strawman arguments and ad hominem attacks are not the order of the day, why shouldn’t there be a healty debate of all aspects of Lost?

You must be getting some interesting mail to have posted this up, Doc. And I can guess from which camp in particular (for the most part).

Let’s all remember that the reason we’re all so passionate about the show is because the Lost is so darn good and addictive on many levels and appeals to a broad range of fans. This kind of site is perfect in offering a springboard of open discussion about the many facets of Lost.

Maintaining neutrality as a site and information source in a fandom where things are so heated up as in Lost fandom is quite an admirable effort. But you definitely are a great example of being a “Switzerland” here, to speak nothing of the careful way you dish out spoilers (hey, thanks very much for that, btw).

I can’t agree with posters who say that one fanbase is better then the other simply because they have different preferences. There are rabid shippers, fanboys and whatnot out there, whose posts make people cringe/laugh/have nightmares etc. And then again, there are Jaters, Skaters, Slashers, Locke worshippers and so on, whose wit and creative streak is a very fine addition to any fandom site.

I’m very happy to know, still, that all of those mentioned above can have a place here.