Netscrape

One of the hallowed traditions of alt.gothic is the Netscrape. Traditionally this was held in September, to catch the influx of clueless newbies who had just got net access at university. Later it came to be held once every six months, as that was the only way to keep up.

Throughout most of its lifetime on alt.gothic there was a designated Keeper of the Netscrape. The first of these Keepers was Oddlystrange. In later years the Netscrape came to be looked after on a rather anarchic basis, with regulars being encouraged to post one when they felt like it. This system led to several disputes when competing versions were published simultaneously, and when various people said that other people's Netscrapes were stupid, so it was eventually abandoned. The last Keeper of the Netscrape was Jennie Kermode. After the Age of the Keepers, versions of the Netscrape continued to circulate in netgoth communities elsewhere.

The Netscrape is essentially a list of questions for alt.gothic posters to answer. One doesn't need to be established to do so - people are encouraged to use it to delurk. Even when Netscrapes are standardised, questions vary between each edition, though some things (like name, age, and duration of posting habit) remain constant. There are usually questions about personal identity, relationships, internet use, occupation, hobbies and Alt.gothic Controversies. It has been rumoured that the information gathered in the Netscrape is recorded and used by The C*B*L for its own nefarious purposes. Nevertheless, most regulars were keen to participate.