vJune Anne Vollans
1306 - 2631 38th Street NE
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T1Y 3Z8

December 16, 1996

Paramount Pictures Corporation
5555 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038
U.S.A.

Dear Sir/Madam:

Since its inception thirty years ago there has been a phenomenon stretching and growing world wide. That phenomenon is called Star Trek. It began as the dream of one man... a great and wonderful visionary with the dream of a world that could live peacefully at home and travel the stars - all at the same time. When it first hit the airwaves there were many adults who didn't understand it... and then there were the Baby Boomers. The show spoke to us, encouraged us, made it possible for us to believe in our own dreams and visions. We drank it up... but the network didn't have enough faith in the show itself... paid too much attention to what the "Board" and "shareholders" thought was correct, and canceled the show. We the Baby Boomers, however, didn't want the vision to die, so we kept it going and finally the network had to pay attention... there were too many of us to ignore.

There are still too many of us to ignore. Our numbers have not shrunk, in fact they have grown and continue to grow. Yet, you do not seem to recognize that fact. You are ignoring us. You are turning your attentions and making your precedents the "shareholders" and "board members" once more. You are forgetting who we are... and how many we are. You are losing the vision. We are noticing. We will not allow the dream to be turned into one centered around greed. That is not what Star Trek is. That is not what the Federation is. We believe in all that the vision stands for and, for the most part, we who are fans try to live up to the expectations of the Federation code. You who have been left with the care of that vision, however, have forgotten or are ignoring that same code. We will not allow that to happen.

When you shut down an Internet World Wide Web page you kick the fans that use it in the face. You forget who we are. We are the ones who go to the shows, who watch the television series, who buy the products, not your board members or your shareholders. We are the ones who can make or break you, not vice versa. We advertise for you and we pass your name around. We do this willingly and without expectation of any payment from you other than respect. We encourage our friends to become fans. We spread the dream. As a result, you make money for your board members and shareholders. We make that money for you.

Paramount thrives very nicely on Star Trek, but you seem to think that we, the people of the Net, are fools. We are not. We are thinking individuals who are not afraid of technology, who accept it as an everyday necessity, who demand it in our lives. Star Trek gave us many ideas about technology and living and all that we should expect from it. We are getting what we feel we need because we are demanding it... or inventing it. Even IBM recognizes the expectations of the fans of Star Trek and is intelligent enough to work on a way to make us happy.

Have you no shame in how you treat your CUSTOMERS? Because that is who we are. Do you think so little of us and who we are that you think you can get away with treating us like we are unimportant to you? Do you think that you make us desirous of more from you when you abuse us?

You forget: We are the people to whom you sell your product. We are the ones you need to make happy. There are others out there who also have product to sell... do you think that we cannot turn our backs on the Star Trek phenomenon that we made when it is turned to nothing but a money-mongering business whose caretakers have no scruples toward, or value of, the fans?

Think again.

Sincerely,

June Vollans


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