It is a well known fact that many who visit the internet in search of online interaction commit what some would see to be errors in the manner whereby they practice Gorean customs and philosophy. Indeed, this is one of the greatest causes of personal dispute in the online community, particularly in the self-proclaimed Gorean subculture which has emerged in various chat and message media across the internet. Arguments about what is actually contained in the Gor books, and the best ways to practice Gorean interaction, crackle across the phonelines through modems each night, as different individuals take one another to task for behaving in a "non-Gorean" manner. The internet is rife with such intrigues, and our communities of self-appointed Goreans are no different in that respect.

     Now, it has always been my personal policy to attempt to convey the truth, as I see it, about Gor, to as many people as possible in as inoffensive a manner as possible. But every so often it seems necessary for I and those like me to confront a specific individual or group of individuals and take them to task for practicing a particularly ridiculous bit of idiocy under the banner of "Gorean interaction." Indeed, I, and most of my comrades, have achieved a substantial reputation for telling all who will listen precisely what we think about such activities, including the perpetrators.

     The result is typically the same, each time: the person or persons involved loudly and petulantly rail against us as being honorless urts, then they shoot us the finger and respond with some veiled inference that we are setting ourselves up as the "Gods of Gor." Then, with a resounding cry of "who cares what you think?" they henceforth steer clear of us and go right on doing what they were doing.

     Fair enough. Just as long as we had our say in the matter, stood our ground and made our personal opinions clear.

     Now, some would say that loudly and publicly decrying the presence of blatantly "un-Gorean" activity in our midst does no good in the long run, and that might be correct. However...

     When one says that it does no good to denounce those who simply come to the internet and enact the roles of "Goreans," in the same manner in which they might assume the virtual roles of, say, "vampires" and "klingons," as simply a means to engage in thrilling and slightly funky cybersex, I often agree. But, for those who find such activities, and such people, to be not of their liking, I would suggest that it can and often does do some good, in that decrying such activities in our midst tends to "turn up the heat in the kitchen," as it were, and encourage such people to move on to another venue in which to play their sex games. We can never be entirely rid of such people, firstly because the Gor books deal with sexuality in such a widespread fashion that they tend to titillate as well as inform, and because on the internet, everyone is operating on a good old fashioned "honor system." Not honor in the Gorean, or even in the militaristic sense of the word; rather "honor system" in the Earth definition of the term, meaning that those who are here are "on their honor" to speak truthfully and to interact in such a way that their actions do harm to no one. The problem with relying upon such a system is that it is purely voluntary, like most of what we do here.

     We can turn our backs on such offenders, therefore, and lock them out of our meeting places as a detriment to our own interaction. But, like a pack of urts, they will always be there, lurking in the shadows of cyberspace. Still, while we may be forced to accept that, it does not necessarily mean that we have to like it.

     As I have often said in the past, it is true we do not hold the trademark on the words Gor, Gorean, or any of the other specific terms found in the Gor books which we apply to our various forms of interaction here on the internet. Nevertheless, someone does indeed hold those trademarks, though perhaps he has never trademarked them legally. But he holds the rights to sole usage and definition of those terms nonetheless, through copyright law and the dictates of intellectual property. The holder of those rights, is, of course, John Norman.

     He is the only one who can say, definitively, what is and is not "Gorean." The rest of us must simply read his books and attempt to follow the examples of Gorean behavior as set forth in those writings, and extrapolate, through extensive study, contemplation and cross-referencing of the information in those books, what the actions, reactions and behavior of a "Gorean" would actually entail.

     To many of us, such actions are no less than a supreme labor of love, dedicated to furthering the message of a man whose writings opened our eyes to many of the inconstancies and failings of our current societal conditions. As such, it makes perfect sense that we would take these matters quite seriously, even to the point of becoming fighting mad about it when we feel that Norman's words and inherent messages are being twisted and distorted to encompass something which, the books seem to tell us, is blatantly at odds with the actual content of Norman's primary philosophical viewpoint.

     While I understand the obvious frustration of some at what they perceive to be a very high-handed and megalomaniacal approach to the dispensation of a particular viewpoint, or set of guidelines, among the citizenry of "CyberGor," and while I agree with the fundamental principle that one may certainly attract more bees with honey than with vinegar, I am surprised that anyone who has ever read the Gor books would consider applying the term "megalomaniacal" to the situation at all.

     The many intelligent and gregarious individuals who daily go to bat arguing the validity of Norman's work, are truly of little import in regards to the dissemination and furtherance of the works of Norman, and the meaning of those works, to the public via electronic media. If you were to ask any of those people, they would undoubtedly tell you the same. It is the message, overall, which we attempt to get across to those who honestly display a sincere interest in understanding what Norman was trying to say, which is important. Not the messengers.

     After all, online "power" is pretty weak, when one actually looks at it. And if "celebrity," as it exists offline, is kind of silly, then "online celebrity" is sillier yet.

     We all pitch in and do our part to keep and maintain a set of rules which enable us to function in a Gorean manner in our interaction on the internet, and in our offline lives.

     Who makes these ever-present rules, then? Where do they come from?

     Well, we ALL make them, and refine them, and add to them, every day. That is one of the inconveniences of online interaction; you have to have rules, otherwise the interaction becomes a chaotic free-for-all, with everyone practicing his or her own variant of what is, and what is not, allowed. We all make them. The good rules stick around and remain in effect; the bad ones fall by the wayside, as the needs and wishes of the community take precedence.

     What is the original basis for these rules?

     The Gor books, of course. While there is nothing in the Gor books about internet communications, or virtual societies, there is a whole lot in them about Gorean men and women. We simply apply the examples of those Goreans ("true" Goreans, according to Norman, and who can argue with HIM about it?) to our own lives and situations, and muddle through as best we can.

     What happens to the public perception of Gor, and the Gor books, if such rules are not maintained? Well, below I have included a few imaginary "commercials" for Gorean venues of interaction, for your education and amusement.

     I have no doubt that these two commercials would actually exist if the suits on Madison Avenue thought they could get away with it, or believed they could make a buck with them. There is not much room for honor, per se, in the world of advertising, unless you are a man of impeccable moral fiber. Advertising, like politics, is an arena wherein honor is always suspect.

A tall Gorean warrior, garbed in the scarlet of his caste, saunters into frame.

Warrior: Tired of all that tedious adherence to stuffy old Gorean custom and tradition? Looking for a way out of all this philosophic mumbo-jumbo about natural selection and biological order? Sick of rules and regulations and people telling you what to do? Well, yearn no more!

Warrior extends his hand and a female, clad in diaphenous silks with a wreath of talenders in her hair, steps into the frame, smiling radiantly, and takes his hand.

Warrior: Try new, improved Gor-Lite! Half the customs, twice the romance and none of the philosophy! Tired of trying to actually understand and apply the basic Gorean doctrine to your life, online and off? Well, with new Gor-Lite, you don't have to! No rules, no books, no responsibility!

Warrior sweeps female into his arms and carries her out of frame. Camera pans right to reveal a gentle, smiling high tharlarion chewing on a big rubber squeaky-toy. Warrior springs into the saddle, the female sighing contentedly in his brawny arms.

Warrior: Gor-Lite! For those days when you really just don't want to have to bother with all of those strict rules and boring platitudes. WE tried it...

Female: ...and we LIKE it!

Female lifts her hair, revealing a solid gold, gem encrusted collar. Camera zooms in to reveal the words "With all My Love, Your Master."

Female elbows Warrior in the ribs, sharply.

Female: DON'T we, dear?

Warrior nods hurriedly and with a cry of "Hi ho, buttercup!" spurs his mount out of the frame, to delighted squeals of his partner.

Music sting. Fade up on the exterior of a mighty castle, replete with dangling heads on the wall. Camera zooms through window, revealing hall of a Gorean slaver. Central table, surrounded by men sitting in Barcoloungers, drinking paga.

Voiceover: When you really need a break from the high stress world you live in, sit back, kick off your shoes, and relax..in the fun-filled world of Gor!

Song lyric: "When it's time to relax..."

Montage: Shots of men whipping slaves for no apparent reason, stabbing each other for no apparent reason, swearing mighty blood oaths for no apparent reason and drawing up plans to attack another castle.

lyric: "We've got the paga..."

Shots of females dressed like Xena, warrior Princess, high-stepping in a chorus line in the background.

lyric: "Here's to good friends, tonight is kind of special..."

Camera zooms in on smiling Warrior, wearing a suit of powered battle armor and disintegrating a nearby Orc with a ray-gun.

lyric: "Toniiiiiiight...Let it be Paga Time."

Chorus of male voices: Gor! Gor! Gor! Come on, what are you waiting for?

Cut to black screen, lit only by the words:

GOT PAGA?

     When you are through laughing, allow me to assure you; it is no laughing matter. To anyone who actually values the inherent philosophies encompassed in the work of John Norman, the above examples are no less than infuriating.

     Which brings me to my final point in this windy diatribe:

     Where is the line to be drawn between Gorean and non-Gorean? Who makes that choice? And once that line is drawn, who enforces it and makes certain that some of what we do here stays true to the concepts and vision of Gorean society as portrayed in the Gor books themselves?

     If the beauty and wonder (and the ugliness and barbarity) of Gorean society is to be kept intact, so that others might have the opportunity to experience it in a form which resembles the Gorean society of Norman's books, at least to some extent, who will ensure that it is not diluted and changed to suit the fancy of gangs of whimsical children who populate so much of the internet?

     Others have qualified their statements regarding their outrage at what they see to be senseless dogma being perpetuated via the internet to serve the agenda of a few self-appointed guardians of Gor, by simply saying "They do not understand. They take this way too seriously." That is a very popular viewpoint.

     So, I ask you... do YOU understand the forces which have molded the OTHER viewpoint? Or the outrage which so many of us feel when we see what we perceive to be actual harm being done to our community, and the concepts espoused by Norman in his novels?

     It occurs to me that if one says "live and let live" towards one's detractors long enough, then that kind and understanding person often winds up evicted from his own home to make way for those who did not contribute to its construction, or who will not take the time to keep it up and maintain it. Is that what happens to Goreans who turn the other cheek, time and again? Believe me, we have tried to do so in the past. And in every case, the dilution of Gorean concepts and principles becomes more obvious and pathetic with each succeeding generation of ill-informed newcomers.

     I have watched it happen. I have seen people who were banned from our channel three years ago found their own channels, only to wind up banning a new generation of pseudo-Goreans, and so on, and so on, each new generation behaving less and less "Gorean" according to the examples set forth in the books themselves, until many of those who were originally banned by us from our channels have returned, hats in hand, and admitted that perhaps we were right. I have watched information, work which I have written regarding those books, stolen and rewritten and reposted until it no longer contains a single shred of anything from the books, or about the books. And, admittedly, it makes me angry. Or, to put it another way, "outraged."

     There comes a time, I suspect, in every endeavor, in which those who are engaged in it either stand their ground and state, for the record, what it is they are trying to accomplish, or they disengage from that endeavor and allow it to fade into oblivion.

     In this case, I feel we are trying to impart a tiny fraction of Gorean philosophy, as outlined in the Gor books, to one another, and practice it both in an online and offline environment. We will all certainly disagree about what that entails, at times; but there must be a way to curtail those who purposely misinterpret that philosophy, lest it totally lose cohesion and disintegrate into chaos.

     That is, to my direct knowledge, what those whom I consider to be serious Goreans have been trying to accomplish since they first founded the first Gorean IRC channel, and what I and my fellows have been trying to do since we first began this online odyssey.

     But what happens when Odysseus and his fellows sail out to conquer new territories for their fellows, only to discover upon their return home that their homeland has been invaded and plundered by enemies, and their culture has been supplanted by another? Do they attempt to remedy the situation, or do they just quietly say "Okay. Who cares what happens? Just as long as they stay out of MY living room." And if they do say that, then what about all of the OTHER citizens who have to dwell in the new culture, one which bears no resemblance to that culture's original form? Who fights, and weeps, for those unfortunates who know know better? Who tries to educate them, and how?

     Can anyone be reasonably qualified to tell someone else that something "is" or "is not" Gorean?

     And if they do make such a pronouncement, do they have the right to inform others of their opinions?

     Everyone who reads the Gor books has the right to DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES what Gor is all about, based upon their perceptions of the books; and, once they have reached a decision, then it is their right to inform others of their opinions to that effect. Particularly if they are asked to do so.

     When I assert, as I do wholeheartedly, that Norman is the only true arbiter of what is and is not Gorean, I am doing so with the certain knowledge that anything which he does not inform us, reliably, to be Gorean, cannot be classified as such beyond a shadow of a doubt. Therefore, when we encounter situations and events which are not specifically mentioned in the source books, it falls to us to apply what we DO KNOW about those books, make suitable comparisons, and extrapolate from those what a hypothetical Gorean would and wouldn't do in the same situation which we face.

     The opinions of certain informed and experienced individuals do carry weight, and therefore such people should maintain a sense of responsibility to the overall community at large. In fact, I have repeatedly seen demonstrations of such personal feelings of responsibility on the part of many of the "oldest" Goreans, notably in their insistence that those who claim to be "Gorean" maintain a certain code of conduct in their presence, or leave that presence.

     May such individuals, therefore, invent Gorean social dictates out of the whole cloth and render random decisions regarding what is, and what is not, Gorean? Certainly not, not unless there is ample information in the source books which guide their initial response and decision regarding such matters.

     If someone informs me that, in their opinion, purple fairies with magic hats are "Gorean" I would demand they explain to me where in the source books they found that particular nugget of info.

     And if someone CAN provide a substantial amount of evidence from the source books to indicate that what he says IS Gorean? Then what?

     I have taken that very tack myself, posting the accumulated knowledge and general beliefs of myself and my fellows on various websites and in other online forums, often with direct quotes from the books which I feel back up those customs and beliefs. In response I often receive, in return, a fairly wan collection of jibes and mutterings, to the tune of "oh yeah, well, who cares."

     Now I consider myself to be an avid defender of Norman's work, and will go to the mat with anyone whom I see misinterpreting Norman's writing for their own selfish reasons, you can count on it. But once one has derived the inherent philosophy and doctrines of Gorean society from the books, you sort of have to apply them. To do otherwise is to waste the opportunity to actually make a change in one's life based upon the new ideas put forth in those books.

     So then, how does one do that? Well, by applying those new ideas to other, non-related situations, like interaction offline or even via IRC. When one does that, one must maintain the general attitudes, feelings, and overall personal belief system which has been culled from the books themselves. That is simply how one deals with OTHER occurances, which are not specifically mentioned in the books; one says to oneself "a Gorean would never do that," or "a Gorean would certainly consider such-and-such," etc.

     That is how we attempt to practice what the books preach. And while Norman is certainly the last word on what is officially Gorean and what is not, if we apply his instructions only to areas which are specific to the planet of Gor, we wind up wandering around in search of something Gorean to do, or a simulation of an event from one of the books in which we are specifically told how to behave.

     The point of all this is simply that, if someone were to ask someone "would a Gorean do such-and-such" and that person were to answer honestly "No," minus the personal disclaimer "I don't think so" or "My opinion is that he would not," then that would simply be a point of semantics. Of course, whoever was asked such a question could always tell the asker to "go look it up in the books and find out for yourself," which is the ONLY 100% correct answer, however when people ask such questions, they are asking for opinions. Otherwise, they WOULD go and look it up in the books.

     Therefore, if someone were to ask me "is such and such Gorean," I would probably give them my personal opinion on the matter, and it might occasionally be "no." If anyone asked me to, I would provide suitable proof from the books to back up what I say, and that would be that. But one cannot honestly demand that everyone who frequents Gorean IRC be hung out to dry simply because they do not attach a qualifying statement to everything they say upon IRC.

     Gor comes from the books, period. But part of what we do here is build upon the bare-bones foundation of a philosophical point of view set forth in those books, test those principles out, and apply them. Otherwise we lock ourselves in a very limited world, the walls of which are bound by a series of 25 books which can never contain all of the travails and problems of our lives.

     If someone has studied those books and has reached conclusions regarding what is and is not Gorean, and should he be asked his opinion regarding the matter, he has every right to state his opinion in as straightforward a manner as possible. Perhaps with the added, carefully phrased qualifier "in my own opinion, that is," and perhaps not. That entirely depends upon the manner in which the question is worded, and whether or not the person who asked it was asking a direct question regarding information from the books, or was actually asking for the person's opinion.

     The desire to "rule over Gor" does not enter into it. If it did, there would be no problem. If it did, then I and my fellows would have always left the rest of online Gor to its own devices, and would not give a fig about anything other than our own personal satisfaction.

     In my opinion, none of those whom I consider to be serious Goreans wish to rule over anyone. Nor do I, for that matter.

     But I wish for online "Gor" to be "ruled" by Norman's writings, and if it is not, then I do not think the term "Gor" should be used in regards to it. You can call a flower a shovel, and vice versa. But even if hundreds of people believe you, that does not make it so. And the holes you try to dig with that so-called "shovel" will be pathetic and useless things.

     And whenever one digs holes to lay the foundation for any edifice, one is bound to turn up the occasional worm. Whether you squash that worm or gently set it aside is not an issue. What is important is that it must be dealt with before you can go back to digging.

     "No, I would not try to reform man by pretending that my wishes for him were the wishes of Priest-Kings, even though this might be effective for a time, for the wishes that reform man, that make him what he is capable of becoming, and has not yet become, must be his own and not those of another. If man rises, he can do so only on his own two feet."