Contents

Abstract

Acknowledgements

Part One : Introductions and Theoretical Concepts

'The Genre Game' and the Audience: Produce, Text, Receiver

Ethnographic Boundaries, Ethical Issues, Online Social Hierarchy and

'HCMC'

Henry Jenkins, The Guerrilla Audience, and the Post-Modern Vision of

the Institution

'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly' or the Fan/Scholar, the Scholar/Fan,

            and the Post-Graduate Somewhere in the Middle

Part Two : An Ethnographic Investigation of 'forum.machinaesupremacy.com'

Introducing 'forum.machinaesupremacy.com'

Avatars, Online Identity, and Horizontal Hierarchy

Shared Interests, Shared Vernacular, Shared Fandom?

Hyper-Reality and the Emic/Etic Divide

Negotiated Meanings on the Forum

The Multiple Discourses of Band/Fan Discussion

Genre, What Genre?

Part Three : Conclusions

'Through the Looking Glass': The Benefits of Direct Contact with the

Textual Producers

'Insidious': Problems Encountered During this Investigation

'Kings of the Scene': What and Where Is Sid-Metal?

The Future of Online Producer/Consumer Relations: A 'Soundtrack to the Rebellion'?

Appendices

Appendix (1):   'Unofficial MaSu FAQ'   

Appendix (2):   Machinae Supremacy related 'Wikipedia' entries

Appendix (3):   Interview with Machinae Supremacy August 2006

Bibliography

Contents of Illustrations

Figure 1 (screenshot taken 14/08/06)

Figure 2 (screenshot taken 14/08/06)

� 2006 Andrew McQuade