This will be the last version for a couple of weeks, as I leave on Sunday.
I'm fairly sure my post from the 5th didn't show up due to a computer which
decided to go into a time warp, but I did decide to keep some things where
they were (Rudd's PR, which really isn't either a recap or a contest) and
simplify the epic 1.9 (now 1.8). When I return, I will look and see what
you think about this.

In the interim, I hope you all have a wonderful time while I'm gone and
actually manage to get along. :) Teacher will be checking in during the
next couple of days, as last minute stuff allows, but I won't be making any
additional changes in the FAQ until I get back. I know this stupid thing
still doesn't line up right, but I really don't have the time to mess with
it anymore right now.

Kittyn, I putting you in charge of the gang. If anyone acts up, just give
them a detention slip, okay? Good luck. <g>
--
Moni (fmomoon)



ATAI FAQ
1 General information about the group
2 General posting guidelines
3 FAQ and inside jokes
4 Contests and recaps
5 Acronym help

1.1 Q. What is ATAI?
A. ATAI is alt.tv.american-idol, which is a Usenet newsgroup that started
toward the beginning of Season 2 (2003)
1.2 Q. Is there a moderator? Is someone in charge?
There is no moderator for this group. Nobody is in charge or the "head" of
the group.
1.3 Q. Do you allow off-topic posts?
A. While this group as a whole tends to keep most conversation on topic,
this is not a moderated newsgroup, and so topics will frequently sway from
AI. During the off-season, we welcome threads about other reality shows,
and other topics not related to AI
1.4 Q. Who won American Idol?
A. American Idol 1 (2002) was won by Kelly Clarkson
American Idol 2 (2003) was won by Ruben Studdard
American Idol 3 (2004) was won by Fantasia Barrino
American Idol 4 (2005) was won by Carrie Underwood
American Idol 5 (2006) was won by Taylor Hicks
1.5 Q. Who were the runners-up for American Idol?
A. American Idol 1 was Justin Guarini
American Idol 2 was Clay Aiken
American Idol 3 was Diana DeGarmo
American Idol 4 was Bo Bice
American Idol 5 was Katharine McPhee
1.6 Q. Which contestants left the competition and why?
A. Corey Clark (AI2) was disqualified for withholding information about
an assault
Frenchie Davis (AI2) was disqualified after showing up on some soft-porn
websites
Donnie Williams (AI3) was disqualified after a drunk driving arrest.
Replaced by George Huff.
Mario Vasquez (AI4) dropped out, citing personal family reasons. Replaced
by Nikko Smith.
1.7 Q. At the end of tonight's performance show, they showed taped clips
of the contestants performing, but they were a little different from the
performances I just watched. What gives?
A. The performances are live or taped live. The taped clips that are
shown right before voting is opened are made during dress rehearsals. This
keeps the production staff from having to edit tape during the broadcast.
1.8 Q. What happened with each season during American Idol?
A. We suggest that you go to these helpful sites to get a decent idea of
what happened each year. Have fun!
Season 1:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Idol_%28Season_1%29 (Who's computer is this?)
Season 2:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Idol_%28Season_2%29 (Who's computer is this?)
Season 3:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Idol_%28Season_3%29 (Who's computer is this?)
Season 4:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Idol_%28Season_4%29 (Who's computer is this?)
Season 5:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Idol_%28Season_5%29 (Who's computer is this?)
1.9 Q. What is "American Idol Extra" and who are those people?
A. "American Idol Extra" is a pretty good insider show shown on the TV
Guide channel after a person is eliminated. It airs on Fox Reality station.
Two of its "reporters" are Matthew Rogers (AI3) and Mikalah Gordon (AI4)
1.10 Q. How many times can I vote?
A: As many times as you want. There is no limit. They usually allow two
hours following the end of the program to vote. The number of lines and time
to vote increases as remaining contestants become few in number.
1.11 Q: Are there any autodialer programs so you don't have to dial
manually?
A: Someone created a program which can be obtained at www.dialidol.com to
auto dial for your favorite contestants. This program also predicts who will
be eliminated before the elimination show. Its accuracy has been someone
spotty although did improve with fewer contestants remaining.
2.1 Q. Are there any general posting guidelines?
A. Yes, as this is an un-moderated group, no one can control how you post.
However, the group on the whole prefers you stick to these guidelines:
1. No spam: This includes eBay auctions, polling sites and sales
promotions.
2. No cross posting. When you have something you want to share with two
different groups, please make two separate posts.
3. No top posting: Top posting makes it hard to read the post as a
conversation. Instead, place your reply or replies directly after the
quote(s) to which you are replying. This gives the posts a "conversational"
feel.
4. Snip, please: Cut out any extraneous parts of the quoted post. Cut
out everything except for the sentence(s) or paragraph(s) to which you are
responding. This makes posts easier for others to read and understand.
5. Please be reasonably polite: We will all appreciate your efforts.
6. Trolls: We have found that the most effective way to negate the power
of trolls is to simply not respond. They will go away eventually.
7. Starting a new subject from an old thread: Please start a new thread
title when it becomes obvious the old title is no longer applicable.
2.2 Q. The ugly arguments make me uncomfortable. Can someone stop them?
A. No. This is an un-moderated group. If you dislike a certain argument,
you are welcome to ignore it, to killfile the offending poster(s), or to
start new threads in an attempt to deflect attention from the fight.
2.3 Q. Who are you guys?
A. We are pretty much your everyday folks from many walks of life, who all
enjoy American Idol and its imperfections. You'll learn more about us as
you stick around. We do have a web page showing some of our members; please
feel free to check it out at _____________
2.4 Q. The ATAI Faces page is cool. Can I be on it?
A. Yes. All participating members of the group may submit their photo to
dallape@charter.com
2.4 Q. Should I start posting right away?
A. We suggest that you lurk for a while and get the feeling of how we
handle things. Once you feel ready, post away!
3.1 Q. Are Suzanne and Karrde the same person?
A. No, they are married and use the same computer to post, which may cause
someone to think that they are the same person.
3.2 Q. Why do you keep misspelling "genre" as "jondra?"
A. Yes, we know it is genre. This joke started as a result of Gladys
Knight, who was a guest judge on "American Junior" a couple of years ago.
She continually pronounced the word incorrectly and we just carried on the
tradition.
3.3 Q. Why do you keep misspelling "vibrato" as "vobrata?"
A. Yes, we know it is vibrato. This joke also came to us via Gladys
Knight on the same show. We will always appreciate Ms. Knight and her
valuable contributions to our enjoyment of this group.
4.1 Q. What is "Bragging Rights" and who has won them?
A. "Bragging Rights" is a contest designed by Itoshi, where each poster
may submit their idea of the order in which each of the 12 finalists will be
eliminated. Itoshi posts the guidelines every week and opportunities are
built in so that you may change your "kick-off" order. The winners were:
AI3 Karrde
AI4 Tommy Nichols
AI5 idol@idol.com
4.2 Q. What is the Certainty Contest?
A. This is a contest started by Jason Wuthrich where you divide 100
Certainty Points (CPs) among the 12 finalists based on your certainty that
they'll win. For example, if you're 40% sure that Chris will win give him
40 CPs. Each singer can only be given up to 50 CPs and you must name at
least four singers, including at least one man and at least one woman. Make
sure your CPs total 100, no more, no less. Below are the winners:
2005 Bob Rudd
2006 tzigaane
4.3 Q. Are there any other contests or games within the group?
A. Each season, several other contests may sprout up. Rules for each one
will be posted at the time.
4.4 Q. Can I recap the show?
A. Yes, please! Each season, Itoshi creates a recap thread, in which he
lists all the night's songs and singers for a convenient place to recap.
Using this template allows your recap to appear in a regularly appearing
thread, where it will be easily seen. Anyone can post any recap, in any
format they want, within the format of anyone of their choosing.
4.5 Q. What are the "Power Rankings?"
A. This is a reoccurring thread originated by Bob Rudd where he ranks the
top twelve and gives his reasons for doing so. It is always an interesting
read and gets a good amount of participants.
5.1 Q. What is TWOP?
A. TWOP is an acronym for "Television Without Pity," which is a website
that gives their own, often hilarious, version of recaps.
5.2 Q. What are PCLAS and RFGS?
A. These are two of the reoccurring acronyms that Itoshi uses in his
recaps. PCLAS stands for "Paula Claps Like a Seal" and "Randy Flashes Gang
Signs." Watch real carefully, you'll see it.
5.3 Q. What is TCO?
A. The Chosen One. Stick around and pay attention to what the judges say
from week to week. It becomes pretty clear after a while but, even then, it
isn't a sure thing. Taylor winning seems to have been a surprise to most of
the judges.