rude, silly and utterly devoted to the concept of tasteless fun, Pointless Waste of Time is a clearinghouse of scathing movie reviews and previews, as well as feature articles on SF films, video games, current events and even, occasionally, food. (Food, that is, if a reader needs a recipe for dubious concoctions like Butterscotch Explodecake or Snakes Alive Jello Strudel).
This site is aimed at mature readers, and most users will probably want to think twice before exploring its content from a computer at work. That said, there are lots of laughs to be had at PWOT, in articles like "Fifty Reasons Why The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Sucks," in a Matrix section with over a dozen articles on the trilogy, in "Life After the Video Game Crash," and dozens of irreverent movie reviews dating as far back as 1997's Titanic.
PWOT's discussion forums are always active, with topics set aside for gamers, film and TV fans and music aficionados, as well as more esoteric hobbyists such as those who write sports-themed poetry. Other pointless but enjoyable timewasters include caustic summer movie previews, a captioning—or "craptioning"—contest, an account of a Great Console Playoff (wherein the the Sony and Nintendo platforms are pitted against Microsoft), a FAQ that has questions but no answers and a Harry Potter spoof.
Any fan who enjoys seeing a favorite movie, book or game mercilessly lampooned should click their way immediately to Pointless Waste of Time. Those with a more delicate constitution where humor is concerned—anyone hoping for stringent adherence to the facts and a serious treatment of science-fictional media, for example—may prefer to waste their surfing time elsewhere.
— A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—May 3, 2004
hough its life span was less than that of its insect namesake, Firefly has inspired intense loyalty among its viewers, as well as an expanding base of fans who only discovered the show after it was canceled. FireflyFans.net harnesses this enthusiasm to forge a rallying point for fans as they anticipate the resurrection of the series as a feature film.
The site provides a steady stream of news about the series, its creator Joss Whedon, and its cast and crew, keeping fans aware of progress with the upcoming movie as well as mentions of the series in various media. The site boasts a unique sort of episode guide, which consists of reader ratings for each of the series' 13 offerings, as well as reader comments, plot-point questions and storyline speculation. It makes for a disjointed, but interesting, dialogue as readers post back and forth in their attempts to better understand the series.
FireflyFans.net sports a "Blue Sun Room" for creations submitted by readers, including fan fiction, series trailers, banner ads and desktop images. The Online Store provides a table tracking the sales ranking of the Firefly DVD box set on Amazon.com, while the Personality Test poses 16 questions to participants, and then informs them which member of
the crew they most closely resemble. Rounding out the site are the Online Forums, which see a fair amount of traffic as fans debate the merits of the series, discuss the failings of nearly every other science-fiction show, and dream of the Serenity's triumphant return.
— Ken Newquist
Site of the Week—April 26, 2004
he boy who was Wesley Crusher is now a writer with a blog. Wil Wheaton's been publishing his Web site since 2001 as part of an ongoing mission to show that his life didn't end along with his stint on Star Trek: The Next Generation. The site-turned-blog is updated several times a week, and recounts his writing efforts (including his just-finished autobiography, Just a Geek), acting work (like a stint on Teen Titans) and life as an unapologetic geek (on 3/14, he wished his wife a happy "pie" day).
The Web site includes extensive archives, as well as supplemental audio and photo blogs, a frequently-asked-questions page and convention appearance news. It's all written in an informal, friendly, "just another geek" style that's engaging not just because he once played the ensign everyone loved to hate, but because he's a well-spoken member of Generation X who's passionate about the things that most geeks are passionate about.
Of course, he did play that aforementioned ensign, and those experiences allow him to provide unique insights into science fiction, including comments on conventions, acting on The Next Generation and the agony of being cut from Star Trek: Nemesis. That should certainly appeal to Star Trek fans, but it's not the primary reason to visit the site. That reason is simply this: He's one of us. He may have grown up on the set of Star Trek, but he did so with a stack of GURPS and Warhammer 40,000 books in his trailer. The Trek part of his life may be in the past, but he's still a geek.
— Ken Newquist
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