yeah there was a time when fans were just glad to find like minded people, not only before the internet, but also when it was still new. We had to work harder for what we had in those days and I think people were maybe more motivated and cared more about 'fandom' because it wasn't so mainstream and it wasn't so easy to just trash and move on.

Mmmm, the olden days, but you know, fandom was around well before 21st century and 'forever'.