In computing, PowerAda is a commercial Ada compiler by OC Systems. It is used widely in aerospace and DOD projects.
It includes a unique debugging capability that allows for dynamic instrumentation of program code for testing that it is non-intrusive and requires no changes to the source, facilitating the creation of plug-n-play test components.
It includes a unique debugging capability that allows for dynamic instrumentation of program code for testing that it is non-intrusive and requires no changes to the source, facilitating the creation of plug-n-play test components.
Cat-like aliens, or Felinoids —aliens that resemble terrestrial cats—are a common fixture in science fiction. They have become a common trope of fictional aliens, being seen in many fictional universes.
Feline aliens in fiction
* The Iskai - Blue Byte Software, Albion (Computer Roleplaying Game):
Iskai are similar to humans, though their evolutionary path must have originated with felines. They are generally taller and thinner than humans, due to the gravity on Albion being 90% of what it is on earth. The body of an Iskai is covered with short, dense fur, with longer patches over the chest and waist area, and a slightly different colour hair covering their heads. The face of an Iskai is mainly cat like, with two visible canines. Iskai senses are better than those of humans, especially their sense of smell. Iskai are omnivorous. Though called mammals in spite of living on another planet, they have a few physiological features that differ noticeably from all species of Earth mammals, such as an emphatic/telepathic forehead organ called a Trii and bony "claws" between their toes rather than at the end of them.
* The Oriani - Leslie Gadallah, Cat's Pawn (Novel):
A pacifistic race of feline aliens who are at the center of a mystery in the book Cat's Pawn. The mystery (and the plot of the book) follow the main character, a human, as he uncovers the Oriani's deep dark secret. Their homeworld is Orion.
* The Khanate of Orion - Steven V Cole, Starfire universe:
A race of humanoid felines that believes strongly in honor and fighting, the Khanate was the first empire encountered by the human Federation. The Khanate and the Federation clashed during Interstellar Wars 1 and 2, but new leadership and a common enemy during Interstellar War 3 brought the two enemies together as allies. They have remained on good terms since that time.
* The Hani - C. J. Cherryh, The Chanur Novels:
A race of feline-like aliens featured largely in the Chanur Novels (Chanur is the family name of the primary Hani characters. The hani most closely resemble lions, with manes and beards on both sexes. Their fur primarily comes in shades of red and gold. Their society is very clannish, each clan consisting of several females and young and one male. Only female Hani are allowed to go into space, males remain on their homeworld. The Hani homeworld is Anuurn. (The first book in the Chanur Series: Pride of Chanur was nominated for the Hugo Award for best novel).
* The Gambolts - Robert Asprin, Phule Novels:
The Gambolts are a feline species in the Phule novels, one of the three alien races that have allied with humans - they are briefly mentioned in the first book (Phule's Company) but no actual members of the species are seen until the third book (A Phule and His Money). Gambolts are known for being faster, more agile and stronger than the human recruits in the Legion, but are also possessed of many catlike traits, including the desire to chase and catch small moving animals. The Gambolt species is also referenced in the Timewalkers RPG at www.warboards.org and their description matches that given in the Phule Novels, with the exception of a few added fur colors.
* The Kilrathi - Wing Commander (Computer game):
The Kilrathi are feline aliens who resemble tigers but who have additional markings that identify which clans they belong to. Their society is an empire, the species itself having many warlike tendencies due to their predatory and territorial nature. They have appeared in every Wing Commander game to date, as well as making an appearance (slightly altered) in the Wing Commander movie.
* The Hrrubans - Anne McCaffrey and Jody Lynn Nye (Doona novels)
* Feline Alien Research Troop - BoomBots (Video game)
* The Kzinti - Larry Niven, Man-Kzin Wars:
Kzin (plural: Kzinti) are a warlike species that have colonized parts of Known Space close to the solar system. Kzinti were first introduced by Niven in the Known Space sequence of short stories, and a Kzin character "Speaker to Animals" was then featured as one of the main characters in Niven's celebrated novel Ringworld (1970). This portion of Niven's universe was then spun off into a separate series, in which other writers were allowed to set stories, the "Man-Kzin Wars" series. They also appeared in Star Trek: The Animated Series.
* Cynthians - Poul Anderson, Polesotechnic League:
About three foot tall, furry, highly matriarchal sophonts, companions of the humans of Anderson's Technic History. One appears as an employee of Nicholas van Rijn, more appear in Dominic Flandry's era.
* The Scrameustache - the main character from a popular Belgian comic series.
* The Sholan - Lisanne Norman, Sholan Alliance Series (novels)
* The Torrans - Jane Palmer, The Planet Dweller
* Treecats - David Weber's Honorverse
* The Imkairi - Andrea Alton, Demon of Undoing
* Ci-Kat-A - Swat Cats
* Ctarl-Ctarl - Outlaw Star - A warlike species which controls a sizeable empire. They appear humanoid but have brown/orange fur, large cat-like ears, and a tail. The Ctarl-Ctarl have superhuman strength and speed. They are able to increase their power further for short periods of time but doing so seems to consume a lot of calories and so they tend to eat large amounts of food; as much as eight times as much as an average human. They are also shapeshifters that can transform into massive white tigers, though this ability is dependent on the phases of the moon. They had been at war with humans for quite some time but at the time Outlaw Star takes place the two have a neutral stance towards each other.
* The Coeurl - A. E. van Vogt, The Voyage of the Space Beagle
* The Nephilim - Avernum game series
* The Runa - Mary Doria Russell, The Sparrow
* - Babylon 5
* Spacecats - The Brak Show, Space Ghost Coast To Coast, Space Ghost
* The Sisters of Plenitude - Doctor Who (New Earth/Gridlock)
* Lynxians - Atomic Betty
* Mrrshan - Master of Orion game series. An aggressive, warlike race throughout the series, often first to attack another empire. The Mrrshan are the only race to have an empress as opposed to an emperor in the first game, though they change to an emperor by the time of the second installment. They were also one of the few races to challenge the New Orions prior to Master of Orion 3, and where all but wiped out and were no longer playable. However, the player could recuit two Mrrshan leaders and incorporate scattered groups into their nation's population.
*Felysians - Noctis computer game. Sometimes spelled 'felisians'.
*Caitians - Star Trek The Animated Series
*The ThunderCats.
*The Aslan from the Traveller RPG
*The Tran, natives of Tran-Ky-Ky in Alan Dean Foster's Icerigger.
*The Felinefolk (Also known as the Fellpool) from the Star Ocean series.
*The Catians from Star Trek
Feline aliens in fiction
* The Iskai - Blue Byte Software, Albion (Computer Roleplaying Game):
Iskai are similar to humans, though their evolutionary path must have originated with felines. They are generally taller and thinner than humans, due to the gravity on Albion being 90% of what it is on earth. The body of an Iskai is covered with short, dense fur, with longer patches over the chest and waist area, and a slightly different colour hair covering their heads. The face of an Iskai is mainly cat like, with two visible canines. Iskai senses are better than those of humans, especially their sense of smell. Iskai are omnivorous. Though called mammals in spite of living on another planet, they have a few physiological features that differ noticeably from all species of Earth mammals, such as an emphatic/telepathic forehead organ called a Trii and bony "claws" between their toes rather than at the end of them.
* The Oriani - Leslie Gadallah, Cat's Pawn (Novel):
A pacifistic race of feline aliens who are at the center of a mystery in the book Cat's Pawn. The mystery (and the plot of the book) follow the main character, a human, as he uncovers the Oriani's deep dark secret. Their homeworld is Orion.
* The Khanate of Orion - Steven V Cole, Starfire universe:
A race of humanoid felines that believes strongly in honor and fighting, the Khanate was the first empire encountered by the human Federation. The Khanate and the Federation clashed during Interstellar Wars 1 and 2, but new leadership and a common enemy during Interstellar War 3 brought the two enemies together as allies. They have remained on good terms since that time.
* The Hani - C. J. Cherryh, The Chanur Novels:
A race of feline-like aliens featured largely in the Chanur Novels (Chanur is the family name of the primary Hani characters. The hani most closely resemble lions, with manes and beards on both sexes. Their fur primarily comes in shades of red and gold. Their society is very clannish, each clan consisting of several females and young and one male. Only female Hani are allowed to go into space, males remain on their homeworld. The Hani homeworld is Anuurn. (The first book in the Chanur Series: Pride of Chanur was nominated for the Hugo Award for best novel).
* The Gambolts - Robert Asprin, Phule Novels:
The Gambolts are a feline species in the Phule novels, one of the three alien races that have allied with humans - they are briefly mentioned in the first book (Phule's Company) but no actual members of the species are seen until the third book (A Phule and His Money). Gambolts are known for being faster, more agile and stronger than the human recruits in the Legion, but are also possessed of many catlike traits, including the desire to chase and catch small moving animals. The Gambolt species is also referenced in the Timewalkers RPG at www.warboards.org and their description matches that given in the Phule Novels, with the exception of a few added fur colors.
* The Kilrathi - Wing Commander (Computer game):
The Kilrathi are feline aliens who resemble tigers but who have additional markings that identify which clans they belong to. Their society is an empire, the species itself having many warlike tendencies due to their predatory and territorial nature. They have appeared in every Wing Commander game to date, as well as making an appearance (slightly altered) in the Wing Commander movie.
* The Hrrubans - Anne McCaffrey and Jody Lynn Nye (Doona novels)
* Feline Alien Research Troop - BoomBots (Video game)
* The Kzinti - Larry Niven, Man-Kzin Wars:
Kzin (plural: Kzinti) are a warlike species that have colonized parts of Known Space close to the solar system. Kzinti were first introduced by Niven in the Known Space sequence of short stories, and a Kzin character "Speaker to Animals" was then featured as one of the main characters in Niven's celebrated novel Ringworld (1970). This portion of Niven's universe was then spun off into a separate series, in which other writers were allowed to set stories, the "Man-Kzin Wars" series. They also appeared in Star Trek: The Animated Series.
* Cynthians - Poul Anderson, Polesotechnic League:
About three foot tall, furry, highly matriarchal sophonts, companions of the humans of Anderson's Technic History. One appears as an employee of Nicholas van Rijn, more appear in Dominic Flandry's era.
* The Scrameustache - the main character from a popular Belgian comic series.
* The Sholan - Lisanne Norman, Sholan Alliance Series (novels)
* The Torrans - Jane Palmer, The Planet Dweller
* Treecats - David Weber's Honorverse
* The Imkairi - Andrea Alton, Demon of Undoing
* Ci-Kat-A - Swat Cats
* Ctarl-Ctarl - Outlaw Star - A warlike species which controls a sizeable empire. They appear humanoid but have brown/orange fur, large cat-like ears, and a tail. The Ctarl-Ctarl have superhuman strength and speed. They are able to increase their power further for short periods of time but doing so seems to consume a lot of calories and so they tend to eat large amounts of food; as much as eight times as much as an average human. They are also shapeshifters that can transform into massive white tigers, though this ability is dependent on the phases of the moon. They had been at war with humans for quite some time but at the time Outlaw Star takes place the two have a neutral stance towards each other.
* The Coeurl - A. E. van Vogt, The Voyage of the Space Beagle
* The Nephilim - Avernum game series
* The Runa - Mary Doria Russell, The Sparrow
* - Babylon 5
* Spacecats - The Brak Show, Space Ghost Coast To Coast, Space Ghost
* The Sisters of Plenitude - Doctor Who (New Earth/Gridlock)
* Lynxians - Atomic Betty
* Mrrshan - Master of Orion game series. An aggressive, warlike race throughout the series, often first to attack another empire. The Mrrshan are the only race to have an empress as opposed to an emperor in the first game, though they change to an emperor by the time of the second installment. They were also one of the few races to challenge the New Orions prior to Master of Orion 3, and where all but wiped out and were no longer playable. However, the player could recuit two Mrrshan leaders and incorporate scattered groups into their nation's population.
*Felysians - Noctis computer game. Sometimes spelled 'felisians'.
*Caitians - Star Trek The Animated Series
*The ThunderCats.
*The Aslan from the Traveller RPG
*The Tran, natives of Tran-Ky-Ky in Alan Dean Foster's Icerigger.
*The Felinefolk (Also known as the Fellpool) from the Star Ocean series.
*The Catians from Star Trek
The 86 List is a punk rock band from Honolulu, Hawaiʻi which has a strong following amongst members of the city's punk scene.
History
The band was founded by guitarist Josh Hancock and drummer Derek Hoeft during their time at Kahuku High School, and its early years were characterized by struggles to find a bassist and a name. In their earlier years, they went by "The Conflicts" and "Red Tape," but both were considered too similar to the names of existing bands. Their eventual name refers to the "86 list" in a coffee shop where Josh 86 worked. It was a list of things missing from its inventory, and alludes to the 86 List's songs' lyrical content, which concerns things which are missing or should be missing from society.
After what Hancock characterizes as a series of "100 bassists" who were unreliable or joined the army, Otto Cake joined the band, impressing Hancock and Hoeft with his dedication. The band played its first show on July 2, 2000, and were impressed by the level of audience participation.
profile in local music with groups such as The Sticklers and as owner of a bakery that also staged punk rock shows and the catchiness of their music helped the band grow into a place in the local scene.
In 2001, the group released its first album, Disaster. Novermber of that year saw Hoeft leave Hawaiʻi due to the transfer of his father, a soldier, to a mainland military base. He was replaced by Sean Tasaki on the drums. A second guitarist known as Spanky was added to the band as well. It was with this lineup that the band continued until April 2002, when Josh 86's departure for the mainland led to the dissolution of the band. However, Hancock returned to Hawaiʻi in 2003 and the band reformed and released its second CD, Our Neighborhood.
In May and June of 2003, The 86 List went on a tour of California, with a lineup that included, in addition to Hancock, Tasaki, and Cake, saxophonist TR. After the tour, they were rejoined by Derek Derilect, who returned to Hawaiʻi, replacing Tasaki on the drums. They released their third CD, Tattoo, in April of 2004, but, owing to Otto's spinal arthritis, which rendered playing the bass difficult to play for him, they broke up once again following a show on November 12, 2004.
In fall of 2005, the band reformed once again and has been playing since.
In 2007, the band released another CD, entiled "86." A party on March 3rd, 2007 was held to promote the CD at Anna Banana's, in which the band gave away free copies of the CD to anyone who attended. The Sticklers, The Hell Caminos, The Skullfux, and The Democratic Fistfights all opened for The 86 List. Patches, and other merchandise were also given away and on sale. The CD features tracks such as "HPD", and a live version of "Too Free for Me."
You might also recognize Josh 86 and Derek from the popular TV show Lost. They are in the show's fictional band Driveshaft.
Music and Influences
The 86 List cites as primary musical influences Rancid, Operation Ivy and the Clash, and their music is described as similar to the latter group's. Their lyrics also have a chant-along quality, of which Otto says, “People will grab the mic away and sing for us. For some reason, the songs have that beat and that sing-along quality that people connect to."
Members
Current lineup
* - lead vocals, guitar
*Otto Cake - bass, backup vocals
* - drums, backup vocals
Past members
*Chris, a.k.a. Beatrice - bass (1999)
*Sean Tasaki - drums (2001-2003)
*Spencer, a.k.a. Spanky - second guitar (2001-2002)
*TR - saxophone (2003)
Discography
*Disaster - 2001
*Our Neighborhood - 2003
*Tattoo - 2004
*86 - 2007
History
The band was founded by guitarist Josh Hancock and drummer Derek Hoeft during their time at Kahuku High School, and its early years were characterized by struggles to find a bassist and a name. In their earlier years, they went by "The Conflicts" and "Red Tape," but both were considered too similar to the names of existing bands. Their eventual name refers to the "86 list" in a coffee shop where Josh 86 worked. It was a list of things missing from its inventory, and alludes to the 86 List's songs' lyrical content, which concerns things which are missing or should be missing from society.
After what Hancock characterizes as a series of "100 bassists" who were unreliable or joined the army, Otto Cake joined the band, impressing Hancock and Hoeft with his dedication. The band played its first show on July 2, 2000, and were impressed by the level of audience participation.
profile in local music with groups such as The Sticklers and as owner of a bakery that also staged punk rock shows and the catchiness of their music helped the band grow into a place in the local scene.
In 2001, the group released its first album, Disaster. Novermber of that year saw Hoeft leave Hawaiʻi due to the transfer of his father, a soldier, to a mainland military base. He was replaced by Sean Tasaki on the drums. A second guitarist known as Spanky was added to the band as well. It was with this lineup that the band continued until April 2002, when Josh 86's departure for the mainland led to the dissolution of the band. However, Hancock returned to Hawaiʻi in 2003 and the band reformed and released its second CD, Our Neighborhood.
In May and June of 2003, The 86 List went on a tour of California, with a lineup that included, in addition to Hancock, Tasaki, and Cake, saxophonist TR. After the tour, they were rejoined by Derek Derilect, who returned to Hawaiʻi, replacing Tasaki on the drums. They released their third CD, Tattoo, in April of 2004, but, owing to Otto's spinal arthritis, which rendered playing the bass difficult to play for him, they broke up once again following a show on November 12, 2004.
In fall of 2005, the band reformed once again and has been playing since.
In 2007, the band released another CD, entiled "86." A party on March 3rd, 2007 was held to promote the CD at Anna Banana's, in which the band gave away free copies of the CD to anyone who attended. The Sticklers, The Hell Caminos, The Skullfux, and The Democratic Fistfights all opened for The 86 List. Patches, and other merchandise were also given away and on sale. The CD features tracks such as "HPD", and a live version of "Too Free for Me."
You might also recognize Josh 86 and Derek from the popular TV show Lost. They are in the show's fictional band Driveshaft.
Music and Influences
The 86 List cites as primary musical influences Rancid, Operation Ivy and the Clash, and their music is described as similar to the latter group's. Their lyrics also have a chant-along quality, of which Otto says, “People will grab the mic away and sing for us. For some reason, the songs have that beat and that sing-along quality that people connect to."
Members
Current lineup
* - lead vocals, guitar
*Otto Cake - bass, backup vocals
* - drums, backup vocals
Past members
*Chris, a.k.a. Beatrice - bass (1999)
*Sean Tasaki - drums (2001-2003)
*Spencer, a.k.a. Spanky - second guitar (2001-2002)
*TR - saxophone (2003)
Discography
*Disaster - 2001
*Our Neighborhood - 2003
*Tattoo - 2004
*86 - 2007
Extremeskins, or ES as it is known by members, is an online discussion forum for the Washington Redskins.
Founded in May of 2000, the site officially merged with the Redskins organization in 2005 experiencing a significant jump in membership from August of 2005 to February 2006. Currently as of July 2007 there are about 68,000 users registered to the site. Users register with the site and choose usernames that become their alias on the site. Members have options for creating their own "signature" which is either a graphic or text and receive an "avatar" that corresponds to how many total posts on the site the member has.
Forums
There are several forums for discussion on the site, each with its own focus. Of these forums The Stadium is the most visited, but The Tailgate is arguably the most popular among long-time members. Moderators are chosen by the staff to patrol the site and uphold the rules of discussion. Moderators or "mods" as some call them are experienced members hand-picked by the owners.
The Stadium
The Stadium forum is used exclusively for discussing issues directly involved with the Washington Redskins football franchise. This forum generally sees the most traffic of all of the forums and many newcomers to the site use this forum primarily.
The Tailgate
The Tailgate is a more relaxed forum where just about any non-football topic is fair game, from news to humor to science.
The Classifieds Forum
Members can buy, sell, or trade items or services in this forum. Mostly Redskins-related.
The Club Level Forums
The Club Level comprises four forums that include a graphic library, a Chat archive, a draft "war room", and a film library. Most of the material in these forums is created and posted by members. Non-staff members cannot post in the chat archive, but it can be viewed by anyone visiting the site.
Washington Area Sports Forums
The Washington area sports forums include forums for discussion of every major professional sports team in the Washington area. Teams include the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles (Baseball), the Washington Wizards (Basketball), the Washington Capitals (Hockey), D.C. United (soccer), and the area's NCAA teams.
Stadium Maintenance Forums
Only two forums are in this area: Tech Feedback, which is open to all members, and the Owners Box, reserved specifically for Redskins personnel and Extremeskins staff.
The Redskins Tradition Forums
These forums contain past discussion threads and posts organized by year. These threads are editable, but no new posts can be made in these forums.
Origins
Extremeskins (ES) was founded by Die Hard (username) in May of 2000. Die Hard was fed up with message boards where discussions frequently degenerated into flame wars. Engaging discussion was impossible without countless posts from fans of other teams who had no intention other than to provoke a fight.
Die Hard set out to build a message board that was a haven for Redskins fans to discuss their team's issues without rude responses. At the site's inception, one didn't have to register for many of the online communities, the software was second rate, and the moderation was poor. The ultimate goal was to have the best Redskins fan site on the net with a committed, involved moderation staff.
Because Extremeskins started as a small group of devoted fans, discussions maintained a level of civility higher than one could find at other sports message boards. As the site grew, new members followed the positive example set by their predecessors. Throughout its history, Extremeskins has been entirely free to access and join. All funds necessary to run the forum came voluntarily from the pockets of the owners and members.
All of the staff are long-time posters at ExtremeSkins, who share the goal of fostering a pleasant environment for discussion not only of sports-related topics, but humor and current events as well. Many of the original members were refugees from a message board at "The Sporting News". The atmosphere at "The Sporting News" had begun to decline, and when ES was formed members quickly flocked to the fledgling site. The community grew slowly at first, but there was a dramatic increase in membership when Steve Spurrier was named Head Coach, and again when Joe Gibbs returned to Washington. Membership was also further bolstered when ES began to feature Bang Cartoons, satirical animations about the NFL, in late 2003. the cartoons became a hit, and fans league-wide signed on in large numbers to view them. Bang Cartoons became a weekly feature that stayed with ES until the summer of 2005.
Unbeknownst to the public, the Redskins wanted to add a message board to their official team site, Redskins.com. Realizing this would be a complicated task, the Redskins decided to acquire an established forum rather than start from scratch. After looking at all of the serious Redskins sites on the web, they found that ES was the busiest, best managed, highest quality site available. The team liked the way Extremeskins was run, the quality of discussion, and the friendly, hands-on approach of the staff. The Redskins assured the owners and members of ES that no significant changes would be made to the site as a result of the union, and the merger spurred a massive influx of new members.
The Present Day
Die Hard's goal has long since been reached, but the staff at Extremeskins is constantly working to improve the site. Each season ES welcomes new members and expands its features, but is still completely free. While some things did change with the merger, the sense of community, diversity of opinion and freedom of expression have not. Extremeskins owes these successes to the hard work and dedication of the staff.
Currently, a few moderators from Extremeskins have turn their attentions from attacking other Redskins Fans/Posters, and focused on attacking local beat writers. To the surprise of many in the media and around the league, the Washington Redskins allow these moderators to spend games in the press box.
(contributed in part by ES member Skinfan13 and in bulk by ES moderator Pete)
Extremeskins in the Media
"One of the most novel steps came in August, when the Redskins announced they had acquired ExtremeSkins.com. That was sort of the Neon Deion of fan Web sites, the most popular and brashest such outlet in the burgundy-and-gold universe. ExtremeSkins.com is the first existing fan site ever acquired by an NFL team."
"Still operated by the fan moderators who founded the site, ExtremeSkins.com--the largest Redskins fan site on the Internet--provides fans unique views and access to the team. Representatives of Extremeskins travel to all Redskins games, posting fan-centric articles and topics. Chats with players, coaches and team officials are also featured, along with "fan view" columns."
"And last August it bought a fan Web site, one that had kept a running tally of alleged errors made by one of the Post's beat reporters. The first Redskins executive to appear on the site after the acquisition was the team's owner, Daniel M. Snyder, who used some of his time to bash the news media for possessing personal agendas and overusing anonymous sources."[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/07/sports/football/07redskins.html?ei5070&en983ae4b27d661ebb&ex1149825600&adxnnl1&adxnnlx=1149699915-s+Gc/B8CVzce6WKA6Pdzxg]
"McKenna takes a low view of shadow journalism, calling ExtremeSkins.com, a message board site purchased by the team, a Snyder "party organ." He feels the same way about the Redskins' TV shows ("infomercials," he harrumphs), Redskins.com, and Redskins Journal, a previously independent print publication now owned by Snyder." http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/cheap/2005/cheap1021.html
"Worst web site: Extremeskins.com, now owned and operated by the Washington Redskins and a place where no-accountability venom remains the lifeblood of a despicable operation."
Founded in May of 2000, the site officially merged with the Redskins organization in 2005 experiencing a significant jump in membership from August of 2005 to February 2006. Currently as of July 2007 there are about 68,000 users registered to the site. Users register with the site and choose usernames that become their alias on the site. Members have options for creating their own "signature" which is either a graphic or text and receive an "avatar" that corresponds to how many total posts on the site the member has.
Forums
There are several forums for discussion on the site, each with its own focus. Of these forums The Stadium is the most visited, but The Tailgate is arguably the most popular among long-time members. Moderators are chosen by the staff to patrol the site and uphold the rules of discussion. Moderators or "mods" as some call them are experienced members hand-picked by the owners.
The Stadium
The Stadium forum is used exclusively for discussing issues directly involved with the Washington Redskins football franchise. This forum generally sees the most traffic of all of the forums and many newcomers to the site use this forum primarily.
The Tailgate
The Tailgate is a more relaxed forum where just about any non-football topic is fair game, from news to humor to science.
The Classifieds Forum
Members can buy, sell, or trade items or services in this forum. Mostly Redskins-related.
The Club Level Forums
The Club Level comprises four forums that include a graphic library, a Chat archive, a draft "war room", and a film library. Most of the material in these forums is created and posted by members. Non-staff members cannot post in the chat archive, but it can be viewed by anyone visiting the site.
Washington Area Sports Forums
The Washington area sports forums include forums for discussion of every major professional sports team in the Washington area. Teams include the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles (Baseball), the Washington Wizards (Basketball), the Washington Capitals (Hockey), D.C. United (soccer), and the area's NCAA teams.
Stadium Maintenance Forums
Only two forums are in this area: Tech Feedback, which is open to all members, and the Owners Box, reserved specifically for Redskins personnel and Extremeskins staff.
The Redskins Tradition Forums
These forums contain past discussion threads and posts organized by year. These threads are editable, but no new posts can be made in these forums.
Origins
Extremeskins (ES) was founded by Die Hard (username) in May of 2000. Die Hard was fed up with message boards where discussions frequently degenerated into flame wars. Engaging discussion was impossible without countless posts from fans of other teams who had no intention other than to provoke a fight.
Die Hard set out to build a message board that was a haven for Redskins fans to discuss their team's issues without rude responses. At the site's inception, one didn't have to register for many of the online communities, the software was second rate, and the moderation was poor. The ultimate goal was to have the best Redskins fan site on the net with a committed, involved moderation staff.
Because Extremeskins started as a small group of devoted fans, discussions maintained a level of civility higher than one could find at other sports message boards. As the site grew, new members followed the positive example set by their predecessors. Throughout its history, Extremeskins has been entirely free to access and join. All funds necessary to run the forum came voluntarily from the pockets of the owners and members.
All of the staff are long-time posters at ExtremeSkins, who share the goal of fostering a pleasant environment for discussion not only of sports-related topics, but humor and current events as well. Many of the original members were refugees from a message board at "The Sporting News". The atmosphere at "The Sporting News" had begun to decline, and when ES was formed members quickly flocked to the fledgling site. The community grew slowly at first, but there was a dramatic increase in membership when Steve Spurrier was named Head Coach, and again when Joe Gibbs returned to Washington. Membership was also further bolstered when ES began to feature Bang Cartoons, satirical animations about the NFL, in late 2003. the cartoons became a hit, and fans league-wide signed on in large numbers to view them. Bang Cartoons became a weekly feature that stayed with ES until the summer of 2005.
Unbeknownst to the public, the Redskins wanted to add a message board to their official team site, Redskins.com. Realizing this would be a complicated task, the Redskins decided to acquire an established forum rather than start from scratch. After looking at all of the serious Redskins sites on the web, they found that ES was the busiest, best managed, highest quality site available. The team liked the way Extremeskins was run, the quality of discussion, and the friendly, hands-on approach of the staff. The Redskins assured the owners and members of ES that no significant changes would be made to the site as a result of the union, and the merger spurred a massive influx of new members.
The Present Day
Die Hard's goal has long since been reached, but the staff at Extremeskins is constantly working to improve the site. Each season ES welcomes new members and expands its features, but is still completely free. While some things did change with the merger, the sense of community, diversity of opinion and freedom of expression have not. Extremeskins owes these successes to the hard work and dedication of the staff.
Currently, a few moderators from Extremeskins have turn their attentions from attacking other Redskins Fans/Posters, and focused on attacking local beat writers. To the surprise of many in the media and around the league, the Washington Redskins allow these moderators to spend games in the press box.
(contributed in part by ES member Skinfan13 and in bulk by ES moderator Pete)
Extremeskins in the Media
"One of the most novel steps came in August, when the Redskins announced they had acquired ExtremeSkins.com. That was sort of the Neon Deion of fan Web sites, the most popular and brashest such outlet in the burgundy-and-gold universe. ExtremeSkins.com is the first existing fan site ever acquired by an NFL team."
"Still operated by the fan moderators who founded the site, ExtremeSkins.com--the largest Redskins fan site on the Internet--provides fans unique views and access to the team. Representatives of Extremeskins travel to all Redskins games, posting fan-centric articles and topics. Chats with players, coaches and team officials are also featured, along with "fan view" columns."
"And last August it bought a fan Web site, one that had kept a running tally of alleged errors made by one of the Post's beat reporters. The first Redskins executive to appear on the site after the acquisition was the team's owner, Daniel M. Snyder, who used some of his time to bash the news media for possessing personal agendas and overusing anonymous sources."[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/07/sports/football/07redskins.html?ei5070&en983ae4b27d661ebb&ex1149825600&adxnnl1&adxnnlx=1149699915-s+Gc/B8CVzce6WKA6Pdzxg]
"McKenna takes a low view of shadow journalism, calling ExtremeSkins.com, a message board site purchased by the team, a Snyder "party organ." He feels the same way about the Redskins' TV shows ("infomercials," he harrumphs), Redskins.com, and Redskins Journal, a previously independent print publication now owned by Snyder." http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/cheap/2005/cheap1021.html
"Worst web site: Extremeskins.com, now owned and operated by the Washington Redskins and a place where no-accountability venom remains the lifeblood of a despicable operation."