Contents
About YIP Magazine
The YIP Of Today
The Pageant of YIP Historie

YIP Magazine
YIP Magazine came into existence in 1991, when Corn Syrup suggested that all the stories and comics which YIP members were producing should somehow be distributed to the world. Since then, it has been published approximately five times a year (sometimes more, sometimes less) and gone through a few formatting changes. Issues 1-30 are currently online for your perusal, and more are on the way. The next issue (#31) is going to be about Depression and Boats.

YIP is actually a zine, since it is thin (usually 12 pages) and photocopied rather than printed. The name "YIP Magazine" isn't meant to be pretentious -- we just didn't know the term "zine" when publication began. YIP is quite different from most zines, in that it never reviews music or concerts, and runs no serious ads, even for other zines. That would make YIP less silly. Furthermore, YIP does not aim to make any money.

Copies of back issues or future issues are available to those who mail stamps, or a trade, or $1, or a convincing letter explaining the impossibility of sending stamps or a trade or a dollar but pleading for our mercy. Requests should be mailed to YIP Magazine, 1231 Canborough Cres., Pickering, Ontario, L1V 3K8, Canada. Please indicate which issues you are interested in receiving.

What Is YIP Today? (Today being 24 February 1999)
YIP has changed. Whereas it was originally a group of silly BBSers, it has become a group of silly people who publish and telecommunicate. All 24 YIP BBSes that once flew the YIP flag have gone down or moved on to other things, and YIP members now spread mirth through the magazine and the Internet. Voting and member lists have been abandoned as they were more trouble than they were worth -- YIP members are YIP members simply because they are YIPpish. This new arrangement seems to work much better: some people who quit the old YIP, such as Highway Robber, Asphalt Bastard and Totenbuch Christ, are once again connected with the group; as are other past opponents of YIP as a group, such as Pheasant Deli, Ethereal and Colombina.

While YIP has definitely left a dent on the local geeking community, an increasingly large segment of YIP is not involved with geeking (that is, using a modem) at all. Some are non-geek contributors to the magazine; others are long-time YIP members who have abandoned the geekish way of life while remaining attached to the group. On the Internet, YIP has several world wide web pages (including the main site and many others), several mailing lists (including yip-l@yip.org), and an FTP server (ftp.yip.org).

Though YIP's rise has been far from smooth, the group's bizarre humour now reaches more people, in more forms, than at any time previously. It has evolved so tremendously from what it was 10 years ago that few similarities remain, except for the belief that humourous nonsense is wonderful.

The History of YIP
This history was originally composed in the winter of 1994, and has been updated continuously since then, most recently in February 1998. The reader should be forewarned that this history is extremely vague, and that dates are often guesses. It's also pretty esoteric stuff, probably really only of interest to those who were at least loosely involved. If you're looking for entertainment, look elsewhere.

Some terms may require clarification, or at least an understanding of the (sometimes biased) sense in which they are used:

BBS

Bulletin Board System or 'board'; a dial-up system where users exchange files and messages, chat, and play games with each other. The early history of YIP is largely the story of the clash between five different types of boards and users:

PIR8

"Pirate", or illegal, software, and the elitist boards and cracking groups which support it. A pir8 user trades copyrighted software (WaReZ!!1) and typically posts short, incomprehensible messages filled with vulgarity and rendered in 3LiTe sP33k (elite speak - the language of pir8s).

PD

"Public domain" software, and the boards and user collectives which support it. A PD user stays away from illegal software and typically posts long-winded, overly nice, selcensored messages filled with smalltalk and/or technospeak.

PYROTO

A third type of board which is neither pir8 nor PD, as it has no files section. Pyrotos combine the regular message system of a BBS with an online game setting (a magical mountain on which the users are warring wizards). Vaguely similar to an Internet MUD.

"ADULT"

The absurdly inappropriate self-applied label of boards, and users, who exist solely in order to exchange smalltalk, flirt and discuss sex. "Adult" is an insult in YIPish terms.

YIP

The hero of our story. YIP is a group which cherishes humourous nonsense. In its turbulent history, YIP plays the underdog which manages to evolve a strong, unique culture of its own just quickly enough to avoid being smothered by the occasionally overpowering influences of the other four types of boards. YIP draws many defectors from the other four types of boards and users, expanding onto and colonizing many boards before collapsing internally. YIP lives on through its magazine, the Internet and the absurdist spirit of its members.

One final note: all people mentioned in this history are consistently called by their normal alias (ie. the alias which they used for the longest period of time. Some have since adopted new aliases. Others, such as Sponge Monkey, Totenbuch Christ and Marla Shapiro, go by dozens of different aliases.

21 Nov 539 BC. End of Neo-Babylonian Empire.

10 Oct 1986 AD. Plastic Brain Carrier designates the concept of creative nonsense as Babble. Babble writing begins. Collections of Babble comics and stories called Weekend Packages are produced.

06 Feb 1990 AD. Babble: An Introduction written by Milky Puppy and Finn. Babble textfiles begin.

1990: Formation and Incubation
March 1990. YIP (Y'know Inc. Productions) invented by Milky Puppy and Finn as they sit in their Grade 11 chemistry class, by the legendary conversation:

F: How about Y'know Productions, since we like the word y'know?

MP: Alright, but we'll add an I, so it can be YIP.

F: Bitchin'!

      It is later decided that the I stands for "Inc." - NOT incorporated or international. It is also a capital I. Various non-BBSing members are added.
      In the days that follow, Golden Rodent joins, then leaves to form SFA (Spunky Fraternization Authorities). This process begins when GR suggests he become President of YIP. When other members inform him that they don't want a president, he suggests that he be vice-president. When this is not accepted, he quits. Three one-page, pencil written YIP Bulletins are produced.
      Days later, YIP and SFA merge to form YIP/SFA and agree to worry only about BBSing members. Golden Rodent puts up the first YIP/SFA board, a Atari pir8 board called The Babylonian Waterslide. Finn puts up the second YIP/SFA board and titles it Metro Holografix, name taken from Neuromancer by William Gibson. Metro serves up a decent batch of IBM pir8 warez. Metro Holografix becomes the centre of YIP voting, where decisions concerning YIP are made semi-democratically. Metro brings the world such YIP personalities as Kamikaze, Creeping Face, King Hercules, Death Warden and El Del, as well as the llama, duck and cow cults.

April 1990. Milky Puppy puts up the third YIP/SFA board and gives it the simple name Babble BBS. Babble runs on very pathetic software called Michtron and features no warez whatsoever. In this stage, Babble brings YIP such fine members as Nitro, Insanity, Treebeard, Maelstrom, Mam'zelle Hepzibah, Lamont Cranston, Baby Face, Wild Wolverine, Greymalkin and Grey Pilgrim.
      Meanwhile, the Babylonian Waterslide BBS transforms itself into SpaceBar BBS. SpaceBar houses pir8 warez for both the Atari and the IBM. SpaceBar is the place of origin of such YIP folk as Laser Beetle, Trail Blazer, DragonLord and Corn Syrup. YIP's old policy regarding membership (ie. A YIP member is any user who phones more than one YIP BBS) is replaced by the system of voting in members. The policy by which any YIP sysop may make his board a YIP BBS without a vote, and any sysop of a YIP board may become a user without a vote is adopted.
      YIP begins unleashing its creative fury upon the world. Golden Rodent writes the first version of the Babbler's Handbook, which contains both useful babble terms and made up funny-sounding things. The first ZIP of YIP Textfiles, called AARDVARK, is circulated and is met with minimal interest.

May 1990. The YIP concept of weekly themes takes hold on Metro, Babble and sometimes SpaceBar: each week, the entire board is converted to suit a different theme (Apathy, Violence, Lying, Innuendo, etc).
      Much to the surprise of most YIP members, the popular PD board The Pinnacle Club joins YIP, becoming fourth YIP/SFA board. TPC is run by Master Spelunker. Large scale recruitment of YIP members from TPC occurs gradually, eventually bringing Master Spelunker, Merv, Totenbuch Christ, Rubanicas, Dib, Nightshade, Tarquin and Frets.
      SFA dropped. YIP/SFA becomes simply YIP. The world rejoices.

June 1990. Pan Transit joins as the fifth YIP board. Pan Transit is sysoped by Smarasderagd and has a few PD files. Pan Transit brings YIP members such as Smarasderagd, Turin Turambar, Polish Scytheman, Dronon Brassmane and, much later, Marla Shapiro. Later in the month, CyberSquid joins as the sixth YIP board. CyberSquid is sysoped by Ron Sharp and is quite PD indeed. YIP members who begin their careers on CyberSquid include Ren, Flyboy, Kwirk, Zone, Fletchy and Xenomorph.

July 1990. Insane Underground, an insanely pir8 and un-YIPish board joins as seventh YIP board. The sysop is The Boss Man. At around the same time, the second ZIP of YIP textfiles, called ZYGOTE on PD boards and ORGASM on pir8 boards (to encourage downloading), is distributed and basically ignored. At this time, YIP has perhaps 20 members, approximately half of whom are pir8s and half of whom are PDers. The two groups begin to mesh into something new which is both intelligent and irreverent, reflecting the group's dual PD/pir8 heritage.
      In late July, YIPnet, or inter-board message trading, begins between SpaceBar and Metro HoloGraphix. In its years of operation, YIPnet expands to several other YIP boards, and helps to bind the group together, as well as being good.

August 1990. Babble switches BBS software (from Michtron to Express) and becomes very popular after ridding itself of religious debates. Babble under Express brings to YIP such personages as The Gaunt Man, Satin Teddy, Tear Jacob, Highway Robber, Topeka, Neddy, Fido, Gambit, Strandman, Persephone, Sponge Monkey, Melted Lint, Thanatos Jones, Czech and The Immolated Messiah. Babble, which is neither pir8 nor PD, also serves as the common board for users from the pir8 Metro and the PD Pan Transit.
      Full-fledged democracy begins on Metro HoloGrafix. Every YIP member is allowed a vote on each poll and to put up new polls. This is not quite full democracy because Metro is long-distance for many YIP members, and most PD members can't be bothered to call Metro simply in order to vote.
      Meanwhile, across the country in Vancouver, Plastic Brain Carrier sets up Babble West as the eighth YIP board and first YIP board outside the 416 area code. Like the original Babble, Babble West runs Express and has no files. The only YIP member Babble West produces is Dominus Exmons, who the rest of YIP never hears of.
      In late August, Phoenix BBS joins YIP becoming the ninth YIP board. The sysop's alias is Phoenix, which reflects the pathetic nature of this Atari pir8 board. Enthusiastic YIP members attempt to convert the board, but find that it is difficult to save a badly run board.

Summer 1990. I hate to sound cliche or sentimental, but damn it, a golden age of YIP writing begins. Stories by Finn, Milky and Golden Rodent begin to boldly go beyond pure babble. Less babblish YIP members such as Maelstrom and DragonLord add more absurdity to their writing. Newer members such as Totenbuch and Turin Turambar offer examples of more mature writing. A thriving story trade on TPC, Metro and Pan Transit encourages a lot of great stories, poems, plays and other textfiles.

September 1990. Hypothetical Creation created as the tenth YIP board and second board out of the 416 area code (in Waterloo). It is run by Tear Jacob as a quite YIPish message-only system, but lack of a BBSing community in the area dooms it to extinction.
      The IBM pir8 board The Junction Triangle becomes 11th YIP board, the sysop Vindicator agreeing only in the hopes of increased advertising. Junction Triangle is yet another very unYIPish board, recruited just for the sake of numbers. At this time, YIP has about 40 members, though many are inactive or normal.
      SpaceBar becomes second voting centre, symbolizing the end of votes filtering from Metro to the rest of YIPdom. Voting, together with the positive influences of YIPnet, gradually help Spacebar develop from a pir8 board to a true YIP board.

October 1990. Creeping Face sets up Veil of Deception as the 12th YIP board. VoD also joins YIPnet and becomes third polling station. VoD begins as a pir8 board and gradually becomes more and more YIPish.

November 1990. QEW and Erlenstar Mountain are voted in simultaneously as 13th and 14th YIP boards. QEW is another generic IBM pir8 board, run by Ollie. Erlenstar is the first YIP Pyroto and is run by Wayfarer. This board is eventually taken over by YIP members, who seem to be just organized and aggressive enough to be naturals at Pyroto. Erlenstar brings YIP the user Flash, who joins YIP mainly in order to strengthen his alliance with the unofficial YIP faction on Erlenstar.
      Shortly afterwards Dib's Quintessential Mountain becomes the 15th YIP board and second YIP Pyroto. Days later, Quint crashes, becoming the first ex-YIP board.
      Weekly meetings between YIP members from Pickering, Toronto and Mississauga become common, at YIP shrines such as Speaker's Corner, the Library Pub and Finn's house, further binding the group together.
      Back in BBSland, The Lunatic Fringe, vaguely sysoped by Sunder, joins as 16th YIP board and becomes a successful centre of YIPness. Also joins YIPnet, later becomes fourth voting station. Over the years, The Fringe brings YIP members including Farside, Pennywise and STiK.
      The already pir8 QEW becomes the even more pir8 Warez World. Warez World is voted to be not a YIP board. This is the first example of YIP becoming at all discriminating.

December 1990. Phoenix BBS changes its name to Alcatraz and becomes even more pir8, proving that YIP hasn't become all that discriminating.
      Veil of Deception becomes The Drifting Continent. The Drifting Continent has now lost all traces of pir8cy and is a hardcore babble board focussed on the spleen. By this time, Metro Holografix has also ceased to be a pir8 board, reflecting YIP's overall shift from piracy towards babble.
      Just before a poll passes Milquetoast's babblish board Cochroach Haven into YIP, Milquetoast is forced to take his board down, though he continues to be an active member on Metro and Drifting Continent for several more months.
      The Necromancer revives his former board The Realm of Death, which is made the 17th YIP member board and joins YIPnet.
      Saliva Mountain joins as the Pyroto wing of Metro HoloGraphix. Linoleum Mountain added as the Pyroto wing of SpaceBar. Suicidal Slope becomes the Pyroto wing of Drifting Continent. All these Pyroto wings are basically unsuccessful.

1991: Colonization and Consolidation
Early 1991. Newer members such as Xenomorph, Strandman, Gambit, Death Warden, Sponge Monkey and STiK become prominent. The now less-PD, more YIPish Pinnacle Club has been the recruiting place for new members such as The Necromancer, Severina Magdalene, Hellbastard, Foldor, Asphalt Bastard and La Dupe. Baker's in Mississauga becomes a YIP shrine for Mississaugan YIP members.

January 1991. Insane Underground becomes the more pir8 Empire City. Empire City has no desire to be a YIP board. This is the first example of a board leaving YIP voluntarily.
      Stellar System is created as 18th YIP board and home of the rival duck and llama cults. This IBM pir8 board is run by Death Warden, who is much more interesting than his alias implies. Like its sysop, Stellar Systems swiftly transforms from pir8cy to babble. Death Warden works busily on programming promising YIP software.
      Also in January 1991, the first edition of this history file produced by Milky Puppy (who idiotically omits years, causing many problems for later historians).

February 1991. Third YIP ZIP, called MOO in order to reflect a newly emerging fascination with cows, is circulated. Met with enthusiasm by YIP members and the usual response from everyone else.
      SpaceBar quits YIPnet due to modem problems. After being forced to switch from IBM software to Atari software, and thereby abandon pir8 files altogether, SpaceBar becomes the far more babble oriented and non-pir8 Totally Oblong Monoliths.

March 1991. Laser Beetle informs the users of Babble that he is moving to Barrie in order to set up a YIP board called Babble North, but does not report on his progress in his annual calls to Babble. It is assumed that this was unsuccessful.

April 1991. Totally Oblong Monoliths goes down, and its more warezy replacement is not voted to be a YIP member. By this time, Golden Rodent has lost interest in BBSing.

May 1991. Rubanicas, intending to retire from calling boards, temporarily sets up an Apple board called Tapioca Nightmares, which is intended to become a YIP board until technical difficulties prevent its grand unveiling. Rubanicas gives up BBSing shortly afterwards.
      Later that month, The Drifting Continent sinks and stays down permanently.

June 1991. Xenomorph writes the famous and controversial textfile What It Takes to be a YIP Member. This file offers good reading but a fairly narrow (and quickly outdated) definition of YIPism.

July 1991. Babble West goes down.
      Sponge Monkey, Milky Puppy, Xenomorph and STiK found the 91 and Beyond Posse, a sub-group of YIP dedicated to "the mockery of anything that needs mocking." The group's first victim is The Wall BBS: home of bowling, ...ROCK!, T2 and dryzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. This style of humour remains popular within YIP in the form of such phrases as "I've got to take a massive leak." This group begins the YIP tradition of "Viking", or raiding/revitalizing less YIP-like boards.

August 1991. Stellar System goes down, after Death Warden receives a warning call from the RCMP. Death Warden stops BBSing shortly thereafter.

September 1991. Long-time YIP member Nitro sets up Gazouillement Mountain Pyroto, which becomes the 19th board to bear the YIP name. Gaz attracts many of the active YIP members at this stage.
      Corn Syrup puts up the 20th YIP BBS, which is a Pyroto whose name changes every day. (Commonly referred to as The Tower.)
      Based on the YIP rule that any YIP member who is a sysop can have his board made a YIP BBS, a user named Cthulu has his board R'lyeh join as the 21th YIP board. It is not realized until months later that the Cthulu in charge of R'lyeh and the YIP member Cthulu on Metro Holografix are different people - and that the sysop of R'lyeh is a pir8 idiot.
      Using the excuse of a change of management at Alcatraz (when Phoenix is jailed) Alcatraz is voted out of YIP. Few users at Alcatraz pause downloading long enough to notice.
      Meanwhile, in real life, an "adult" user turned babbler named Strandman begins holding monthly parties at his house, which are attended by many YIP members. These lead to the YIP membership of "adult" users Bartender, Journeyman and The Beast, who are personal friends of Strandman and sometimes BBSers. None are ever enthusiastic members.

October 1991. Corn Syrup proposes that YIP produce a magazine to showcase all the wonderful comics and stories being produced. Xenomorph, Milky and Finn pick up the idea and run with it.
      Corn Syrup's nameless Pyroto goes down. At this point, YIP has approximately 14 member boards and over 75 members.
      After a few frantic weeks of work, the first issue of YIP Magazine is published and circulated among the schools and workplaces of various YIP members. This magazine is produced through the efforts of creator Corn Syrup, editors Milky Puppy, Finn and Xenomorph and contributors Persephone, Golden Rodent and Totenbuch Christ. The 100 copies produced go over very well.
      Sponge Monkey sets up a BBS known as Mink Overtures, which soon becomes the 22nd YIP BBS. Mink Overtures and its replacement, Bellogausia, bring temporarily to YIP such users as Neon Iguana, Rubberbandman and The Love God. Bellogausia becomes a voting centre.
      The old Babbler's Handbook is revised by Milky Puppy and Finn, who take out the unused terms and add all the new language of babble, including many terms from the Totenbuch dictionary. The new Handbook is a whopping success, going platinum everywhere in two days.
      Asphalt Bastard sets up a new pir8 board called Purgatory. Purgatory swiftly becomes far more YIPish, changing its name to Fetus Jesus in January, and joining as the 23rd YIP board and a polling station shortly afterwards.

November 1991. The Fringe is gradually converted to full YIPness, and due to Sunder's disinterest in the board, is run very gleefully by hardcore YIP members such as Milky, Finn, Totenbuch and The Necromancer, who torture, scare away, or convert all the pathetic "adult" and pir8 users. Also in this period, Brainiac (later Ethereal Lethargy) appears and makes himself very unpopular with most YIP members.
      Totenbuch, The Necromancer and Foldor invent the philosophy of Neo-Ostrogothism, which is based in mockery. Totenbuch begins The Books of Neo-Ostrogothism and Finn also becomes involved. The Realm of Death becomes The Neo-Ostrogothic Emporium. Arguments regarding who thought up which elements of Neo-Ostrogothism and what Neo-Ostrogothism involves cause quarrels between various Neo-Ostrogoths.
      120 copies of the second issue of YIP Magazine are released to rave reviews. The magazine begins to build up a decent following. YIP members such as Maelstrom, Snigglefritz and DragonLord join in contributing.

December 1991. Issue 3 of YIP is released. The old staff are joined by STiK.

1992: Revolt and Reform
January 1992. YIPnet, now only between Metro and the Fringe, is abandoned due to technical difficulties. No-one realizes it at the time, but this is a horrible blow to solidarity among YIP BBSes.
      Issue 4 of YIP Magazine (the now scarce Q issue) is released and is as popular as always. Many consider this to be the best issue ever.
      Metro Holographix goes down so that Finn can program a board called Pi. When Pi is unsuccessful, Metro does not go back up. YIP voting is moved to Babble, where it is used considerably less.

February 1992. Following the failure of YIP members to contribute to Totenbuch Christ's Encyclopedia of Babble, a mass exodus of YIP members begins. Blaming his temporary lack of originality on the group and complaining about the lack of elitism in member selection, Totenbuch Christ becomes the second member (after Hellbastard) ever to quit YIP. Totenbuch then proceeds to convince others to do likewise, convinced that YIP is doomed. This anti-YIPness then spreads to the rest of TPC, beginning with Totenbuch's personal friends.
      Over the next two days, Asphalt Bastard leaves YIP, complaining about its elitist nature. Although Totenbuch and Asphalt dislike YIP for opposite reasons, they join forces to bring about its end. Fetus Jesus ceases to be a YIP board. Ethereal Lethargy, at this point a very controversial candidate for YIP membership, withdraws boths his and his board Electric Monk's applications for YIP membership. Similarly, unsuccessful candidates for YIP membership such as Elvis the Despot and Morgan Raven's Child now turn strongly against the group. Sponge Monkey, who had apparently pledged to go along with the defectors, stays in YIP and becomes hated by those who quit.
      Within a week, Strandman quits, complaining about YIP's fondness for mockery, of which many of his "adult" friends are victims. Other TPC members, such as Inigo, who had previously been pro-YIP or neutral, become anti-YIP. Wayfarer, Frets and Master Spelunker also leave YIP, not out of dislike but because they do not consider themselves real YIP members and want to avoid YIP-bashing. From this point on, TPC is completely consumed by very hostile YIP debates, as people develop much stronger feelings of like or dislike for the group.
      At an emergency meeting of pro-YIP forces including Finn, Milky Puppy, Xenomorph, Persephone, Highway Robber and Sponge Monkey, it is decided that reform within YIP is needed. The group is being assaulted by three enemy philosophies simultaneously: Totenbuch condemns YIP as not elitist enough, Asphalt declares that it is far too elitist, and Strandman complains that it is not "adult" enough. After some debate, it is decided to pursue a more elitist course, by reviewing the YIP member list and making sure all YIP members a) want to be YIP members and b) deserve to be YIP members. In the ensuing weeks, this process cuts the member list by more than half to 33 real members.
      Two days afterwards, Highway Robber quits.
      On Fetus Jesus,an unsuccessful YIP candidate named Elvis the Despot posts a message advocating the creation of a new, anti-YIP (elitism) group called PIY. Nothing much ever comes of this.
      Votes pass on Babble to expel not-so-YIPish YIP members Pennywise and Satin Teddy, although both are active and have expressed no desire to quit. Both remain pro-YIP in spite of this cruel, elitist treatment.

March 1992. Following the mass exodus of YIP members, TPC is voted out of YIP by a large following of anti-YIP users on TPC. This group is composed of people who dislike YIP for widely different reasons. Some YIP members leave the board, others stay and avoid the subject. From this point on, member recruiting virtually ends.
      Amid all the infighting, issue 5 of YIP is released. This is the last issue to feature any (non-Greek) contribution from Totenbuch Christ, though the old contributors are now joined by Corn Syrup and Plastic Brain Carrier.
      Xenomorph sets up The Toast Exchange. The 24th YIP board serves the needs of many a YIP Member. Though no-one guesses this at the time, Toast will eventually becomes the most widely used and longest-lived YIP board, and will bring members DeadPony, Muffin, Bastard Francais and TorqueTorque to YIP.

April 1992. Mam'zelle Hepzibah quits YIP after a conflict regarding her sysop status on Babble. Kwirk quits to show solidarity. These quittings remove the possibility of Mam'zelle's board, The Trapline, or Kwirk's board, The Group of Seven, joining YIP.
      Garth, a long-time Babble user, eagerly campaigns to have his board, Celtic Stones, made a YIP board, but his users are opposed to the idea and to "those awful, elitist YIP members" in general.
      YIP Magazine releases its 6th issue. Dib now joins in the fun. This issue goes over very well, the magazine remaining popular even as everything else falls apart.

May 1992. Issue 7 of YIP is published. This issue features the talents of Turin Turambar and Satin Teddy as well as regulars.

August 1992. Issue 8 of YIP comes forth. The only newcomer this issue is Latheus. By now, finding publishable stories and comics is becoming a real challenge for the editors, due to a big slowdown in contributions and the end of the story trade on TPC and Pan Transit.

September 1992. After stumbling on a pathetic pir8 board called the Psycho Circus, various YIP members, such as Sponge Monkey, Xenomorph, Milky and Thanatos (and associates Colombina and Liquid Flounder) assume alternate names and raid the board, posting hundreds of very funny mocking messages and generally having much fun, before being banished.
      Later in the month, a debate erupts on Toast regarding the idea of using a swastika for humour on the cover of YIP Magazine. The idea is to feature a huge swastika, with a disclaimer stating that YIP is not affiliated with Nazism. Some members are of the opinion that this would be outrageously absurd, others are of the opinion that this would be just plain outrageous. This debate continues to wreak havoc for months.
      After tediously long debates on Babble and Bellogausia and an unsuccessful attempt by YIP Vikings (Milky, Finn, STiK, Thanatos, Sponge Monkey) to restore YIPism to The Fringe, which has fallen prey to "adult" forces, it is decided that The Fringe is no longer a YIP board.

October 1992. A reconciliation of sorts occurs on TPC, which is first voted back into YIP (in a poll voted on by only STiK, Milky Puppy and The Necromancer) and then later declared a semi-YIP board. Another poll which changes TPC's name to Ch*Mound 7 -- no meaning whatsoever -- reflects the renewed dominance of YIP voters. YIP members struggle to rid the board of first the Cat Housers (Rapunzel Kiev, Mad Max, Tigeress, etc.) and then the Photography Gang (Contraceptive, Furtive, etc.), two squadrons of "adult" BBSers, fond of smalltalk and sexual innuendo.
      After the swastika argument turns Colombina against YIP, Bellogausia quits YIP. Sponge Monkey remains a member, but with far less enthusiasm. This split effectively ends the membership of the "Bellogausian Branch" of YIP, including Fletchy, Rubberbandman, Neon Iguana and The Love God.
      The McDonald's issue of YIP, issue 9, is released to generally poor reviews. On the cover, a McDonald's logo is substituted for the swastika idea. This issue is accomplished after Xenomorph has quit the editorial staff and contains 'filler' as well as good material. Finn, Milky and Snigglefritz - some of the primary distributors of YIP outside of YIP circles - have lost their old distribution bases by graduating high school. The staff of YIP, already lacking the old enthusiasm, lose interest in the magazine, which has become a chore.

November 1992. YIP members begin to dominate Inigo's Twisted Logic Pyroto, but it is not invited to become a YIP board.

1993: Failures and False Starts
March 1993. When Ron Sharp removes the 'YIP Member' sign from his title screen and begins to follow a more "adult-oriented" course, CyberSquid is voted out of YIP.

April 1993. YIP writing declines considerably, in quantity at least. STiK emerges as the most prolific writer (and defender of YIP as an official group). Other sometimes writers at this time include Milky Puppy, Corn Syrup and The Finn.

June 1993. Milky Puppy and Xenomorph release a few dozen copies of a one-page joke issue of YIP Magazine, which they call issue 10. This recieves a smile or two.

July 1993. Corn Syrup's board, at first called simply 471-8982 and later called Pasta, goes online as one of only 3 YIP boards in existance. (In YIP history, this board is considered a revival of the 20th YIP board, for although the two boards are different, they have the same sysop and phone number.)
      Ch*Mound 7 (aka TPC) goes down, citing a lack of activity and a lack of interest on Master Spelunker's part. The userlist and various other items are absorbed by The Toast Exchange, but many YIP and YIP-like members drift to the winds.

August 1993. Ethereal Lethargy tries to revive The Pinnacle Club as The Zenith Society, but it is a failure.

September 1993. His old collection swelled with new files from TPC's hard drive, STiK announces that he has managed to round up over 300 YIP textfiles. In the following months, Milky joins in the search, finding more than a hundred more, although it is realized that dozens have been lost forever.

November 1993. Babble BBS goes down permanently, having only a handful of active users. Milky Puppy lacks the motivation to restore it. With Babble gone, any vague connection (within YIP boards) to non-Sapphire users such as DragonLord, Maelstrom and El Del disappears, and they drift to the wind.

December 1993. YIP members meet T.E.A.M. (Together Evading All Meaning) members for the first time, on Toast Exchange. T.E.A.M. is at first viewed as a group like YIP in its infancy ("They're like little uses!" says Albino Finch to Milky). YIP members begin renaming the T.E.A.M members with more-YIPpish aliases, and attempt to rid T.E.A.M. BBS of its overly pir8 and "adult" users. Only later is T.E.A.M. perceived to be quite distinct from YIP, favouring the more normal babbling (rambling) over YIP-style babbling (nonsense).

1994: Off the BBSes, Back Onto the Presses
January 1994. Xenomorph adds a few notes to this history file, inspiring Milky to write a much more thorough YIP History file. At the time, only 3 YIP boards (Pan Transit, Toast Exchange and Pasta) remain active, and Pan Transit just barely so. YIP has an active (BBSing) membership of less than 10 (Finn, Milky, Xenomorph, STiK, Corn Syrup, Dib, Thanatos Jones, Marla Shapiro, Persephone, Melted Lint and occasionally a few guest appearances). Member lists and voting have been abandoned, and YIP seems pretty much dead.
      Shortly after the new history file is posted onto Toast Exchange, the sequel to YIP Magazine is officially announced by Finn, who intends to put forth a collection of material by YIP members and other contributors, approximately bi-monthly. This idea eventually blossoms into Corn Crazy.

February 1994. The cult of Corn, created by Thanatos Jones and a non-member friend, comes into being. "I'm Horny for Corn!" becomes a popular catch phrase and pub decoration.
      The first issue of Corn Crazy magazine is released, containing works by Xeno, Finn, Persephone, STiK, Thanatos Jones, Milky and Corn Syrup. It gets decent reviews. Work begins on a sequel, but enthusiasm fizzles out.

April 1994. YIP members frequent and destroy some new Pyrotos, including Seignistic Mountain, Prometheus Mountain and Pasta's new incarnation, Mount Babylon. All these boards are taken down within a few months, and Toast Exchange is the only thing left standing.

October 1994. Milky Puppy releases YIP Magazine, Issue 11, containing contributions from Marla Shapiro, Thanatos Jones, Persephone, Albino Finch, STiK, Corn Syrup and Plastic Brain Carrier. The 200 or so issues receive fair reviews.

November 1994. When Toast goes down temporarily, Milky Puppy puts up a board called Ferocious Wolves so YIP folk have a place to chat. Toast goes back up but Milky decides to leave Ferocious Wolves running. Ferocious Wolves is the 25th YIP board.
      Meanwhile, however, an ever-increasing number of YIP members become active on the Internet, some with just e-mail and newsgroups, others with YIPish websites.

December 1994. YIP Magazine Issue 12 is released, containing contributions from many of the same people as well as Pheasant Deli, Highway Robber and Xenomorph. The 200 or so issues recieve good reviews.
      Smarasderagd converts over 500 YIP textfiles into HTML format and puts them on the World Wide Web for the world to see. Somewhere around this time, Pan Transit goes offline so Smarry can devote his phone line to the Internet.

1995: A Magaziney Year
Early 1995. YIP Magazine Issues 13 and 14 are released, approximately once every two months, containing works by many of the new regulars. Around 200 copies of each are released to good reviews.

Late 1995. YIP Magazine Issues 15, 16 and 17 are released, approximately once a month. Around 200 copies of each are released to good reviews. Only around 50 copies of issue 18 are released; it is a "leftovers issue" comprised of old scraps and original YIP comics and layouts lying around Milky's room.

November 1995. Milky takes Ferocious Wolves down, due to lack of users.

1996: YIP Tentatively Steps Online
Early to Mid 1996. YIP Magazine expands to 12 pages per issue, though publishing frequency declines somewhat. Approximately 300 copies each of issues 19 through 25 (including special theme issues on Space, Warthogs, Sex and Satanism) are released, and receive good reviews in other zines and magazines across the country.

September 1996. At a zine show called Cut and Paste 5, Persephone and TorqueTorque sell several dozen copies of YIP. The profits are used to subsidize new t-shirts for the group.

October 1996. At Canzine 96, YIPpers Milky, Persephone, TorqueTorque, Albino Finch, Corn Syrup, Highway Robber and Bastard Francais sell or trade over 200 issues of YIP Magazine, making the event a tremendous success.

November 1996. While YIP folks have been using the Internet for years, and an increasing number have found jobs in the telecommunications industry, it is not until late 1996 that the Internet becomes the dominant form of communication among YIP types, who are increasingly scattered outside the 416 area code.

December 1996. Milky creates a web page for YIP while Highway Robber establishes a web server, ftp server, mail server and telnet BBS at "yip.ican.net".

1997: YIP Goes Cyber
February 1997. Corn Syrup manages to bring "yip.org", "www.yip.org", "ftp.yip.org" and "pi.yip.org" into existence as actual, functioning domain names, directed to the now all-but-finished YIP Homepage.

March 1997. YIP's movement into cyberspace continues full steam ahead. As our beloved geeks grow up, the vast majority of YIP members have become employed in either the computer or telecommunications industries. YIP members begin holding weekly meetings in IRC on channel "#yip", and the YIP Homepage debuts to the world at www.yip.org.
      Meanwhile, Milky collaborates with Michelle Cross of Kamloops, BC to create "Yippety Split": a combination issue combining elements of YIP Magazine and Michelle's magazine Adversaria. The end result is a thick, well-received publication. Yippety Split is considered to be YIP27.

April 1997. The YIP mailing list (yip-l@ican.net) is launched. For the first few months the list alternates between being extremely busy, off-topic and technical, and being completely dead. Later on, as more people sign up and people get the idea of the list, it becomes more enjoyable.

June 1997. Highway Robber takes over management of the YIP server, which is run on OS/2. The server begins hosting mail and web files for various non-YIP-related stuff. YIP members are offered yip.org e-mail addresses.

August 1997. YIP28, a special Meat and Potatoes issue, is finally released to an eager world. The zine gets good reviews and sells well at various zine shows. Shortly thereafter, Toast Exchange BBS crashes for good, breaking YIP's last link with the old-fashioned world of BBSes. The Internet is all that is left to the group.

December 1997. The YIP Homepage is extensively rehauled, improved and promoted to the world. The page begins to receive roughly 35 visitors a day. Moray-eel approved links to new pages by other YIP people are added, as is a page consisting of dozens and dozens of webrings which YIP joins at random.

1998: A Year
Jan 1998. YIP29, an Insect Spectacular, is published, featuring first-time contributions from Dronon Brassmane and Napkin. The YIP server switches from OS/2 to Unix. A new mailing list is created solely for technical discussions related to the use of the YIP server, which has now begun to host quite a few other things besides the YIP Homepage.

Summer 1998. YIP's home in cyberspace moves from yip.ican.net to yip.org. A little later, yip-l@yip.org replaces the old mailing list, and new lists about the server (yipserv@yip.org) and about killing Highway Robber (killbob@yip.org) are established.

Sept 1998. YIP30, focussing on Microcomputers and Telecommunications, comes out, and is widely loved by those geeky enough to get it.

1999: The ALL-NEW Year of the Barnacle
Jan 1999. yip-l@yip.org becomes active for the first time in a while, used mainly by Torque Torque, Totenbuch Christ, Highway Robber, Xenomorph, Colombina, Napkin, Milky and Necro.

While 1999 has just begun, it seems safe to assume that by the end of the year the entire group will have been consumed by packs of marauding barnacles. For real this time!

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