[ensign edwards]

It's been a long road, but now it's time to end.

Over the past few years, Save Enterprise has accomplished a great deal. In the early days, when the powers that be threatened to end Enterprise after the third season, we reacted and helped to make season four a reality. Later, in the Fund for the Future campaign, we raised more than $3,000,000 in an attempt to fund a fifth season. Our direct-to-DVD petition has kept strong for more than two years now and currently holds the signatures of more than 20,000 people. In more recent years, we have continued to produce achievements such as E-day and the Dispatches from the Romulan War podbooks.

But now, we can no longer continue to function as a campaign. Over the years, our numbers have dwindled, and our support has slowly crumbled. I fear we can no longer function effectively as a campaign.

I, with the support of the TrekUnited executive staff, hereby officially end Save Enterprise's active campaigning.

This is undoubtedly a sad day, and I do not take this action without misgivings. However, I do believe this is the right course to take. We can't continue forever, and I don't believe an organized campaign can do anything to help the cause at this point.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend thanks and a (digital) pat on the back to anyone who has aided Save Enterprise during its run. Be proud that you contributed. You deserve it.

SE will not be going away completely. The vast majority of threads will remain open and will be stored in a new subforum called Save Enterprise Archives so that, should we experience a resurgence of support or a return of Enterprise suddenly become more likely, we will be able to return and take advantage of the situation. And if anyone should wish to fight for Enterprise on their own or as part of another campaign, they can use our accumulated knowledge and resources to further the cause. Furthermore, Dispatches from the Romulan War will continue. It is to become a subforum of the Fan Productions forum.

It isn't all over. I have often said that I was a Save Enterpriser long before I found TrekUnited. When you think about it, what was Save Enterprise? It was a group of people who were willing to fight for the show. The people won't be going away. Those so inclined can still send their letters and their postcards and work to bring Enterprise back.

Save Enterprise is dead, but the cause isn't. As long as there are fans passionate enough, there is still hope.

There is still hope.

[Aussie Trekkie]

It was fun, challenging, annoying, thought provoking and many more descriptions, we did everything possible to try pull off success and for doing things internet based i don't think we could of done any better.
To me the Direct-to-DVD trailer was the greatest moment we were pretty down in late 2005 and what was thought of as a small video of fans talking Enterprise (plus a few other ideas) turned into a two minute taste of what fans wanted to see and it still gets viewed on YouTube which is a fantastic that it still gets a play, it was quite a fun ride to be part of that effort from the beginning to the end of it.

[Kirok]

I've got not trite words of wisdom that can make all this better. I still believe that the strongest option for seeing Enterprise back on the screen is for the fans to do it themselves, that a continuing interest from the fans will eventually bring commercial interest. That's going to be my path and I encourage others to take it as well. "Dispatches from the Romulan War" is definitely a step in that direction.

My sympathies are with those who have worked so hard in the past and, as EE said, you can take pride in the battle that you have fought. I urge you to see this, not as a lost campaign but a change of purpose and ti use the same engergy and passion that you have showed in the past to keep the name of Enterprise alive in the hearts of fans.

Kirok of L'Stok
-------------------- Dujeychugh jagh nIv yItuHQo' ------------------
--- There is nothing shameful in falling before a superior enemy ---

[Aussie Trekkie]

Like the animated series Pheon and his team is making? that has alot of promise it looks absolutely brilliant and i think you are right Kirok, keeping Enterprise alive ourselves is the best way and perhaps SE can help with that think about it without campaigning to worry about a whole lot of doors open up because we'll be in the business of promoting fans efforts fan fiction, fan production, fan anything and there is no strings attached.

[Terilynn]

If there are any words of comfort that can be given I can only say this.

Being so new to the world of Trekdom when I arrived at the beginning of the year - it was all of you who pursuaded me that Enterprise was a show worth watching.

I bought the DVDs and we're happily now through "Twilight."

I really do like the show and I'm telling others about how much I like the show...and others have watched it with me. THIS is how you can keep Enterprise alive - by talking about it, supporting it and continuing to develop the fan-based work you have been. (I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to finishing viewing all of the ENT episode so Dispatches will make more sense for me.)

You made at least one new fan...and you will make more.

[trekkin']

Wow...I'll keep a candle burning in the window...

EE I know how hard you worked on this campaign, bravo to you and everyone who contributed...

I hope that the Dispatches will still be coming!!!

I only joined the fight with the advent of TU back in 2005, but it was an empowering thing to work toward a mutual effort...such as the return of Enterprise!!

[ensign edwards]

Quote

I hope that the Dispatches will still be coming!!!

Yup. We've got two more articles waiting to be put up as I speak. One is a pivotal moment in the war.

I keep feeling like I should post something here, but I guess I put all my thoughts into the speech. It was a lot of fun, but all good things...

I might still send a letter now and then. And I'm still gonna buy all the Ent. novels I can find.

[ChristopherPike]

It's really hard to express my feelings about this. Sad because there probably wasn't ever going to be any other outcome than this. Too many have moved on, I guess... since those glory days back in 2005, when we'd all be online late into the wee small hours predicting how great Enterprise could be.

[kwaalude]

what a shame. i've only recently become reacquainted with SE (before HDNET cut it short) and only found this site a few weeks ago. i sure wish i would've found this site and project years sooner. i'm saddened not only by the fact that SE isn't coming back but that all the energy and dedication you all put in over the years appears to be for naught. congrats are in order for trying your best.

cheers

[Kirok]

kwaalude, on Aug 3 2008, 10:37 AM, said:

I'm saddened not only by the fact that SE isn't coming back but that all the energy and dedication you all put in over the years appears to be for naught. congrats are in order for trying your best.

It was worth the fight, and the fight itself brought us together as a community. What we need to work on now is turning that community into one that celebrates and extends on Enterprise fandom.

Let's make the next twelve months into a resurgence of what drew us to Enterprise in the first place. Watch the fan productions forum!

K

[ensign edwards]

Quote

what a shame. i've only recently become reacquainted with SE (before HDNET cut it short) and only found this site a few weeks ago. i sure wish i would've found this site and project years sooner. i'm saddened not only by the fact that SE isn't coming back but that all the energy and dedication you all put in over the years appears to be for naught. congrats are in order for trying your best.

I wouldn't say that everything has gone to naught. You never know, what we've done was memorable, and it may have an impact down the road. And it isn't too late, if you want to help. You could always send some letters or e-mails. The point of this is not that all hope is gone, it's merely that the time for organized campaigns and big projects has passed.

As I said, SE may be dead, but the cause isn't.

Quote

It was worth the fight, and the fight itself brought us together as a community. What we need to work on now is turning that community into one that celebrates and extends on Enterprise fandom.

Well said!

[John Doe]

This scenario was on the horizon. It was one of the possibilities.

It's not a bad thing, though. It would have been worse to blindly continue when everyone sees that Trek United and its members did everything they could, and there was no reply from the other side.

The first lines of the Enterprise theme song, or even the whole song, fit very well for this moment and the feelings:
It's been a long road, getting from there to here...

Of course this is not over. There are always possibilities. Kirok said it very well:

Kirok, on Aug 2 2008, 10:16 PM, said:

It was worth the fight, and the fight itself brought us together as a community. What we need to work on now is turning that community into one that celebrates and extends on Enterprise fandom.

We need to work to make this place a good place for "Enterprise" fans, a place where ENT fans can hang around, talk, post, share. We love "Enterprise" and it will always live in our hearts, in our minds, in our lives.

Besides, there are people out there who didn't know about "Enterprise" before, and they started watching the show at any time after it was cancelled (the wonders of syndication).
There's an "Enterprise" section here on this board, there are even sections for people who come from other countries and who talk other languages.

This was a good decision, the proper thing to do; but not because it is the end of something, but because it is the beginning for something else. It is of wise men to see and know when to stop, when to start, and where to go from there.

"Ad perpetuam rei memoriam" ("to perpetuate the memories").

This post has been edited by John Doe: 09 August 2008 - 07:10 PM

[raptor]

First quick reaction (just back from holiday) : I suggest we follow the wise advice of Kirok.

(Kirok said) I still believe that the strongest option for seeing Enterprise back on the screen is for the fans to do it themselves, that a continuing interest from the fans will eventually bring commercial interest. That's going to be my path and I encourage others to take it as well. "Dispatches from the Romulan War" is definitely a step in that direction.(And Kirok also said) It was worth the fight, and the fight itself brought us together as a community. What we need to work on now is turning that community into one that celebrates and extends on Enterprise fandom. Let's make the next twelve months into a resurgence of what drew us to Enterprise in the first place. Watch the fan productions forum!

And I fully agree with this opinion

(John Doe said) We need to work to make this place a good place for "Enterprise" fans, a place where ENT fans can hang around, talk, post, share. We love "Enterprise" and it will always live in our hearts, in our minds, in our lives.

[Enterprise will rise]

Hello,

I want to applaud your efforts...I was just at the star trek convention in Vegas and i can tell you....we are still here. The biggest turn out was for the Enterprise crew...why was that? Because everyone loved it. Believe me when I say..we still want to bring it back. Keep sending emails and letters. TV is all about ratings and public demand. We need to find marketing people that will help publicize this better. I have always believed that if you truly want something bad enough, then you will find a way. Dont give up.. i am behind you!!!!

[ChristopherPike]

I imagine the biggest turn out would've been for the headliners Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto. But you're right, I'm told attendance was good, even to see stars from ENT. I didn't manage to go. The panel from Brannon Braga and Manny Coto would've been worth seeing and hearing the "What If?" questions from the audience.

[Bruce2]

I have called Les Moonves secratarys once a month for the last year, they are always friendly and willing to visit, I have ask on ocassion if they still get mail or phone calls about Enterprise the last TV series, they said yes they do lots of calls and mail every day, from all over the world!

It is the internet that makes this possible.

So while here at TU, and at my home page http://www.freewebs.com/stenterprise/ we dont get much responce, people are calling and sending mail in responce to our sites, and the info that has been posted here.

To announce closing the campaign here is a huge negitive blow that may discourage folk from what they are doing.

I would sugest to delete this topic, and perhaps open another that encourages one to do what ever they can, if there is no one to take the lead here, so what, it appears that folks have been responding to the past encouragement to send letters and postcards, and make phone calls to CBS.

I get a few each month that take the time to sign my guest book. And get several that read the pages each day.

Later Bruce

This post has been edited by Bruce2: 12 August 2008 - 10:40 PM

[Aussie Trekkie]

I don't think this thread is negative because it tells the story that SE is winding down, yes it will be bad for the people who want to carry on because this place is the biggest of all Enterprise return sites but things have been winding down for months since we're all busier outside SE than ever before and some other factors mentioned by EE in his first post

One instance of downturn of interest is that readership of my Myspace news service "Enterprise News Today" has slipped from a 60 average at the end of 2007 to an average of about 20 despite having news from here and the fan productions and anywhere that mentions Enterprise and it's cast and crew and i think the news has never been better especially with that brilliant animated fan project coming along great which enables us to write and show more.
Could always hope for an upturn in reader numbers but at this time the doors shutting on E.N.T are coming closer and closer

Morale and Enthusiasm certainly wasn't the problem here, just the lack of personal time we got available to be able to campaign and a shortage of people (under a dozen people can't do much) just speaks volumes about how bad the situation is here and the decision made, anyhow that's all i can write it's tough stuff to write about

[Kirok]

I don't think that you should see what is happening to the Save Enterprise campaign as a reflection on your own work, Bruce. Besides the fact that I don't see this as a failure but more of a change of direction, there has never been any suggestion that I can recall that, because we are taking a different course, there is anything wrong with the original course of mailing campaigns.

Bruce, I think you're making a big mistake if you judge your own work on the perceived success or failure of others. As you've pointed out yourself, there is an continual groundswell of support for the idea of a return, the "calls and mail every day, from all over the world!", those calls and mail are one facet of the evidence for support of Enterprise, just as the popularity of the Enterprise events at Vegas mentioned by Enterprise will rise is another along with AT's "Enterprise News Today" MySpace.

Ensign Edwards has said that TrekUnited will continue to encourage and support Enterprise fans who want to take positive action like you are, so if people think that closing the campaign "is a huge negitive blow that may discourage folk from what they are doing" they are mistaken.

• It should not be perceived as a negative blow since it is meant to be a change of direction and not a cessation of effort.
  
• NO ONE is being discouraged from taking positive action.
  
• On the contrary, "The vast majority of threads will remain open and will be stored in a new subforum called Save Enterprise Archives so that, should we experience a resurgence of support or a return of Enterprise suddenly become more likely, we will be able to return and take advantage of the situation. And if anyone should wish to fight for Enterprise on their own or as part of another campaign, they can use our accumulated knowledge and resources to further the cause."

That last point - that these threads will still exist - pretty much agrees with what you suggested about having a forum open "that encourages one to do what ever they can, if there is no one to take the lead here, so what, it appears that folks have been responding to the past encouragement to send letters and postcards, and make phone calls to CBS."

On another point, AT, sorry i've never turned up on your ENT MySpace but I have a problem with my MySpace membership and have never been able to get in. I'll have to do something about that: what your doing is pretty cool and I would encourage you to think about ramping it up rather than winding it down.

Come on guys, let's have a little consideration for Ensign Edwards here. The guy's invested a whole chunk of his life into this but he wants to move on to something that he feels will not only contribute to Enterprise fandom but'll be a bit more fun as well!

Cheers

K

[raptor]

I think it's more proper to day that Edwards puts SE asleep, because the campaign was already nearly sleeping due to lack of activity and very few visitors. In order to re-awaken it sooner or later (maybe in another form), we first need to build a strong (and strongly visited) Enterprise community within and outside of TU.

[ensign edwards]

Quote

To announce closing the campaign here is a huge negitive blow that may discourage folk from what they are doing.

I can't control what other people do or think, but certainly wasn't my intent. As I said above, this isn't the end of the cause, it's simply the end of Save Enterprise as a campaign.

I think Kirok already explained things far better than I could have.