Posted on alt.news.answers, March 1995.

This is a request for discussion on a proposed newsgroup "alt.collecting.8-track-tapes."

Please give your feedback.

Background: The last 4-5 years has seen the emergence of a rather large community of 8-track-tape collectors in the US (and a growing numbers outside the US as well). For those of you too young to remember, the 8-track tape was the endless loop tape cartridge developed in the mid-1960s; it flourished through the mid-1970s but was pretty much abandoned as a format by 1980 due to the overwhelming popularity of the audio cassette.

Some of the evidence for this 8-track tape community's existence:

-- R. F. Forster's "8-Track Mind" magazine, published in Detroit, MI since 1990
-- Articles on 8-track collectors in Time, Rolling Stone, Ray Gun, College Music Journal Monthly and, most recently, the New York Times Sunday Magazine (theirs was a piece on the current crop of do-it-yourselfers currently releasing 8-track tapes).
-- Major label recording artists such as Rage Against the Machine and War issuing copies of their albums on 8-track tape
-- The full-length documentary film on 8-track collectors -- "So Wrong They're Right" -- to be released summer 1995
-- The emergence of shops all over the US that offer 8-track tape sales and search services

Over the last year I have found that there are many 8-track collectors on the net. These folks make their presence known in various newsgroups, such as rec.autos.antiques (looking for a car deck to complete that muscle car restoration) or alt.technology obsolete (trying to find those little foam pads to repair Aunt Minnie's collection of disco tapes). Briefly, most fans of the 8-track tape are interested in one or more of the following:

(1) the history and lore of the cartridge itself, from its creation in the mid '60s to its demise in the late 70's; (2) the never-ending hunt for additions to one's collection from increasingly scarce sources; this can include collecting of specific titles, many of which are rare, unusual, or down right weird; (3) trading information on locating and/or repairing 8-track players, and (4) the philosophical side of 8-track-tape culture, best embodied by "The 8 Noble Truths of the 8-Track Mind" (courtesy "8-Track Mind" magazine):

The 8 Noble Truths of the 8-Track Mind *

0) Understanding one's fate leads to greater acceptance.

1) State of the art is in the eye of the beholder.

2) Society's drive is on attaining rather than experiencing.

3) In less than optimum circumstances, creativity become all the more important.

4) Progress is too often promises, promises to get you to buy, buy.

5) "New" and "improved" don't necessarily mean the same thing.

6) "Naive" is not a dirty word.

7) In seeking perfection has the obvious been overlooked?

8) Innovation alone will not replace beauty.

*Why are there actually nine, you ask? That would be telling.

Current status:

No newsgroups currently exist that support and nurture the wide variety of needs among 8-track-tape collectors, although some groups touch on aspects of 8-track collecting. Alt.technology.obsolete focuses primarily on the mechanics of outdated machinery; alt.culture.US.70s is too narrow -- the 8-track spans from the 60s to the 90s (yes, as mentioned earlier, tapes are still being manufactured!); rec.antiques.radio+phono prohibits discussion of post-1960 audio equipment as defined in their FAQ; and rec.collecting seems geared toward $serious$ collector$ -- putting collectors' prices on 8-track tapes is repellent to most members of the community.

About the name:

"alt.collecting*" seems to be the best of several possible hierarchies. (Other suggestions were "alt.audio*" and "alt.fan*.") This emphasizes the collecting side of the hobby, since most "trackers" seem to be more interested in accumulating tapes and players that figuring out how they work. "8-track-tapes" was suggested over "8-track-tape" mainly because people tend to talk about them in the plural (e.g., "Pull it over -- I saw 8-tracks at that yard sale!")

Summary:

"alt.collecting.8-track-tapes" will be a home for discussion of the collecting and preservation of the humble cartridge that is laughed at by some but loved by many more. I foresee in this newsgroup a lively marketplace for traders; a place for both old-timers and newcomers to find new tapes and meet others interested in the hobby; and a forum for discussion of the somewhat offbeat world of 8-tracks tapes. I welcome any feedback on this proposal.

Malcolm Riviera