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| former_name      = alt.toys.lego
| former_name      = alt.toys.lego
| type              = [[Wikipedia:Usenet|Usenet]] [[Wikipedia:Usenet newsgroup|newsgroup]]
| type              = [[Wikipedia:Usenet|Usenet]] [[Wikipedia:Usenet newsgroup|newsgroup]]
| language          = English
| language          =  
| predecessor      =  
| predecessor      =  
| successor        = [[LUGNET]]
| successor        = [[LUGNET]]
| author            = David Koblas
| creator          = David Koblas
| url              = [news:rec.toys.lego rec.toys.lego]
| url              = [news:rec.toys.lego rec.toys.lego]
| commercial        =
| registration      =
| num_users        =  
| num_users        =  
| launch_date      = {{ubl|{{Start date and age|1993|01||df=y}} (ATL)|{{Start date and age|1994|01|10|df=y}} (RTL)}}
| launch_date      = {{ubl|{{Start date and age|1993|01||df=y}} (ATL)|{{Start date and age|1994|01|10|df=y}} (RTL)}}
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}}
}}


'''rec.toys.lego''' (often referred to as '''RTL'''<ref name="Seybold"/> or '''r.t.l''') is a [[Wikipedia:Usenet|Usenet]] [[Wikipedia:Usenet newsgroup|newsgroup]] dedicated to the discussion of [[LEGO]] products and [[LEGO clone|LEGO-compatible toys]].<ref name="Engst"/> It was one of the earliest online LEGO fan communities, starting in early 1993 as '''alt.toys.lego''' ('''ATL'''<ref name="Bender"/> or '''a.t.l''') before moving to the ''rec.*'' [[Wikipedia:Usenet newsgroup#Hierarchies|hierarchy]] one year later. The newsgroup led to the creation of many other online communities, most notably [[LUGNET]], and additionally played a role in the [[LEGO Group]]'s decision to create [[LEGO.com]].
'''rec.toys.lego''' (often referred to as "'''RTL'''"<ref name="Seybold 2006"/> or "'''r.t.l'''") is a [[Wikipedia:Usenet|Usenet]] [[Wikipedia:Usenet newsgroup|newsgroup]] dedicated to the discussion of [[LEGO]] products and [[LEGO clone|LEGO-compatible toys]].<ref name="Engst 1994"/> It was one of the earliest online LEGO fan communities, starting in early 1993 as '''alt.toys.lego''' ("'''ATL'''"<ref name="Bender 2010"/> or "'''a.t.l'''") before moving to the ''rec.*'' [[Wikipedia:Usenet newsgroup#Hierarchies|hierarchy]] one year later. The newsgroup led to the creation of many other online communities, most notably [[LUGNET]], and additionally played a role in the [[LEGO Group]]'s decision to create [[LEGO.com]].


== History ==
== History ==
The alt.toys.lego newsgroup was created by David Koblas in January 1993.<ref name="rec.toys.lego ATL question" group="U"/><ref name="Brickset AFOL 20th"/>{{efn|The exact date of its creation is unknown. The earliest alt.toys.lego post archived on [[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]] is from 18 February 1993.<ref name="alt.toys.lego LaLiberte" group="U"/> A list of ''alt.*'' newsgroups from 5 February 1993 does not include alt.toys.lego;<ref name="alt.newgroup listing" group="U"/> however, an archived message in alt.fan.warlord (a newsgroup dedicated to mocking bizarre and excessive [[Wikipedia:Signature block|signatures]])<ref name="Kehoe"/> quotes an alt.toys.lego message dated 5 February 1993,<ref name="alt.fan.warlord palms" group="U"/> and alt.toys.lego is mentioned in a news.admin.policy message from 8 February 1993.<ref name="news.admin.policy Erik" group="U"/> Koblas's rec.toys.lego proposal from 14 October 1993 refers to alt.toys.lego as having been active for nine months,<ref name="alt.toys.lego Koblas RFD" group="U"/> and the rec.toys.lego FAQ post from 11 January 1994 claims alt.toys.lego had existed for "almost one year".<ref name="rec.toys.lego FAQ 1994-01-11" group="U"/>}} It was the first of a number of toy-related newsgroups in the [[Wikipedia:alt.* hierarchy|''alt.*'' hierarchy]];<ref name="Myers"/> others created later in 1993 included alt.toys.hi-tech in May and alt.toys.[[Wikipedia:Transformers|transformers]] in September.<ref name="alt.toys.hi-tech created" group="U"/><ref name="alt.toys.transformers email" group="U"/> Although alt.toys.lego developed an active community soon after its creation, its growth was limited by the ''alt.*'' hierarchy not being well-propagated; many [[Wikipedia:Dial-up Internet access|dial-up]] [[Wikipedia:Internet service provider|Internet service providers]] did not offer it to subscribers, while the "[[Wikipedia:Big 8 (Usenet)|Big 7]]" hierarchies{{efn|''comp.*'', ''misc.*'', ''news.*'', ''rec.*'', ''sci.*'', ''soc.*'', and ''talk.*''; later also ''humanities.*''.}} were more mainstream.<ref name="Myers"/><ref name="Brickset AFOL 20th"/>{{R|Carroll 1997|p=156}} In September 1993 the community began discussing the creation of a more widely-propagated LEGO newsgroup under the ''rec.*'' ([[Wikipedia:Recreation|recreation]]) hierarchy.<ref name="alt.toys.lego Carter RTC" group="U"/><ref name="alt.toys.lego Carter RTCL" group="U"/>{{efn|A standalone ''rec.toys'' newsgroup had previously been suggested in news.groups in April 1993, though it had not been created.<ref name="news.groups Kontei" group="U"/> The popularity of alt.toys.lego had been pointed out in response, and ''rec.toys.construction'', ''rec.toys.system'', and ''rec.toys.lego'' were all suggested as possible subgroups for replacing it.<ref name="news.groups Smith RTC" group="U"/><ref name="news.groups Smith RTS" group="U"/>}}


On 14 October 1993, Koblas drafted a proposal for the creation of rec.toys.lego and rec.toys.misc, both [[Wikipedia:Usenet#Moderated and unmoderated newsgroups|unmoderated]]{{efn|Moderated newsgroups require all messages to be approved by a [[Wikipedia:Content moderation|moderator]] before being published, while in an unmoderated newsgroup messages are published instantly.{{R|Carroll 1997|pp=152-153}}}} and under a new ''rec.toys.*'' hierarchy.<ref name="Myers"/><ref name="alt.toys.lego Koblas RFD" group="U"/> Koblas had originally wanted to create alt.toys.lego in the ''rec.*'' hierarchy, but did not believe it would pass a vote for creation at the time.<ref name="rec.toys.lego ATL question" group="U"/>{{efn|Newsgroups in the ''alt.*'' hierarchy can be created by anyone without approval,<ref name="Barr"/>{{R|Carroll 1997|p=156}} while those in the Big 8 (originally the Big 7) require discussion and voting to be created. The Usenet acceptance criteria requires at least two-thirds of the votes to be for "yes", and for there to be at least 100 more votes for "yes" than for "no".{{R|Carroll 1997|pp=158-160}}}} The name ''rec.toys.construction'' was alternatively suggested as a more inclusive name that would allow for discussion of other [[Wikipedia:Construction set|construction toys]]; Koblas rejected this idea, as his original intention was to increase the LEGO newsgroup's readership by moving it out of the ''alt.*'' hierarchy, and he felt that the alternate name would not appeal to LEGO enthusiasts enough to draw them away from the alt.toys.lego newsgroup.<ref name="Myers"/><ref name="news.groups Koblas RFD" group="U"/> Voting for the two new groups began on 30 November and ended on 21 December.<ref name="alt.toys.lego Bailey CFV" group="U"/><ref name="AFOL History"/> The results were announced on 3 January 1994: 243 users voted, and both newsgroups passed the voting (219 "yes" against 20 "no" for rec.toys.lego, and 211 "yes" against 18 "no" for rec.toys.misc).<ref name="Myers"/> The new rec.toys.lego newsgroup was created on 10 January 1994 under the following [[Wikipedia:Newsgroup charter|charter]]:<ref name="AFOL History"/>
=== Creation ===
The alt.toys.lego newsgroup was created by David Koblas in January 1993.<ref name="alt.toys.lego Koblas RTLvATL" group="U"/><ref name="Brickset AFOL 20th"/>{{efn|The exact date of its creation is unknown. The earliest alt.toys.lego post archived on [[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]] is from 18 February 1993.<ref name="alt.toys.lego LaLiberte" group="U"/> A list of ''alt.*'' newsgroups from 5 February 1993 does not include alt.toys.lego;<ref name="alt.newgroup listing" group="U"/> however, an archived message in alt.fan.warlord (a newsgroup dedicated to mocking bizarre and excessive [[Wikipedia:Signature block|signatures]])<ref name="Kehoe 1994"/> quotes an alt.toys.lego message dated 5 February 1993,<ref name="alt.fan.warlord palms" group="U"/> and alt.toys.lego is mentioned in a news.admin.policy message from 8 February 1993.<ref name="news.admin.policy Erik" group="U"/> Koblas's rec.toys.lego proposal from 14 October 1993 refers to alt.toys.lego as having been active for nine months,<ref name="alt.toys.lego Koblas RFD" group="U"/> and the rec.toys.lego FAQ post from 11 January 1994 claims alt.toys.lego had existed for "almost one year".<ref name="rec.toys.lego FAQ 1994-01-11" group="U"/>}} It was the first of a number of toy-related newsgroups in the [[Wikipedia:alt.* hierarchy|''alt.*'' hierarchy]];<ref name="Myers 1996"/> others created later in 1993 included alt.toys.hi-tech in May and alt.toys.[[Wikipedia:Transformers|transformers]] in September.<ref name="alt.toys.hi-tech created" group="U"/><ref name="alt.toys.transformers email" group="U"/> Although alt.toys.lego developed an active community soon after its creation, its growth was limited by the ''alt.*'' hierarchy not being well-propagated; many [[Wikipedia:Dial-up Internet access|dial-up]] [[Wikipedia:Internet service provider|Internet service providers]] did not offer it to subscribers, while the "[[Wikipedia:Big 8 (Usenet)|Big 7]]" hierarchies{{efn|''comp.*'', ''misc.*'', ''news.*'', ''rec.*'', ''sci.*'', ''soc.*'', and ''talk.*''; later also ''humanities.*''.}} were more mainstream.<ref name="Myers 1996"/><ref name="Brickset AFOL 20th"/>{{R|Carroll 1997|p=156}} In September 1993, the community began discussing the creation of a more widely-propagated LEGO newsgroup under the ''rec.*'' ([[Wikipedia:Recreation|recreation]]) hierarchy.<ref name="alt.toys.lego Carter RTC" group="U"/><ref name="alt.toys.lego Carter RTCL" group="U"/>{{efn|A standalone ''rec.toys'' newsgroup had previously been suggested in news.groups in April 1993, though it had not been created.<ref name="news.groups Kontei" group="U"/> The popularity of alt.toys.lego had been pointed out in response, and ''rec.toys.construction'', ''rec.toys.system'', and ''rec.toys.lego'' were all suggested as possible subgroups for replacing it.<ref name="news.groups Smith RTC" group="U"/><ref name="news.groups Smith RTS" group="U"/>}}
 
On 14 October 1993, Koblas drafted a proposal for the creation of rec.toys.lego and rec.toys.misc, both of which would be [[Wikipedia:Usenet#Moderated and unmoderated newsgroups|unmoderated]]{{efn|Moderated newsgroups require all messages to be approved by a [[Wikipedia:Content moderation|moderator]] before being published, while in an unmoderated newsgroup messages are published instantly.{{R|Carroll 1997|pp=152-153}} }} and under a new ''rec.toys.*'' hierarchy.<ref name="Myers 1996"/><ref name="alt.toys.lego Koblas RFD" group="U"/> Koblas had originally wanted to create alt.toys.lego in the ''rec.*'' hierarchy, but did not believe it would pass a vote for creation at the time.<ref name="alt.toys.lego Koblas RTLvATL" group="U"/>{{efn|Newsgroups in the ''alt.*'' hierarchy can be created by anyone without approval,<ref name="Barr 1995"/>{{R|Carroll 1997|p=156}} while those in the Big 8 (originally the Big 7) require discussion and voting to be created. The Usenet acceptance criteria requires at least two-thirds of the votes to be for "yes", and for there to be at least 100 more votes for "yes" than for "no".{{R|Carroll 1997|pp=158-160}} }} The name ''rec.toys.construction'' was alternatively suggested as a more inclusive name that would allow for discussion of other [[Wikipedia:Construction set|construction toys]]; Koblas rejected this idea, as his original intention was to increase the LEGO newsgroup's readership by moving it out of the ''alt.*'' hierarchy, and he felt that the alternate name would not appeal to LEGO enthusiasts enough to draw them away from the alt.toys.lego newsgroup.<ref name="Myers 1996"/><ref name="news.groups Koblas RFD" group="U"/> Voting for the two new groups began on 30 November and ended on 21 December.<ref name="alt.toys.lego Bailey CFV" group="U"/><ref name="AFOL History"/> The results were announced on 3 January 1994: 243 users voted, and both newsgroups passed the voting (219 "yes" against 20 "no" for rec.toys.lego, and 211 "yes" against 18 "no" for rec.toys.misc).<ref name="Myers 1996"/> The new rec.toys.lego newsgroup was created on 10 January 1994 under the following [[Wikipedia:Newsgroup charter|charter]]:<ref name="AFOL History"/>


{{blockquote |text=To provide a forum for the discussion of all things and experiences relating to the Lego(tm), Duplo(tm) and compatible construction toys. Including interesting models that one has built, experiences one has had using legos, or questions about how to build particular components.}}
{{blockquote |text=To provide a forum for the discussion of all things and experiences relating to the Lego(tm), Duplo(tm) and compatible construction toys. Including interesting models that one has built, experiences one has had using legos, or questions about how to build particular components.}}
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[[File:WotI Newsgroups Main Menu.jpg|thumb|rec.toys.lego seen in a list of ''rec.*'' newsgroups, {{circa|1994}}]]
[[File:WotI Newsgroups Main Menu.jpg|thumb|rec.toys.lego seen in a list of ''rec.*'' newsgroups, {{circa|1994}}]]


As it was proposed alongside rec.toys.lego, the rec.toys.misc newsgroup was originally described as covering "non-Lego toys topics, from {{sic|[[Wikipedia:Barbie|Barbi]]}} Dolls to [[Wikipedia:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]] gift sets." Its charter's wording was soon altered so that it would cover all toys that did not have their own newsgroup within the ''rec.toys.*'' hierarchy, without any reference to LEGO. Within a few months, activity in rec.toys.misc had surpassed rec.toys.lego, eventually leading to other groups like rec.toys.cars and rec.toys.action-figures splitting off from it. Over the following years a number of toy-related newsgroups were created in ''rec.*'', including ones outside of ''rec.toys.*'', although some groups like alt.toys.transformers remained active in ''alt.*''.<ref name="Myers"/> After rec.toys.lego was created, alt.toys.lego was largely abandoned;<ref name="HispaBrick"/> despite users sending [[Wikipedia:Control message|controll messages]] to have the newsgroup removed, however, it remained available in some [[Wikipedia:News server|news servers]] and continued to receive occasional messages.<ref name="Brickset AFOL 20th"/><ref name="rec.toys.lego ATL question" group="U"/>
As it was proposed alongside rec.toys.lego, the rec.toys.misc newsgroup was originally described as covering "non-Lego toys topics, from {{sic|[[Wikipedia:Barbie|Barbi]]}} Dolls to [[Wikipedia:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]] gift sets." Its charter's wording was soon altered so that it would cover all toys that did not have their own newsgroup within the ''rec.toys.*'' hierarchy, without any reference to LEGO. Within a few months, activity in rec.toys.misc had surpassed rec.toys.lego, eventually leading to other groups like rec.toys.cars and rec.toys.action-figures splitting off from it. Over the following years a number of toy-related newsgroups were created in ''rec.*'', including ones outside of ''rec.toys.*'', although some groups like alt.toys.transformers remained active in ''alt.*''.<ref name="Myers 1996"/> After rec.toys.lego was created, alt.toys.lego was largely abandoned;<ref name="HispaBrick"/> despite users sending [[Wikipedia:Control message|control messages]] to have the newsgroup removed, however, it remained available in some [[Wikipedia:News server|news servers]] and continued to receive occasional messages.<ref name="Brickset AFOL 20th"/><ref name="rec.toys.lego Pfeifer ATL" group="U"/>


== Discussions ==
== Discussions ==
(write about discussions hwre)
information about older and current LEGO sets and elements, and appearances of LEGO in the news.<ref name="Gagnon"/>


One of the first online lists of both then-current and discontinued LEGO sets was created by Mathew Clayson and uploaded to the LEGO newsgroup's [[#FTP archive|FTP archive]] in April 1993.<ref name="alt.toys.lego Putz" group="U"/><ref name="alt.toys.lego Clayson" group="U"/> Dik T. Winter posted a more comprehensive list of over {{formatnum:1200}} products and what years they were available on 5 May 1993; Winter's list was largely from Dutch LEGO catalogues dating back to 1984, as well as miscellaneous other catalogues and Clayson's list.<ref name="alt.toys.lego Winter" group="U"/><ref name="AFOL History"/> That same day, Brian Zill posted a set list that included the piece count and price in [[Wikipedia:United States dollar|US dollars]], originally created to compare the price per piece of each set.<ref name="alt.toys.lego Zill" group="U"/> Jeffrey T. Crites posted a list of [[LEGO Castle]] sets up to that point on 8 August 1994, detailing their piece counts, retail prices, and estimated then-current values.<ref name="rec.toys.lego Crites castle" group="U"/> The first compiled list of [[Design ID]]s (part numbers, referred to at the time as "brick codes") was posted by Peter Miller on 11 November 1993.<ref name="AFOL History"/><ref name="alt.toys.lego Miller" group="U"/>
Some of the regular discussions on the newsgroup included new and upcoming [[LEGO themes]], information about older LEGO products, where to find the best prices for expensive LEGO sets, and news about the company.<ref name="Gagnon 1994"/><ref name="Randall 1995"/><ref name="Parker 1995"/><ref name="Bender 2010"/> Discussions also covered more specific topics, such as speculating how LEGO products were developed,<ref name="Bender 2010"/> how to inventory sets and what counts as a separate LEGO piece,<ref name="Hahn 2000"/> or the [[Gender representation in LEGO|lack of female minifigures]] in many LEGO themes.<ref name="Randall 1995"/> Users on the newsgroup often shared their opinions and criticisms about LEGO products, with some writing detailed reviews on individual sets.<ref name="Carroll 1995"/><ref name="set review history"/> Besides official sets, users also discussed building ideas and shared images their own [[MOCs|LEGO creations]].<ref name="Parker 1995"/>{{efn|Photographs had to be shared either through an [[Wikipedia:FTP server|FTP server]] or on external websites, as files could only be directly shared in [[Wikipedia:Usenet#Binary content|binary]] newsgroups.<ref name="Wentk 1997"/>}}
 
The newsgroup also featured some of the earliest public attempts at documenting the history of LEGO product. One of the first online lists of both then-current and discontinued LEGO sets was created by Mathew Clayson and uploaded to the LEGO newsgroup's [[#FTP archive|FTP archive]] in April 1993.<ref name="alt.toys.lego Putz" group="U"/><ref name="alt.toys.lego Clayson" group="U"/> On 5 May 1993, Dik T. Winter posted a more comprehensive list of over {{formatnum:1200}} products, which included what years they were commercially available. Winter's list was largely sourced from Dutch LEGO catalogues dating back to 1984, as well as miscellaneous other international catalogues and Clayson's list.<ref name="alt.toys.lego Winter" group="U"/><ref name="AFOL History"/><ref name="de Ruijter 2021"/> That same day, Brian Zill posted a list of over 300 products that included their piece counts and [[Wikipedia:List price|retail prices]] in [[Wikipedia:United States dollar|US dollars]], originally created to compare the price per piece of each set.<ref name="alt.toys.lego Zill" group="U"/> Jeffrey T. Crites posted a list focusing on [[LEGO Castle]] sets on 8 August 1994, and included estimates of the then-current values of some sets based on prices observed at auctions and [[Wikipedia:Garage sale|garage sales]].<ref name="rec.toys.lego Crites castle" group="U"/> The first compiled list of [[Design ID]]s for LEGO elements (referred to at the time as "brick codes") was posted by Peter Miller on 11 November 1993.<ref name="AFOL History"/><ref name="alt.toys.lego Miller" group="U"/><ref name="Rebrickable"/>
 
Like many other newsgroups, rec.toys.lego had a [[Wikipedia:FAQ|frequently asked questions]] (FAQ) list, referred to as the LEGO FAQ, which was reposted monthly.<ref name="Estabrook 1995"/><ref name="Atkinson 1995"/> The FAQ was maintained by Tom Pfeifer, who compiled information from Usenet posts, emails, and catalogues. It first posted on alt.toys.lego on 7 April 1993.<ref name="AFOL History"/><ref name="alt.toys.lego FAQ 1993-04-07" group="U"/> Its final update was posted on 19 June 2000.<ref name="Multicon FAQ"/><ref name="rec.toys.lego FAQ 2000-06-19" group="U"/> The LEGO FAQ was divided into sixteen sections, which featured topics including LEGO company addresses and phone numbers, [[Legoland]] park information, LEGO history and production, LEGO software and robotics, cleaning and storing LEGO pieces, [[LEGO clone|clone brands]], and links to other websites.<ref name="de Ruijter 2021"/><ref name="rec.toys.lego FAQ 2000-06-19" group="U"/>


The rec.toys.lego FAQ, also called the LEGO FAQ, was posted monthly by Tom Pfeifer. The FAQ was first posted on 7 April 1993.<ref name="AFOL History"/><ref name="alt.toys.lego FAQ 1993-04-07" group="U"/> Its final update was posted on 19 June 2000.<ref name="Multicon FAQ"/><ref name="rec.toys.lego FAQ 2000-06-19" group="U"/>
The first auction held on rec.toys.lego was started by Todd Lehman on 5 February 1994, consisting of seven [[Wikipedia:McDonald's|McDonald's]] "[[Lego Motion]]" sets.<ref name="Crites history"/><ref name="rec.toys.lego Lehman McD" group="U"/>


=== Related websites ===
=== Related websites ===
In December 1993, Koblas announced
[[LEGO Information (website)|LEGO Information]], Earthsea FTP, LUGNET


=== Relationship with Lego ===
=== Recognition<!--Relationship with Lego--> ===
<ref name="Carroll 1995"/>
<ref name="Carroll 1995"/>
<ref name="Lego press 8"/>
<ref name="Lego press 8"/>
An article about rec.toys.lego appeared in the April 1995 issue of the [[Wikipedia:House organ|employee magazine]] ''[[LEGO Review]]'' (having previously appeared in ''[[Klodshans]]''), and mentioned a number of individual users from the newsgroup and some of their different accomplishments (as well as correcting some wrong information). A few newsgroup readers felt that the article had a mocking tone; Peter Jessen, the article's author, insisted that it was sincere and was meant to inform the LEGO Group about LEGO content on the Internet, having been written after someone asked if the company was aware of the community.<ref name="Jessen 1995"/><ref name="rec.toys.lego Crites maniacs" group="U"/><ref name="rec.toys.lego Jessen maniacs" group="U"/>
== Reception ==
Despite alt.toys.lego being active for just under a year before rec.toys.lego's creation, some Usenet directory books still listed it as the primary LEGO newsgroup for several years after it was replaced.<ref name="Gagnon 1994"/><ref name="Net Guide 1995"/><ref name="Bohannon 1996"/>


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
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<!-- books -->
<!-- books -->


<ref name="Bender">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/legolovestory0000bend/page/24/mode/2up?view=theater |title=LEGO: A Love Story |first=Jonathan |last=Bender |year=2010 |pages=24–25 |publisher=[[Wikipedia:John Wiley & Sons|John Wiley & Sons]] |location=[[Wikipedia:Hoboken, New Jersey|Hoboken]] |ISBN=978-0-470-40702-8}}</ref>
<ref name="Bender 2010">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/legolovestory0000bend/page/24/mode/2up?view=theater |title=LEGO: A Love Story |first=Jonathan |last=Bender |year=2010 |pages=24–25 |publisher=[[Wikipedia:John Wiley & Sons|John Wiley & Sons]] |location=[[Wikipedia:Hoboken, New Jersey|Hoboken]] |ISBN=978-0-470-40702-8}}</ref>
 
<ref name="Bohannon 1996">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/whatsonweb00eric/page/179/mode/2up?view=theater |title=What's on the Web |edition=Spring/Summer 1996 |year=1996 |location=[[Wikipedia:Fairfax, Virginia|Fairfax, Virginia]] |publisher=Internet Media Corp |page=179 |chapter=Hobbies, Travel & Tourism |first=Ric |last=Bohannon |editor-first=Eric |editor-last=Gagnon |ISBN=1-884640-19-2 |quote=Key newsgroup: alt.toys.lego}}</ref>


<ref name="Carroll 1995">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/canadianinternet0000carr_i6o2/page/94/mode/2up?view=theater |title=The Canadian Internet Advantage: Opportunities for Business and Other Organizations |last1=Carroll |first1=Jim |last2=Broadhead |first2=Rick |year=1995 |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Prentice Hall|Prentice-Hall Canada, Inc]] |location=[[Wikipedia:Scarborough, Ontario|Scarborough, Ontario]] |isbn=0-13-226598-2 |pages=94-97}}</ref>
<ref name="Carroll 1995">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/canadianinternet0000carr_i6o2/page/94/mode/2up?view=theater |title=The Canadian Internet Advantage: Opportunities for Business and Other Organizations |last1=Carroll |first1=Jim |last2=Broadhead |first2=Rick |year=1995 |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Prentice Hall|Prentice-Hall Canada, Inc]] |location=[[Wikipedia:Scarborough, Ontario|Scarborough, Ontario]] |isbn=0-13-226598-2 |pages=94-97}}</ref>
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<ref name="Carroll 1997">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/1997internethand0000carr/page/158/mode/2up?view=theater |title=1997 Internet Handbook |edition=Educational |last1=Carroll |first1=Jim |last2=Broadhead |first2=Rick |last3=Cassel |first3=Don |year=1997 |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Prentice Hall|Prentice-Hall Canada, Inc]] |location=[[Wikipedia:Scarborough, Ontario|Scarborough, Ontario]] |isbn=0-13-851487-9 |section=Usenet |pages=150-161}}</ref>
<ref name="Carroll 1997">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/1997internethand0000carr/page/158/mode/2up?view=theater |title=1997 Internet Handbook |edition=Educational |last1=Carroll |first1=Jim |last2=Broadhead |first2=Rick |last3=Cassel |first3=Don |year=1997 |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Prentice Hall|Prentice-Hall Canada, Inc]] |location=[[Wikipedia:Scarborough, Ontario|Scarborough, Ontario]] |isbn=0-13-851487-9 |section=Usenet |pages=150-161}}</ref>


<ref name="Engst">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/internetstarterk00engsrich/page/850/mode/2up?view=theater |title=Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh |edition=2nd |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Hayden Books|Hayden Books]] |location=[[Wikipedia:Indianapolis|Indianapolis]] |year=1994 |first=Adam C. |last=Engst |ISBN=1-56830-111-1 |p=850}}</ref>
<ref name="Engst 1994">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/internetstarterk00engsrich/page/850/mode/2up?view=theater |title=Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh |edition=2nd |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Hayden Books|Hayden Books]] |location=[[Wikipedia:Indianapolis|Indianapolis]] |year=1994 |first=Adam C. |last=Engst |ISBN=1-56830-111-1 |p=850}}</ref>


<ref name="Gagnon">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/whatsoninternet0000gagn/page/89/mode/2up?view=theater |title=What's on the Web |edition=Winter 1994/95 |year=1994 |location=[[Wikipedia:Berkeley, California|Berkeley, California]] |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Peachpit Press|Peachpit Press]] |page=89 |first=Eric |last=Gagnon |isbn=1-56609-162-4}}</ref>
<ref name="Estabrook 1995">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/usingusenetnewsg0000esta/page/59/mode/2up?view=theater |title=Using UseNet Newsgroups: The User-Friendly Reference |first1=Noel |last1=Estabrook |first2=Kate |last2=Gregory |first3=Jim |last3=Mann |first4=Tim |last4=Parker |display-authors=2 |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Que Corporation|Que Corporation]] |location=[[Wikipedia:Indianapolis|Indianapolis]] |year=1995 |ISBN=0-7897-0134-0 |section=Frequently Asked Questions |pages=59-65}}</ref>
 
<ref name="Gagnon 1994">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/whatsoninternet0000gagn/page/89/mode/2up?view=theater |title=What's on the Web |edition=Winter 1994/95 |year=1994 |location=[[Wikipedia:Berkeley, California|Berkeley, California]] |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Peachpit Press|Peachpit Press]] |page=89 |first=Eric |last=Gagnon |isbn=1-56609-162-4}}</ref>
 
<ref name="Hahn 2000">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/harleyhahnsinter00hahnrich/page/115/mode/2up?view=theater |title=Harley Hahn's Internet & Web Yellow Pages |edition=Millennium |section=Collecting |first=Harley |last=Hahn |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Adam Osborne|Osborne]]/[[Wikipedia:McGraw Hill|McGraw Hill]] |location=[[Wikipedia:Berkeley, California|Berkeley, California]] |year=2000 |ISBN=0-07-212170-X |pages=115-116}}</ref>


<ref name="HispaBrick">{{cite magazine |title=Pillars of the community: LUGNET |magazine=[[HispaBrick Magazine]] |edition=English |number=24 |date=January 2016 |location=[[Wikipedia:Madrid|Madrid]] |first1=Todd |last1=Lehman |first2=Suzanne |last2=Eaton |ISSN=1989-0982 |pages=34-36 |url=https://www.hispabrickmagazine.com/pdfs/HBM024_EN/HBM024_EN-34-36.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423103303/https://www.hispabrickmagazine.com/pdfs/HBM024_EN/HBM024_EN-34-36.pdf |archive-date=23 April 2024 |url-status=live |access-date=16 August 2025}}</ref>
<ref name="HispaBrick">{{cite magazine |title=Pillars of the community: LUGNET |magazine=[[HispaBrick Magazine]] |edition=English |number=24 |date=January 2016 |location=[[Wikipedia:Madrid|Madrid]] |first1=Todd |last1=Lehman |first2=Suzanne |last2=Eaton |ISSN=1989-0982 |pages=34-36 |url=https://www.hispabrickmagazine.com/pdfs/HBM024_EN/HBM024_EN-34-36.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423103303/https://www.hispabrickmagazine.com/pdfs/HBM024_EN/HBM024_EN-34-36.pdf |archive-date=23 April 2024 |url-status=live |access-date=16 August 2025}}</ref>


<ref name="Kehoe">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/zenartofinternet00keho/page/47/mode/2up?view=theater |title=Zen and the Art of the Internet |edition=3rd |last=Kehoe |first=Brendan P. |year=1994 |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Prentice Hall|PTR Prentice Hall]] |location=[[Wikipedia:Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey|Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey]] |isbn=0-13-121492-6 |page=47 |quote=The newsgroup alt.fan.warlord is a dumping ground for the most heinous of signature violations. In the course of reading news, people occasionally do follow-ups into alt.fan.warlord to show off their latest discoveries — talking whales, ten-line-high cacti, and a variety of other ASCII miracles.}}</ref>
<ref name="Jessen 1995">{{cite magazine |title=LEGO Maniacs on the Internet |first=Peter |last=Jessen |date=April 1995 |magazine=LEGO Review |page=26 |publisher=LEGO UK Ltd |location=[[Wikipedia:Wrexham|Wrexham]], [[Wikipedia:Clwyd|Clwyd]]}}</ref>


<ref name="Randall">{{cite book |title=Plug-n-Play Internet |publisher=Sams Publishing |location=[[Wikipedia:Indianapolis|Indianapolis]] |first1=Neil |last1=Randall |first2=Celine |last2=Latulipe |year=1995 |url=https://archive.org/details/plugnplayinterne0000rand/page/150/mode/2up?view=theater |page=150 |ISBN=0-672-30669-7}}</ref>
<ref name="Kehoe 1994">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/zenartofinternet00keho/page/47/mode/2up?view=theater |title=Zen and the Art of the Internet |edition=3rd |last=Kehoe |first=Brendan P. |year=1994 |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Prentice Hall|PTR Prentice Hall]] |location=[[Wikipedia:Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey|Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey]] |isbn=0-13-121492-6 |page=47 |quote=The newsgroup alt.fan.warlord is a dumping ground for the most heinous of signature violations. In the course of reading news, people occasionally do follow-ups into alt.fan.warlord to show off their latest discoveries — talking whales, ten-line-high cacti, and a variety of other [[Wikipedia:ASCII art|ASCII miracles]].}}</ref>


<ref name="Seybold">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/outsideinnovatio0000seyb/page/392/mode/2up?view=theater |title=Outside Innovation: How Your Customers Will Co-Design Your Company's Future |first=Patricia B. |last=Seybold |year=2006 |publisher=[[Wikipedia:HarperCollins|HarperCollins]] |location=[[Wikipedia:New York City|New York]] |ISBN=0-06-113590-9 |p=392}}</ref>
<ref name="Net Guide 1995">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/netguideyourcomp00malo/page/131/mode/2up?view=theater |title=Net Guide: Your Complete Guide to the Internet and Online Services |first1=Kelly |last1=Maloni |first2=Ben |last2=Greenman |first3=Kristin |last3=Miller |first4=Jeff |last4=Hearn |display-authors=3 |edition=Second |location=[[Wikipedia:New York City|New York]] |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Random House|Random House Electronic Publishing]] |date=1995 |ISBN=0-679-76456-9 |pages=131-132}}</ref>
 
<ref name="Parker 1995">{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/the-.net-directory-april-1995-scan-2/page/n13/mode/2up?view=theater |title=Newsgroups |magazine=[[Wikipedia:net (magazine)|The .net Directory]] |date=April 1995 |first=Clive |last=Parker |editor-first=Richard |editor-last=Longhurst |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Future plc|Future Publishing]] |location=United Kingdom |page=14}}</ref>
 
<ref name="Randall 1995">{{cite book |title=Plug-n-Play Internet |publisher=Sams Publishing |location=[[Wikipedia:Indianapolis|Indianapolis]] |first1=Neil |last1=Randall |first2=Celine |last2=Latulipe |year=1995 |url=https://archive.org/details/plugnplayinterne0000rand/page/150/mode/2up?view=theater |page=150 |ISBN=0-672-30669-7}}</ref>
 
<ref name="Seybold 2006">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/outsideinnovatio0000seyb/page/392/mode/2up?view=theater |title=Outside Innovation: How Your Customers Will Co-Design Your Company's Future |first=Patricia B. |last=Seybold |year=2006 |publisher=[[Wikipedia:HarperCollins|HarperCollins]] |location=[[Wikipedia:New York City|New York]] |ISBN=0-06-113590-9 |page=392}}</ref>
 
<ref name="Wentk 1997">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/whichguidetointe0000went_c6t0/page/94/mode/2up?view=theater |title=The Which? Guide to the Internet |first=Richard |last=Wentk |date=September 1997 |edition=First |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Penguin Books|Penguin Books Ltd]] |location=[[Wikipedia:London|London]] |ISBN=0 85202 683 8 |pages=93-95}}</ref>


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<ref name="AFOL History">{{cite web |url=http://www.suave.net/~dave/afol_history.pl?timeline=1 |title=The AFOL History Project |first=David |last=Eaton |date=10 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210919201210/http://www.suave.net/~dave/afol_history.pl?timeline=1 |archive-date=September 19, 2021 |url-status=dead}} Text is [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/ CC BY-SA 3.0].</ref>
<ref name="AFOL History">{{cite web |url=http://www.suave.net/~dave/afol_history.pl?timeline=1 |title=The AFOL History Project |first=David |last=Eaton |date=10 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210919201210/http://www.suave.net/~dave/afol_history.pl?timeline=1 |archive-date=September 19, 2021 |url-status=dead}} Text is [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/ CC BY-SA 3.0].</ref>


<ref name="Barr">{{cite web |url=http://www.math.psu.edu/barr/alt-creation-guide.html |title=So You Want to Create an Alt Newsgroup |first=David |last=Barr |year=1995 |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania State University|Pennsylvania State University]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/19970124072217/http://www.math.psu.edu/barr/alt-creation-guide.html |archive-date=24 January 1997}}</ref>
<ref name="Atkinson 1995">{{cite web |first=Kevin |last=Atkinson |date=17 August 1995 |title=rec.toys.lego |work=Newsgroups Info Center |url=http://metalab.unc.edu/usenet-i/groups-html/rec.toys.lego.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991007203452/http://metalab.unc.edu/usenet-i/groups-html/rec.toys.lego.html |archive-date=7 October 1999 |via=[[Wikipedia:ibiblio|MetaLab.unc.edu]] |url-status=live |access-date=9 February 2026}}</ref>
 
<ref name="Barr 1995">{{cite web |url=http://www.math.psu.edu/barr/alt-creation-guide.html |title=So You Want to Create an Alt Newsgroup |first=David |last=Barr |year=1995 |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania State University|Pennsylvania State University]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/19970124072217/http://www.math.psu.edu/barr/alt-creation-guide.html |archive-date=24 January 1997}}</ref>


<ref name="Brickset AFOL 20th">{{cite web |url=http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/11594/20th-anniversary-of-the-online-lego-community |title=20th Anniversary of the Online LEGO Community! |first=David |last=Eaton |date=July 25, 2013 |website=[[Brickset]] Forum |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150625050417/http://www.bricksetforum.com:80/discussion/11594/20th-anniversary-of-the-online-lego-community |archive-date=June 25, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="Brickset AFOL 20th">{{cite web |url=http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/11594/20th-anniversary-of-the-online-lego-community |title=20th Anniversary of the Online LEGO Community! |first=David |last=Eaton |date=July 25, 2013 |website=[[Brickset]] Forum |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150625050417/http://www.bricksetforum.com:80/discussion/11594/20th-anniversary-of-the-online-lego-community |archive-date=June 25, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="Crites history">{{cite web |url=http://www.mdn.com/crites/LEGO/rtl.html |title=Jeff's rec.toys.lego History |date=October 1995 |first=Jeffrey T. |last=Crites |website=Jeff's Old LEGO Homepage |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990202163803/http://www.mdn.com/crites/LEGO/rtl.html |archive-date=2 February 1999}}</ref>
<ref name="de Ruijter 2021">{{cite web |url=https://bouwsteentjes.info/special-geschiedenis-en-toekomst-van-de-afol/ |title=Geschiedenis en toekomst van de AFOL |trans-title=History and future of the AFOL |first=Michiel |last=de Ruijter |date=5 November 2021 |website=[[Bouwsteentjes]] |language=nl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260208112945/https://bouwsteentjes.info/special-geschiedenis-en-toekomst-van-de-afol/ |archive-date=8 February 2026 |url-status=live |access-date=10 February 2026}}</ref>


<ref name="Lego press 8">{{cite web |url=http://www.lego.com/press/press_8.html |title=Press Info: <nowiki>http://www.LEGO.com</nowiki> | website=[[LEGO World Wide Web Site]] |date=March 29, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970110041240/http://www.lego.com/press/press_8.html |archive-date=10 January 1997 }}</ref>
<ref name="Lego press 8">{{cite web |url=http://www.lego.com/press/press_8.html |title=Press Info: <nowiki>http://www.LEGO.com</nowiki> | website=[[LEGO World Wide Web Site]] |date=March 29, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970110041240/http://www.lego.com/press/press_8.html |archive-date=10 January 1997 }}</ref>
Line 82: Line 111:
<ref name="Multicon FAQ">{{cite web |url=http://www.multicon.de/fun/legofaq.html |title=LEGO frequently asked questions (FAQ) |first=Tom |last=Pfeifer |date=19 June 2000 |website=Multicon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250526014754/http://www.multicon.de/fun/legofaq.html |archive-date=26 May 2025 |url-status=live |access-date=15 August 2025}}</ref>
<ref name="Multicon FAQ">{{cite web |url=http://www.multicon.de/fun/legofaq.html |title=LEGO frequently asked questions (FAQ) |first=Tom |last=Pfeifer |date=19 June 2000 |website=Multicon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250526014754/http://www.multicon.de/fun/legofaq.html |archive-date=26 May 2025 |url-status=live |access-date=15 August 2025}}</ref>


<ref name="Myers">{{cite web |url=https://www.toymania.com/resources/usenet/toyhist.shtml |title=A Brief History of Toy-Related Usenet Newsgroups |first=Eric G. |last=Myers |date=September 17, 1996 |website=Raving Toy Maniac |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425105223/https://www.toymania.com/resources/usenet/toyhist.shtml |archive-date=25 April 2024 |url-status=live}}
<ref name="Myers 1996">{{cite web |url=https://www.toymania.com/resources/usenet/toyhist.shtml |title=A Brief History of Toy-Related Usenet Newsgroups |first=Eric G. |last=Myers |date=September 17, 1996 |website=Raving Toy Maniac |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425105223/https://www.toymania.com/resources/usenet/toyhist.shtml |archive-date=25 April 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* Original Usenet post: {{cite newsgroup |url=https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/hbEx9ToC9vc/m/nFhAMMS04oUJ |title=History of Toy-Related Newsgroups (LONG) |id=[[Wikipedia:Usenet newsgroup|Newsgroups]]: [news:rec.toys.action-figures rec.toys.action-figures], [news:rec.toys.misc rec.toys.misc], [news:rec.toys.cars rec.toys.cars], [news:rec.toys.lego rec.toys.lego], [news:rec.toys.vintage rec.toys.vintage], [news:rec.collecting.dolls rec.collecting.dolls], [news:rec.arts.sf.starwars.collecting rec.arts.sf.starwars.collecting], [news:alt.toys.gi-joe alt.toys.gi-joe], [news:alt.toys.transformers alt.toys.transformers], [news:alt.food.pez alt.food.pez]. |message-id=[email protected] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250819184006/https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/hbEx9ToC9vc/m/nFhAMMS04oUJ |archive-date=19 August 2025 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2026 |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]}}</ref>
 
<ref name="Rebrickable">{{cite web |url=https://rebrickable.com/help/part-numbering/ |title=Part Numbering |website=[[Rebrickable]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260209063929/https://rebrickable.com/help/part-numbering/ |archive-date=February 9, 2026 |url-status=live |access-date=February 9, 2026 }}</ref>
 
<ref name="set review history">{{cite web |url=http://alumni.cse.ucsc.edu/~dulcaoin/reviews/history.html |title=History of rec.toys.lego LEGO Set Review Form |first=Joshua |last=Delahunty |website=rec.toys.lego LEGO Set Review Archive |date=28 August 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19981203061818/http://alumni.cse.ucsc.edu/%7Edulcaoin/reviews/history.html |archive-date=3 December 1998}}</ref>
}}
}}


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<ref name="alt.toys.lego Koblas RFD">{{cite newsgroup |url=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.lego/c/jr-vq7TSta8/m/ihgEiC4GMpUJ |title=RFD: rec.toys.lego and rec.toys.misc |first=David |last=Koblas |date=14 October 1993 |newsgroup=alt.toys.lego | [email protected] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427092225/https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.lego/c/jr-vq7TSta8/m/ihgEiC4GMpUJ |archive-date=27 April 2024 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2026 |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]}}</ref>
<ref name="alt.toys.lego Koblas RFD">{{cite newsgroup |url=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.lego/c/jr-vq7TSta8/m/ihgEiC4GMpUJ |title=RFD: rec.toys.lego and rec.toys.misc |first=David |last=Koblas |date=14 October 1993 |newsgroup=alt.toys.lego | [email protected] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427092225/https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.lego/c/jr-vq7TSta8/m/ihgEiC4GMpUJ |archive-date=27 April 2024 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2026 |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]}}</ref>
<ref name="alt.toys.lego Koblas RTLvATL">{{cite newsgroup |title=Re: rec.toys.lego vs alt.toy.lego Question |first=David |last=Koblas |date=December 1994 |newsgroup=alt.toys.lego |[email protected] |quote=1 year and 11 months ago I created alt.toys.lego, since I didn't think that rec.toys.lego would pass a vote without some {{sic|precidence...}} 11 months ago, I caused the creation of rec.toys.lego and rec.toys.misc based on the success of alt.toys.lego. |url=https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/d41xLJ0jteY/m/j1Nx_Wqn7xUJ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110101153/https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/d41xLJ0jteY/m/j1Nx_Wqn7xUJ |archive-date=10 November 2024 |url-status=live |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]] and Tom Pfeifer in rec.toys.lego}}</ref>


<ref name="alt.toys.lego LaLiberte">{{cite newsgroup |url=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.lego/c/r3QlephBq0k/m/gkN7Tr6Q6HoJ |title=Lego strategy game |newsgroup=alt.toys.lego |date=18 February 1993 |first=Daniel |last=LaLiberte |archive-date=23 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423104402/https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.lego/c/r3QlephBq0k/m/gkN7Tr6Q6HoJ |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2026 |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]}}</ref>
<ref name="alt.toys.lego LaLiberte">{{cite newsgroup |url=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.lego/c/r3QlephBq0k/m/gkN7Tr6Q6HoJ |title=Lego strategy game |newsgroup=alt.toys.lego |date=18 February 1993 |first=Daniel |last=LaLiberte |archive-date=23 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423104402/https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.lego/c/r3QlephBq0k/m/gkN7Tr6Q6HoJ |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2026 |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]}}</ref>
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<ref name="rec.toys.lego Crites castle">{{cite newsgroup |url=https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/zQUiyZs8onY/m/nB6vn0_GamsJ |title=Jeff's Castle LEGO Listing |first=Jeffrey T. |last=Crites |date=8 August 1994 |newsgroup=rec.toys.lego |[email protected] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260208103856/https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/zQUiyZs8onY/m/nB6vn0_GamsJ |archive-date=8 February 2026 |url-status=live |access-date=8 February 2026 |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]}}</ref>
<ref name="rec.toys.lego Crites castle">{{cite newsgroup |url=https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/zQUiyZs8onY/m/nB6vn0_GamsJ |title=Jeff's Castle LEGO Listing |first=Jeffrey T. |last=Crites |date=8 August 1994 |newsgroup=rec.toys.lego |[email protected] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260208103856/https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/zQUiyZs8onY/m/nB6vn0_GamsJ |archive-date=8 February 2026 |url-status=live |access-date=8 February 2026 |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]}}</ref>
<ref name="rec.toys.lego Crites maniacs">{{cite newsgroup |url=https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/uPNqfoHw_gw/m/daMLW9oJGqwJ |title='LEGO maniacs on Internet' - LEGO REVIEW |first=Jeffrey T. |last=Crites |date=26 May 1995 |newsgroup=rec.toys.lego |[email protected] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260213230848/https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/uPNqfoHw_gw/m/daMLW9oJGqwJ |archive-date=13 February 2026 |url-status=live |access-date=13 February 2026 |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]}}</ref>


<ref name="rec.toys.lego FAQ 1994-01-11">{{cite newsgroup |url=https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/sIKvFzRKiz8/m/6FEfB-3QP-EJ |title=LEGO frequently asked questions |first=Tom |last=Pfeifer |date=12 December 1994 |newsgroup=rec.toys.lego | [email protected] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110104728/https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/sIKvFzRKiz8/m/6FEfB-3QP-EJ |archive-date=10 November 2024 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2026 |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]}}</ref>
<ref name="rec.toys.lego FAQ 1994-01-11">{{cite newsgroup |url=https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/sIKvFzRKiz8/m/6FEfB-3QP-EJ |title=LEGO frequently asked questions |first=Tom |last=Pfeifer |date=12 December 1994 |newsgroup=rec.toys.lego | [email protected] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110104728/https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/sIKvFzRKiz8/m/6FEfB-3QP-EJ |archive-date=10 November 2024 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2026 |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]}}</ref>
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<ref name="rec.toys.lego FAQ 2000-06-19">{{cite newsgroup |url=https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/qAmesvev5Bk/m/ILIxrxXG7HsJ |title=LEGO frequently asked questions (FAQ) |first=Tom |last=Pfeifer |date=19 June 2000 |newsgroup=rec.toys.lego |[email protected] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250815162918/https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/qAmesvev5Bk/m/ILIxrxXG7HsJ |archive-date=15 August 2025 |url-status=live |access-date=15 August 2025 |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]}}</ref>
<ref name="rec.toys.lego FAQ 2000-06-19">{{cite newsgroup |url=https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/qAmesvev5Bk/m/ILIxrxXG7HsJ |title=LEGO frequently asked questions (FAQ) |first=Tom |last=Pfeifer |date=19 June 2000 |newsgroup=rec.toys.lego |[email protected] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250815162918/https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/qAmesvev5Bk/m/ILIxrxXG7HsJ |archive-date=15 August 2025 |url-status=live |access-date=15 August 2025 |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]}}</ref>


<ref name="rec.toys.lego ATL question">{{cite newsgroup |url=https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/d41xLJ0jteY/m/j1Nx_Wqn7xUJ |title=Re: rec.toys.lego vs alt.toy.lego Question |first=Tom |last=Pfeifer |date=12 December 1994 |newsgroup=rec.toys.lego | message-id=1994Dec12.141951.3009@fokus.gmd.de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110101153/https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/d41xLJ0jteY/m/j1Nx_Wqn7xUJ |archive-date=10 November 2024 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2026 |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]}}
<ref name="rec.toys.lego Jessen maniacs">{{cite newsgroup |url=https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/uPNqfoHw_gw/m/daMLW9oJGqwJ |title=Re: LEGO maniacs on internet |first=Peter |last=Jessen |date=2 June 1995 |newsgroup=rec.toys.lego |message-id=754294783.76999514@online.pol.dk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260214032257/https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/uPNqfoHw_gw/m/daMLW9oJGqwJ |archive-date=14 February 2026 |url-status=live |access-date=13 February 2026 |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]}}</ref>
* Quoting post by {{cite newsgroup |title=Re: rec.toys.lego vs alt.toy.lego Question |author=David Koblas |date=December 1994 |newsgroup=alt.toys.lego |message-id=koblasD0Er6I.A44@netcom.com |quote=1 year and 11 months ago I created alt.toys.lego, since I didn't think that rec.toys.lego would pass a vote without some {{sic|precidence...}} 11 months ago, I caused the creation of rec.toys.lego and rec.toys.misc based on the success of alt.toys.lego.}}</ref>
 
<ref name="rec.toys.lego Lehman McD">{{cite newsgroup |url=https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/sA-YBCovtus/m/cKg2UpnBFlUJ |first=Todd |last=Lehman |title=AUCTION − McDonald's 'Lego Motion' sets |date=5 February 1994 |newsgroup=rec.toys.lego |message-id=CKs14p.B47@news.cis.umn.edu |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260211091806/https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/sA-YBCovtus/m/cKg2UpnBFlUJ |archive-date=11 February 2026 |url-status=live |access-date=11 February 2026 |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]}}</ref>
 
<ref name="rec.toys.lego Pfeifer ATL">{{cite newsgroup |url=https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/d41xLJ0jteY/m/j1Nx_Wqn7xUJ |title=Re: rec.toys.lego vs alt.toy.lego Question |first=Tom |last=Pfeifer |date=12 December 1994 |newsgroup=rec.toys.lego | [email protected] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110101153/https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego/c/d41xLJ0jteY/m/j1Nx_Wqn7xUJ |archive-date=10 November 2024 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2026 |via=[[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]}}</ref>
}}
}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
* [https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego rec.toys.lego archive] on [[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]
* [https://groups.google.com/g/rec.toys.lego rec.toys.lego archive] on [[Wikipedia:Google Groups|Google Groups]]
* [http://alumni.cse.ucsc.edu/~dulcaoin/reviews/index.html rec.toys.lego LEGO Set Review Archive] by Joshua Delahunty
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250814191733/http://alumni.cse.ucsc.edu/~dulcaoin/reviews/index.html |title=rec.toys.lego LEGO Set Review Archive |date=14 August 2025}}
* [https://ringtailraider.neocities.org/lego/rtl-FAQ Archive of LEGO FAQ posts]
* ''Transformers'' Wiki's article on [https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Alt.toys.transformers alt.toys.transformers], for a similar toy-related newsgroup
* ''Transformers'' Wiki's article on [https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Alt.toys.transformers alt.toys.transformers], for a similar toy-related newsgroup


[[Category:Internet properties established in 1994]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 1994]]
[[Category:Online LEGO communities]]
[[Category:Online LEGO communities]]

Latest revision as of 13:31, 14 February 2026

rec.toys.lego
A rec.toys.lego message from September 1994 viewed in a newsreader for Windows 3.1
Formerlyalt.toys.lego
Type of site
Usenet newsgroup
Successor(s)LUGNET
Created byDavid Koblas
URLrec.toys.lego
Launched
  • January 1993; 33 years ago (1993-01) (ATL)
  • 10 January 1994; 32 years ago (1994-01-10) (RTL)

rec.toys.lego (often referred to as "RTL"[1] or "r.t.l") is a Usenet newsgroup dedicated to the discussion of LEGO products and LEGO-compatible toys.[2] It was one of the earliest online LEGO fan communities, starting in early 1993 as alt.toys.lego ("ATL"[3] or "a.t.l") before moving to the rec.* hierarchy one year later. The newsgroup led to the creation of many other online communities, most notably LUGNET, and additionally played a role in the LEGO Group's decision to create LEGO.com.

History

Creation

The alt.toys.lego newsgroup was created by David Koblas in January 1993.[U 1][4][a] It was the first of a number of toy-related newsgroups in the alt.* hierarchy;[6] others created later in 1993 included alt.toys.hi-tech in May and alt.toys.transformers in September.[U 8][U 9] Although alt.toys.lego developed an active community soon after its creation, its growth was limited by the alt.* hierarchy not being well-propagated; many dial-up Internet service providers did not offer it to subscribers, while the "Big 7" hierarchies[b] were more mainstream.[6][4][7]: 156  In September 1993, the community began discussing the creation of a more widely-propagated LEGO newsgroup under the rec.* (recreation) hierarchy.[U 10][U 11][c]

On 14 October 1993, Koblas drafted a proposal for the creation of rec.toys.lego and rec.toys.misc, both of which would be unmoderated[d] and under a new rec.toys.* hierarchy.[6][U 6] Koblas had originally wanted to create alt.toys.lego in the rec.* hierarchy, but did not believe it would pass a vote for creation at the time.[U 1][e] The name rec.toys.construction was alternatively suggested as a more inclusive name that would allow for discussion of other construction toys; Koblas rejected this idea, as his original intention was to increase the LEGO newsgroup's readership by moving it out of the alt.* hierarchy, and he felt that the alternate name would not appeal to LEGO enthusiasts enough to draw them away from the alt.toys.lego newsgroup.[6][U 15] Voting for the two new groups began on 30 November and ended on 21 December.[U 16][9] The results were announced on 3 January 1994: 243 users voted, and both newsgroups passed the voting (219 "yes" against 20 "no" for rec.toys.lego, and 211 "yes" against 18 "no" for rec.toys.misc).[6] The new rec.toys.lego newsgroup was created on 10 January 1994 under the following charter:[9]

To provide a forum for the discussion of all things and experiences relating to the Lego(tm), Duplo(tm) and compatible construction toys. Including interesting models that one has built, experiences one has had using legos, or questions about how to build particular components.

rec.toys.lego seen in a list of rec.* newsgroups, c. 1994

As it was proposed alongside rec.toys.lego, the rec.toys.misc newsgroup was originally described as covering "non-Lego toys topics, from Barbi [sic] Dolls to My Little Pony gift sets." Its charter's wording was soon altered so that it would cover all toys that did not have their own newsgroup within the rec.toys.* hierarchy, without any reference to LEGO. Within a few months, activity in rec.toys.misc had surpassed rec.toys.lego, eventually leading to other groups like rec.toys.cars and rec.toys.action-figures splitting off from it. Over the following years a number of toy-related newsgroups were created in rec.*, including ones outside of rec.toys.*, although some groups like alt.toys.transformers remained active in alt.*.[6] After rec.toys.lego was created, alt.toys.lego was largely abandoned;[10] despite users sending control messages to have the newsgroup removed, however, it remained available in some news servers and continued to receive occasional messages.[4][U 17]

Discussions

Some of the regular discussions on the newsgroup included new and upcoming LEGO themes, information about older LEGO products, where to find the best prices for expensive LEGO sets, and news about the company.[11][12][13][3] Discussions also covered more specific topics, such as speculating how LEGO products were developed,[3] how to inventory sets and what counts as a separate LEGO piece,[14] or the lack of female minifigures in many LEGO themes.[12] Users on the newsgroup often shared their opinions and criticisms about LEGO products, with some writing detailed reviews on individual sets.[15][16] Besides official sets, users also discussed building ideas and shared images their own LEGO creations.[13][f]

The newsgroup also featured some of the earliest public attempts at documenting the history of LEGO product. One of the first online lists of both then-current and discontinued LEGO sets was created by Mathew Clayson and uploaded to the LEGO newsgroup's FTP archive in April 1993.[U 18][U 19] On 5 May 1993, Dik T. Winter posted a more comprehensive list of over 1,200 products, which included what years they were commercially available. Winter's list was largely sourced from Dutch LEGO catalogues dating back to 1984, as well as miscellaneous other international catalogues and Clayson's list.[U 20][9][18] That same day, Brian Zill posted a list of over 300 products that included their piece counts and retail prices in US dollars, originally created to compare the price per piece of each set.[U 21] Jeffrey T. Crites posted a list focusing on LEGO Castle sets on 8 August 1994, and included estimates of the then-current values of some sets based on prices observed at auctions and garage sales.[U 22] The first compiled list of Design IDs for LEGO elements (referred to at the time as "brick codes") was posted by Peter Miller on 11 November 1993.[9][U 23][19]

Like many other newsgroups, rec.toys.lego had a frequently asked questions (FAQ) list, referred to as the LEGO FAQ, which was reposted monthly.[20][21] The FAQ was maintained by Tom Pfeifer, who compiled information from Usenet posts, emails, and catalogues. It first posted on alt.toys.lego on 7 April 1993.[9][U 24] Its final update was posted on 19 June 2000.[22][U 25] The LEGO FAQ was divided into sixteen sections, which featured topics including LEGO company addresses and phone numbers, Legoland park information, LEGO history and production, LEGO software and robotics, cleaning and storing LEGO pieces, clone brands, and links to other websites.[18][U 25]

The first auction held on rec.toys.lego was started by Todd Lehman on 5 February 1994, consisting of seven McDonald's "Lego Motion" sets.[23][U 26]

In December 1993, Koblas announced LEGO Information, Earthsea FTP, LUGNET

Recognition

[15] [24]

An article about rec.toys.lego appeared in the April 1995 issue of the employee magazine LEGO Review (having previously appeared in Klodshans), and mentioned a number of individual users from the newsgroup and some of their different accomplishments (as well as correcting some wrong information). A few newsgroup readers felt that the article had a mocking tone; Peter Jessen, the article's author, insisted that it was sincere and was meant to inform the LEGO Group about LEGO content on the Internet, having been written after someone asked if the company was aware of the community.[25][U 27][U 28]

Reception

Despite alt.toys.lego being active for just under a year before rec.toys.lego's creation, some Usenet directory books still listed it as the primary LEGO newsgroup for several years after it was replaced.[11][26][27]

Notes

  1. ↑ The exact date of its creation is unknown. The earliest alt.toys.lego post archived on Google Groups is from 18 February 1993.[U 2] A list of alt.* newsgroups from 5 February 1993 does not include alt.toys.lego;[U 3] however, an archived message in alt.fan.warlord (a newsgroup dedicated to mocking bizarre and excessive signatures)[5] quotes an alt.toys.lego message dated 5 February 1993,[U 4] and alt.toys.lego is mentioned in a news.admin.policy message from 8 February 1993.[U 5] Koblas's rec.toys.lego proposal from 14 October 1993 refers to alt.toys.lego as having been active for nine months,[U 6] and the rec.toys.lego FAQ post from 11 January 1994 claims alt.toys.lego had existed for "almost one year".[U 7]
  2. ↑ comp.*, misc.*, news.*, rec.*, sci.*, soc.*, and talk.*; later also humanities.*.
  3. ↑ A standalone rec.toys newsgroup had previously been suggested in news.groups in April 1993, though it had not been created.[U 12] The popularity of alt.toys.lego had been pointed out in response, and rec.toys.construction, rec.toys.system, and rec.toys.lego were all suggested as possible subgroups for replacing it.[U 13][U 14]
  4. ↑ Moderated newsgroups require all messages to be approved by a moderator before being published, while in an unmoderated newsgroup messages are published instantly.[7]: 152–153 
  5. ↑ Newsgroups in the alt.* hierarchy can be created by anyone without approval,[8][7]: 156  while those in the Big 8 (originally the Big 7) require discussion and voting to be created. The Usenet acceptance criteria requires at least two-thirds of the votes to be for "yes", and for there to be at least 100 more votes for "yes" than for "no".[7]: 158–160 
  6. ↑ Photographs had to be shared either through an FTP server or on external websites, as files could only be directly shared in binary newsgroups.[17]

References

  1. ↑ Seybold, Patricia B. (2006). Outside Innovation: How Your Customers Will Co-Design Your Company's Future. New York: HarperCollins. p. 392. ISBN 0-06-113590-9.
  2. ↑ Engst, Adam C. (1994). Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh (2nd ed.). Indianapolis: Hayden Books. p. 850. ISBN 1-56830-111-1.
  3. ↑ a b c Bender, Jonathan (2010). LEGO: A Love Story. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 24–25. ISBN 978-0-470-40702-8.
  4. ↑ a b c Eaton, David (July 25, 2013). "20th Anniversary of the Online LEGO Community!". Brickset Forum. Archived from the original on June 25, 2015.
  5. ↑ Kehoe, Brendan P. (1994). Zen and the Art of the Internet (3rd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: PTR Prentice Hall. p. 47. ISBN 0-13-121492-6. The newsgroup alt.fan.warlord is a dumping ground for the most heinous of signature violations. In the course of reading news, people occasionally do follow-ups into alt.fan.warlord to show off their latest discoveries — talking whales, ten-line-high cacti, and a variety of other ASCII miracles.
  6. ↑ a b c d e f Myers, Eric G. (September 17, 1996). "A Brief History of Toy-Related Usenet Newsgroups". Raving Toy Maniac. Archived from the original on 25 April 2024.
  7. ↑ a b c d Carroll, Jim; Broadhead, Rick; Cassel, Don (1997). "Usenet". 1997 Internet Handbook (Educational ed.). Scarborough, Ontario: Prentice-Hall Canada, Inc. pp. 150–161. ISBN 0-13-851487-9.
  8. ↑ Barr, David (1995). "So You Want to Create an Alt Newsgroup". Pennsylvania State University. Archived from the original on 24 January 1997.
  9. ↑ a b c d e Eaton, David (10 September 2013). "The AFOL History Project". Archived from the original on September 19, 2021. Text is CC BY-SA 3.0.
  10. ↑ Lehman, Todd; Eaton, Suzanne (January 2016). "Pillars of the community: LUGNET" (PDF). HispaBrick Magazine. No. 24 (English ed.). Madrid. pp. 34–36. ISSN 1989-0982. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  11. ↑ a b Gagnon, Eric (1994). What's on the Web (Winter 1994/95 ed.). Berkeley, California: Peachpit Press. p. 89. ISBN 1-56609-162-4.
  12. ↑ a b Randall, Neil; Latulipe, Celine (1995). Plug-n-Play Internet. Indianapolis: Sams Publishing. p. 150. ISBN 0-672-30669-7.
  13. ↑ a b Parker, Clive (April 1995). Longhurst, Richard (ed.). "Newsgroups". The .net Directory. United Kingdom: Future Publishing. p. 14.
  14. ↑ Hahn, Harley (2000). "Collecting". Harley Hahn's Internet & Web Yellow Pages (Millennium ed.). Berkeley, California: Osborne/McGraw Hill. pp. 115–116. ISBN 0-07-212170-X.
  15. ↑ a b Carroll, Jim; Broadhead, Rick (1995). The Canadian Internet Advantage: Opportunities for Business and Other Organizations. Scarborough, Ontario: Prentice-Hall Canada, Inc. pp. 94–97. ISBN 0-13-226598-2.
  16. ↑ Delahunty, Joshua (28 August 1996). "History of rec.toys.lego LEGO Set Review Form". rec.toys.lego LEGO Set Review Archive. Archived from the original on 3 December 1998.
  17. ↑ Wentk, Richard (September 1997). The Which? Guide to the Internet (First ed.). London: Penguin Books Ltd. pp. 93–95. ISBN 0 85202 683 8.
  18. ↑ a b de Ruijter, Michiel (5 November 2021). "Geschiedenis en toekomst van de AFOL" [History and future of the AFOL]. Bouwsteentjes (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 8 February 2026. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  19. ↑ "Part Numbering". Rebrickable. Archived from the original on February 9, 2026. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  20. ↑ Estabrook, Noel; Gregory, Kate; et al. (1995). "Frequently Asked Questions". Using UseNet Newsgroups: The User-Friendly Reference. Indianapolis: Que Corporation. pp. 59–65. ISBN 0-7897-0134-0.
  21. ↑ Atkinson, Kevin (17 August 1995). "rec.toys.lego". Newsgroups Info Center. Archived from the original on 7 October 1999. Retrieved 9 February 2026 – via MetaLab.unc.edu.
  22. ↑ Pfeifer, Tom (19 June 2000). "LEGO frequently asked questions (FAQ)". Multicon. Archived from the original on 26 May 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  23. ↑ Crites, Jeffrey T. (October 1995). "Jeff's rec.toys.lego History". Jeff's Old LEGO Homepage. Archived from the original on 2 February 1999.
  24. ↑ "Press Info: http://www.LEGO.com". LEGO World Wide Web Site. March 29, 1996. Archived from the original on 10 January 1997.
  25. ↑ Jessen, Peter (April 1995). "LEGO Maniacs on the Internet". LEGO Review. Wrexham, Clwyd: LEGO UK Ltd. p. 26.
  26. ↑ Maloni, Kelly; Greenman, Ben; Miller, Kristin; et al. (1995). Net Guide: Your Complete Guide to the Internet and Online Services (Second ed.). New York: Random House Electronic Publishing. pp. 131–132. ISBN 0-679-76456-9.
  27. ↑ Bohannon, Ric (1996). "Hobbies, Travel & Tourism". In Gagnon, Eric (ed.). What's on the Web (Spring/Summer 1996 ed.). Fairfax, Virginia: Internet Media Corp. p. 179. ISBN 1-884640-19-2. Key newsgroup: alt.toys.lego

Usenet messages

  1. ↑ a b Koblas, David (December 1994). "Re: rec.toys.lego vs alt.toy.lego Question". Newsgroup: alt.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024 – via Google Groups and Tom Pfeifer in rec.toys.lego. 1 year and 11 months ago I created alt.toys.lego, since I didn't think that rec.toys.lego would pass a vote without some precidence... [sic] 11 months ago, I caused the creation of rec.toys.lego and rec.toys.misc based on the success of alt.toys.lego.
  2. ↑ LaLiberte, Daniel (18 February 1993). "Lego strategy game". Newsgroup: alt.toys.lego. Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  3. ↑ The Society for Reviling ATnT (February 5, 1993). "Another listing of newsgroups in the "alt" Usenet hierarchy". Newsgroup: alt.newgroup. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  4. ↑ Leverton, Nick (11 February 1993). "Re: LegoLand in England??". Newsgroup: alt.fan.warlord. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups. In alt.toys.lego, article <[email protected]> [email protected] (Nick Pettefar) writes...
  5. ↑ Olivers, Erik (8 February 1993). "Re: Anonymous postings to non-personals newsgroups". Newsgroup: news.admin.policy. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  6. ↑ a b Koblas, David (14 October 1993). "RFD: rec.toys.lego and rec.toys.misc". Newsgroup: alt.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 27 April 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  7. ↑ Pfeifer, Tom (12 December 1994). "LEGO frequently asked questions". Newsgroup: rec.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  8. ↑ USENET news (20 May 1993). "Create newsgroup alt.toys.hi-tech". Newsgroup: alt.toys.hi-tech. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 25 April 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  9. ↑ Mar, Steven (12 September 1993). "Transformers E-Mailing List". Newsgroup: alt.toys.transformers. Archived from the original on 25 April 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  10. ↑ Carter, Ron (16 September 1993). "A thought for discussion..." Newsgroup: alt.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 27 April 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  11. ↑ Carter, Ron (18 September 1993). "OK, how about a modified suggestion (trying to please all :-)". Newsgroup: alt.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 27 April 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  12. ↑ Conty, Enrique "E. Kontei" (23 April 1993). "Test Baloon: rec.toys". Newsgroup: news.groups. Archived from the original on 27 April 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  13. ↑ Smith, Lawrence C. (29 April 1993). "Re: Test Baloon: rec.toys". Newsgroup: news.groups. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 14 August 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025 – via Google Groups.
  14. ↑ Smith, Lawrence C. (29 April 1993). "Re: Test Balloon: rec.toys". Newsgroup: news.groups. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 14 August 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025 – via Google Groups.
  15. ↑ Koblas, David (16 November 1993). "2nd RFD: rec.toys.lego vs rec.toys.construction (straw poll vote)". Newsgroup: news.groups. Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  16. ↑ Bailey, Ed (30 November 1993). "CFV: rec.toys.lego and rec.toys.misc". Newsgroup: alt.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 27 April 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  17. ↑ Pfeifer, Tom (12 December 1994). "Re: rec.toys.lego vs alt.toy.lego Question". Newsgroup: rec.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  18. ↑ Putz, Steve (16 April 1993). "Plan for adding a motor and steering to Sky Ranger (set 8836)". Newsgroup: alt.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 7 February 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups. P.S. Did I announce the Legoland kit list (from Mathew Clayson) I uploaded to earthsea /pub/lego/sets/ a while ago?
  19. ↑ Clayson, Matthew; Bennett, Edward C. (3 May 1993). "Current Product List". Newsgroup: alt.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 8 February 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  20. ↑ Winter, Dik T. (5 May 1993). "List of LEGO sets". Newsgroup: alt.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 7 February 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  21. ↑ Zill, Brian (5 May 1993). "Re: Current Product List". Newsgroup: alt.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 8 February 2026. Retrieved 8 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  22. ↑ Crites, Jeffrey T. (8 August 1994). "Jeff's Castle LEGO Listing". Newsgroup: rec.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 8 February 2026. Retrieved 8 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  23. ↑ Miller, Peter (11 November 1993). "list of brick codes (NOT set numbers)". Newsgroup: alt.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 8 February 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  24. ↑ Pfeifer, Tom (7 April 1993). "Frequently Asked Questions of a.t.l". Newsgroup: alt.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 15 August 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025 – via Google Groups.
  25. ↑ a b Pfeifer, Tom (19 June 2000). "LEGO frequently asked questions (FAQ)". Newsgroup: rec.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 15 August 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025 – via Google Groups.
  26. ↑ Lehman, Todd (5 February 1994). "AUCTION − McDonald's 'Lego Motion' sets". Newsgroup: rec.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 11 February 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  27. ↑ Crites, Jeffrey T. (26 May 1995). "'LEGO maniacs on Internet' - LEGO REVIEW". Newsgroup: rec.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 13 February 2026. Retrieved 13 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
  28. ↑ Jessen, Peter (2 June 1995). "Re: LEGO maniacs on internet". Newsgroup: rec.toys.lego. Usenet: [email protected]. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 13 February 2026 – via Google Groups.
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