Hot TV show’s fans find online outlets for their enthusiasm and creativity.

The office water cooler is bigger than you think. Just when you though t it was enough to watch your favorite television show and talk it over with your officemates and family, the web comes along to provide endless opportunities to participate in discussions and activities with other fans out on the internet.

The concept of binding influence suggests that as a society we share common experiences through viewing media. These experiences help to create our culture and provide us with group memories that encourage interaction and a feeling of closeness. Think about book clubs or the experience of going to a movie theater. We enjoy the common bond we share with other readers/viewers.

The web adds a whole level of complexity to this equation. We no longer are limited to speaking only to those people with whom we share a life or a work place. We can gather information to share with countless others, read and contribute to discussion boards, and view additional material collectively seen by thousands or millions of people.

Consider the popular television show, Lost, now beginning its second season on ABC. There are a huge numbers of dedicated fans and the first stop for those folks wishing to learn more about the show is the official Lost website from ABC. You can see a preview of the upcoming episode, buy merchandise, read bios of the actors, and most significantly perhaps, read message boards from other viewers speculating on the mysteries surrounding the show.

Currently on the program, an underground timer has been introduced that must be reset every 108 minutes to prevent a possible, unexplained disaster. (Or not—that’s one of the show’s many mysteries.) One detailed discussion revolves around whether the timer truly is reset every 108 minutes or if the timing varies since characters on the show sometimes reset the timer before the 108 minutes are completed, and why this matters. (Or does it? If you don’t watch Lost, you really, really don’t care.) You can even download a simulation of the clock from www.lost-tv.com if you want to personally experience the constant fear of having to reset the clock every 108 minutes. This kind of detailed minutia speaks to the serious dedication (or obsession) the fans feel; the web allows these viewers with highly specific interests to communicate.

Many discussion board sites exist. Newsgroups, easily accessible through Google, offer another opportunity for person-to-person communication. One newsgroup to check out is alt.tv.lost; one site is www.losttalk.net. Fans can explore elements of the Lost mythology: some sites celebrate the lore of Lost in a more fantastical fashion. www.oceanic-air.com is the site of the fictional airline whose plane crashes in the pilot episode. www.driveshaftband.com offers a fan site for Charlie’s (Dominic Monaghan) fictional alt-rock band, Drive Shaft. (And speaking about Charlie, www.behindthethrill.com/charlie/ is a site dedicated to that specific character.)

More generally, www.lost-tv.com, the official “unofficial” site for Lost, features numerous links to other sites and news items about Lost, as well as an episode guide, spoilers, pictures, and another discussion board and fan section that allows users to post speculation about the show, as well as fan art (drawings and stories) and Lost jokes. So, what does this mean? Is there anything wrong with this level of fascination and dedication to a fictional show?

Certainly—if one’s fixation leads to a media-only lifestyle—one never looks away from the screen—but that’s always been an issue. How different is the person who stares at the television for several hours every night from the web user? Actually, the web offers the chance for creative and intellectual challenges. Lost fans can analyze and discuss clues offered by the show and produce their own parallel stories and artwork. Lost and the web can serve as a springboard for social and creative endeavors.

The web also magnifies the “binding influence.” We no longer are limited to passively viewing. Each of us can analyze and synthesize ideas and produce media content. Not everyone may share a Lost passion (or a just-slightly-more-than-a-passing interest), but someone does, and that person is out on the internet. You find him or her, and you’ve got a friend; a comrade; a kindred soul. Aren’t we all looking for that?

And this leads us back to the premise that “the Medium is the Message”. Lost eventually will be replaced by the next big show; and the next big show after that. The content isn’t really important, as long as we have quality content to think about and use for our own purposes. Can this process improve? Will convergence lead to a more powerful viewing and sharing situation? Maybe? Maybe not.

Imagine the possibility of watching television on a large screen next to a message board or a chat room. There could be ongoing, online, synchronous commentary for any show. (We all become Statler and Waldorf from the Muppet Show.) But, that may fail because a chatting fan is an unengaged fan. It’s more fun to sit and just watch Lost.

Audiences first wish to be wholly engaged and then comment later. (“Don’t talk until the commercial break.”) The asynchronous newsgroup/discussion board/message board offers the best solution. We can watch, sleep on it, and talk the next morning. The water cooler as a social destination remains the same, whether the water is cold and wet or made of the always running digital current of cyberspace.

Jeremy Sarachan owns Hammersaw Media, http://www.hammersaw.com, a web design company. He also teaches in the department of Communication/Journalism at St. John Fisher College.