Frequently Asked Questions

Can you believe it? I've actually been doing this long enough now that I've accumulated a list of Frequently Asked Questions. So, if you've got a niggling question not covered on the index page or style page, take a peek and see if it's here.

To start with, here's my number one Frequently Asked Question, by far:

Q: What the heck kind of name is Jinjifore? Is that your real name?

Depends on what you mean by real. :) Jinjifore isn't the name on my driver's license (darn it!), but it is what 90% of the people on the planet call me. It's a nickname given to me by my sister many years ago, and it's just kinda stuck.

Q: Now that that's cleared up . . . How did you get started doing this? (Or, how come only the last three seasons are here?)

I first got interested in the Internet around June of 1996, just when season four was ending. I spent a few months hanging around alt.tv.highlander, making on-line buddees and so on, and it wasn't until the beginning of season five that I realized that there was A Need for detailed synopses. I started with "Till Death," since it hadn't yet been shown in the UK, and when "One Minute to Midnight" aired I started writing down summaries for Paul. Then, after a major carrier in Alberta, Canada quit showing Highlander, Mark posted to a.t.h. asking for summaries. Since I was already writing them for Paul, I thought, what the heck, what's a couple of "cc"s? At first, I only sent out e-mail versions, but then my good friend Ian offered both his knowledge of HTML and his web space to make this page. So, I only started writing them with season five, and I've always put the highest priority on getting the newest episodes done before backtracking.

Q: Okay, so why did you backtrack with season four, instead of doing the logical thing and starting with season one?

Er, um . . . Well, okay. There is a kinda logical reasoning here, but it's not straightforward. One answer is that there are over 100 episodes out there, and committing myself to the beginning was a little too much at the time. But the primary reason is that these pages are, ever and always, meant for the benefit of those folks who aren't able to see these episodes for themselves. People who live in the United States or in the UK will generally have some means of seeing the episodes eventually, but sometimes this will be much later than the original syndicated broadcasts in the States. But some people in other countries were still being shown episodes from as early as the second and third seasons, and so it made sense to try to fill in season four first, to give those folks a chance to have access to all the episodes, instead of starting with episodes that almost everyone who has any access to Highlander has probably had a chance of seeing. Now, once season four is done, I might start at the beginning, since I think seasons one through three have been shown almost all over the world, but that's way in the future . . .

Q: No kidding it's way in the future. Why is it taking so long to fill in season four?

Several reasons, most of which are included in this announcement I added to the front page on August 30, 2000:

August 30, 2000

Hello, at long last...

Yes, I'm finally updating the page, after over two years! I even have a new synopsis done, but I'm afraid that I can't promise if or when I'll be able to do more. I'm very sorry for having let these pages slide for so long, and most of all I'm sorry for not explaining myself a little sooner.

What happened? Well, a couple of things. First and foremost, I had a series of long and frustrating computer problems. I ended up getting a new hard drive, and eventually ended up getting a completely new computer. For several months, I had no reliable internet access, and dealing with the computer became so frustrating and difficult that nothing about it was fun anymore, including writing synopses. Once I got a new computer, I found that while I was having my problems, this server was having difficulties of its own, and for several more months I couldn't access the pages to change them.

As for why I haven't picked up where I left off, well, that's a little harder to explain. I love Highlander, and I still love Highlander, but once the show was over I simply found myself moving on to other things, and other fandoms. I won't say that I'll never write another synopsis, but chances are that updates to this page will be infrequent.

Now that I've finally started doing them mostly the way I want, with all the dialogue and stuff included, it takes me around 8-10 hours to complete one episode. When I first started, it took about 4 hours, and if you peek at "One Minute to Midnight," "Prophecy," or even as late as "The Messenger," you'll see why. I want to go back and revise those early efforts, and someday I will.

Q: So what's the Big Plan? Do you have a Big Plan?

I used to, but for reasons explained elsewhere I'm afraid that I've had to admit to myself that I'm probably not going to finish even my modest goals. I'm not saying that one day I won't sit down and complete the last few episodes, but I wouldn't be holding any breath out there.

Well, that's about half right. I sure as heck wouldn't be willing to do this for a show I hated. But the biggest reason is that, quite honestly, no matter how much I love the show, I love the Highlander fans more. There are other TV shows out there that I could write synopses for, that I've sat and watched just as avidly as Highlander. But I didn't start writing these for myself, I wrote them for fellow fans, and it's because I'm the world's biggest Highlander Fan fan that I keep doing them. Every week, I get nice letters telling me how much the work is appreciated, and lending me helpful information. Ya'll are really the greatest, and this is for you. :)

Q: Where do you get your scripts?

I wish I had scripts . . . The words I write down are generated by me sitting down with a pair of headphones and a pause button. I've recently gained access to the nifty closed captioning features on my tv, but I don't rely on the CC except to check my work. I write down what I hear and see, without a script or any other inside information. There are some scripts available for purchase, and you can find out more by going to the Official Highlander Site and checking out the Highlander Store.

Q: But you seem to know a lot about the show. Where do you get all these little inside tidbits that aren't from the official sites?

Mostly from obsessively reading alt.tv.highlander. There are quite a few folks over there who Know Things, and whose information I trust. I don't write it down unless I believe it to be true, but I don't have any special sources of my own.

Q: Is there anywhere I can go on the net to get some of this info?

Aside from the Rysher Site and the Official Highlander Site, there's a lot of information at the Highlander FTP site, including a wonderfully detailed (if outdated) FAQ, the HLFIC-L Fanfic archive, and an archive of posts from the HIGHLA-L mailing list. I'd also recommend the a.t.h. webpage, which has an excellent EFAQ, along with an indispensible Quick Reference Guide and links list.

Q: I think your site is way cool. Can I link to it?

Sure! I'm always glad to have assisstance in my mission to plaster the URL over the known universe. :) Just please drop me a line and let me know what you're doing. It's also okay to link to specific episodes without linking to the index page. All the important stuff is contained on each page. Just please mention where the link is going somewhere on the linking page, and I'll be happy.

Q: Linking to the whole synopsis isn't quite what I need. Can I use just part of it, like a specific scene or just the Eurominutes?

I personally don't mind folks excerpting bits and pieces of my own work, but I would ask that you stick the name and disclaimer on it somewhere. After all, I expend quite a bit of effort on these little critters, and I feel I deserve my petty fame. If you want to use the Eurominutes, then either use the e-mail links to contact the individual contributor, or if there aren't any then please contact me and I'll try to get you connected to ask permission. In general, so long as you mention where you got it and who did the work, I don't have a problem with folks merrily whacking off the bits they need. Please be aware, however, that there are several synopses that had some dialogue provided by a kind soul who insists on remaining anonymous. I've dutifully noted in the Notes when this nice person has lent a hand, so if you're contemplating whacking from those particular synopses let me know and I'll make sure it's okay.

Well, those are all the questions I can think of for now. I'll try to add more as they're asked, and hopefully this will help fill in those little gaps left on the other sections.

Jinjifore

These pages are written by Jinjifore and are translated into HTML and maintained by Ian.

Also, check out Ian's home page.

Celtic clip art courtesy of the Celtic Art Web Page.

Last Rev: CCH [ 30 Aug 00 ]