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We had feared most TV fans would shout, "Get back to work, hacks!" in response to the Writers' Guild of America strike. Yet members of Fans4writers.com—whose motto is "Don't write until it's right"—are proud of their support for the TV, film, and animation writers' work stoppage. They believe in the core issues of the strike and are seeking creative opportunities to act on behalf of Hollywood's scribes.

If you're not sure where you stand, the site helps break down the the reasons for the strike in easily understandable terms. If you come to the conclusion that you want writers to get paid for their work regardless of whether it's on the boob tube or YouTube, participating doesn't mean you have to hike in the picket line; how about sending a box of #2 pencils to Sumner Redstone and Rupert Murdoch? And if you hop on the writers' bandwagon, find out how to spread the word. When the sun sets on this scene, it may be the fans (i.e., the consumers) who help put the WGA and the studios back at the negotation table. Then we can all get back to watching "Heroes."

For hardcore TV watchers, the Internet is essential. Channel surfers flock to discussion groups, trade spoilers, and recap to their hearts content. It's hard to remember when the Web wasn't around to trade theories on character motiviation, plot twists, or shocking cliffhangers.

However, there are a few folks who saw the communal nature of the web and how it intertwined with the tube long ago. Aaron Barnhart is one of those pioneers. He started up the Late Show News as a simple text e-mail newsletter back in 1994 and covered late night talk shows with aplomb and wit. He parlayed his hard work into a TV critic gig at the Kansas City Star and his essential TV Barn blog.

The engaging Mr. Barnhart was kind enough to take the time to answer a few of our questions. Here are his thoughts on the Web, blogging, and, most importantly, television...

Hey Aaron, when did you first get on the Internet?

I had an unused Internet account from my graduate student days. Somebody told me you could read discussion groups and send email... to other people with email, which in 1990 wasn't many people I knew. But the Usenet groups were exciting and Usenet was the first place where I published my journalism.

What was the Internet like back in the days when Usenet dominated?

The makeup was a lot more scientific and college students, because they were the ones with Internet access. That said, things were as boisterous and chaotic as they are now—just nerdier. I remember what a big deal it was, for instance, when they split the Star Trek discussion groups up into a bunch of subgroups; oh man was there hell to pay.

When did you first hook up with other Letterman fans? When did you publish your first Late Show News?

The alt.fan.letterman newsgroup took off in the fall of 1993, when Dave's show on CBS launched and zoomed into first place in late night. Read the full profile...

If sports fans don't have something to grouse about, they're not happy. When it comes to the NFL, fans find plenty to complain about. Lawbreaking players, egotistical coaches, and phantom penalties are just a few of the topics ripe for ripping. But one mundane matter sacks the rest when it comes to seething anger. Namely, the capricious choices of the networks as to which game(s) you'll be watching in your local market.

Local network affiliates have bewildered fans for years with their game selections. One man is using the power of the Web to shine a light on their practices. J.P. Kirby is an enterprising engineering student at the University of New Brunswick, and he's been putting together NFL TV Distribution Maps on the Internet since 2005. His maps have attracted a following among pigskin devotees and are a must-check for football fiends each and every week during the season.

We chatted with Mr. Kirby via email and picked his brain about TV, football, and his favorite announcers...

Hey J.P., how did you come up with the concept for the NFL distribution maps?

I've been lurking around various football message boards for quite a few years now and I often saw people whining about how they showed Game X in their hometown over Game Y. I wondered if there was an easy way to find out where each game was going—there wasn't. Curious, about midway through the 2002 season I went to one of those TV listings sites and looked up each station and filled in a crude map. I did that a few more times in 2003, for most of the season in 2004, and turned it into a full website in 2005. Read the full profile...