Shipper Sanctum
| Website | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Shipper Sanctum |
| Owner/Maintainer: | Kendra (DanaScully), xxRatgirLxx (Donna) |
| Dates: | January 2000-last updated in 2003 |
| Type: | |
| Fandom: | The X-Files, X-Files RPF, Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny |
| URL: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Shipper Sanctum was a website for fans who wanted to see a real-life relationship between Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny, the actors who portrayed Dana Scully and Fox Mulder.
It moved from "Excite" to "Tripod" in August 2000.
Site's Purpose
From the site: "What is the purpose of Shipper Sanctum? The purpose of Sanctum, is to help unify the snoggers of the world."[1]
From the site: "To Whom It May Concern ... Shipper Sanctum is a site dedicated to the relationship between David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. No, we are not delusional ... at least not all of us are ... and no we are no psychotic stalkers hell-bent on ruining the lives of the stars we love. We are simply people who like to revel in the onscreen and offscreen chemistry that Gillian and David exude. There are many different degrees to our obsession ... some of the more die-hard snoggers believe there has been a secret romance from the very beginning, while some of the more passive snoggers just hope for something more than there appears to be. A lot of people think we are strange and off our rockers ... who knows ... maybe we are ... but we have fun. Sanctum is our home, our sanctuary (for lack of a better word) and we welcome you to it." [2]
Some Links
The site had a chat link, a link to buy X-Files official merchandise, a FAQ page, a forum, photos, photo manips, and news.
There was an interactive fiction feature (offline), and at least one fic: Fanfic Anyone?.
- Main Page (2000-2001)
- What's New (2000-2001)
- About Me, about the site's creator (2000-2001)
- The Purpose of Sanctum (2000-2001)
- Fan Art, manips (2000-2001)
- Sanctumites (2003)
How This Site Began
Once upon a time there were these two friends, Ratty and Dana. One day, they were very, very bored while they were sitting in a Sci-Fi chat room and Ratty suddenly said to Dana out of the blue, "You know, I think Gillian and David are snogging." Dana replied, "Snogging?" Ratty replied, "Yes, snogging. As in...uh...well...you know." Dana just nodded and smiled. She knew exactly what Ratty was talking about.
From that day forward the word 'snog' spread like wild fire. The rest of the people in the chat room started talking about snog and it became huge. Dana and Ratty hoarded pictures and sound files of Gillian and David that were 'snoggy.' Dana decided to form an Excite club dedicated to Gillian and David's relationship, and that's how it all began.
It sprang from a word, an idea, if you will, of two friends who were just joking around. Since then it has taken on a life of its own. It started as a joke, but once the beginnings of the website were set in motion it was no longer a joke. It was something that we thought we'd try. We never had the slightest clue that it would get as big as it has. As of today we've had 13,000 hits on the site. It is our site. All of us. It's as much every one of yours as it is ours, because without you guys and your interest, I probably wouldn't be sitting here typing this right now.
- xxRatgirLxx
The idea for a 'snoggy' site came to me in a flash. I had been working on a site called 'Shipper Sanctum' for quite some time that was solely dedicated to the Mulder/Scully dynamic. Production had stalled though after only posting a banner and a main picture. I wasn't very familiar with HTML at the time so there was really little I could do. Soon after the snog onslaught started I had an amazing idea, a brain fart of sorts if you will ... why not make a site dedicated to David and Gillian? If my memory servers correctly we were sitting in the very same Sci-Fi chat room where the phrase snog, as related to Gillian and David took shape when I told Ratty of my fiendish plan. So I moved Shipper Sanctum to the Excite forum page and changed the entire concept of it. I'm not going to lie, Sanctum was not an immediate success ... it was months before the member count rose above 4 ... but when it did Shipper Sanctum became one of the hottest snog sites around. We owe most of our inspiration to sites like DAGS, run by Kristin U., and an old site called Justification of Our Beliefs. In the few short months that Sanctum has been alive (since January of 2000) we have become a family, a mainstay in the world of snog. We are slowly and most certainly becoming a force that the X-Phile community will have to reckon with. We are headstrong and firm believers in our theories, outlooks, and dreams ... I hope that never changes. In August of 2000 we expanded our happy home. We moved into this site and brought with us the spirit and hope of the old site. Our beliefs and snoggy outlook on life hasn't changed, but the site sure has. The new sanctum is brighter, happier and more detailed, and most will agree that it is definitely more user friendly. With the move we lost a lot of interactive features but I hope we made up for it in other areas. I want to thank you all for your continuing support and encouragement. Without you, there would be no Sanctum and we wouldn't be looking forward to our one year anniversary.
- DanaScully [3]
Rumor or Truth?
How does one determine between fact, rumor, and a theory when discussing the snog? Also, how does one share information without getting any sources into trouble?
Well, something can only be fact if it has been proven undeniably ... for instance 'David and Gillian were each others dates to the Golden Globes'. That we know for a fact from not only pictures but other media resources. It is documented in many places and was not something spread because one person 'saw' or even 'thinks' they saw them together. Something can only be reported as fact if you have the material to back it up, preferably from many sources.
Rumour is easy to fairly distinguish ... if you don't have any proof ... not pictures, not an article, no 'I saw it with my own 2 eyes' ... it has to be classified as rumour or speculation. In our line of beliefs it is very hard to sell anything as fact. Pictures can lie ... and so can the media.
Theories are simple. If it's something that you have thought up in your head ... something that no one else has said ... for example 'I think David and Gillian are secretly engaged because Gillian wears a special ring' ... that is a theory. Other people don't have to agree with it, but it is something that you feel deep down in your heart that is very plausible. Not a fact perhaps or even a rumour ... just something you feel very passionately about.
As for sources ... the best way to share information and to not totally reveal your source is to simply say ... 'my source who happens to work on the show' or 'my source a close friend of David's (or Gillian's) ... or even 'my source who even happens to be a relative of Gillian...' that may sound like you are outing them ... but think about it ... lots of people work on the show, I'm sure David and Gillian have lots of friends, and as for relatives ... if they don't want to get in trouble they shouldn't be talking hehe. Seriously though, any source who feels the need to talk should know they put their job, and personal relationships with these people on the line every time they talk to you. They have to face the consequences just as we do. Documenting more about your source makes you more credible in the long run. In the past many people have been criticized because they merely say 'my source who I can't tell you anything about, says...' Just keep in mind, anyone can *make up* a source ... if you have one you need to be able to back up your stories with any facts available. Otherwise it is no more than speculation to us ... [4] (2001)
Fan Comments
One Troll
The fans at Smartania trolled the message board: IDIOTS TALK BACK: Message Board Invasions - The Snog Adventure, Part 1: Introduction by EPK (around 2004)