Following are some excerpts from articles from the early days of the web which mentioned a.f.g-s, the FAQ, or my web page.
Internet World, February 1995
ALT.FOLKLORE.GHOST-STORIES
Alt.folklore,ghost-stories is a terrific group to read late at night when no one else is awake -- preferably with the window open, the curtains fluttering, and all the lights out except for a blue one overhead. Alt.folklore.ghost-stories is populated by two kinds of participant: people convinced they have ghosts in their houses (or did when they were children), and people who like to talk about ghost stories from a storytelling perspective. The former far outnumber the latter, and it will give you the serious willies to subscribe to the newsgroup and read through it from start to finish.
Alt.folklore.ghost-stories has an informal FAQ that is not posted to news.answers but may be seen in the newsgroup or obtained from its compiler, Obiwan (obiwan@netcom.com). [Note: the FAQ was official by this time; the author of the article was mistaken.]
By Joel Furr
Internet World, October 1995
GHOSTLY FARE
For this next Net treasure, you need to turn out all the lights and turn on your flashlight. Then ftp to ftp.netcom.com and go to the directory called /pub/ob/obiwan/GhostStories. Here you'll find the Net's finest collection of ghost stories ever. And just in time for Halloween! Download as many as you wish, then prepared to be spooked by ghoulish goblins from beyond the cyberworld.
One word of warning: Be sure to keep your eye on the computer monitor at all times while visiting this site because it is rumored to be haunted. For more ghostly tales, point your flashlight at the alt.folklore.ghost-stories newsgroup.
By Linda J. Engelman
Netguide, October 1996
...IT WAS A GRAVEYARD SMASH
And what's Halloween without a few ghoulish ghost stories? Relate your tales from the dark side with other posters in Usenet's alt.folklore.ghost-stories newsgroup, or query them about where to find some spooky tomes.
By Daniel Bubbeo
Netguide, October 1998
You can go to places like alt.folklore.ghost-stories to keep yourself up at night. Maybe that's a good thing.
Many horror films start as simple ghost stories. One of the Web's most horrific sites is The Cabinet of Dr. Casey, which just might inspire you to pick up a copy of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or rent Bram Stoker's Dracula. While you're at it, Horror Classics and Famous Monsters of Filmland will reintroduce you to old friends like Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff.
How do you know whether to post your own ghost tale? "If it's paranormal and scary, you're on pretty sturdy ground," the FAQ for this group says.
If the ghosts and ghouls chronicled here don't give you goose bumps, you can follow the FAQ's instructions and try to photograph them -- or sit down with a Ouija board for a nice, otherworldly chat.
This page (http://www.ghosts.org/clippings.html) last updated April 1, 2005.