Aye on the WeBB

Aye on the WeBB (AOTW) was the brain-child of Seamus Hughes in August of 1998, after departing from SNN. Aye on the WeBB was SNN's first serious competition, although the word "serious" should be understood in the "existing" sense, not in the "not humorous" sense. AOTW lasted for six successful issues before dying in one of the more spectacular and embarrassing media confrontations in STF history.

Aye on the WeBB #7 was slated for publication shortly before the Christmas holidays. Rather than its usual fare, however, Editor Hughes and his writing staff (which included future President Bob Spurlin and STF luminary Nathan Miller) planned an SNN satire issue. AOTW #7 skipped the publication's usual stye for a clone of the distinctive WeBBsights format, layout, and color scheme. It also included an article by SNN's Mark Wilson, a component of the SNN Holiday Special planned for a week later, that Wilson released to AOTW prior to its planned publication in WeBBsights. Finally, it made multiple uncooth personal commentary about WeBBsights front-man Larry Garfield.

Although Hughes insisted that it was an homage and intended in good fun, Garfield did not agree. Upon reading it, he wrote and sent a letter of complaint to then-President Mike Bourdaa, demanding that Hughes remove AOTW #7 from the web and apologize or face legal action. At the recommendation of his AFComm at the time (Garfield was then FComm-4), he also posted the letter in Command. Hughes, afraid that Garfield would actually make good on his threat, resigned from STF and pulled the issue from the web site.

President Bourdaa chastized Garfield for over-reacting, as did his co-conspirator Mike Ballway, and a few days later Garfield and Hughes talked the matter over directly. Both agreed that the issue had gotten out of hand, and asked Bourdaa to ignore Hughes' resignation, which he did. Nevertheless, AOTW never published again.

Garfield and Hughes later went on to co-found SNN's short-lived Fleet Beat publication.

Unfortunately, AOTW was hosted on the Tripod free hosting service, and no issues are still available as of this writing.