>My recollection is somewhat different. The term "trekkie"
>was originally science-fiction con speak, and was a
>derisive term for people who attended the cons because
>they liked Star Trek, but who were otherwise not particularly
>fans of science fiction in general.
>
>When the first Star Trek con opened, someone said, "the
>trekkies have their own con now," and the media picked
>up the term and ran with it, concentrating of course on the
>fans with the rubber ears and toy props. The fans soon
>divided into two camps: those who took their fandom
>very... seriously, and were insulted by the coverage, and
>those who shrugged and said, "sure, the rubber ears are
>absurd, so what?" The first camp coined the supposedly
>more dignified "trekker" and started applying it to them-
>selves, and the second said, "ok, whatever," and used
>both terms interchangably. Things continued this way
>until Shatner's SNL "Get a Life" sketch. " Trekkers" were
>insulted by it, "trekkies" rolled in the aisles and said, "hey,
>I resemble that remark," and since then, "trekkers" think
>"trekkies" are loonies and "trekkies" think "trekkers" are
>humorless snobs who could stand to let some looniness
>into their fandom.