In 1988 I wrote a letter to Dannii Minogue asking her what it was like being in Young Talent Time and was it true that she was dating Vinnie Del Tito? About three months later I got a photocopied letter back telling me the answers to lots of questions I hadn't asked including that her favourite song was Madonna's Where's The Party and that her dog's name was Gabby. She remained tight-lipped on Monsieur Del Tito, which was relatively easy for Minogue back then since her lips were not the size of two dachshunds.

Of course, the advent of cyberspace has changed what it is to be a fan. Whereas once fan clubs required a financial outlay to receive snail-mail newsletters, today's on-line fan sites are usually free, allowing you to e-chat with fellow fans around the world.

Brisbane law student Julie Janson is a member of lonelysatellites.com, the cyber hangout of Australian and New Zealand fans of 1980's English band Duran Duran.

"The Lonely Satellites (LS) site was created so we would all have a place to be a family, to talk Duran, to make new friends, to swap memorabilia and to generally have a great time," explains 34-year-old Janson, who says that most of the 250 LS members are in the 30-38 age bracket. "Many of us were in high school at the height of Duran's global fame in 1984. But their latest album Astronaut has all of us fired up for another round of Durania!"

The term Lonely Satellites sounds a little obscure. Janson points out that it derives from a line in the song New Moon on Monday (the typical thing a true Duranie would know). "Sometimes we do feel a little lonely Down Under. Duran are huge overseas again but in Australia people are aware they've reunited but they don't get as much commercial radio attention as the reviews say they deserve.

On the other side of the globe, Faye Booth's problem is the exact opposite. Booth, who lives in Lancashire in northern England, runs Hexebart's Well, a fansite dedicated to the novels of Australian dark fantasy author Kim Wilkins. While Wilkins enjoys immense popularity in Australia, she is still relatively unknown in the UK. Much to the frustration of Booth. "I started the site because I couldn't find any fan sites for Kim on the Web and I hoped to get in contact with other fans of hers in the UK," explains Booth, 24, who is eagerly awaiting the launch next month of Wilkins' newest novel Rosa and the Veil of Gold.

The fan site, named after a character in one of Wilkins' books, includes brief introductions to Wilkins' novels, an e-mail interview with the author, polls and quizzes. "Kim also sent me a load of essays and speeches and they have become my favourite part of the site. Not many fan sites get the direct contribution from their 'subject' that Kim has given to Hexebart's Well, and I'm incredibly grateful for her input."

So too is Lisa Manekofsky, president of The Goodies Rule OK! Fan Club (goodiesruleok.com). "We have the most contact with Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden with whom we are in e-mail contact. Bill Oddie doesn't use e-mail. But they (Garden and Brooke-Taylor) have been great about sending us news and answering questions submitted by club members."

The Goodies, a 1970's British comedy TV series, was about three blokes who were prepared to do "anything at any time". As someone who happens to own a few Goodies DVDs, I trawl through the site reminiscing about my favourite episodes.

"Currently we have volunteer staff in Australia, England and the United States and we have over 3,000 members," says thirty-something Manekofsky who acts as president from her base in the US. "The website gets an average of 17,000-20,000 visitors each month from all over the world." But Manekofsky is quick to point out that there is a downside to being Internet-based. "Given that our staff are spread across three continents it is difficult to organise events such as conventions and get-togethers. But The Goodies are very supportive of the club."