This article is from the Science Fiction Fandom FAQ, by Vicki Rosenzweig vr@panix.com with numerous contributions by others.
This is one of the ways people say "Hey, that was a really great
post." The emphasis is on humor, but rassf awards are given for
excellent serious posts as well. Since nobody runs this newsgroup,
they have no official status, but people who receive them tend to
cherish them. The awarders sometimes dress them up--not just "RASSEF
Award" but "RASSEF Award with gold leaves and elephants" or some
other notional ornamentation that refers back to the post being
commended. Patrick Nielsen Hayden introduced them here (imported
from The WELL), and Jo Walton started dressing them up.
 
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