[MUD-Dev] Re: In game bulletin boards vs. Web based.

[J C Lawrence]

On Tue, 09 Jun 1998 15:53:49 -0400 
Elis Pomales<pomales at caip.rutgers.edu> wrote:

> I would like to know what your opinions are on bulletin board
> systems within Muds. My belief is that a web based bulletin board
> systems is alot easier to develop, fancier and more reliable than an
> online one. Is this true? Do you agree?

As previously commented I've never found a web based message board
that I thought usable (tho I'm willing to ber persuaded).  The word
"tortuous" comes to mind regularly and frequently.

That said I suspect the best solution is combinational:

  1) A mailing list such as this one
  2) Which is also read-able and post-able to from within the MUD.  
  3) Which has a web based archive such as this list does.
  4) Which also allows posting to the list via the web using MUD
account data for authentication.

The delightful aspect is that none of the above is very difficult,
either individually or in combination.  The MUD side can be handled
with a basic Lynx-like feature which reads the list archives and a
function to post messages to the list, and the web posting could use
simple password protected pages or hidden fields on a form.

> In that vain should help be web based? With minimal help in-game? Or
> do you think that help is so critical that it should be on the mud?

Both, but then I'm looking at very tight integration between the web
browser and the MUD client anyway.

--
J C Lawrence                               Internet: claw at null.net
(Contractor)                               Internet: coder at ibm.net
---------(*)                     Internet: claw at under.engr.sgi.com
...Honourary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...