[MUD-Dev] META: Character of the list's membership

[J C Lawrence]

On Wed, 6 May 1998 16:30:12 -0500 (CDT) 
Cat <cat at bga.com> wrote:

> Here on the list, I see things even more narrowly focused, with
> maybe one or two types of "ideal games" that people are clustered
> around and trying to figure out how to make.  It's frustrating to me
> to see so little diversity of opinion and artistic style.

Writing as list owner:

  Its worth noting that over 80% of the current membership were
individually invited to the list by me.  While my selection criteria
varied widely, and I've actively tried to minimise this impact by
encouraging other members to find and invite potential members and by
deliberately inviting those of significantly dissenting views to mine
(many will recall the wave of RP'ers that carried Caliban, Marian, and
many others onto the list), that single statistical fact will and has
heavily coloured the list's topics and its character.  Its
unavoidable.

  Now that the list is finally publicised, and our membership is
growing rapidly, perhaps this will change, or perhaps my memetic
topic-genes in the list will prove eternally dominant.

<<There's a bloody terrifying thought>>

  As has been oft mentioned here, this list _is_ a virtual community.
Communities are built and defined by their members.

  At any rate, the gauntlet is thrown.  To affect the character or
trend of the list you have to post.  You have to incite others to
post.  You have to create, foster, and sustain threads.  Its a lot of
work.  I've been doing it.  Y'all can too.  

--
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...

--
MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future.