[MUD-Dev] Re: pet peeves

[diablo at best.com]

On Fri, 12 Feb 1999, Adam Wiggins wrote:

> On Fri, 12 Feb 1999 diablo at best.com wrote:
> 
> Hmmm, that's an interesting generalization.  I would consider it common
> sense to not step out in front of a moving vehicle, or to sheathe a knife
> before putting it my pocket, or to pack a jacket when visiting someplace cold.
> Do you consider these "wrong" as well?

Grin. Yes, I spoke too quickly. What I was referring to was more of a
general "down-home" wisdom, which I find ill-thought-out, and usually
wrong.

> 
> Anyhow, whatever it may reek of, I believe it remains true in this case.
> JC emphasizes it often himself: he'd like this list to be a nice balance
> between the old timers and the fresh voices.  If it's all "experts" it turns
> into an ivory tower, static and unchanging; we sit around and nod our heads
> sagely at statements like "Skill-trees are better than levels" or "Armor
> and weapons should be damaged as they are used in combat" or "Commands
> must be consisten mud-wide", and everything gets stale and boring, and list
> traffic drops off.  Of course, if it's *all* newbies, then you get the
> rec.games.mud.admin effect, which is equally undesirable.


> Wasn't Einstein himself one of those newbie with crazy ideas that rocked the
> mathematics field?  It seems that he's a perfect example of the truth of
> my statement.

No. As I pointed out in an earlier thread in this, there is a major
difference between clueless and not-an-expert. Einstein was not clueless.
He just wasn't one of the scientific establishment. I think we're talking
semantics at this point. I would point out too though, that, in any mature
field, it is almost impossible for someone without lots of experience in
the field to make an advance. Take something like particle physics. It is
inconceivable that someone clueless could make any sort of advance in it.
Muds are not as mature a field, but someone clueless presumably couldn't
even start to answer "Are skill-trees better than levels" as he or she
wouldn't know what a skill-tree is (and if you doubt me, I'd bet you that
the majority of mudders and mud admins couldn't describe what a skill tree
is and why they might think it is better than levels).

Again, there is a major difference to me between clueless and
not-an-expert. I think you are using the two interchangeable, which I
disagree with. 

--matt