[MUD-Dev] Where are we now?

[Ola Fosheim Grøstad <olag@ifi.uio.no>]

"Koster, Raph" wrote:
>> From: Ola Fosheim Grøstad

>> Well, now that Richard (Bartle) has publicly stated (on MUD-Dev)
>> that "MUD" was originally conceived as "Multi User D" and "Dungeon"
>> was an afterthought, then maybe the somewhat common "Dimension"
>> interpretation is the one that should be encouraged... Then there
>> would be less confusion, maybe...
 
>> Of course, there are more descriptive interpretations: "Dwelling",
>> "Daydream", "Destiny", "Dating", "Daycare", "Destination",
>> "Detour", "Displacement", "Distraction", "Dilemma", "Dinosaur",
>> "Disappointment", "Delusion", "Delirium", "Downgrade", "Dump",
>> "Dustbin", "Dunghill", "Dictatorship", "Disease", "Dragnet",
>> "Drain", "Drug", "Disaster", "Deathtrap", "DYSTOPIA"... You name
>> it!
 
>> Why he had to choose "Dungeon", I don't know...
 
> He can chime in, but I think because it was intended in part as a
> multi user version of DUNGEN, which was a Zork clone available on
> the PDP machines he and Trubshaw were using.

It was only intended as a rhetoric remark ;->

Where the "D" came from is explained in the archives:

  http://www.kanga.nu/archives/MUD-Dev-L/1998Q4/msg00152.php

---- 8< ---- (slightly reformatted)

    Well the "Dungeon", of course, referred to the class of programs
which later came to be known as "adventures". However, to be honest,
the term was retro-fitted to the acronym. As far as I recall, the
decision on the name of the program went something like this.

        Me or Nigel Roberts:
                So what are you going to call it, Roy?
        Roy Trubshaw:
                MUD.
        Me:
                Why MUD? Multi-user, er..?
        Roy:
                Oh, I don't know, there aren't all that many words 
                beginning with "MU".
        Nigel:
                How about "Dungeon", after that crappy Fortran
                version of Zork that's doing the rounds?
        Roy:
                Yes, OK, that'll do. It's better than Advent...
        After 20 years, my memory is a little hazy over the exact
conversation, but that's the gist of it. I suppose I could ask Roy
and Nigel what they remember, if anyone is desperately interested.

------------

Ola.

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