[MUD-Dev] NEWS: Why Virtual Worlds are Designed By Newbies -No, Really! (By R. Bartle)

[Lee Sheldon]

Ola Fosheim Gr=F8stad wrote:

>> Btw, I also totally disagree with Raph's idea that "virtual
>> world" ought to be seen as an umbrella term.

And Richard A. Bartle replied:

> How many times are people going to split the umbrella terms before
> we get one that everybody can agree on?

> This is the MUD-DEV list, because at the time it was begun MUD was
> the umbrella term. Unfortunately, some people decided that "MUD"
> meant "hacking and slaying and killing stuff", so they invented
> their own acronyms ("MU*" is still seen fairly regularly).  Also
> unfortunately, when graphical worlds came along their players
> decided that "MUD" meant "text", and "MMORPG" was more
> appropriate.  As a result, we had no umbrella term by which we
> could refer to MUDs, MMORPGs, MU*s etc. in general.

> I needed an umbrella title for my book, and used "Virtual World"
> because that was the best on offer. Now you're saying that we
> can't use "Virtual World".

> OK, so what do YOU think we should use when we want to refer to
> things like MUD1, LambdaMOO, UO, EQ, SL etc.? Or are you saying
> that there shouldn't be an umbrella term because they're so
> different that we shouldn't lump them all together?

I chose "virtual world" too in my book (with a nod to Richard) to
refer to all of these things we make and work on and play. It's
recognizable, perfectly reasonable, attractively and comfortingly
vague, and easy to say without wincing. That's what an umbrella is
meant to be. And we need umbrellas to try and keep the rain of
terminology from drowning us.

Maybe in time a better term will come along, but it only clouds the
issue if you decide to inflict your own parameters that limit the
coined phrase, then decide it therefore won't work as an
umbrella. It's like deciding "puppy dog" shouldn't refer to the
juvenile edition of man's best friend any longer because you use
puppy dog to refer to reptiles, and they have no fur. Accept the
definition of the term, or come up with another one. If it sings,
it'll be adapted.

Lee
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