[MUD-Dev2] Bad Terminology: MMO, MMORPG vs. MUD

[McDonald, Stephen]

Michael Harman sighed:
> I really wish there was a way to get back to the very simple term:
MUD.
>
> Multi User Dimension.
> 
> This explains the general concept behind the genre so much 
> better than the crappy MMO/MMORPG acronyms.

Except that MUD does not mean that for most people.  The original
meaning is usually given as Multi User Dungeon, possibly derived from
the single-player game 'dungeon' which was modeled on 'adventure', back
when dinosaurs ruled the earth and computers were huge mainframes.  Ten
or fifteen years later, dungeon became the basis for Zork.  I remember
playing dungeon on the old MULTICS computer.

I don't think "Dungeon" is a positive description of most of the on-line
games you are talking about.

					Steve McDonald
					steve.mcdonald at tufts.edu