MUD, MUCK, and IRC
Interacting in Real Time
Internet Relay Chats and Multi-User Domains enable you to directly interact
with other Internet users in real time, thus linking you to the human being
on the other side of the wire.
It's been a long, busy day on the Internet. You've researched how the Clipper
Chip might affect your software business, downloaded an e-text for your
daughter's school paper, and found a home remedy for Fluffy's flea problem.
Time to kick back and slay a few dragons. Then again, perhaps tonight you'll
boldly go where no one has gone before. Or, maybe you'll just settle back
with a beer and chat about the good old times with a friend halfway around
the world. All of these social activities are possible via two of the Internet's
most popular resources: Internet Relay Chat and Multi-User Domains. The
first is better known as IRC, while the second goes by the name MUDs. Close
relatives of MUDs are MOOs, MUCKs, MUSHs, and MUSEs.
The Internet's CB Radio
In IRC, users fire up the necessary software, join a "channel,"and participate in one or more of the potentially many threads of discussion.
Unlike Usenet newsgroup dialogue, IRC happens in real time: What you type
appears instantly (allowing for Internet lag, of course) to the other folks
on the same channel. Most channels have a specific topic of discussion --
anything from Disney favorites to what it's like to live in Houston. If
there isn't a channel that strikes your fancy, it's easy to create one and
invite others to join you.
New users may find themselves overwhelmed by the yammerings of several conversants
scrolling by on the screen. IRC takes some getting used to -- it's an acquired
skill, much like carrying on a conversation at a crowded cocktail party.
Most newcomers find it useful to lurk for a
while until the conventions of purely textual communication become clear.
IRC also supports online help, usually accessed by typing [/help] at the
IRC prompt. (The [/] indicates that what follows is a command rather than
part of the conversation to be broadcast.)
Make-Believe Worlds
The other Internet resource allowing real-time participation is the MUD.
In contrast to the channel-based nature of IRC, MUDs are location based
(a specific computer houses the MUD). Using Telnet (or MUD client software)
and a host name (for example, Telnet lambda.parc.xerox.com
8888), a user logs into the MUD, chooses a nickname/ identity and is launched
into a text-based virtual world.
MUDs are built around an endless variety of themes. Some are based on characters
and settings in a specific novel or movie, while others center on a particular
language and culture. A few MUDs are simply comfortable virtual spaces in
which you can interact. Additionally, some MUDs and MOOs (MUDs, Object-Oriented)
function as professional communities, where scholars in a particular field
can log on to collaborate with colleagues.
Like old-time, text-based computer games, MUDs rely on users imagining themselves
into a completely make-believe environment. Vivid descriptions of the areas,
objects, and individuals that users encounter enhance the players' imaginations.
Several commands provide access to a wide variety of actions, emotions,
and speech techniques. Depending upon the theme of a MUD, a player might
fight a battle in medieval Europe, have a drink in an intergalactic bar,
or debate research results with a fellow astronomer.
Technically Speaking
IRC and MUDs are both client/server resources, meaning that you and the
host computer must run a particular type of software. The server software
keeps the game running. It monitors players' progress and gives the appropriate
responses to players' actions. The client software that you run on your
Internet account connects you to the server. There are some advanced clients
that not only allow connection, but also have some extra features, such
as word wrapping for long strings of text.
If you are directly connected to the Internet, your site may already be
running a client program. (To find out, type IRC at your system prompt and
see what happens.) If you access the Internet via modem and a dial-up service,
your service might have some client programs to choose from. Otherwise,
you'll need to install one. There are several very good FAQ (Frequently
Asked Questions) documents on the Internet that cover this and other aspects
of MUDding and IRC. The IRC FAQ, written by Helen Trillian Rose, is posted
regularly to the Usenet hierarchy alt.irc. It
can also be retrieved via anonymous FTP from ftp.kei.com
as /pub/irc/alt-irc-faq. This FAQ covers basic IRC operations, offers a
list of servers, and tells you where to go for more information.
Jennifer "Moira" Smith has created a very helpful three-part FAQ
on several aspects of MUDding. It details MUD history and terminology, evaluates
client software, and even describes how to start your own MUD. It is posted
regularly to the rec.games.mud Usenet hierarchy, and is also available via
anonymous FTP from ftp.math.okstate.edu
in pub/muds/misc/mud-faq. Smith also maintains an HTML version at URL http://math.okstate.edu/~jds/mudfaqs.htm.
Some Musings
A few final thoughts: Try to access MUDs and their ilk at off-peak hours,
and make sure they're non-business hours in the time zone local to the MUD.
Host machine administrators appreciate it if you save your after-hour pursuits
for, well, after hours. Remember, there are people from diverse backgrounds
and countries on the Internet. Don't be too offended by what you come across;
it might just be a cultural misunderstanding. Jennifer Smith states it best
in her FAQ: "The important thing to remember is that (the MUD) is the
fantasy world of possibly hundreds of people, and not just you in particular.
There's a human being on the other side of each and every wire!"
MUDs and IRC, like many aspects of the Internet, take some getting used
to, but the potential rewards are well worth the effort. Their real-time
nature allows for direct human interaction across the wires. Not only do
you get to slay those dragons, but you also meet some interesting people
in the process.
-- Karin Trgovac
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