Wading Through the MUD:
The Process of Becoming M** Literate
Key Terms on the M**
Like many other M** glossaries, this one is generic, and attempts to acquaint the newbie with
M** terms in general. Variations are noted, but new users should always read the help files
located within each M** for more specific reference. The examples provided are taken from MediaMOO.
@describe
Command that allows users to set a text description of themselves, usually typed in as
'@describe me as... Variations include 'describe' or 'description=' on different MOOs.
@set gender
Command that allows users to set their gender so that actions referring to them are programmed
automatically with the appropriate pronoun.
@who
Command that allows users to monitor a list of users who are currently logged on, where they
are residing within the MOO, and how long they have been logged on/idle. Variations include
'who' and 'WHO' in different MOOs. For example:
You type: @who
The MOO displays:
Player name Connected Idle time Location
----------- --------- --------- --------
KevinG (#11052) 2 hours an hour Third Floor Atrium Landing
taliesin (#11049) 21 hours 20 hours Hindsight
metaphor (#10945) 3 days a day Seaside - a resort comMOOnity
Tari (#2921) 9 days a day Tari's Very Fashionable Hovel
Total: 4 players, none of whom have been active recently.
There are 2 players invisible to you.
@whois
Command that allows users to determine the "real" identity of a player in the MOO. This
usually includes an email address for that player.
characters
The names assigned to users who register with the MOO. Characters may be fictitious names,
imaginative personas, or simply the real user's first name or initials. Users typically must
request a character and wait a few days for an email response with a password.
client
The generic name we use for any software package that allows remote users to log in and work
on a host computer (the domain where a MOO program resides). Although "raw" telnet is actually a client package, many players prefer fancier programs
that make using a MOO even easier by controlling the way the screen looks.
create
Command that allows users to build objects, usually modelled after a "parent" of the same type,
so that a note may be based on a parent object such as a letter. Variations include '@create' and
even '@dig' on different MOOs. For example:
You type:
@create $thing called "Blackboard"
MOO displays:
You now have Blackboard with object number #3914 and parent generic thing (#5).
describe
Command that allows users to set descriptions of themselves or objects that other players may look at in the MOO. For example:
You type:
@describe blackboard as "a huge virtual writing space that encircles the classmoo.
MOO Displays:
Description set.
(See "look" below to view the description)
emote
Command that allows users to express their feelings, or sometimes actions. Variations include
the shorthand ':' to signify what a character feels. For example: a character called
Newbie
typing :waves would show other players that: Newbie waves.
guests
Users who log on to a MOO without a character of their own are allowed to connect as guests.
Guests may still set descriptions of themselves and behave with the same set of commands as
other players. In most educational MOOs, guests are treated very courteously by characters.
look
Command that allows users to "see" what other players or objects look like in the MOO. What
is actually displayed is a text description that the player or object's creator has typed into the
database. For example:
You type:
look blackboard
The MOO displays:
a huge virtual writing space that encircles the classmoo.
lurk
Term used to describe users who log on and "listen" in to a MOO session without actively
participating. Lurkers are often newbies who are learning, but can also be users who have
logged on to the MOO in one window of their computers to monitor the MOO while they use
another window to work on other tasks of their own.
netiquette
The portmanteau term created when we merge "Network" with "Etiquette" to define the
behavioral guidelines that apply when we are online. Typical netiquette usually follows
common sense codes of politeness, such as not interrupting others, not SHOUTING our text, and
not filling the screen with nonsense text.
objects
The term used to refer to any piece of the M** database, including characters, rooms, furniture,
teaching tools, or even food and beverages.
page
Command that allows users to send messages privately to others who are logged on to the MOO
without disturbing the conversations of others. Variations include '@page' or 'page with' or even
'page = ' on different MOOs.
players
The term used to describe users on a MOO, MUD, or MUSH. Although this term refers to both
characters and guests, many academic M**s prefer using the term user to distinguish between a
learning environment and a gaming environment.
say
Command that allows users to speak to each other so that all user in the same room can see their
comments. This is the most frequently used command in most MOOs, and variations include the
shorthand " before the text, so that a character called Newbie who types "Hello would appear on
the screen as Newbie says "Hello."
telnet
The client application that allows users to connect to a M** and interact with the database as
though they were sitting at a terminal connected to the host machine. "Raw" telnet can provide a
crude connection, making the text wrap oddly or interrupting a user's input to display other users'
output. See client.
whisper
Command that allows users to speak to each other quietly, without interrupting the conversations
of other players.
Back To:
Last Update: June 8, 1996 by Claudine Keenan
Send any comments to cgk4@psu.edu