Copyright 1995 Lauren P. Burka.

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The MUDdex FAQ

What's the extent of your first-hand experience with MUDs? How many years have you been involved, and how did you get started?

I have no first-hand MUD experience. I never participated in generating any of the logs or usenet posts on the web site. Well, I did log in to LambdaMOO once, but that was just because I'm secretly a guy, and I heard that cross-dressing virtual reality was a great way to meet chicks.

I sent you a correction/addition for the MUDdex. Why isn't it up? Are you ignoring me?

I'm probably going to remain well behind on MUDdex fixes until the next recession.

Why don't you have much about lpMUDs/diku's/insert-MUD-here?

Because I didn't have anything on these topics when I put the MUDdex together. I used to try, though. I gave up after I posted information all over the net requesting a correction for the MUDline's dates on LPMUD creation. No one answered. If they don't care, I don't care.

What can I do to convince you add information about my favorite MUDs before the next recession?

Send me money.

Don't you feel an obligation to keep your widely-cited web site accurate and complete?

No.

In your opinion, why do more men than women MUD?

Because there are more men than women on the internet, in part because more men than women work in technical positions that gives them exposure to computers, and men make higher salaries, enabling them to spend more money on ISDN lines and Pentium Pros, and besides, they get the computer while the wife is doing laundry or something. By the way, all of the women you encounter on the net are actually guys who heard that cross-dressing virtual reality was a great way to meet chicks. Well, all of them except for two, and I'm not telling you who they are.

Do you think MUDs foster more social alienation, or do they help prevent it?

Yes.

Will you appear in our radio program/TV show/academic research paper?

No.

Don't you want to be famous?

Go away. Or send me money.

MUD addiction really does exist! It does! It does!

Oh, get over it.

Why are MUDs less popular than they used to be?

MUDs are more popular than they used to be. They're just less popular than the web.

Why is that?

Most MUDs have a deep technical flaw: They're restricted to one machine. Any successful MUD grows. If it grows, it will eventually overwhelm both its server and its wizards. The web has no such limitations. Plus, MUDs don't have pictures soaking-wet naked shaved women.

Are MUDs "just games", or do they become more to the people who play them?

MUDs are not games. Life is a game. MUDs are real. The sooner you accept this, the sooner we can start the medication.

Why do the newspapers only report bad things about MUDs?

The newspapers only report bad things about *anything*, except in totalitarian countries. Articles about MUDders discussing tax legislation does not sell anywhere near as many newspapers as MUDder cross-dressing drug and murder rampages. If this isn't immediately obvious to you, you really have to start reading the papers some time other than when your favorite MUD has made the front page of the Style section.

Do you have any research on the academic uses of MUDs?

Yes. See: this entry in the MUDdex.