A Multi User Domain (MUD) is a text based virtual environment which allows for real time interactions between users who login from various sites around the world. In the past a MUD was to be a series of interconnected spaces (called 'rooms') with a focus upon 'Dungeons and Dragons' combat and roleplaying. MUDs were first developed in 1979 by Richard Bartle and Roy Trubshaw at Essex University and have generally been used as a exciting pastime where players can (either by themselves or in groups "parties") slay dragons, solve puzzles, search for treasure, amass magical powers and skills. Indeed, the 'd' in MUD is often interpreted as standing for 'Dungeon' but I prefer to stipulate the use of the term 'domain' as being a more appropriate description. There are many variations of MUDs, some of which are direct offsprings from the first, while others have focussed on different elements (e.g., allowing users to build objects, or are more 'chatty' etc.). Each have their own promoters.

MUDs are typically public sites directly accessible by entering in the telnet ip (internet protocal) address of the MUD site or by using a 'client program' which is not as 'hard on the computer'. Such efficient clients including 'TinyFugue' or 'REXXTALK' are available from various ftp sites (e.g. http://ftp.math.okstate.edu/pub/muds/clients).

MUDs are generally open 24 hours a day 7 days a week which enables individuals to sign on at their convenience. Some MUDs restrict access and you must send an email request to the Administrators.

This MUD is an Academic Domain meaning that the programmers (or 'coders' or the more fanciful 'wizards') have attempted to design a virtual university setting. At any one time this MUD will be a space for students, professors and professionals to conduct and attend real time online classrooms, electronic seminars, electronic conferences and electronic tutorials. This MUD also houses various facilities in an attempt to emulate the university campus including virtual offices, bulletin board postings, etc. Yet, as with a University campus experience, all work and no play make for a dull day and so the Wizards have incorporated various adventure areas (all with educational themes and motifs -- albeit sometimes obscure).

The nature of MUDs has often made the level of discussion and action rather informal. While we promote and encourage this informal approach we kindly ask you to treat this MUD and its citizens with the same high level of respect that your real life classmates and colleagues deserve both in and out of the classroom setting. Depending upon your status (e.g., local student, distant instructor) any infractions of our rules of etiquette (see our library for an explanation of the rules) can result in a) loss of your character, b) your site being banished, c) loss of your email privileges.

Yes and no. 'MOO' stands for MUD, Object Oriented. The Administrators of this MUD and indeed most MUDders are bias in favour of MUDs over MOOs for many reasons, one of the most basic is the user-unfriendliness of MOOs (It will might take you a while to get accustom to wandering around and interacting on this MUD but these difficulties tend to be amplified on MOOs). The main claim to fame of a MOO is that it allows users to build (the 'Object Oriented' aspect). Yet the belief that MUDs are such they are programmed so that only Wizards can build is mistaken. This capability is dependent upon the programming skill (and patience) of the MUD wizards and not the basic MUD code. The MOO program language is also difficult to master. Coding on MUDs on the other hand can be a simple exercise.

IRCs or Inter Relay Chats permit individuals to type a line which when entered is relayed to the other person's screen thereby enabling the users to 'chat' to each other in real time. MUD's provide this feature (known here as 'talk') and much, much, much more. BBS or BulletinBoards permit individuals to post messages (typically comments regarding a particular area of interest) and allows for others to read and reply to this messages. This static form of communication is useful for complex and lengthy discussions. All MUDs have BBS's built in for their users to post jokes, concerns, questions, comments, etc. This MUD is no exception. Here however we provide BBS for some of the classrooms and for all instructors with virtual offices. Thereby allowing for students and instructors use so that they may leave informal notes or homework assignments...

Various users of this MUD are members of The International Society for Interactive Instructional Technology. They use this MUD for conducting discussions, posting notes to other ISIIT members etc. You may recognize an ISIIT member by their possession of a ISIIT Keycard. This keycard permits them to access certain rooms dedicated to the aforementioned activities. ISIIT is a professional society open to persons interested in the academic use of interactive technology including MUDs, email, e-journals, the Internet, ITV etc. To join, one needs to subscribe to the Society's LISTSERV. Send the message:

subscribe cyberphil

to listserv@carins.cariboo.bc.ca

ISIIT membership is ZERO dollars.

Yes. Besides providing various electronic means to bring together dedicated persons, it intends to hold workshops and conferences in the future. Furthermore, ISIIT will be acquiring country representatives from each country. The founding board has the intention to hold these both here on the MUD and in rl. The first such workshop was held in Calgary, Canada 1994 at the Canadian Philosophical Association Annual Meetings. From this workshop sprang forth the momentum to create ISIIT. The board also aims to acquire representatives for each country who has members in the Society. Finally, there has been talk of starting up a e-Journal.

MUD Administrators (sometimes called 'Gods' - again drawn from the fantasy element of the Domain,) typically 'own' the MUD. They oversee the running of the MUD and can be considered to control it much as a CEO controls the workings of a company, more or less - strictly as a homeowner who has invited you over to stay and make yourself 'comfy'.

The Administrators of our MUD are omnipresent persons dedicated to promoting cooperation between persons in various fields as well as promoting universal access to education via the adaptation of instruction to technology and the adaptation of technology to instruction. Kane is really a Philosophy Instructor at the University College of the Cariboo, Kamloops, British Columbia Canada who specializes in Biomedical Ethics. Labatt is also a philosopher who is a Media Specialist at Assiniboine College, Brandon Manitoba Canada. Both Colleges are actively pursuing hybrid approaches to education.

Our Programmers, known as 'coders' and more commonly referred to as 'Wizards' or 'Janitors' are a dedicated group of people who have volunteered literally hundreds of hours to sit down at their computer terminals and create files which are interpreted by the MUD driver program to create our virtual space and all the objects contained within it. Many of them are Wizards from other MUDs (most notably the infamous MUDDOG based out of The University of Florida) and have hundreds of hours of previous experience as players (since to be a wizard on most MUDs you have to have reached the highest possible player level). Thus they tend to know the intricacies of MUDding from different perspectives. They have earned the right to be called 'wizards' and deserve our many thanks.

You should type to see a list of the user commands available (don't type the <> just the words contained within the diamond shape). The ability to use these commands will become easier with experience (which by the way the computer keeps track of). Each topic has its own help file. E.g. you can type <help say> for information on how to 'say' something to someone in the same 'room' as you. _All_ commands should be entered with lower case letters. The computer will recognize <help say> but not <Help Say>.

The Welcome screen (the first screen you saw when you telnetted here) will list the users presently on the MUD. When on the MUD the command <who> will also provide you with a list of the present users. The command <where> will tell you where everyone happens to be (again, notice the lower case lettering). Please Note: The Administrators and many of the Wizards have the ability to be invisible and thus although they may be in the MUD their names will not appear on any of the above mentioned lists. Invisible Admins and Wizzes have the ability to be in the same room as you without your knowing it as well as the ability to see EVERYTHING you type. Although we have better things to do than to 'snoop' on you, this ability will be used if we are a) concerned about an individual's behaviour or b) wish to check on some interactive aspect of the MUD (e.g. is the user having a difficult time with a certain area or command). Your activities may also be logged as evidence of unacceptable behaviour. Athough sounding rather 'Big-Brother-ish' Logging proceedings can be useful for keeping a record of lengthy conversations and meetings while ability to be invisible is extremely attractive for Wizards who are coding and don't want to be disturbed.

You are responsible for everything that your character does and says. Thus you should never give out your password nor should you ever walk away from your terminal while logged on as someone (e.g., your roommate) may type a single offensive line and destroy either your reputation or destroy your previous work. Your password should not be easy to guess. For instance don't just use your name backwards. Letter combinations that are meaningless to others but meaningful to you are best. E.g. use first letter of each word of a sentence. (example: Start with: "Spoil the rod, spare the child" and create the password: strstc).

Try typing <finger name> (e.g. finger kane) which will provide you with a limited amount of information about the person including when they were last on.

Yes. You can MUDmail that individual. Mudmail is similar to email but only sends mail to the individuals on the MUD (this MUD is based on the Nightmare Mudlib which also provides users the ability to send mail to persons on other MUDS). To send mail to a person type <mail MUDusername> and follow the directions provided. Also see: <help mail> To send mail to person on another MUD that is supported by InterMUDmail type <mail name@mudname>.

Simply type <mail> and then <read #>. Once you have finished reading your message type <delete> then hit ENTER, then type <quit>. Of course if you want to keep the message don't type delete. Again see <help mail>.

There are many bulletin boards located throughout the MUD. Some of these are for general discussions, problems, etc, others are for special interests (e.g. philosophy, poetry, penpals, programming issues etc.). First type 'look at board'. This will provide you with a list of the messages posted, including the authors, subjects, and dates. Instructions on posting and reading messages are also provided at the top of this list.

Of course not. Just because you are telepresent does not mean that you can get away with any action. The rules that apply to you on your University Campus apply here. Accordingly, don't do anything here to other users that you wouldn't do in the real world. Don't harrass, demand favours, use abusive or obscene language, stalk, nag, whine, make unwelcome advances, spamming with malice (repeatedly sending the same message to the individual or to their computer out of revenge or to be annoying) or flame (shouting personal attacks at another individual with the intent to humiliate them in public). Remember, there is a human being on the other side of this 'cyberian world' and don't assume that they can't do anything to get back at you. (they can, for example they can complain to the Wizards who in turn can contact your local system administrator). While we are less formal and more allowing than a classroom setting, please adhere to the rules of etiquette as described in our MUD library. In a nutshell we suggest that you first and formost BE POLITE. Second, BE SELF-DIRECTED, Third, BE HELPFUL.

*****MUD access is not a right but a privilege.*****

First make sure you have gone through the newbie tutorials. This tutorial is mandatory for all new players to this MUD. If you forget any of these lessons go back and try them again. Also use . As a last resort, ask someone. But when you do ask: Ask politely! Most people will be quite willing to help but they get annoyed when others demand information or whine. It is often useful to ask fellow newbies as they are also learning the basic skills. Please refrain from directing your questions to wizards who are usually busy and who rightfully get tired of answering questions that you should solve for yourself. In any event, first ask the person if they would mind helping you.

This is one of those questions that you don't want to pester Wizards about. One of the really nice features of this Nightmare MUDlib is the use of colour. Wizards like to use appropriate colours in their descriptions (e.g. the red couch, the blue sky...). If you have a colour terminal, type <ansi>, if not, go buy one, or smack a dead squirrel against your forehead hard enough to cause you to see swirling lights and colours.

That means that the computer did not understand the command that entered. This is probably due to a typo, the use of a capitalized letter, or the entering of an non-existant command.

If you find an true coding error (and you probably will!) please let us know by typing <bug> along with a brief description of the error. We apologize for any errors that you happen to come across but we are only human! If you find a typo in a description, type with the typographical error noted.

The network that connects you to the MUD is made up of thousands of interconnections. Between your computer and the computer which is the MUD site there may be thousands of links. If one of these links fails or is overloaded (most common during peak computing hours) you may experience a time delay which is referred to as 'lag'. Lag can be quite common and it will affect different users at different times. All we can suggest is to wait until it passes. If it becomes too annoying or a hindrance to your work, you may want to quit and try to log back on later.

Send us an idea message! Type <idea> and a brief description of your idea. Conversely, post a note on a BBS.

I don't know. Can you? Seriously, thank you for your interest however Wizardhood is a level to which users are invited to join. If you are an academic professional and have coding experience in 'C' language and you are willing to devote a fair amount of time to our project then post a message on one of our BBS. We will eventually get to it. However as a rule, "Don't call us, we'll call you."

No. As this MUD is primarily a 'Virtual University' it does not permit users the option of becoming an 'elf' or a 'pendorian' or a 'knight'. Everyone here possesses human traits and human languages (all basic commands are in English with the possible exception of those areas dedicated to other Natural Languages). If you want to speak Klingonese. Try the Klingonese University which is NOT located here.

No. The only combat allowed is the combat between user and computer generated characters (Non-Playing-Characters, or 'monsters'). By killing these NPCs individuals gain points and often are rewarded with coins, treasures, weapons, equipment, armour, that the NPC's carry.

Well, besides the 'serious' side of our MUD you can explore the various fantastical realms that our Wizards have created for your amusement. You will find unique areas ranging from an faery princess castle to a dark subterranean town. There are monsters to slay and mysteries to solve.

Although we might take you to task for the term 'mindless', the MUD is not based on combat. Most of the non-academic quests are based on using your deductive powers to solve mysteries. If these options do not interest you may decide to head on over to one of the Pubs scattered about for a pint of warm beer or a mug of cold coffee and a conversation with someone from another part of the world. Indeed, if you gain anything from this MUD we hope it is new friendships.

Well, let's start with the last question first. Adventuring can be fun! Furthermore, simply by playing, you will become more accustom to using computers as a personal tool rather than as something that is intimidating and alien. In terms of the 'gaming' aspect, by solving puzzles (called 'quests') and slaying monsters, you will increase your 'score'. The more you play, the higher the score you can obtain. And by increasing your experience you can improve your personal statistics. Your stats are numerical representations of your physical abilities which include: Constitution, which determines how sturdy you are and which will determine your 'hit points' (or the number of hits you can take before you suffer a fatal wound); Intelligence which determines your capacity to cast magic spells; Dexterity which amongst other things, affects your ability to protect yourself from being robbed by other users; Strength determines how much you can carry (e.g. a few heavy weapons and a weighted bag of treasure). Wisdom determines your resistance to magic and Charisma determines your ability to slip by normally aggressive monsters (i.e., monsters that attack on sight) as well as how good a buyer and seller of goods you are. You may increase your personal stats by 'spending your experience'.

You go about adventuring simply when you start wandering off campus. You should look at each room description, many of which tell you information about the region and its features. There are many objects and NPC to look at. Before you go exploring however it is wise to equip yourself. Otherwise you will be out in the elements wearing nothing but what you came in with.

For related matters concerning how to go about getting equipment, how to wear armour, wield weapons, kill monsters, get money, team up with others, please see the following help 'topics': 'body', 'drop', 'get', 'follow', 'give', 'kill', 'inventory', 'money', 'party', 'score', 'wimpy'.

Just a warning about playing. You can die on this MUD. Just as you can attack monsters, they can and will attack you. Thus you must be very careful not to simply attack anything that crosses your path. As a new player your personal statistics and skills are very minimal, they will develop with use and or with the exchange of experience points. Your skills are abilities that you learn to develop through simply usage. These skills are divided into four categories: fighting, weapons, deception and magic. Type <score stats> for brief information on your skills As mentioned earlier, be sure to wear your armour(s) and be sure to wield your weapon(s) before venturing forth. Teaming up ('partying') is helpful not only in surviving but also in learning the lay of the land. And if you are getting seriously wounded, your body may 'wimpy' out of the room (i.e., 'retreat'). To heal yourself from your wounds you should <rest> consuming food and drink can help speed up the process. Be sure to keep a close eye on your hit points (hp) by looking at your <score> - if your hp hits '0' then you're dead.

Umm that's a horrible acronym :). Dead as in ceasing to Be. Fortunately, being dead here is not as permanent as being dead in rl. If you lose your life, you need to go and get a new one and start over again. Unfortunately you will lose points and all that you have amassed since the last time your character was saved. See also: <help save>.

Unfortunately, no. Before you <quit> the game you need to visit one of the shops where you can sell all your goodies. These shops also sell the items that others have collected. It is this way that you obtain money and allow other users to obtain weapons, and other types of equipment (lanterns, bags, etc.). The money that you get, any auto-loading objects you possess (see <help inventory> and your skill levels will remain with you when you log back on.

Sorry for the length but many users to this MUD are newbies, not only to this MUD but to the notion of Multiple User Domains in general. And to those of you who know about MUDs, this MUD will be new to you simply because it is a Multiple AcademicİUser Domain (Dare I refer to it as MAUD?) If you have any more questions, why not address them to others via the chat line?

Type <chat> followed by your message, e.g., <chat Hi, anyone know how to praise the Wizards here?> *grin*