[MUD-Dev] Re: Motivations for Creating Mud-Like Worlds and Servers

[Holly Sommer <hsommer#micro,ti.com>]

My initial reason is simple:

Because someone told me I was incapable of doing so. So... it was sort of 
on a dare :) 

When I started, I didn't know a thing about programming, so, being the 
curious sort who likes to see not only *that* something works correctly, 
but *why*, I rolled up the sleeves and poked around the code.

Now, this business of fiddling with code is somewhat additctive, so I 
stuck with it. Pretty soon I got an idea for a theme, and started asking 
around to see if others might be interested in building. Then I got a 
coder from IRC (on the big EffNet - original IRC) who had never been on a 
MUD and didn't speak english natively (good choice, no?). Then more 
builders showed, and things were actually happening, so we just stuck 
with it, and decided to give it a shot.

I'm not saying mine is typical, but the progression goes:

dare
"oh yeah? I'll show you!"
cluelessly poke through code
addicted
get own idea, decide to go with it
get coder
get builders
get serious

Also along the way I got some tutoring in C from Michael Chastain, so 
that I had a better idea of how code works, and was able to get into the 
role of part-time coder, which is even more addictive than just coming up 
with ideas :)

Well, there's *my* answer :)

-Holly

-- 
MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future.