engst@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Adam C. Engst) (05/11/87)
I first posted a notice on interactive fiction to the ST, Mac, and Amiga newsgroups a week or so ago because those computers have the necessary graphic environment to carry off interactive fiction. I suddenly remembered that the IBM PC and clones can also have a windowing/graphics environment under Windows, and thus deserve notice of interactive fiction as well. I received quite a number of responses from different people expressing an interest in being put on a mailing list or in starting a new Usenet discussion group. I asked around to find out the proper method of starting a new group and was told that I needed to talk about interactive fiction on an existing newsgroup for a while, then get names on a petition, and then apply to the net powers that be for a new newsgroup provided that I had shown that there was enough interest to warrant the new group. This procedure seems reasonable, so I am writing to these newsgroups to inform all those who are interested in interactive fiction and those who previously replied that I will be discussing it in MISC.MISC. I decided on MISC.MISC because it is for those topics which don't really fit into any existing newsgroup. I don't think that interactive fiction does. It is not a game, yet it is entertainment while also being serious literature. It can also be used for computer-aided instruction and has a certain relationship to artificial intelligence. It needs the technology of the computer and the creativity of the writer. What it needs more than anything else at the moment is interest. People must realize that it is not a game and it is not trivial, it is real. This discussion will be devoted to any and all of the aspects of interactive fiction with the goal of developing it as a new medium for reading and writing with the aid of the computer. To start the new discussion off on the right foot (or left foot, it's non-discriminatory), I will start posting the messages from the CSNEWS@MAINE discussion group that I started at the beginning of 1987. I will also accept any email, but please specify if you don't want your ideas posted because I believe in free distribution of pertinant information. In short, please give the subject a chance. I think it is very interesting and has a great future. Thank you, Adam Engst engst@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu.UUCP pv9y@cornella.bitnet
engst@batcomputer.UUCP (05/16/87)
Could everyone who is posting a note on interactive fiction please only post to misc.misc for now? That way those who aren't interested won't have to read about it and suffer terribly. Thanks to all those who have either written to misc.misc or written to me personally! And to all those who have asked me about a definition of interactive fiction, try reading misc.misc, since that is where we are working out a definition. About a mailing list: I am not going to set one up, mostly because I have about a 60% chance of getting mail to someone who writes to me, and it isn't fair to keep some people from talking about interactive fiction just because I can't figure out how to get mail to them. So the moral of the story is - if you want to read about/write about interactive fiction, do it on misc.misc. Thanks, Adam Engst engst@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu pv9y@cornella
engst@batcomputer.UUCP (07/08/87)
For those of you who cannot (or don't want to) read the Usenet or Bitnet discussion groups on interactive fiction we are back in mailing list form. If you want to send mail to the list, the address is . . . . . . . . . . >>>> gamemasters@parcvax.xerox.com <<<< Just include "Interactive fiction" on the Subject line so the moderator can separate it out from the adventure game discussion messages. If you want to add yourself to the mailing list (so you get digests every day or so) send a request to . . . . . . . . >>>> gamemasters-request@parcvax.xerox.com <<<< and ask to be added. You can also ask to be deleted from the list, ask for archived mail, or report a mailer failure at the request address. I will be sending the messages that come from Bitnet and Usenet as well, so everyone will have access to all the messages. If anyone has any questions, just email me at either of the below addresses and I'll try to help. Thanks a lot for the discussion up to now and I hope that it will improve even more with the increased audience. Adam C. Engst engst@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu pv9y@cornella.bitnet