Richard A. Bartle: Anecdotes

Anecdotes

I was asked in the mid-1990s to contribute to a book being written about MUDs in aid of a charity which used MUDs to help disadvantaged children. The idea was that I would put together a series of anecdotes that could be used as fillers at the end of articles and at the bottom of pages. Naturally, I agreed, and composed three sets of anecdotes using different viewpoints, so the editor could decide which was the best.

Unfortunately, not enough people did contribute articles, and the book was never published. Then again, maybe the editor simply disliked what I had written and didn't want to tell me! I wouldn't be surprised, since I'm not very happy with them all by any means; they were written only to illustrate the possible approaches, prior to my putting together a publishable set in the format which was adjudged best. Besides, I had to use American terms instead of English ones, which is enough to put off anyone!

Here are all three sets, anyway. Note that many of the anecdotes given are outright fabrications, and that those which aren't don't necessarily tell the whole truth. Some, however, are absolutely authentic. See if you can tell which is which! Hint: those which are repeated elsewhere on this web site are probably true...

Set 1, 3rd-person anonymous.

Set 2, 1st-person anonymous.

Set 3, 1st-person Richard Bartle.