in reply to Perlmonks MOO

A few more thoughts, after hearing some of the responses. In no particular order ...

There seem to be many different purposes put forward for the PerlmonksMoo.

None of those ideas are bad, on their face. In fact, they're all quite cool. And, frankly, are very unrelated to PerlMonks.

Games of any sort can be written and based on anything. Most of us don't have time to work on a game, even one based on PerlMonks. I personally read PerlMonks at work. I have a number of CPAN modules that have languished for lack of time outside work. I know I'm not the only one.

Tools to learn Perl are neat. But, what does a MOO have to do with Perl? MOOs are object-oriented - they're almost the poster-child for OO. Perl's OO (and functional) support are not pure. All you'd be teaching someone is how to use funny characters and a non-standard method-calling syntax. That would just be frustrating.

Kibbitzing with others ... now, this would be very cool. Except, you're now talking a true client-server architecture. I wouldn't want to build that website. MUDs and MOOs are either based on telnet or have their own clients. Either you require Java, write a cilent in JavaScript, or use telnet. Uhh ... I'm not thrilled by any of those choices.

Basically, while the current format is rough around the edges, it's been working for many years. Until the HTTP protocol is supplanted by something with state, that format isn't really going to change much.

------
We are the carpenters and bricklayers of the Information Age.

Then there are Damian modules.... *sigh* ... that's not about being less-lazy -- that's about being on some really good drugs -- you know, there is no spoon. - flyingmoose

I shouldn't have to say this, but any code, unless otherwise stated, is untested

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Re: Re: Perlmonks MOO
by jepri (Parson) on May 27, 2004 at 19:31 UTC
    Someone else mentioned the idea of kibbitzing with others viewing a given node

    Same guy as the prevous point. That's one I don't claim as my own idea though - I enjoyed kibitzing on the Internet Go Server.

    At a basic level, it could just be inserted into each users homenode stats, e.g. have a "Now viewing node ###", or "Now editing node ####".

    Or maybe even just have a node number appear next to a users name in the chatbox (not that there's any room for that sort of thing in the chatbox).

    Tools to learn Perl are neat. But, what does a MOO have to do with Perl?

    If the MOO language was perl, I'd answer "everything". If it wasn't, I'd answer "not much"

    All you'd be teaching someone is how to use funny characters and a non-standard method-calling syntax.

    Ideally the language would be real perl, not crippled perl.

    Except, you're now talking a true client-server architecture. I wouldn't want to build that website. MUDs and MOOs are either based on telnet or have their own clients.

    It's not too hard. The telnet thing was done because there was nothing else at the time. Current MOOs often have at least some webserver capability. A MOO written in proper MVC style should be easily adapted to any client, and this appears to have been the case.

    *snipped*

    I have a number of CPAN modules that have languished for lack of time outside work. I know I'm not the only one.

    Aaagh! Guilt. I've got to get the next version of my mods up, and the new scripts and articles for my webpage, and arrange another .pm meeting, and... f**k it. What's on TV?

    update: snipped and - I always feel that the best learning happens in games. Everything I've had fun doing, I got good at. Compare to some things I've been good at that were no fun at all, and I let them slip.

    Fortunately (for me), perl is fun all on its own, but I could imagine having even more fun writing perl agents in a MOO and learning at the same time.

    Hmm. What if we could work on CPAN modules in the MOO, and test them there?

    ____________________
    Jeremy
    I didn't believe in evil until I dated it.

[reply]
      At a basic level, it could just be inserted into each users homenode stats, e.g. have a "Now viewing node ###", or "Now editing node ####".

      Impossible. Or rather, difficult to determine when the user has completed such an action. If I view node #xxxxxx and then close my browser, how long until you decide that I've finished looking at the node? What happens when I've loaded multiple nodes simultaneously? I frequently have anywhere from 2-20 nodes opened in my tabbed browsing. Within the MOO/MUD, are you planning on magically cloning my character and placing him in all 20 'node rooms'? :) Now that'd be twisted.

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Re: Re: Perlmonks MOO
by Trag (Monk) on May 27, 2004 at 19:18 UTC
    To use Perl as a MOO language, perhaps a dialect of Perl could work. We could add more OO support.

    The Monk's time constraints are a problem, yes, and I cannot address it. But there are probably a few people like me (who have far, far too much free time on their hands) on the boards as well, who wouldn't mind working on this in their spare time.

    If we go with Telnet for a client, it's not like we have to write the client ourselves right?. We could just use XML feeds to bring the nodes into the MOO, and there doesn't need to be complex changes made to the website (I think, please keep in mind I don't know much about this subject).

    Trag
[reply]

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