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The primary purpose of muds and mmogs is social – to play games and
chat with friends online. The group-focused nature of muds and mmogs facilitates
the development of a group identity, which is reinforced by objects (bits
of code that perform various functions in the mud), and by an emphasis
on repetition. For example, rooms in muds often include BBSs (Bulletin
Board Systems), which are permanent objects that record players’ postings
on various topics, or jokes. These boards help to give a sense of “group
membership in a common place,” a sense of belonging to a group, because
its members share certain knowledge unique to the space. There is
also a large emphasis on repetition in muds, which also help to reinforce
the group identity and shared experience. For example, participants in
the mud BlueSky often participate in “quote fests,” in which players will
quote other players out of context, with results that are intended to be
funny and often sexually suggestive. These quote fests occur often enough
that regular members are familiar with them, and to be quoted often in
such a quote fest is considered to be a sort of status-indicator; someone
who is commonly quoted is generally someone well-liked in the group, and
is considered to be funny or witty.
Source: Kendall, Lori. Hanging Out in the Virtual Pub: Masculinities and Relationships Online. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002. p. 6 Kendall, Lori. p 70. |