[Log started by inky Thu Mar 11 00:41:43 1999]

Ryan will use the Alex source to make an ostrich bot that doesn't listen to
  anybody but instead runs randomly through the MUD.
Grocible says, "dd: it's drywall, which I think is a north american term.
  gypsum board"
Grocible says, "I suppose it'd be possible to drill holes in the base and
  squirt foam into the walls but it wouldn't be cheap"
ddyte says, "Not plaster hung either side of a wooden frame, then."
inky says (to Ryan), "mmhmm."
Ryan says, "Perhaps it will take random things and carry thema random
  distance and drop them too."
neild asks (to Groc), "How about drilling holes in the neighbors?"
Ryan giggles.
Caoif says (to ryan), "Uh, no thanks. I prefer to find stuff where I left
  it..."
Grocible says, "ddyte: gypsum board are 4'x8' panels made of thick card
  filled with plaster"
Jota says, "Or just drilling holes in the wall, and setting up a camera?
  You could probably make enough money off the tapes to get a new place."
Grocible says, "dd: you fasten them to a wooden frame"
Caoif says (to ryan), "We don't need an equivalent to Zork I's thief."
Grocible says, "very common walling material in n. america"
inky says, "a lean and hungry ostrich"
ddyte says (to groc), "Ok. So you can't get into the ceiling and foam
  between the boards then? (yeah, yeah, TSD)"
Ryan says (to caoif), "i like the thief."
Grocible says, "dd: not without drilling holes in the walls no"
ddyte says, "Hmm."
neild asks (to Groc), "Do you own or rent?"
Ryan asks (to groc), "can you remove an outlet cover and squirt from
  there?"
Grocible says, "neild: rent of course"
Caoif says (to Ryan), "That's no reason to put a thief in ifMUD, though."
neild says, "Hmm."
Grocible says, "ryan: wouldn't help"
Grocible says, "the owners are aware of the problem in the lofts, but don't
  want to spend the money"
Ryan says (to caoif), "it'd add personality."
Grocible says, "I *really* wish they'd done a bit more to this loft when
  they renovated it 3 years ago. sigh."
Jota asks (to Ryan), "It has personality already, no?"
Caoif says (to ryan), "People would constantly be losing things...I don't
  want to have to LOCK eveyrthing down..."
thumper says (to caoif), "We could make the bot a wizard, so it could take
  your locked down stuff too."
Caoif says (to thumper), "Oh, no. I don't want certain stationary objects
  disappearing on me."
Ryan says (to jota), "it does."
Jota smirks, as the Bot @tel's away all of Caoif's (and only Caoif's)
  stuff.
inky says (to thumper), "also, we could write a @pants function so it could
  take people's pants"
Ryan says (to caoif), "@find and @teleport are useful."
Caoif says, "I have places like the graveyard, which I DON'T want messed up
  by this..."
thumper says (to ryan), "Not if the thief @chowns the objects first."
Caoif says, "There are"
Ryan says (to thumper), "i don't think you'll really make the ostrich a
  wiz. :P"
Caoif says, "NO! Thumper, don't even GO THERE!@"
Grocible says, "communistMUD. Objects can be reassigned at will. To each
  according to his or her needs."
ddyte says, "I need a cork nut."
Alex awwwks. "Want cork nut!"
Caoif says, "So, thumper, you want a bot that runs around taking other's
  things and chowning them, thus destroying the ares they built...."
Caoif says, "Areas, I mean..."
inky says (to Caoif), "don't forget the pants."
thumper says, "Definitely pants."
ddyte says, "Always with the pants."
ddyte asks, "Have you ever considered there might be a life after pants?"
Ryan says (to ddyte), "there is quite a fun life after people remove their
  pants, i've noticed."
ddyte says, "Settle down, get yourself a nice kilt to be with. It doesn't
  have to be pants."
Grocible says, "foobler is very diplomatic on his post about Syphon
  Filter"
thumper says (to caoif), "Maybe you could barter with the thief to get your
  objects back?  Or maybe you just have to fight it and hope it doesn't kill
  you."
neild asks (to Groc), "Is that a person or a game?"
Jota says (to Caoif), "Not just anyone's things, noly yours."
Caoif says, "People actually work to create things around here, and don't
  want them permanently taken away by some mad bot..."
Grocible says, "neild: he's talking about the game"
neild asks (to ddyte), "What're you tryin to do, get yourself kilt?"
Grocible says, "neild: it's obvious from the reading that there is More to
  the Story than he Provides"
Caoif says, "So, all in all, a thief 'bot' is a bad idea."
neild says (to Groc), "I have no idea what you're talking about."
ddyte away getting dindins.
Grocible says, "neild: read "Question for Mike Berlyn" on rgif"
neild says (to Groc), "I'll try."
Ryan says (to caoif), "okay, i'll just make it run around."
<thief> thief has connected to ifMUD.
thief don't wanna work, it just wanna bang on de MUD all day.
Jota says, "Heh."
thief says, "TAKE CAOIF"
neild asks, "Does this have anything to do with the weasel alien?"
Ryan laughs a lot.
thief got Buy ifMUD a Monkey Maid.
[Alex] inky says (to Alex), "log thief 200"
[Alex] Alex exclaims, "Awwk! Log started!"
thief reaches down to pick up the monkey butler, but it kicks at it and
  screetches angrily.  Thief backs away.
thief got zork.
Caoif goes east.
thief goes east.
Caoif arrives from the east.
Caoif goes east.
thief arrives from the east.
thief goes east.
Ryan giggles.
neild says (to Groc), "Okay, yeah, I see what you mean."
neild asks, "Has Mike ever really said why he left Eidetic?"
Ryan says, "Quick, everyone change their @doing to a line from a famous
  poem!"
Grocible says, "neild: not publicly"
inky asks, "er, what?"
Grocible says, "neild: we talked about it"
neild says (to Groc), "I got the sense that he just hated the whole
  scene."
Grocible says, "he wants total creative control"
neild says, "That makes sense."
neild says, "Working for Sony sounds like a recipe for No Fun."
neild says, "I say this, having once worked for Sony."
Ryan says, "Sony is spending $100,000,000 to promote Dreamcast."
Ryan says, "Er, Sega."
Grocible says, "ryan: no they aren't"
Grocible says, "ryan: right. sega"
Jota *thinks* that Ryan's @doing is not a line from a poem, but only the
  first part of a line.
Grocible says, "when we were chatting at his house he said something like
  "well we'd be working on this game. and we'd agree okay - this character
  has a green hat. And I'd go in the next day and I'd be told that the
  character would have a blue hat. and I'd say fine. And I'd come in the next
  day and the character has an orange hat.""
Ryan says (to Jota), "I only have so much room :P"
neild says, "Hee"
Jota says, "Well, thumper will just have to @doing Come to my arms, my
  beamish boy."
Grocible says, "that was the example that foobler gave me that seemed to
  sum up politely where he was coming from"
Grocible says, "though like anything I'm sure there's more to it than that.
  there always is"
inky asks, "you worked for sony?"
neild says (to inky), "I proofread liner notes."
Ryan says, "Oh frabjuous day, callooh, callay! he chortled in his joy."
inky says, "blert"
neild says, "You may remember me from such lines as: 'After Robert
  Johnson's death, his mother and sister-in-law traveled to his burial in a
  wooden coffin paid for by the county.'"
Grocible says, "Es brillig war; die schlichten Toven wirrten und wimmelten
  in Wabe."
Grocible says, "Im"
ddyte says (to neild), "Really? I travelled to Robert Johnson's funeral in
  a pine coffin paid for by the state."
ddyte says, "Damn. Too late."
neild says (to dd), "Zactly."
Grocible says, "coffins don't sound like particularly comfortable means of
  transportation. unless perhaps they're velvet-lined"
ddyte has that box set. Is very good.
Ryan says, "Or virgin-lined."
neild says, "Sony was in every way a velvet-lined coffin."
Ryan says, "Erm."
Grocible says, "okay. I've decided upon another hairbrained project"
Grocible says, "er harebrained"
Grocible says, "fuck"
Grocible asks, "where did *that* come from?"
neild exclaims (to Groc), "Hamsterbrain! Hamsterbrain!"
Jota asks, "Didn't we once have a HairBrain on ifMUD?"
Grocible says, "I was thinking of HairBrain I think"
ddyte says, "Ola = Hairbrain"
Grocible says, "Ola Bauge"
Grocible says, "I have some large wooden panels I'm not doing anything
  with. I'm going to back them with 2 inch foam and screw them to the wall"
Grocible says, "and hope that they'll break up the wall's vibrations
  somewhat and reduce noise"
neild says, "Hmm. My windowshading is broken."
ddyte asks (to groc), "Permission required?"
Ryan says (to groc:), "Yay!"
neild asks (to Groc), "Why am I not surprised that you have surplus large
  wooden panels?"
Grocible says, "dd: hell with permission"
Ryan asks, "Does anyone here use LiteStep or eFX?"
ddyte says, "I went to hell with permission."
Ryan asks, "Or both?"
Caoif arrives from the east.
thief materializes.
Grocible says, "dd: if it's reversible then I don't ask. and the screw
  holes can be filled in, so I figure it's more or less reversible"
Ryan asks (to caoif), "being chased?"
Grocible says, "neild: ha"
(From neild) Satan says, "Do you have a signed permission slip? No? Then GO
  AWAY!"
Caoif says, "Locking the thief out of certain regions doesn't work..."
Ryan says, "Thief is a wiz! Yay!"
thief exclaims, "Arr!"
Caoif exclaims, "No!"
Grocible says, "neild: actually I have these panels because my loft has no
  doors. it's open to below. at one point, when I was living with housemates,
  I was going to install these wooden panels as sliding windows kind of, but
  never got around to it"
Jota asks, "It... is?"
ddyte says, "There's a company here called Clark Rubber that claims to make
  foam in any size you want. I would like to order a 10'x10'x10' cube. Not
  glued together- a solid foam cube. Packed in a 3'x3'x3' box."
Grocible asks, "10' cube foam packed in a 3' box?"
Ryan says (to ddyte:), "yes!"
Grocible says, "that's heavy duty compression"
neild exclaims (to dd), "Surprise!"
ddyte says (to groc), "Yeah."
Caoif says (to ryan), "That's going too far. I don't want non-moveable
  obnjects like statues and guestbooks being stolen..."
Ryan says (to ddyte), "i'll pay for you tp ship some to me."
Jota asks (to ddyte), "So you can do A Bear's Night Out: The Live Action
  Version?"
Grocible says, "compression like that would mean you'd be thrown across the
  room if you opened it suddenly"
ddyte says (to jota), "Quite."
Ryan says (to caoif), "i'm not a wiz, i can't do it."
Caoif asks (to ryan), "Is the thief a wizard now?"
ddyte says (to groc), "Oh, I wouldn't open it."
Ryan says (to caoif), "i don't think so."
Grocible asks, "dd: you'd give it to your enemy?"
neild asks (to ddyte), "Mail it to your ex?"
Caoif goes east.
thief goes east.
ddyte says, "I would bide my time, awaiting a suitable victime."
ddyte says, "Er, victim."
Ryan asks, "Okay, who's the thief?"
neild says, "'victime' was funnier."
neild says, "Especially if pronounced 'vic-teem'."
ddyte has the dubious honour of seeing his ex in two days time. Not
  coincidentally, my 30th birthday.
Grocible says, "ah ouai! les victimes!"
neild says (to dd), "Oh lovely."
PollBoy hollers, "Jota has changed the poll! KOOOOOOOOOOOOORN!"
Grocible asks, "dd: pourquoi?"
inky asks, "so who decides which movies the star wars trailers go with?"
Jota asks (to inky), "I do. Why?"
ddyte says, "Pretty much everyone I would have wanted to see on my birthday
  managed to find something else to do. Sandy (my ex) heard about this, and
  decided..."
Ryan says, "Hee."
Grocible says, "inky: fox execs"
Caoif arrives in the Lounge from a hole in the wall, which closes behind
  him and vanishes without a trace.
thief arrives in the Lounge from a hole in the wall, which closes behind it
  and vanishes without a trace.
ddyte says, "... to take it upon herself to cheer me up on my birthday and
  invite me out to do something."
Ryan says (to dytie), "Exs are fun."
Grocible asks, "dd: do you want to see her?"
Jota says (to thief), "Hello, thief."
neild asks (to dd), "Will that cheer you up?"
ddyte says (to groc), "No."
thief exclaims (to jota), "Arr!"
ddyte says (to neild), "Unlikely."
Grocible asks, "dd: er then why not make an excuse?"
neild asks (to dd), "Can you find something else to do?"
Ryan says, "The thief is a lean and hungry gentleman."
neild exclaims (to Groc), "STOP SAYING WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY!"
Grocible says, "dd: please don't do something you don't want to do on your
  own birthday"
neild exclaims (to Groc), "Ha! I wasn't about to say that!"
inky says (to ddyte), "what they said"
ddyte says, "However, it is better than the added hassle of telling her
  this. Since it would inevitably come out as "I really hate you" which isn't
  true."
Caoif goes east.
thief goes east.
ddyte says, "The thing is, she already knew I have totally nothing else to
  do."
Grocible says, "dd: it doesn't have to. "I feel we should take a break from
  seeing one another" is a popular euphemism"
inky says, "if you do it tactfully, it'll come out as "I don't hate you
  much""
ddyte says (to groc), "It's been 19 months."
Grocible says, "dd: gosh. that's hardly any time at all!"
neild says (to dd), "Tell her you were invited to an online party. She'll
  be so disgusted at your geekdom, she won't get offended."
ddyte says, "I had this whole family and Kerryn dinner planned, and *every
  single person* couldn't make it."
ddyte says (to neild), "Hee!"
neild asks (to dd), "Including family and Kerryn?"
ddyte says, "The good part is, she is devoid of ideas, so suggested a
  movie. So little or no conversation will take place."
Grocible says, "dd: shame you couldn't pre-pone your trip"
ddyte says (to neild), "Er, yes."
Grocible says, "dd: actually. here's a terrific idea"
Grocible says, "dd: your birthday is NOT coming up"
neild says (to dd), "You need better friends. And family."
Grocible says, "dd: you will NOT be turning 30 shortly"
Grocible says, "dd: due to a curious temporarl warp, you will be turning
  30... on your holiday!"
neild exclaims (to ddyte), "Yeah! Hypertime!"
ddyte says, "Yay!"
Grocible says, "dd: not only that, but every day of your trip is your
  birthday"
Ryan says, "tesseract, baby!"
Grocible says, "dd: which means of course that all your net friends will
  have to treat you"
ddyte says, "Oooh, I like that bit."
neild says (to Groc), "Whoa there. I can't afford all the presents."
Ryan says (to ddyte), "only problem is, if you're away for 28 days, you'll
  end up being 57 years old."
(From Jota) Grocible says, "dd: ...like a conniving little liar."
Grocible asks, "neild: aw come on! how about a Statue of Liberty
  keychain?"
neild says (to Groc), "I'm spending two weeks with this weasel, remember."
inky says (to Ryan), "hee"
ddyte says (to ryan), "Oops."
ddyte says (to neild), "And remember, weasels love to get into your
  pants."
neild says (to Groc), "If I have to buy him 14 presents, I'm gonna -- okay,
  never mind, I'm thoroughly thrown off now."
Grocible says, "no it's your 30th birthday every time owing to a really
  strange temporal loop"
Caoif enters, enthusiastically enraptured by the ensuing entropy. Whatever
  that means.
Caoif asks (to ryan), "What happens to the stuff the thief takes?"
Ryan says (to caoif), "good question."
inky says, "I think he's carrying it all"
Jota asks (to Caoif), "It goes into his inventory?"
ddyte says, "I'll just go on Saturday and be quiet and be *nice* and forget
  it ever happened very rapidly after."
Caoif asks (to jota), "Yes. But how is one supposed to get the stuff
  back?"
<mef> My girlfriend's back, and she brought a can of whup-ass.
Grocible says, "dd: my idea is cooler, I think"
mef strides in amidst the fog and gloom. Three monkey witches follow him,
  ooking in iambic pentameter. After calling mef the "Thane of Quendor", the
  witches abruptly exeunt, leaving the fog to dissipate.
mef says, "Hey."
Jota asks (to Caoif), "@tel?"
Ryan says (to caoif), "attack him with the nasty knife"
inky says (to ddyte), "you could take tranquilizers right beforehand so you
  collapse in the middle of the meal and she takes you home"
Jota says (to Ryan), "That too."
mef is about to quit his teaching job.
Caoif says (to ryan), "People leave things lying around. They might want to
  use thiose things. If the thief has them, they can't use them"
neild exclaims, "Yay!"
Ryan asks (to caoif), "no kidding?"
Caoif says (to ryan), "What about the toyshop? If the thief gets in there,
  not much will be left..."
ddyte says (to inky), "You are a smart fellow."
Ryan hollers, "thief, put stuff back!"
inky asks (to mef), "mm?"
inky says, "thief is gone"
Jota shoves the thief into the closet, and locks the door.
Caoif says (to ryan), "All in all, I think most ifMUDDers prefer being able
  to find stuff..."
mef says (to inky), "Yeah. I am getting paid too little for this much
  stress and bullshit."
Ryan says (to caoif), "@find"
(From Grocible) thief and Graham Nelson duke it out in the closet!
Grocible asks, "any bets anyone?"
Ryan says, "bid 15 cork nuts"
Alex awwwks. "Want cork nut!"
Grocible says, "I bid 4 quatloos on the newcomer"
neild asks (to mef), "Where are yuo teaching?"
Caoif says (to ryan), ""I mean, ifMUDDErs shouldn't be forced to look for
  missing items on account of some bot who takes them and won't give them
  back. Also, they might enjoy other people's items and not be able to use
  them anymore..."
Caoif says (to ryan), "So having some bot clean out areas is not a good
  idea."
Grocible asks, "caoif: hey buddy. you've really got your knickers in a
  twist over this one, eh?"
Caoif dropped Best NPCs noms.
(From Jota) theif got Best NPCs noms.
ddyte gives chalk to neild.
neild laughs.
Caoif says (to ryan), "I'm sorry. But having a thief bot is going too
  far."
neild says (to dd), "I will treasure it always."
Ryan says (to caoif), "oh."
ddyte says, "Yay!"
inky says (to Caoif), "I think it's not going to happen, Caoif."
neild says (to dd), "Er, without implying that I'll treat it as personal
  property, of course."
Grocible says, "I hear Ellison is working on a bot that goes around
  savagely fucking people at random."
neild falls over.
inky laughs.
ddyte says (to neild), "Well, yes. This is no corporate tax chalk."
inky says, "now THAT'S labor-saving technology!"
Ryan asks (to groc), "does it use garden implements?"

[Alex] inky says (to Alex), "log off"

[Log finished Thu Mar 11 01:10:38 1999]