Evelyn Teutsch
Foogue
D, 1996, Internet
Drawings: Diana Wesser

Firstly:: What is all this actually supposed to be?
What is ***FOOGUE***, what is a MOO? ***FOOGUE***
The cultivation of virtual worlds. On the planet ***FOOGUE*** there is a forum, an intersection point where all the ideas and questions thrown up by the new medium can be exchanged. Here occupants have the possibility of acquiring VR experience, commenting on this and working on it artistically, a kind of workshop whose output can be seen on ***FOOGUE***. Questions come up about the meaning and possibilities for the body in cyberspace, or the potential of these Virtual Worlds for the reconstruction of gender, questions about the future of man, about the nature of technology and the crossing of boundaries. The crossing of boundaries has also become the most important aim in the formal field as well during the cultivation process. Building on the story of the origins of the first MOOs as a child of the hacker ethic, I complement mere provision of computer capacity and the possibility of creative development within the MOO code with an attempt to make this world more accessible, to make it easier for Net novices to get started and to break down the knowledge barrier. This aim is to be achieved by browser compatibility, a user-friendly interface and by making the planet visible in 3D (using VRLM), without depriving the world of any depth.
What is a MOO?
A MOO is a Multi-User Object Oriented virtual environment, an interactive system. A number of players log on at the same time via Telnet and are able to communicate with each other in real time. MOOs are based on the MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) concept, but they focus more on social interaction, communication and learning experiences than on role-play. The environment is described purely in terms of text, and personal interactions are introduced by simple commands. Rather like short e-mails that you send to a group of people and can then read all the answers on the screen at the same time. To give the environment a more realistic atmosphere the players are able not only to speak, but to express feelings and actions (Emote commands). Here they are in virtual buildings or rooms and working with virtual objects. Anyone visiting a MOO for the first time to form an impression will log on as a visitor first and then – if wished – create a game character. Later it is also possible to acquire programmer status and help to create the virtual environment yourself. It is possible in MOOs for virtual associations to be established between people who may not yet have seen each other in normal life. In time these associations develop their own manners, their own language and even their own rules and standards of behaviour. There is now some literature available about MUDs and MOOs (on the WWW as well), dealing with the question of why these virtual worlds are so fascinating and what precisely it is about them that is different, better or worse than real life, and what influence they have on their players. As you can imagine, this is a complicated subject . . . *back*
Secondly:: the journey there or teleportation: How do I connect up with ***FOOGUE***?
The quickest, simplest and most convenient way: go to the ***FOOGUE* starter page and click on this teapot-shaped planet. (Though the Browser has to be able to run Java. If it has the Cosmoplayer Plug-in as well you’ll have the pleasure of being able to view ***FOOGEU** in 3D!) In any case, and specially for Mac users: download either a Mudclient (for Macs the best thing is Muddweller), or if it’s around use a Telnet program.
In both cases the address to put in for ***FOOGUE*** is: foogue.unu.nu 7777. 7777 is the port number, which sometimes has to be submitted as well (or simply try out the link, it can be that Telnet will start up automatically). In a Unix-Shell simply type in the following line: telnet foogue.unu.nu 7777 *back*
Thirdly:: Tips for logging on and character devising
If step two has worked, the ***FOOGUE*** welcome text appears and waits for an input. Now it is time to create your own character. To do this you need your character name and an 8-digit password. You then type this into the input box in the following order: create name password. [Oder sollte das lieber auf deutsch bleiben?] If you’ve been in ***FOOGUE*** before, and you already have a character: connect name password.
As soon as you are connected up with ***FOOGUE*** you should give you new identity a gender and a description as well as a name: to do this type help gender and Fehler! Textmarke nicht definiert. for more detailed instructions. And also help cyborg for general information about Foo_lanic bodies. *back*
Fourthly:: Body control in a parallel universe: how do I find my way around, how do I move?
Finding your way around:
First type *who* (all the commands to be typed in are in asterisks, leave out the asterisks when typing), a list appears of all the Foo_lani present on ***FOOGUE*** and also the places where they are. To look around, type *b* (for betrachte (look)), and a description of the place where you are at the moment will appear, under that the possible exits, under that the Foo-lani who happen to be there at the time. You can look more closely at all the things and beings in the room, to do this type *b atom* or *b ehoa* (it’s me), or whatever.
Moving around: use the exits simply by typing the abbreviation given.
Communication: you can talk to all the Foo_lani who are in the same room as you. Type what you want to say, with “ (inverted commas) before it:
*”Hello, how are you * what appears is: You say: “Hello, how are you”
Others can respond to this.
Foo_lani who happen to be somewhere else at the time can be contacted via *page*.
E.g.: *page ehoa Are you coming with me or shall I come to you?*
in other words the sequence is *page name text*.
For emotions and all sorts of other things use a colon instead of inverted commas: *:grinning* appears as: You’re grinning
If you forget a command when in ***FOOGUE*** type *help* *back*
--------3F654D0846349F8759C5FF43
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us=ascii; name=”Zkmfilm.txt”
Content Transfer Encoding: 7bit
Content-Disposition: inline; filename=”Zkm.txt”
[[This is the script for the MOO film. The following signs are directorial instructions, and thus not part of the film script: “___________” means: scrollstop, show MOO text so far as a short still.” “>>” means: a command follows that is typed into the command box. When the typing is finished, it disappears and the MOO script scrolls to the next scrollstop.]] This is FOOGUE.
A planet for all sorts of experiments.
Fehler! Textmarke nicht definiert.
Contact: Fehler! Textmarke nicht definiert.
Type in: connect (name) -> for a Foo_lani
create (name) for creating a Foo_lani
connect guest-> for visitors
I WANT TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE EVERYWHERE, WITH EVERYONE, ONE TO ONE, ALWAYS, FOREVER, NOW Damien Hirst.
Ë type “help” if you’re new here and don’t know what to do.
>> connect guest
***Connected***
*Bunker Café*
You have come from a great distance and landed in a café housed in an old air-raid shelter in a bunker. It is cool and dark here, and it smells of moss and river. The slightly slippery floor is cover with water about ankle-deep. Colourful garlands of light, some slides projected on the wall, showing tasty and repulsive things alternately (and some that leave you uncertain which category they are in) and a monitor provide the room with its dim light.
A sofa is snuggled into a corner, with the monitor in front of it.
Exits: out -> out of the bunker (sun, air) sbs [?svl] to the silver lake (where the fish live) gfs [?bot] border area tension project (INFO) ka [?ti] -> tile work a -> archive inside the planet rg [?to] tour around the bunker
You see coffee machine, amphora made of silicon earth, Miss Understanding, old cardboard box, and birthday card here.
You see Ehoa here.
>> “Hi!
You say: “Hi!”
Ehoa says: “Hello guest!”
Ehoa smiles.
>> look at ehoa
Ehoa
Long thin figure in a blue-black coat reaching almost to the ground. Fiery-red hair, standing up wildly. Her face and hands are covered with dusty white powder. The inside of the coat contains a lot of useful pockets for an enormous number of different complicated devices.
She seems to have something wrong with one of her feet . . .
She smells cool and dusty.
You don’t really know what to make of her.
She is awake and looks alert.
Carrying:
Wizard’s FO noise
hacker pills
>>-ehoa, what’s the matter with your foot then?
First_visitor [to Ehoa]: what’s the matter with your foot then?
Ehoa [to First_visitor]: och…nothing…
Ehoa grins maliciously.
>>look at miss understanding
Push me.
>> push miss understanding
Miss Understanding ways: “Hunt (2 minutes). Trillian smiles encouragingly at pnam. Pnambic nods to Ehoa and sprints in the direction of Anaid (i.e. once via all detours through the gathering of memorable beings. Anaid listens attentively.”
>> think oh:)
First_visitor . o O (oh :) )
>>out
5a
Expanse.
A curved metal surface, for as far as the eye can see, obviously a small planet. An air raid shelter in a bunker is reflected in the smooth metal at your feet.
perhaps you can go into it? (type *bunker*)
Exits: n – North Pole s->5b w-6a o-4a (Meditating man)
[[End of the MOO film]]