253 lines
7.3 KiB
HTML
253 lines
7.3 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
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<html>
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<head>
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<meta content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"
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http-equiv="content-type">
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<title>Open Letter to the MUD Newcomer</title>
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</head>
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<body>
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"I am very excited to start a mud. I don't know how to code for <br>
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muds, but I have a super great idea for one. All I need is for <br>
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folks to come do what I tell them."
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<br>
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<br>
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This, in many different phrasings, is one of the most common
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<br>
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requests for help on mud forums. It very often generates <br>
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hostility and ends in sadness. I'm of the opinion that there
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<br>
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should be some standard FAQ-style answer to it, in order to
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<br>
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minimize the pain that this sort of request generates. This
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<br>
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open letter is an attempt at that standard response.
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<br>
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<br>
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<br>
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<strong>Open Letter to the Newcomer Who Wants to Start A MUD</strong>
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<br>
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<br>
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Dear Newcomer,
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<br>
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<br>
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Welcome! I am very glad you're excited about muds and I
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<br>
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hope you stay and become a frequent participant and <br>
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contributor to this forum. I also extend to you my most
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<br>
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sincere wish that you succeed in your game. The community
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<br>
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benefits from more good games.
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<br>
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<br>
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Please forgive any hostile posts you receive as a result
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<br>
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of your request for assistance. You may not be aware of
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<br>
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some important things about the community of folks who
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<br>
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create and run muds (mud developers), and this letter is <br>
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meant to guide you through some things you ought to know.
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<br>
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<br>
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* <strong>We are volunteers.</strong> With very, very few exceptions,
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mud <br>
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devs don't get paid for it. They do what they do for their <br>
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own pleasure, and help others out of love for the hobby. <br>
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Remember that! If we seem testy sometimes, it's often <br>
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because we think we are trying to defend something we love.
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<br>
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<br>
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* <strong>We have been hurt.</strong> There are literally thousands of
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muds
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<br>
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that started, got nowhere, and closed in short order. I'd
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<br>
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be willing to bet there have been tens of thousands. Many
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<br>
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of us have donated our time, our creativity, our sweat to
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<br>
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such muds. Some of us have had it happen more than once. We
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<br>
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may still be sore about it. When we see another forum post
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<br>
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advertising a mud that we think will do the same, sometimes
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<br>
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we have a hard time giving the benefit of doubt, and we say
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<br>
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rude things. Please forgive us.
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<br>
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<br>
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* <strong>We don't want others to be hurt.</strong> When we see a post
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for
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<br>
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a mud that looks like another of these "wasted my time" muds,
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<br>
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we sometimes ask very pointed questions to determine the
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<br>
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viability of that project. It's not about being jealous of
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<br>
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your idea. It's not about hatred of things that are new. We
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<br>
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really want to know how serious you are, and how likely you
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<br>
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are to waste people's time. Believe it or not, we can usually
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<br>
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tell. The fastest way to prove your mud will go nowhere is
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<br>
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to respond to such posts in a hostile and immature manner.
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<br>
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Avoid that. Just accept that we're trying to help other mud
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<br>
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devs know more about you and your project.
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<br>
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<br>
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* <strong>Lazy people drive us crazy.</strong> I am not calling you
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lazy. But
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<br>
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your post may have made you look that way. Some newcomers
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<br>
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say things like "I really just can't code, I've tried." This
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<br>
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sounds like you just can't be bothered, and are trying to <br>
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get people to do your job. Coding is very hard for some folks,
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<br>
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and it's ok that you're not good at it. But insisting on not
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<br>
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coding, and not getting better at it, is a very strong mark
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<br>
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against you. It may not *be* laziness, but no matter how you
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<br>
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excuse it, it comes off that way. Don't sound lazy. And
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<br>
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don't be lazy. Plan on improving your coding skills, and <br>
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explain that this is your plan.
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<br>
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<br>
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* <strong>We don't need you as a boss.</strong> If your idea is good
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enough,
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<br>
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I can just make my own mud with it, and not bother involving you.
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<br>
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You need to explain what role you will play, and why you are
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<br>
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the right person to play that role. Remember that this is
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<br>
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very much a job interview...but you're not interviewing
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<br>
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candidates. You are the candidate. You are showing us why
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<br>
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you're the right person to run the mud, and what skills and
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<br>
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experience you bring to that job. <br>
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<br>
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* <strong>Your awesome idea is one of 10,000.</strong> It is important
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for
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<br>
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you to understand that. Just having an awesome idea doesn't
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<br>
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even come close to convincing anyone that the idea needs
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<br>
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a mud, and that you need to be the boss of it, and that
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<br>
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people should want to come and work on it for you, for free.
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<br>
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The idea is important, but it is not the most important part.
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<br>
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<br>
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You might feel a bit bewildered at this point. Just what do
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<br>
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mud devs want to see that might make them want to join your
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<br>
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project? It's not an easy question to answer, but here
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<br>
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are some things worth demonstrating:
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<br>
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<br>
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- <strong>Maturity.</strong> Show us you're a grownup that can handle
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criticism
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<br>
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well and doesn't think he is owed free labor.
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<br>
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<br>
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- <strong>Planning.</strong> The surest way to know I should disregard
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a project
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<br>
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is that you haven't bothered to research anything. If you don't
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<br>
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know a mud host from a web host, you're probably wasting my time.
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<br>
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If you have no idea which codebases to investigate for suitability,
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<br>
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you haven't done your homework. If you're serious, you'll
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<br>
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be able to show your planning. <br>
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<br>
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- <strong>Commitment.</strong> If you really are serious about this
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project,
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<br>
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you have work to show us already. Perhaps you've started
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<br>
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testing on a codebase. Perhaps you have a design document laid out.
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<br>
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Something to show you're not just begging on the street for
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<br>
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someone to make you a mud. Explain the work you've done thus far.
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<br>
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<br>
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- <strong>Motivation.</strong> I want to see the fire in your belly.
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If I
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<br>
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spend my time and share my skills on a project, I want to know
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<br>
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it's run by someone determined to make things work. <br>
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<br>
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- <strong>Experience.</strong> Tell us about the projects you've
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managed. If they <br>
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failed, why did they fail? Your experience need not be perfect, <br>
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but you should show how you've learned from it.
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<br>
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<br>
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The sad fact is that most muds that start will fail. You have
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<br>
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to show prospective mud devs why your mud will not, and why they
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<br>
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will not be wasting their time on it. <br>
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<br>
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You might at this point be coming to the realization that
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<br>
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you may in fact not really be ready to start a successful
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<br>
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project. That is not shameful, it is not a sign of personal
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<br>
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fault. We all have to start somewhere. If you're feeling like
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<br>
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maybe your project won't meet the standards laid out in this
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<br>
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this document, don't just give up. Find a project that can
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<br>
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use a newcomer, and learn the ropes.
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<br>
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<br>
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That's usually how it works, you see. Newcomers don't usually
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<br>
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start as captain, they usually begin as beginners. There's
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<br>
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no shame in it, and I'm pretty sure that starting the
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<br>
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normal way is a very good way to prepare to eventually run
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<br>
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a successful project of your own.
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<br>
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<br>
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Your pal,
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<br>
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<br>
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-Cratylus
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<br>
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<br>
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PS See also: <a
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href="http://www.gammon.com.au/forum/bbshowpost.php?bbsubject_id=2293">http://www.gammon.com.au/forum/bbshowpost.php?bbsubject_id=2293</a><br>
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</body>
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</html>
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