'interactive fiction', a meaningless signifier?

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Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

In a way, a novel in book form is more 'interactive' than, say, Photopia. If
you're terminally ill, and determined not to miss out on the surprise
ending, you can at least read the last chapter first.

With the exception of unconditional reflexes, just about any human action
could be construed of as 'interactive'. 'Interactive fiction' could thus
denote anything from oral storytelling, through the Illiad (you can
'interactively' skip book 2, if you get bogged down at the ship catalogue)
to CYOA. Are we doing humanity a service by inventing a category that
entails almost everything and means almost nothing?

Or is this just the Cadresque way of saying "I write Fiction, not some
kiddie games."?
 
Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

In article <TJLTc.617$d5.4803@newsb.telia.net>,
John Swanson <samerica@com.de> wrote:
>In a way, a novel in book form is more 'interactive' than, say, Photopia. If
>you're terminally ill, and determined not to miss out on the surprise
>ending, you can at least read the last chapter first.
>
>With the exception of unconditional reflexes, just about any human action
>could be construed of as 'interactive'. 'Interactive fiction' could thus
>denote anything from oral storytelling, through the Illiad (you can
>'interactively' skip book 2, if you get bogged down at the ship catalogue)
>to CYOA. Are we doing humanity a service by inventing a category that
>entails almost everything and means almost nothing?
>
>Or is this just the Cadresque way of saying "I write Fiction, not some
>kiddie games."?

Troll-o-meter: 3
 
Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

In article <Xns9546E75C4FD56dsdoty@38.119.71.33>,
David Doty <davedoty@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Maybe something like the Cuban Missle Crisis, in which you have to navigate
>the stormy political waters. The optimal path is essentially a work of
>non-fiction. There might be alternate endings that are either better or
>(much) worse than the actual outcome, but only one path with accurate steps
>leading to an accurate outcome.
>
>Well, I'd be interested. Stop looking at me like that.

Er, "Jigsaw" ?

Adam
 
Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

adam@fsf.net (Adam Thornton) wrote in news:cfqmdl$pij$1@news.fsf.net:

> Er, "Jigsaw" ?
>

Wasn't aware the nonfictional version of events involved a time traveller
going around setting things to rights. :)

Dave Doty
 
Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

In article <Xns95477937A13C5dsdoty@38.119.71.33>,
David Doty <davedoty@hotmail.com> wrote:
>adam@fsf.net (Adam Thornton) wrote in news:cfqmdl$pij$1@news.fsf.net:
>
>> Er, "Jigsaw" ?
>>
>
>Wasn't aware the nonfictional version of events involved a time traveller
>going around setting things to rights. :)

Well, you wouldn't've been, now would you?

Adam
 
Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

"FB" <annapiet@earthlink.net> wrote:

> That's like saying that you're "interfacing" with a text adventure when
> you switch off the monitor during play. Turning pages and skipping
> chapters is part of the interface of the book medium, not the novel.
> The novel doesn't have anything that could be meaningfully called
> an "interface".

Exactly! Well-put.

S.
 
Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

"S" <dont@spam.com> skrev i meddelandet
news:9q9Uc.9786$Tr.471472@news20.bellglobal.com...
>
> "FB" <annapiet@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> > That's like saying that you're "interfacing" with a text adventure when
> > you switch off the monitor during play. Turning pages and skipping
> > chapters is part of the interface of the book medium, not the novel.
> > The novel doesn't have anything that could be meaningfully called
> > an "interface".
>
> Exactly! Well-put.

Thank you.

I would also like to thank all of you who participated in this thread,
including my personas: John Swanson, FB, Jacek Pudlo and
miketurco@hotmail.com, who stumbled in for no apparent reason.
 
Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

Why don't people just ignore this idiot? He's only doing it for the
attention after all.

"Jacek Pudlo, John Swanson, FB" <jacek@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:z7aUc.101069$dP1.352386@newsc.telia.net...
>
> "S" <dont@spam.com> skrev i meddelandet
> news:9q9Uc.9786$Tr.471472@news20.bellglobal.com...
> >
> > "FB" <annapiet@earthlink.net> wrote:
> >
> > > That's like saying that you're "interfacing" with a text adventure
when
> > > you switch off the monitor during play. Turning pages and skipping
> > > chapters is part of the interface of the book medium, not the novel.
> > > The novel doesn't have anything that could be meaningfully called
> > > an "interface".
> >
> > Exactly! Well-put.
>
> Thank you.
>
> I would also like to thank all of you who participated in this thread,
> including my personas: John Swanson, FB, Jacek Pudlo and
> miketurco@hotmail.com, who stumbled in for no apparent reason.
>
>
>
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

"David Whyld" <me@dwhyld.plus.com> wrote:

>Why don't people just ignore this idiot? He's only doing it for the
>attention after all.

You're so right. Why don't *you*?

(Yes, I can see the irony, thanks. But at least I don't cr*ssp**t, and
I don't quote the t**ll.)

--
Sophie Frühling

"El arte no viste pantalones."
-- Rubén Darío
 
Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

"David Whyld" <me@dwhyld.plus.com> wrote:

> Why don't people just ignore this idiot? He's only doing it for the
> attention after all.

Point taken.

S.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

Yeah, I know... don't feed the trolls, etc. But I thought he actually had an
interesting point this time. Isn't a game that is only nominally interactive
in some ways similar to a conversation between multiple pseudonyms of the
same person? (Or am I reading more into this than was intended...)

Andrew


"David Whyld" <me@dwhyld.plus.com> wrote in message
news:41224342$0$526$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net...
> Why don't people just ignore this idiot? He's only doing it for the
> attention after all.
>
> "Jacek Pudlo, John Swanson, FB" <jacek@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:z7aUc.101069$dP1.352386@newsc.telia.net...
> >
> > "S" <dont@spam.com> skrev i meddelandet
> > news:9q9Uc.9786$Tr.471472@news20.bellglobal.com...
> > >
> > > "FB" <annapiet@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > >
> > > > That's like saying that you're "interfacing" with a text adventure
> when
> > > > you switch off the monitor during play. Turning pages and skipping
> > > > chapters is part of the interface of the book medium, not the novel.
> > > > The novel doesn't have anything that could be meaningfully called
> > > > an "interface".
> > >
> > > Exactly! Well-put.
> >
> > Thank you.
> >
> > I would also like to thank all of you who participated in this thread,
> > including my personas: John Swanson, FB, Jacek Pudlo and
> > miketurco@hotmail.com, who stumbled in for no apparent reason.
> >
> >
> >
>
>
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

Sure it was an interesting question. But Jassec presented it with all of the
academic curiosity of a jackhammer going through the skull of a FATALite. If
he really cared about serious answers to his question he wouldn't have
called IF a childish passtime on an IF newsgroup. This aint difficult.

(notice how I pointedly refuse to actually answer the original question in
favor of bashing someone who has already been thoroughly bashed. This is
because I am lame.)

--

_____

Why settle for the lesser evil? Cthulhu for president!
"Andrew Krywaniuk" <askrywan@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news😛EYUc.147640$gE.20645@pd7tw3no...
> Yeah, I know... don't feed the trolls, etc. But I thought he actually had
an
> interesting point this time. Isn't a game that is only nominally
interactive
> in some ways similar to a conversation between multiple pseudonyms of the
> same person? (Or am I reading more into this than was intended...)
>
> Andrew
>
>
> "David Whyld" <me@dwhyld.plus.com> wrote in message
> news:41224342$0$526$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net...
> > Why don't people just ignore this idiot? He's only doing it for the
> > attention after all.
> >
> > "Jacek Pudlo, John Swanson, FB" <jacek@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:z7aUc.101069$dP1.352386@newsc.telia.net...
> > >
> > > "S" <dont@spam.com> skrev i meddelandet
> > > news:9q9Uc.9786$Tr.471472@news20.bellglobal.com...
> > > >
> > > > "FB" <annapiet@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > That's like saying that you're "interfacing" with a text adventure
> > when
> > > > > you switch off the monitor during play. Turning pages and skipping
> > > > > chapters is part of the interface of the book medium, not the
novel.
> > > > > The novel doesn't have anything that could be meaningfully called
> > > > > an "interface".
> > > >
> > > > Exactly! Well-put.
> > >
> > > Thank you.
> > >
> > > I would also like to thank all of you who participated in this thread,
> > > including my personas: John Swanson, FB, Jacek Pudlo and
> > > miketurco@hotmail.com, who stumbled in for no apparent reason.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
 
Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

> In a way, a novel in book form is more 'interactive' than, say, Photopia. If
> you're terminally ill, and determined not to miss out on the surprise
> ending, you can at least read the last chapter first.

In "interactive fiction," the term "interactive" does not mean that a
human can interact with the text. I'm surprised if anyone finds this
genuinely confusing; it's quite commonplace that a word develops a
specialized meaning. Journalism does not imply that the text is in a
journal.

I recommend figuring out what a term means by looking at the things
conventionally categorized by the term.
 
Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

versim@hotmail.com (Steve Breslin) wrote in
news:f407dc2b.0408201947.781396da@posting.google.com:

> I'm surprised if anyone finds this
> genuinely confusing;

No one does; he's a troll pretending it's confusing. And you fed him, and
I fed him by responding to you. He's a pretty smooth troll, so it's easy
to get taken in; I did not to long ago.

Dave Doty
 
Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

> Journalism does not imply that the text is in a
> journal.

Come, come, we'd have to go back to the word's semantic origins for
that. That's a bad example, because in Portuguese, for instance,
journalism is "jornalismo", and "jornal" means newspaper; "telejornal"
is the TV news. So what may be not very logic in one language may be
in another, closer to the word's semantic roots. I believe this
particular one comes from Latin, so it's bound to make more sense for
Portuguese, Hispanic, French, Romenian, Italian (and so on) people.
 
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