Re: [SWCollect] Zork question

2004-05-06 Thread C.E. Forman
 To my knowledge Zork was a word used by computer geeks at MIT for just
 about everything, as in give me that zork over there.

That's what I've read in every article about the original mainframe Zork
(Dungeon).  It's possible the MIT term derived from the Brunner novel.


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[SWCollect] Zork question

2004-05-05 Thread Howard Feldman
I seem to remember reading somewhere that Zork was named after a mid-70's poetry
book called 'A Hastily Thrown Together Bit of Zork'.  Can't seem to find where I
read it with google.  Does anyone know if this is true?  Does anyone have the
book?  Is it also true that only 150 copies of the book were released into
general circulation?  Just wondered how 'collectible' the book is, since Ive
never seen it.

-- 
--
Howard Feldman, Author of The Search for Freedom
A Computer Fantasy Role-Playing Game
Visit its Homepage at http://home.golden.net/~feldman/SearchForFreedom/


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Re: [SWCollect] Zork question

2004-05-05 Thread Peter Olafson
I don't know if it's true, but here's some info that may help. 

"Hastily ..." waswritten by John Brunner, a well-regarded scienece fiction author, and published in 1974, Nice bio at http://members.aol.com/tishede/brunner.htm.

PeterHoward Feldman [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
I seem to remember reading somewhere that Zork was named after a mid-70's poetrybook called 'A Hastily Thrown Together Bit of Zork'. Can't seem to find where Iread it with google. Does anyone know if this is true? Does anyone have thebook? Is it also true that only 150 copies of the book were released intogeneral circulation? Just wondered how 'collectible' the book is, since Ivenever seen it.-- --Howard Feldman, Author of The Search for FreedomA Computer Fantasy Role-Playing GameVisit its Homepage at http://home.golden.net/~feldman/SearchForFreedom/--This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed tothe swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] wi!
 th a
 subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect'Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/

Re: [SWCollect] Zork question

2004-05-05 Thread Peter Olafson
While not entirely contradicting the source you suggest, this page suggests around origin, http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Zork

"Originally, 'Zork' was a name that any unfinished program around MIT got. When the game was finished the implementors called it Dungeon, but people went on calling it Zork, so the name stuck (not an unusual course of events for software and other high-tech products with entrenched 'working titles')."

Hope this helps!
Peter
Howard Feldman [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
I seem to remember reading somewhere that Zork was named after a mid-70's poetrybook called 'A Hastily Thrown Together Bit of Zork'. Can't seem to find where Iread it with google. Does anyone know if this is true? Does anyone have thebook? Is it also true that only 150 copies of the book were released intogeneral circulation? Just wondered how 'collectible' the book is, since Ivenever seen it.-- --Howard Feldman, Author of The Search for FreedomA Computer Fantasy Role-Playing GameVisit its Homepage at http://home.golden.net/~feldman/SearchForFreedom/--This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed tothe swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] wi!
 th a
 subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect'Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/

Re: [SWCollect] Zork question

2004-05-05 Thread Marco Thorek
To my knowledge Zork was a word used by computer geeks at MIT for just
about everything, as in give me that zork over there.

Its origins are lost in time; it may have been the book you mentioned,
but its not the only place the word zork was used. For example,
Mattel, I think, had toys named Chopcyles, which predate the text
adventure, and one of them was named Mighty Zork Chopcyle -

http://www.theweaponshop.com/sizzlers.html

We could guess that the future Infocom authors may have played with
those toys as kids and carried the word over to their college life.

Or they read that book. 

Marco



Howard Feldman schrieb:
 
 I seem to remember reading somewhere that Zork was named after a mid-70's poetry
 book called 'A Hastily Thrown Together Bit of Zork'.  Can't seem to find where I
 read it with google.  Does anyone know if this is true?  Does anyone have the
 book?  Is it also true that only 150 copies of the book were released into
 general circulation?  Just wondered how 'collectible' the book is, since Ive
 never seen it.
 
 --
 --
 Howard Feldman, Author of The Search for Freedom
 A Computer Fantasy Role-Playing Game
 Visit its Homepage at http://home.golden.net/~feldman/SearchForFreedom/
 
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Re: [SWCollect] Zork question

2004-05-05 Thread Marco Thorek
To my knowledge Dungeon was dropped out of fear that the people behind
Dungeons  Dragons might claim a TM conflict.

Marco



Peter Olafson schrieb:
 
 While not entirely contradicting the source you suggest, this page
 suggests around origin, http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Zork
 
 Originally, 'Zork' was a name that any unfinished program around MIT
 got. When the game was finished the implementors called it Dungeon,
 but people went on calling it Zork, so the name stuck (not an unusual
 course of events for software and other high-tech products with
 entrenched 'working titles').
 
 Hope this helps!
 Peter
 
 Howard Feldman [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 
  I seem to remember reading somewhere that Zork was named
  after a mid-70's poetry
  book called 'A Hastily Thrown Together Bit of Zork'. Can't
  seem to find where I
  read it with google. Does anyone know if this is true? Does
  anyone have the
  book? Is it also true that only 150 copies of the book were
  released into
  general circulation? Just wondered how 'collectible' the
  book is, since Ive
  never seen it.
 
  --
  --
  Howard Feldman, Author of The Search for Freedom
  A Computer Fantasy Role-Playing Game
  Visit its Homepage at
  http://home.golden.net/~feldman/SearchForFreedom/
 
  --
  This message was sent to you because you are currently
  subscribed to
  the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to
  [EMAIL PROTECTED] wi! th a subject of 'unsubscribe
  swcollect'
  Archives are available at:
  http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/

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