RAIF FAQ > About the newsgroup > 2.5: What abbreviations will I find on the newsgroups and in the FAQ?

2.5: What abbreviations will I find on the newsgroups and in the FAQ?

IF == Interactive Fiction, the subject of this FAQ
raif == rec.arts.int-fiction, the newsgroup about writing IF
rgif == rec.games.int-fiction, the newsgroup about playing IF
r*if == either of the above newsgroups
PC == Player Character, the player's character inside a game. (Also, Personal Computer, which usually implies an Intel/Microsoft setup.)
NPC == Non-Player Character, other characters inside a game.
gmd == the IF Archive (based at ftp.gmd.de)
ifMUD == Interactive Fiction Multi-User Dungeon, or some such [Are there any IF-related chat spaces?: 6.4]

You may see people referred to by nicknames, many of which are the same as their ifMUD [Are there any IF-related chat spaces?: 6.4] usernames. Most of these nicknames are similar to their real names; notable exceptions include Grocible (Neil K. Guy); Zarf (Andrew Plotkin); Whizzard (G. Kevin Wilson); devil (Andrew Pontious); and inky (Dan Shiovitz). Nobody's really sure who the Admiral Jota is.

The FAQ often refers to files on the IF-Archive; see [What is the IF-Archive?: 6.1] for more information on that.


RAIF FAQ > About the newsgroup > 2.5: What abbreviations will I find on the newsgroups and in the FAQ?