Owner Andrew Cowan Registration Optional and free | Created by Andrew Cowan Launched January 8, 1995 | |
Type of site Computer gaming website Website | ||
The Mud Connector, abbreviated TMC, is a computer gaming web site which provides articles, discussions, reviews, resource links and game listings about MUDs. The site allows MUD owners, administrators and enthusiasts to submit information and reviews about specific MUDs. Richard Bartle has recognized the site as containing over 1000 MUD listings, while the NY Times and America Online have recognized the site for its virtual communities suitable for children. The Mud Connector website has been referenced in over 50 print publications and has received over 50 research citations. The Mud Companion magazine discussed the Mud Connector in some of its articles, and one issue dedicated an entire article to the subject of using the Mud Connector to find the right MUD.
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History
The Mud Connector website was founded on January 8, 1995, by Andrew Cowan and was hosted on the University of North Carolina at Greensboro mathematics department graduate assistants' Linux server. Shortly after the website was created it was believed lost due to a fatal hard disk crash and poor backup preparations; however, within a few months the webpage was found in a Netscape cache file and restored. Initial MUD data was gathered via frequent requests made on Usenet newsgroups such as rec.games.mud.admin inviting MUD administrators to submit their muds to the TMC database. Over time the Usenet postings were phased out and TMC outgrew the capabilities of its host, eventually moving to a dedicated server.
Awards
TMC has won a variety of awards, including the Britannica Internet Guide Award for Feb, 2000, PCGAME.COM Killer Site of the Day for October 1, 1997, and FidoCon II Best Text-Based Online Community for 2007.