The term "Interactive Fiction" has come to have a very specific definition, as is explained at the very beginning of the article. It does not embrace MUDs, MOOs, etc. It's just a matter of definition, not a comment on the worthiness of MUDs and MOOs. In fact, I think an article on *their* history would be very, very interesting, and I think some fans of that kind of experience should write one.

I'd strongly recommend *not* giving Curses a go if you are new to IF, as it is extremely difficult and violates many of the "Player's Bill of Rights" proposed by Graham Nelson, ironically the author of Curses. An extremely quick glance at the games available via Parchment shows that Emily Short's IF Bronze, an re-envisioning of the Beauty and the Beast tale, is available, and that has many helpful featurers designed for the beginner. The area devoted to Bronze on Emily's blog also has some materials a beginner might wish to print.

There's nothing wrong with preferring a book to an interview of any kind. On Jimmy Maher's home page you will find his excellent book-length 2006 history of IF, "Let's Tell a Story Together." You'll get even more detail(!) and be taken closer to present-day IF, without the prose being broken up by the questions you find so tedious. To each his own. I'd be curious to know of any interviews by email that you consider to be good reading, showing more "spontaneity and fluidity." Or do you simply think that interview by email is a moronic idea?

I don't think there is any question that Interactive Fiction selects out for intelligence. I don't mean that snobbishly, nor do I mean that everyone who plays IF is of necessity brilliant, not do I mean that enjoying IF precludes enjoying really good graphical games. But IF is a form that requires an enjoyment of mental activity, an attraction to carefully crafted language, and a significant attention span. It's not for the hand-eye co-ordination gang nor the crowd whose greatest attraction is eye and ear candy, nor is it meant to be. Those gamers have nothing to complain about - they have plenty of extraordinary fireworks from which to choose in today's commercial gaming world.