FIRST CYPHERPUNKS VIRTUAL MEETING

[Arthur Chandler <arthurc@crl.com>]

              FIRST CYPHERPUNKS VIRTUAL MEETING AT BAYMOO

     The first cypherpunks virtual conference will be held at BayMOO on
Wednesday, February 9, at 8pm PST (11 EST).  To get there:
       telnet (or use a client) mud.crl.com 8888
 Follow instructions for login. Type help for any topic when you get into
the MOO.  @go Cypherpunk Central to get to the main room, then type HALL
to get to the conference hall. 
   One of the virtues of this hall is that there can be large scale AND
small scale discussions going on at the same time. Here, briefly, is how
it works: 
  A. People login and go the Cypherpunk Hall
  B. One person can assume the facilitator's chair. This allows the
facilitator to set several options for the room's function.
  C. In one mode, the facilitator allows open conversation: any can speak,
and all can be heard. 
  D. In another mode, the facilitator sets the allowable number of
speakers. Those wishing to speak must request permission from the
facilitator, who can set the number anywhere from one on up.  Those
wishing to speak must request, and are given a place in line; when any of
the current speakers yield, the next in line move up automatically to
speaker status.
 E. BUT -- and here is the ingenious feature of this
conference room-- folks can sit in any of 8 rows.  If they speak while
sitting in those rows and the room is in facilitated mode, only those
sitting in their row can hear them.  The net effect is that small
conversations can take place within the larger room, but they do not
interrupt the main course of the moderated discussion. 
   F. In addition, the virtual meeting room also has a built-in [about]
function. This feature allows all participants to indicate, by a bracketed
phrase in front of their names, the topic under discussion. In this way,
if the subject begins to drift, explicit acknowledgement of the change
can be made in the [about] header. Example: 
 
   agore [about clipperchips]: So you see, we really have your
                               welfare at heart.
   hthoreau [about clipperchips]: I decline your help.
   agore [about help]: Are you arguing that the government should 
                       just let illicit operations take place unmonitored?
  hthoreau [about interference]: That depends...


  This conference hall is still beta, so be patient if buglets appear. 
  I'll also try to put in a virtual bar for more laid-back chat.  The bar 
will be connected to Cypherpunk Central. Just examine the bartender to 
see how to order drinks -- or to concoct your own.
  Hope to see you there!