From:	Luke Kendall <luke@********.CANON.OZ.AU>
Subject:	Re: SR's Magic System
Date:	Fri, 9 Jun 1995 10:10:42 +1000

Here's a concrete suggestion: how about not using the term WYTIWYG
any more, and instead call it `the Belief Effect'?

I wrote:

> The real `fix' is to stop using the term WYTIWYG - it's too misleading.
> It's not what you think is what you get. It's just that a few (very
> few) of the rules of magic are limited by people's belief systems.

The Digital Mage replied:

> Then perhaps if someone feels they absolutely must use the term perhaps
> they could change it to WYBIWYG ie What You *Believe* (on a most
> fundamental and subconscious level) Is What You Get.

That's better, but not enough! Only a few of the rules would be
altered by what you believe.


Martin Steffens wrote:

> You could explain the magic-system as having a large set of
> possibilities, but in which the individual user of magic is hampered
> (or aided) by his or her views on magic. [...] I thing you
> should view WYTIWYG in this socio-psychological way, and not as the
> underlaying law of magic.

Which is a fair way of putting it, I think.

To put that into context, Martin also said:

> [...] I
> invented the term a couple of months ago to explain the behaviour of
> insect-spirits (bugger and I hate acronyms :) and since then the term
> has, through Janni's excellent posts about it, become a bit of a
> catch-all term.

luke