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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: "Robert A. Hayden" <hayden@*******.MANKATO.MSUS.EDU>
Subject: Happy Birthday
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 16:21:27 -0600
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear ShadowTalk
Happy Birthday to you

------

Yes, it was one year ago this very day that the ShadowTalk list came
online. In that time we've had lots of kidnappings, a matrix war or two,
AIs, a revolution, weddings, deaths, a talking toaster, a grumpy dragon and
other things far too numerous to mention.

Just to give you some numbers for the amount of information that has
passed over a tiny list that started with around 10 people:

-----------------

Total size of digests (November 2, 1992 thru October 31, 1993)
8,769,854 bytes

Total size of edited digests (same period)
5,849,931 bytes

Number of people subscribed to ShadowTalk (November 2, 1993)
146

Number of people subscribed to PLOT-D (November 2, 1993)
43

Size of FAQ (November 2, 1993)
20,999 bytes

Size of Cast listing (November 2, 1993)
94,114 bytes

--------------------------

This project has been far more successful than I could possibly have
imagined when I started it. You should all give yourselves a pat on the
back and a bowl of ice cream. I'm proud of you all.

Let's see if we can keep up the great work, and maybe even increase the
traffic for fiscal 1994. :-)

____ Robert A. Hayden <=> hayden@*******.mankato.msus.edu
\ /__ -=-=-=-=- <=> -=-=-=-=-
\/ / Finger for Geek Code Info <=> Veteran of the Bermuda Triangle
\/ Finger for PGP 2.3a Public Key <=> Expeditionary Force -- 1993-1951
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
(GEEK CODE 1.0.1) GAT d- -p+(---) c++(++++) l++ u++ e+/* m++(*)@ s-/++
n-(---) h+(*) f+ g+ w++ t++ r++ y+(*)
Message no. 2
From: "Robert A. Hayden" <hayden@*******.MANKATO.MSUS.EDU>
Subject: Re: Happy Birthday
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1993 01:05:02 -0600
On Tue, 2 Nov 1993, Nightfox wrote:

> Happy Birthday list!!!!!!!!
>
> Hey Rob - is this the ACTUAL birthday, or is the day when everyone
> started to use their characters? (Vinnie, then a few people, then me)

On november 2th, the list actually was created by the High Lords of
Hearn. If you remember, int he preceeding three weeks or so,
'ShadowBabble' was carried on on the ShadowRN list, but was moved when a
vote was taken in which about a dozen people voted for the seperate list
and four or five voted AGAINST!

I started with a decker character named Dante' who quietly slipped into
the shadows after the new year, to be replaced by Norm Conquest (a troll
coming of age with his shamanistic calling, now a top executive for
Yoshida Tech). MONICA and RUFUS were also born out of the MagnaTech fiasco
which traced its roots back to the defunct 'Underground' newsletter I was
producing for my local games. Vinnie contributed greatly and the
spillover obviously occured. The Underground folded after four issues
when ShadowTalk became a better forum for fiction writing (and my gaming
group folded due to graduations and marriages).

We began with a core group of about 15 people, averaging about 15 or so
postings a day, until February when MONICA caused all hell to break
loose, and we then skyrocketed to our first month with over .5 megs of
postings, and several days where the list froze after the 50 post limit.
Today we average about .75 megs of material a month.

When PLOT-D came online, storylines lost some of the spontaniety that
existed back in February and March, but also developed, I believe, much
more depth to them than simple soap opera settings with little
direction. I'm not sure if this is good or not, but material has
continued to come in at an unbelievable pace.

When I created this list. I never imagined that it would become what it
is today. I never imagined there being over 100 people on the list and
megs of information pouring in. It is all quite staggering.

I have archives at home, on tape, of all the archives, both edited and
unedited. Almost nine megabytes of raw text was created in the span of
12 short months. That's a tremendous achievement and I'd like to say
that, taken as a whole, I have never worked with a finer group of
people. We've turned a simple fun activity into a story with a life of
its own, with characters that can be believed, in a setting as alluring
as it is fearful.

In the next year, I encourage you all to stretch your talents and your
lives by seeing if we can leave this year's record far behind in the dust.

In peace,

Your fearless leader,
Robert

--
____ Robert A. Hayden <=> hayden@*******.mankato.msus.edu
\ /__ -=-=-=-=- <=> -=-=-=-=-
\/ / Finger for Geek Code Info <=> Veteran of the Bermuda Triangle
\/ Finger for PGP 2.3a Public Key <=> Expeditionary Force -- 1993-1951
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
(GEEK CODE 1.0.1) GAT d- -p+(---) c++(++++) l++ u++ e+/* m++(*)@ s-/++
n-(---) h+(*) f+ g+ w++ t++ r++ y+(*)
Message no. 3
From: MAGECK <JVXNSYA@***.BITNET>
Subject: Happy Birthday
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 1994 13:28:21 -0500
>>>>>[Happy Birthday STREETWOLF. Hopefully you can enjoy it with Val and
Stormy and Hermit. I hope everything works out well.]<<<<<
-- Patricia O'Connor(13:27:15/04:01:55)

>>>>>[Happy Birthday Streetie......


Everyone out there be sure to wish STREETWOLF a happy 23rd Birthday today. yes
he was born on the day of fools. How appropriate. *snicker*
Just kidding Streetie honey.]<<<<<
-- Colice Brightstar(13:30:25/04:01:55)
Message no. 4
From: Nightfox <DJWA@******.UCC.NAU.EDU>
Subject: Happy Birthday
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 1994 17:47:15 -0700
***** Have a joyous twenty third birthday Wendy. I will see about making it to
Seattle tonight.*****
-- Nightfox <N'Ralan Filox>


>>>>>[ CRUSH want wish Wendy happy birthday. Happy birthday
Wendy]<<<<<
-- CRUSH <17:36:29/04-16-55>


>>>>>[ Happy Birthday Spirit, sorry Lister and I can't be there, but we'll
make
it up to you.]<<<<<
-- Kichanski <17:38:30/04-16-55>


>>>>>[ And don't be late to your birthday dinner again this time, CB and I
didn't spend half the day making it to have it go cold.]<<<<<
-- Sheena <17:46:16/04-16-55>
Message no. 5
From: "Jason Carter, Nightstalker" <CARTER@***.EDU>
Subject: Re: Happy Birthday
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 1994 03:08:24 -0700
>>>>>[ I did not realize that it was your birthday. Well, very happy
birthday
Wendy and good luck in you 24th year. ]<<<<<
-- Raven the Mage <03:19:26/04-17-55>

>>>>>[ Same here, Spirit. ]<<<<<
-- Nightstalker <03:20:05/04-17-55>
Message no. 6
From: Can I play with madness <MKNABUSCH@******.BITNET>
Subject: Re: Happy Birthday
Date: Mon, 18 Apr 1994 19:38:38 -0400
>>>>>[Ouch, my bleeding head. Happy Birthday Spirit. And
many more to come, I hope.]<<<<<
- Harlequin <Ha-Ha-Ha>

Further Reading

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Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.

Thwap!