Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site umcp-cs.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!umcp-cs!israel From: israel@umcp-cs.UUCP Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Re: alternate universes Message-ID: <1876@umcp-cs.UUCP> Date: Mon, 15-Aug-83 19:54:44 EDT Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.1876 Posted: Mon Aug 15 19:54:44 1983 Date-Received: Tue, 16-Aug-83 14:36:54 EDT References: orca.49 <231@aplvax.UUCP> Organization: Univ. of Maryland, Computer Science Dept. Lines: 34 Obviously the way to number alternate universes is not with an absolute numbering scheme, but instead by relative transformations. For example, a computer is a good example of a separate universe, and I am currently on the "umcp-cs" universe. There are transformations from our universe called "aplvax", "rlgvax", and "seismo", among others, so I can reference the universes "umcp-cs!aplvax", "umcp-cs!rlgvax", and "umcp-cs!seismo". I can reference alternate beings like "umcp-cs!aplvax!eric" and "umcp-cs!rlgvax!guy" (fictional beings if ever I've seen any!). A referencing scheme then just needs the base universe and the list of transformations to get to the target universe. Of course, if you can't get to the destination universe (physically or informationally) then you don't need to reference it. Some examples of referencing characters in other universes are (using the base universe "this universe") "startrek!kirk" (general character reference), startrek!"the day of the dove episode"!kirk (kirk in that episode), "earth!1974!Bruce Israel" (me when I graduated high school), "Time Enough for Love, by RAH"!second-to-last-section!Ted Bronson (Lazarus Long, fighting in WWII), etc. All we need is a general mail facility for this, so I could do mail "site!!idiot" Don't post that request on net.general, put it on net.auto instead! ...!umcp-cs!"August 15, 1983"!"7:54 p.m."!israel -- ~~~ Bruce Computer Science Dept., University of Maryland {rlgvax,seismo}!umcp-cs!israel (Usenet) israel.umcp-cs@Udel-Relay (Arpanet)