.jpg "TEAM: Probot")
The Canon by teucer
April 23rd, 2008 7:19 PMAt the core of the game is, of course, tasking, and we have developed our own vocabulary for discussing this. For most SF0 players, points are secondary - good tasks come out of drive. Doing a task because "hey, this is an easy ten points" rarely produces something worth voting for; doing it because it inspires you and you are genuinely motivated to complete it always does. That is drive, and it's what fuels everybody who keeps doing this for very long at all.
The result of exceptional drive is known as a "shplank" - a task completion so perfect others despair of ever doing better. The joy of seeing others' shplanks is what keeps most of us reading the praxis page.
Doorhenge is the canonical shplank, and widely regarded as the best task ever completed. The task was merely to install a door somewhere; these folks went far, far beyond the requirements and created something truly epic. A few of us heretics might have a different favorite praxis, but this one has captured more people's imaginations here than any other.
The Villain was the first character created here by Dax Tran-Caffee. He created an enduring narrative and helped cement the significance of mustaches in SF0 lore.
Speaking of which, mustaches are part of the canon as well. There is no task completion which cannot be made to get more votes by adding mustaches to it.
Dax, by the way, is the most prominent member of CGØ - the most prolific of the non-SF zeroed cities. Most places with any notable number of SF0 players have an name within SF0, usually consisting of two letters followed by a zero (which is often written as a slashed o, thanks to the SF0 logo using one to distinguish us from SFO). Other notable examples that belong in the canon are MN0 (Minnesota), GY0 (Great Yarmouth, UK), and LA0 (Los Angeles). They've all got their own teams now, though in previous eras this was not so.
Dax is also responsible for the Revolution, in which a group of players attempted to tear down the University of Aesthematics. Others disagreed, and players expressed their views in a variety of ways. Some (myself included) joined Dax's revolution narrative, others befriended or befoed every revolutionary; some cogently explained their beliefs in comments, and some worked to post praxes either for or, more often, against the University. Among the most epic completions, rivaling even Doorhenge, was Lara Black, Zemaluco, and Torsten's funeral for the University of Aesthematics, in which one light for each member of the University was set floating in Lake Merritt. The walls of the University - and the walls between groups in general - were in fact torn down. Different people have different opinions of the new order which resulted.
Aside from Dax, though, there are plenty of other players worthy of especial notice. Sam, Sean, and Ian (collectively called SS&I) are our site admins and founders. They're also great taskers in their own right. GY0 Ben is responsible for introducing Great Yarmouth to the joys of SF0 and creating a community of players there to rival any other. Senator Burn Unit is still the most prominent MN0 player and, at one time, a big part of MN's temporary triumph over SF in previous eras. (The current high-scoring non-SF player is GY0 Tom, who as of this writing has the highest score in the game and is the only player eligible for every task, while the highest scoring Minnesotan is JJason - but these facts are transient and not a fundamental piece of the SF0 Canon.) BU is also noted for having made the only two known semi-sockpuppet accounts, his two children. Henry, an infant, began tasking before being born, and doesn't tend to voluntarily complete anything; Eleanor, on the other hand, is old enough to do stuff herself and has in fact been elected to the senate. Lincoln is a notable LA0 person (and presently the second highest scoring player in the game); he's famous for his constant tasking, some truly extraordinary task completions, and his habit of being constantly barefoot. Lincoln is also the Interrex - a title earned by scoring the most points during the brief era of Interregnum - and for giving us the most controversial praxis ever, as measured by both comments and flags. Charlie Fish is another noteworthy player, who attempted at the end of Glasnost to complete every single EquivalenZ task in the game. If anyone can be said to have solved a group, it's him.
Journey to the End of the Night is a street game which has been run several places, most recently Chicago. Everybody who has played has been awed. SS&I ran the first one in San Francisco.
Of course there is still room for more amendment of this SF0 Canon in the future. These are the things I regard as important for current newbies to be aware of - a little history, a little current events, a few names to watch, and mustaches.
6 vote(s)
Terms
meta, craptasktic19 comment(s)
Indeed. As you mentioned pre-edit, Rubin was omitted from the list of noteworthy things that have happened - which is a serious oversight.
I don't think everything that has ever belonged in the canon still does (or that everything I included will still seem be significant in the future), but that doesn't mean everything I left out should have been.
Dear Doktor,
Please research the great SF/MN War, lead by generals Piratey Monkey and Oliver X. Your canon is the canon with little memory, one little regard for the past. I'm fine with most of the things you've stated at present, but others like Cameron also changed and formed the canon. You've bitten off more than I believe you can chew, much like those of us who believed we could put together a comprehensive history of SF0. You've left out core functions such as score, votes, flags, and the various and surprising ways these seemingly mundane things can function.
For instance. During Impossible Exchange, the number of votes one could award were limited, meaning characters leveled up more slowly, and had to weigh where they would allot those votes. These votes were automatically given when a character leveled up. One task that allowed characters to remove points from their score based on the amount of money they spent on tasking. This allowed certain players to hit the same level twice, and to garner more votes and hence, more sway with who would receive bonus. There is so much built into the canon, and we are a populace who will quickly pick out what you have forgotten, as we are very familiar with it.. Please limit what it is you are describing, or make some sort of disclaimer.
You've taken on quite an ambitious thing here. I look forward to seeing what you do with it.
Love,
Inky
The Wiki, which really will be bolted onto the site proper as soon as we figure out where to put it, honest.
Definitely helped my lurking. /grin.
I saw the candle task when I first joined, but had no idea what it meant. This makes it so much better....
Dear Inky,
My Canon deliberately leaves out many of the details which are important to those delving into the history of the site.
My purpose is to give only an overview, the part of the canon which all newbies ought to become aware of. It is not a comprehensive encyclopedia of the site and everything on it, and it still has room for improvement. I do in fact begin by describing it as a list of tasks, praxes old and new, past events, discussions, concepts, and so forth every new player ought to become aware of - not an exhaustive thing, but one that has at least a little value on its own.
Now, that said, your comment adds quite a lot to this canon. For that, I thank you. There is nothing I would love more than for the comments page here to become a more thorough discussion of the full SF0 canon - and everybody who contributes to that will have improved and amended this essential body of knowledge.
For your contribution, I am happy to thank you (and anyone else who contributes meaningfully to the development of this canon here on its page) either merely in words or by offering you collaborator credit. You certainly deserve it.
Love,
Dok H
Herr Doktor,
Bitte, then talk a bit about the basic expectations for tasking, if this is for newbies.
Deine,
Inky
doi .inktis.
This isn't only intended for newbies, but they're the ones least likely to know it already.
Indeed, that is also an essential part of the game. I hadn't intended this as a substitute for Darkaardvark's still-excellent new player guide, but the more places you see certain things the better. In fact as those should not be delayed until folks scroll down to the comment section, I will now edit them into the praxis text itself. (EDIT: And done. It's not as thorough as what DA wrote, but it has the essential basics and two key terms everyone ought to know.)
And my offer still stands; your contributions are quite valuable.
mu'o mi'e .dok.xarm,n.
People have been braying for a History page for a while, you;ll want to watch out for everyone asking you to add/amend things now...
Speaking of which, he may be on hiatus, but it was Ben who was the first Great Yarmouth player :)
When I hear the word canon, I tend to think of something rather like this (from the OED, Draft Additions June 2002):
In extended use (esp. with reference to art or music): a body of works, etc., considered to be established as the most important or significant in a particular field.
By which, it seems to me praxes and praxes alone form the canon of SF0, whereas players, events, game-structure, invented words, and all the rest of it make up something rather different. More useful, perhaps, but not a canon in the usual sense.
And yet, before we rush to condemn the good Doctor, let me offer this defense. The same dictionary provides this alternative definition, by which I am persuaded that this counts.
2. b. A general rule, fundamental principle, aphorism, or axiom governing the systematic or scientific treatment of a subject; e.g. . . . canons of criticism, taste, art, etc.
Tom: Thank you for the correction; I've fixed it. And while this isn't the answer to anyone's prayers, in the history department, it has the potential to become such as people contribute more here in the comments.
BU: I disagree. The characters people create are as much a body of work as the praxes. Other things, I would agree, only fit a looser definition, but for the important ones we ought to err on the side of including.
If you want the actual story with links to all the plot-related praxes of the Villain, link it to this.
That is, indeed, an excellent synopsis of everything The Villain did.
I have now voted up all the comments here which helped improve this canon. I'd still love to see more such; I'm not exactly qualified to be The Designated SF0 Historian (tm), but I do want to see this turn into something truly great.
And as I have said those commenters who help make it so will be rewarded if they so desire with retroactive credit here - after all, they will have improved this canon at least as much as I.
I suggest you add something about Rubin, before some new players get their comment fingers bitten off...
Yeah, he should be mentioned. There's so much about him that should be mentioned, and I missed most of it, though... so, care to take a crack at it?
I missed an awful lot too, you may want to ask some ImpEx/Early Glasnostians.
I really like what you've done here, Doktor, and I also understand what some of the criticism has been for, too. Basically I think, starting from your definition of canon, it might clear some of those issues up and keep people from adding things that, though they may be historically accurate, don't fit your definition.
So, can you more completely define your version of canon and help us understand what fits in and what doesn't?
BU offered a definition above, and I'll offer the following 2 common usages as places to jump from. First, canon has come to mean the basic core pieces that are considered the epitome of a particlar subject. The canon of western literature, for instance, would include Shakespeare but might not include Marlowe, would include Conan Doyle but might not include Rice Burroughs. That doesn't mean that Marlowe or Burroughs aren't any good, just that they, for whatever reason, don't fit in as closely as the epitome of what it means to be Western Literature. The idea is that if you read the books of the Canon you will understand what it means to be Western Literature and will have had that point of context defined.
My second common usage is the one that places like Lucasfilm use. Canon is the comprehensive list of everything that officially is part of a particular subject. Lucasfilm usus a large database that includes every character, object, and event that happens in any of the officially licensed books, comics, films, cartoons, etc., uses that list as a reference to check for continuity, and adds new items to that list whenever it is introduced. Of course, for SF0 purposes, this sort of Canon is simply the website SF0.org, but, again, I offer it as a jumping off point for defining for us what your Canon is.
My reason for wanting the definition is that I do think the Canon you've provided is both incomplete and possibly too wide ranging. For instance you've added several noteworthy historical pieces, you've not given enough to make it truly a Canon (there aren't enough there), and I don't think you want your Canon to be purely historical anyway (you may not want it to be historical at all, actually). You've given a few Praxii, but I don't think there are enough of those to be Canon either.
And a last note, Canon is something that gets argued over and over and over, what to add what not to add... committees labor over this sort of thing for years, which is why I think a good definition at the beginning is worthwhile.
Quite honestly, Tony, I agree.
The definition I've been going with is the "canons of literature" sort of thing - those significant pieces of SF0 that have had a formative influence on the game, however small, and especially deserve to be remembered. They are characters, terms, ideas, and praxes that have shaped SF0 as it is today.
And this canon is not complete. I joined late in Glasnost, and I think as a result that I am not qualified to give it everything it needs - but I am surely qualified to make a damn good start, which I believe I have done. I started this project because somebody had to and nobody else had, and I want others to take it from here because I cannot finish the job alone.
ok. it's a start.
perhaps someone who was active in impossible exchange can amend it further :)