From: DURHAM@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU (Mark A. Durham)
Newsgroups: news.announce.newgroups,news.groups,rec.games.programmer,rec.games.misc
Subject: RFD:  rec.games.corewar
Message-ID: <zvanc4n@rpi.edu>
Date: 7 Sep 91 04:02:10 GMT
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Request For Discussion: Creation of the newsgroup rec.games.corewar.

NAME:
        rec.games.corewar

STATUS:
        unmoderated

CHARTER:
   We are proposing the formation of a newsgroup to discuss topics
concerning or related to the game Core War(s).  This would include
discussion of other games in which programming is an integral part of
game play.  Core War specific information such as the announcement of
tournaments and the discussion of standards would be frequent posts.

RATIONAL:
   Core War is a game for programmers which involves writing programs
(known as warriors) which battle in memory (known as core, hence Core
War) trying to defeat each other.  Originally proposed by Jones and
Dewdney in March of 1984, the game was popularized by A. K. Dewdney in
his "Computer Recreations" articles for Scientific American, starting
with the original May 1984 issue, and the anthology of those (and other)
articles in his book "The Armchair Universe".
   Over the years, many Core War systems have appeared on many platforms.
A society devoted to the furtherment of Core War and the establishment
of standards, The International Core War Society, currently exists.  Its
members span the globe with Branch Sections in Italy, Germany, the Soviet
Union, Japan, and elsewhere.
   Unfortunately, due to the diverse and dispersed nature of Core War
enthusiasts, communication has been and continues to be a difficult
problem.  Many enthusiasts do not have the means to join, or have just
never heard of, the ICWS.  Consequently, non-standard Core War systems
continue to proliferate.  Clearly, a newsgroup such as rec.games.corewar
would go a long way toward improving the current situation.
   Core War is also of much academic interest.  Redcode, the assembly-like
language used to program warriors, is an excellent teaching language and
is used as such in several colleges around the world.  The self-contained
core of Core War allows study of virus-like warriors with no fear of
contaminating other systems.  Core War can often be found in discussions
of artificial life and genetic algorithms.
   Further information about Core War, the ICWS, and why a newsgroup
is of interest and needed on the net can be had by contacting the
Electronic Branch Section of the ICWS in care of Mark A. Durham at
DURHAM@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU.  Discussion will of course take place in
news.groups.
-- 
Thank you,
Mark A. Durham
MAD