The purpose of this webtext is to show, rather than tell, my audience about the interactive, virtual archives at TWUMOO. It is based upon the presentation I gave at the Computers and Writing 2000 Conference for the MOO Research Forum coordinated by Cynthia Haynes and Jan Rune Holmevik.

Although the TWUMOO archives are located in the graphically rich, web-based MOO environment made possible by Jan Rune Holmevik and Cynthia Haynes' enCORE software, they vary from the one you see here in this webtext. The issue is one of translation. But rather than a problem of translating between languages, as one may expect when talking about translation, or focused on differences between environments (TWUMOO is web-based, after all) it is, instead, one related to translating between media---one synchronic and the other, not. The challenge for me was to address this difference effectively so that the archives remain familiar, engaging, and playful and retain as much of their original flavor as possible. You can read more about the choices I made when interpreting our archives for this webtext by reading my translation notes.

I have remained as faithful to the original archives as I could, making changes when necessary to strengthen a point, clarify, or guide more readily. To encourage exploration and self-discovery---integral activities underlying dynamic discourse---you will notice that I have embedded information regarding the webtext, archives, and the MOO in links off various rooms and notes (like this one), repeating them when necessary or appropriate. In this way, visitors can read about what they are seeing when they are ready to do so or when they are visiting a space within the webtext that needs backgrounding in order for it or my method to make sense.

I hope you enjoy your visit to "TWUMOO's Interactive Virtual Archives." At any time you are welcome to teleport over to TWUMOO to experience the archives in their original medium. I liken it to reading Homer's Odyssey in ancient Greek, or viewing a text-based archive in a text-based MOO: original texts in their original contexts.

You may begin your visit to the TWUMOO archives by clicking on any link below. However, if you wish to simulate a visit as it would happen in TWUMOO, you should click on the hyperlink to the "Pioneer Commons," and follow the paths leading from there.

 Pioneer Commons     Learning Resource Center     Woman's Institute     Author's Website    Link to TWUMOO