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The Orion's Arm Worldbuilding Mail List |
The Orion's Arm
mail list is where the Worldbuilding side of the Orion's Arm
project is currently undertaken. This is a high traffic list, and hence
maintaining List Netiquette is
important so that the list does not drown in excessive noise.
This list is intended to primarily discuss things that pertain or add to or extend the OA universe. That is, specifically for worldbuilding within a universe that was already created several years ago and has been being extended and refined ever since. We also add a dash of science in general and topics of general interest. However, the list is not intended as a place to discuss science fiction in general, futurism as such, specific worldbuilding/story ideas that do not pertain to OA, or personal theories or story ideas that are not OA-relevant. It is perfectly okay and indeed often fun to talk about these things now and then (provided an <OT> (Off Topic) message header is added), but they are not the main topic of the conversation.
For longer or more numerous Off Topic discussions, we ask people to go over to John Dollan's Great Big Group of Everything
The reason we have to be so strict regarding non-OA-relevant discussions, enjoyable or entertaining as they may be in themselves, is because otherwise the list very quickly becomes swamped in noise, and its original purpose and central focus is lost.
OA is a completely different sci fi forum to any other. This is because we expect you to think when you are here. With other sci fi sites, especially fan sites, newbs join and can ask questions straight away, even inane questions. Here everyone is free to join, but to introduce yourself with questions like "what are memes?", "how come you have wormholes but not FTL?", "what is the capital of the NoCoZo?" and so on, is not the best way to make a good impression with with the senior list members.
So, if you have a question, any question, about something in OA, please do your research first before posting on the worldbuilding list. We have a series of FAQ pages, we have a site search facility, and we have an alphabetical encyclopaedia. If you have a question, use those resources first! We really need to keep the noise level of the list down, as it can very easily get out of hand. The list is not an alternative to good research. It is where you go when you have already done your research!
There has been a problem in the past of repeated discussions on topics long ago resolved or agreed upon in the list as part of the setting (wormholes seems to be all up favourite topic!). Those who have been involved in OA for a long time find the same questions about wormholes (or FTL, or whatever) being raised again and again.
It is important to bear in mind that, despite being "hard science", OA is not "diamond hard". It is still highly speculative, as all science fiction is! Topics such as wormholes and working nanotech and "true" human-equivalent ai may not be resolved in our lifetimes (unless medical nano comes along and we become effectively "immortal"). ;-) Because of this, there is the danger that certain fundamental aspects of OA are never going to settle down as established 'fact'. It frequently seems that we have to re-argue for them every time someone wants to discuss a particular aspect of them. If we want to establish a universe that can maintain some consistency, we have to decide something, stick with it, and move on to making cool things and extending it. Otherwise we stagnate.
This is not to say that all discussion on wormholes, or AI, or why no FTL, is noise. Clearly it is not. However, when the same questions get asked time and again, those questions and their responses do qualify as noise.
It would be both foolish and dogmatic to say we never need to re-evaluate our position on things, but inevitably, some things become immutable within the setting, by their use in source material and whatever other creative work gets put out. It is not necessary have to re-evaluate the whole setting every time a theoretical concept that we've used gets challenged.
