Glossary  

Glossary of Terms

Sections:
Communications Panel

Short:

Where you type your posts.

Long:

This is where the composition of posts takes place. Allowing for the selection of a character, font size and font colour for posts made to realms that the Communications Panel is used in. The panel also has the secondary ability to link off the configuration scripts, dice roller and private messaging. Essentially, the roll of the communications panel is to serve as a chatting portal for use specifically while chatting or role-playing.


Gummy

Short:

A picture that will link to the Puppets bio homepage.

Long:

The gummy is a customizable icon-like image, that will link the other Puppeteers to that Puppets biographical homepage. Of course this is the theory and in practice the gummy itself can be linked to any desired page on the internet, as long as it uses an http:// prefix.

Of course gummies can vary from puppet to puppet. But they are all characterized as the ever present image (other then the Puppet image) located on the left side of the posts made into Realms followed by the Title and Tags specified for that Puppet.


Macro

Short:

Keyword that will be replaced with actual values.

Long:

Macros are keywords that are recognized by Ethereal Realms and replaced with the appropriate value. While not used extensively within the current system, it does allow a degree of customization reguarding the placement of names within the Title field for example.

Macros are generally case sensitive meaning that they should appear exactly as they are adverstised. This is no exception to Ethereal Realms and Puppeteers are warned to this fact in order to make life easier.


Post

Short:

Messages made to realms or message boards.

Long:

Every time a Puppeteer, hidden behind a Puppet composes a message and sends it onto the Realms, or Message Boards a post is made. Essentially, a post is a message which others can read and reply to.

Of course there are different types of posts in Realms which specifically relate to the intended audience. A Post which is meant to be seen by all within the Realm are public while those sent to a specific recipient are known as Private Messages or PM's for short.


Portal

Short:

Central area in which all aspects of Ethereal Realms can be accessed.

Long:

The term Portal applies quite well to the use of this section of Ethereal Realms, as it allows the Puppeteer to select Realms and Puppets for play, lead one to message boards, internal mail, configuration sections of the realms and of course allow one to reach the mechanism for hosting home pages.

The Portal itself is seperated into two primary areas. The first being known as the 'Realm Entrance' which allows for entrance into the realm. This section is of course the primary purpose of the portal and will allow a Puppeteer, to select his Puppet and the realm they wish to play in. If the Puppeteer selects a Private realm he will then either join or create the desired realm as needed.

The second section is the Puppeteers Section, this will allow access to all configuration and additonal functions of Ethereal Realms.This means that access to ones homepage, the message boards and internal mail are done though this section.


Puppet

Short:

Puppets are what a Puppeteer uses to play with. They are also known as handles, characters and avatars and are used for the purpose of posting to Realms, Message Boards or Internal Mail.

Long:

Puppets are essentially the core component for play in Ethereal Realms. Not only are they used for play, but they also play a vital part in other areas, which includes the message boards and internal mail system. Puppets are the veil from which one can post and respond without being immediatly identified.

Puppets also play into the analogy of a puppeteer. Puppeteers are the ones who will use puppets for putting on a show. Mastering this ability will seem to give movement and life to the stringed puppet. They will allow the puppeteer to portray scenes and characters that would otherwise be impossible. With this in mind, you as the puppeteer will make use of these puppets in a realm. Like a play the puppet becomes an actor on the stage, the script written by you.


Puppeteer

Short:

Puppeteers are the individuals behind the puppets.

Long:

A puppeteer encompasses one or more puppets and can make use of these puppets in realms as they see fit. They are also the primary way for Ethereal Realms to recognize a play, meaning that the email, password and login name provided at registration form the basis of a puppeteer.


Realm

Short:

Where an individual as a puppet can post and read other posts.

Long:

Realms are specific areas, in which Puppeteers can make use of Puppets in order to post and be seen by Puppeteers within that realm. Normally, being of a specifc nature and purpose, realms can be created for a wide range of roles ranging from chatting on specific topics to more complex interaction in the form of a role-play.

Realms can be seen in two forms on Ethereal Realms. The first being public, which can be seen from the portal and carry with it an accompanying front page and message boards These realms will generally be hosted and can be seen with the use of the Global Who script, allowing people to see when the room is inhabited and by whom.

Private Realms are unrestricted and unmonitored. You cannot tell of their existence from the Portal itself, and the use of Global Who will not reveal players within such realms. This makes up the primary difference between the two subtypes of realms.


Tag Line

Short:

Supplementary field to the Title area for a Puppet.

Long:

The tagline has many uses, none of which are easily described. In some realms, one can use the tagline to describe equipment carried by a Puppet, while in others the true identity may be revealed to those playing within that Realm. Of course the most basic use of the tagline is to carry additional information which is deemed innapropriate for the Title bar.


Title Line

Short:

Descriptive area in which the name of the puppet is shown.

Long:

The title field in Puppet Configuration allows ont ot customize the look and feel of the area in which the Puppet's name will make an appearance. Normally, unless the additional effort of HTML is used only words and symbols are used to decorate this line.

The title is known to make use of a macro to move the position of the Name into a more desireable location. Normally, the addition of text will follow the appearance of the name itself. However, when the macro NAME (case dependent) is used the name will appear there. Allowing for prefixes to be appended as the user sees fit.
For Example if your puppets name is Lord Ethereal

  • The one and only NAME

  • would appear as
  • The one and only Lord Ethereal
Where NAME is replaced by your puppets name


Streaming

Short:

More advanced form of chatting.

Long:

Streaming is a method of retrieving posts without having to refresh the screen. Under some browsers this can be seen as 'perpetual loading' where the document never actually finishes until moments later. Not only is this useful in terms of faster access to new posts made into the realms, but it also allows quick responses as well.

Streaming by default is not an option and must be selected when you sign in to Ethereal Realms.

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