Frequently Asked Questions
[General Questions]
Q: Who are you?
A: My name is Matt Swanner, and I hail from Alaska, USA. I am the founder and administrator of Frostmud.Com
Q: Where are you located?
A: The server and myself are located in Fort Mill, South Carolina. I host the server personally so any problems
or issues can be fixed within a short period of time since I am literally *right* next to the server.
Q: How much do you charge per month for your services?
A: My services are provided free of charge, but I highly encourage regular donations.
Q: How long have you been running?
A: FrostMUD.Com was first powered up as FrostMUD.DynDns.Org April 12th, 1998 at 3:26AM. It
underwent changes in June
2005 and became FrostMUD.Com, still offering the same services.
Q: What services do you offer?
A: Please see the "Services" page for detailed information.
Q: How much money do you make per year running this server?
A: I'm not at liberty to discuss, but lets just say it's alot less than it costs to run, hence why I encourage donations
and users upgrading to paid accounts.
Q: How can I start my own service like this?
A: If I told you that, then I'd go out of business wouldnt I? :P But seriously, there are plenty of HOWTO's out there
that can tell you how to run your own server. I have, in fact, guided several past users through running their own
servers.
Q: How can I donate to the cause?
A: Send cash, checks or money orders to the address listed on the contact page or throw a
donation
via PayPal to frostmud@gmail.com and I will ensure that everyone hears about your generosity!
Everyone who donates gets a massive shoutout! Include web addresses or links with your donation
and they will stay a permanent post or link. Otherwise, just email me and we can arrange
something. There is also a PayPal donate button on the home page of the server website.
Q: Why is your site so non-graphical? All those "other" hosts our there have flashy graphics,
banners, backgrounds, flash navigation, etc etc etc?
A: Do you remember 1989, or 1994 or even the next few years after that? Dial-up was rampant and
expensive. Websites were basic, games were expensive and everyone flocked to the MUD and IRC
community because they wanted to play and talk for free. Also, those who wanted to play high end
games or surf high content websites had to pay out the wazoo for faster computers and upgraded
connections. But not everyone could do that. So, the less fortunate were left behind...
But then there was FrostMUD. 12 years ago, I started a service which was basic and free. Those
who were poor or unfortunate flocked to my services and played games hosted by me. Then in the
last few years, soldiers overseas who wanted to keep their hobbies and games going came to me
because it is all they could play on satellite based connections. So I kept the website basic,
the services STILL free, and never compromised the quality of my services so they could once
again enjoy the gaming fun and community that everyone loves, all without losing any speed. But
what about those who can't play fancy high end games on their current PC? They play MUD's, they
chat on IRC, they fiddle with java based games, and FrostMUD hosts all of that for them to
enjoy.
[FAQ from current
users]
Q: I tried to launch my MU*, but it tells me my port is currently in use. What do I do?
A: Alot of MU*'s have a tendancy to take up multiple ports. Either contact the user via that port, or contact me and I
will inform the offending user of the problem and have it taken care of. For those of you currently having this problem,
there is code you can comment out that will prevent you from running on unassigned ports.
Q: I don't have any more disk space, what should I do?
A: Either clean up your directory, or upgrade to a paid account.
Q: How do I run a website from my home directory?
A: If you're referring to a frostmud.com/~you/ website, you need to set up your public_html directory. There are plenty
of tutorials on the web about how to do this. If you are referring to me hosting your domain, this is a Tier 4 feature
only. You must have this account level for domain hosting.
Q: I lost my password, how do I retrieve it?
A: You must contact me to have your password reset. You will need to tell me your codeword or else I will not, under any
circumstances, reset your password. This is for security purposes and ensures the safety of your account and data. If
you are a pre-2006 user, then you may contact me via email to find other means to prove your identity.
Q: What is a codeword?
A: A codeword is an optional secondary password that cannot be changed. During the interview you have a choice to set
one. This codeword cannot be changed and you must request one during the interview otherwise I will not ask for one.
Asking me during the interview if you can set a codeword is a good way to show me that you're actually reading this!
The codeword is used when you have forgotten your main password or need to make changes to your account information.
Also, it is used to prove your identity as the actual account owner in case anything odd happens with your account.
Q: My code will not compile! Help!
A: I'm here as a host, not your tech support. Please seek out the error via Google or ask your staff for help.
Q: When I try to run my startup script for my MU*, I get "Permission denied". What should I do?
A: Alot of "out of the box" MU*'s do not have the permissions set by default. Just do a chmod +x to make
the script executable. Otherwise, the file does not belong to you and tsk tsk for trying to access it. :P
Q: Why don't you host anyone outside of the USA or surrounding territories?
A: Almost every single user I have hosted outside of the above stated countries has abused their account and used it for illicit/illegal purposes.
Also, the language barriers involved have made it nearly impossible for me to explain that they cannot use their account for certain activities
and they also have a very hard time understanding and reading the FAQ, Rules and Terms of Service pages.
Q: How do I get an account?
A: Read the contact page and contact me via instant messenger. There IS an interview involved so I suggest you read the site fully before you
contact me. Also, there IS a quiz. I pay hundreds a month to host people for free, be prepared.
[Miscellaneous Questions]
Q: You run a server that hosts IRC programs and MU*'s. Are you some kind of nerd?
A: Your momma.
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