Stealth MOOing

What is the point of having a computer and Internet connection at school or at work if you can't use it to MOO? Stealth MOOing refers to the practice of disguising a MOO session to look like what you are supposed to be doing. Below is a screenshot that demonstrates some ideas on how to MOO stealthily.

[Screenshot of a MOO session that looks like Word]

  1. Pick an application that you are supposed to be using. It doesn't matter what the application is, so long as it uses areas of text (e.g. a word processor, a programming IDE, an email client) and isn't completely graphical (e.g. a paint program). Place your MOO client on top of the host application and resize to blend in.
  2. Make sure that the text underneath your MOO client is something valid -- yet doesn't look too different from what is likely to be displayed from the MOO. Thus you can quickly Alt+Tab to the real application, without making much of a visual change.
  3. Change the window colours so that inactive window titles and borders don't look inactive.
  4. Change the colours and fonts of your MOO client so that it matches the host application.
  5. Reduce your font sizes so that the text is legible by you, but not by someone behind you. Remember to make a corresponding change to the host application.
  6. Fold up or remove the client's menus and toolbars if possible.
  7. If the MOO's name shows up on the title bar, call it something appropriate (e.g. "Status Report").
  8. You may wish to drop out of HTML or ANSI modes and revert to plain text mode. This will strip out the garish colours that some people add to their names.
  9. Keep your emotions in check. If someone on the MOO says something funny, don't laugh IRL. Afterall, what's so funny about the report you're writing? If you can't enter 'Vulcan mode', have a joke email open that you can refer to as an excuse.
  10. Don't forget to do the real work. At some point. Like tomorrow.
[Note: Moo Canada does not condone "Stealth MOOing". We are confident that none of our users would practice this. -- The Wizzen]
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