100 Cross-MUD Discovery & Directories resources for MUD

Implement lychee (https://github.com/lycheeverse/lychee) in CI to scan markdown listings weekly. Configure to ignore 403 errors common on MUD sites with aggressive firewalls, but flag 404s and connection timeouts.

Use ia-python to automatically archive URLs before removing dead listings. Store archive.org snapshot links in a 'graveyard' JSON file to preserve historical MUD descriptions for researchers.

Python script using telnetlib or asyncio.open_connection to verify host:port responsiveness. Implement exponential backoff (2^n seconds) to avoid triggering DDoS protection on smaller MUD hosts.

Schedule dnspython checks weekly to detect A/AAAA record changes. Alert curators when MX records disappear (indicating domain abandonment) even if HTTP ports remain open.

Define strict schemas using pydantic or jsonschema requiring fields: name, host, port, codebase, theme, created_date. Reject submissions missing player_counts or connection_protocol (telnet/websocket/ssh).

Parse MUD status feeds using feedparser to auto-update 'last_seen' timestamps. Target RSS endpoints at /status.xml or /rss on MUD websites that support them.

For TLS-enabled MUDs (telnets/port 992), query OpenSSL to monitor certificate validity. Notify admins 30 days before expiry to prevent player connection warnings.

Store directory data as YAML or JSON in version control. Require pull request reviews for updates, using Git history as an immutable audit trail for who changed what and when.

Generate automated changelogs between directory versions using git-diff and jq. Surface changes in player counts, descriptions, or port numbers for moderator review.

Before deleting unresponsive MUDs, attempt recovery via Wayback Machine (archive.org) and DNS history (securitytrails.com). Archive screenshots using headless Chrome to verify UI claims.

Create a Discord bot that accepts structured review submissions via slash commands. Validate input against JSON Schema before posting to a private moderator channel for approval.

Implement karma systems where reviewers accumulate trust based on agreement with curator assessments. Weight reviews from established community members higher in recommendation algorithms.

Build decision trees that ask newcomers about roleplay intensity preference, PVP tolerance, and time commitment. Match against tagged MUD attributes using cosine similarity or simple weighted scoring.

Rate-limit submissions by IP and implement basic content analysis. Flag reviews containing excessive capitalization, repeated phrases, or URLs to competing directories for manual review.

Store all review edits as Git commits or append-only logs. Display 'last edited' timestamps and allow users to view previous versions to detect astroturfing by MUD owners.

Allow authenticated users to propose tags (e.g., 'permadeath', 'crafting-heavy') which enter a pending queue. Require two curator approvals before applying to prevent tag dilution.

Enable 'report outdated' buttons on listings that create GitHub issues or Trello cards. Require submitters to provide evidence links (screenshots, forum posts) for curator verification.

Use simple NLP (TextBlob or VADER) to classify review text as describing 'helpful community', 'toxic environment', or 'neutral'. Surface aggregate scores in directory UI.

Build a React or Vue interface showing pending reviews with quick-approve buttons. Integrate with OAuth to restrict access to verified curators from established MUD communities.

Award badges to reviewers who verify their identity via DNS TXT records on MUD domains they claim to administer. Display 'verified admin' badges to increase trust in technical corrections.

Define custom analyzers for MUD descriptions using keyword tokenizers for codebase types (DikuMUD, LPMud, MOO) and edge-ngrams for autocomplete on MUD names.

Implement controlled vocabulary: none, hack-and-slash, roleplay-encouraged, heavy-RP, permadeath-RP. Store as strict keyword fields to prevent search pollution from free-text tags.

Scrape or API-pull from MudStats (mudstats.com) and similar aggregators. Store as integer fields for range queries (0-5, 6-20, 21-50, 50+) rather than exact counts which fluctuate.

Map server IP addresses to geographic coordinates using MaxMind GeoIP2. Display estimated latency brackets (<50ms, 50-150ms, >150ms) to help players choose geographically proximate MUDs.

Implement CSS media queries that emulate 80x24 terminal dimensions on mobile browsers. Ensure directory listings display cleanly on Termux and mobile MUD clients.

Index websocket endpoints (wss://), SSH ports (22), and secure telnet (992) alongside standard telnet (23). Filter UI should allow 'supports TLS' as a binary facet.

Log all queries to identify underserved niches (e.g., 'sci-fi MUDs with crafting'). Use this data to prioritize outreach to specific codebase communities missing from the directory.

Implement token bucket algorithms for directory API consumers. Allow 100 requests/minute for anonymous users, 1000/minute for registered apps with API keys.

Provide JavaScript snippets that bloggers can embed to show live player counts from your API. Include CORS headers allowing cross-origin requests only from approved referrers.

Use PostgreSQL tsvector or Elasticsearch for searching MUD descriptions. Implement highlighting snippets that show context around matched terms (e.g., 'permadeath' or 'space opera').

Require MUD owners to add TXT records (e.g., 'mud-directory-verify=token123') to prove domain ownership before allowing edits to listings. More secure than email verification.

Display prominent 'last checked' dates on all listings. Automate daily updates for active MUDs, manual updates for dormant entries with visual indicators (amber/red status dots).

Use CSS classes and Schema.org 'paidContent' microdata to clearly distinguish sponsored listings. Place sponsored entries in a separate visual container with 'featured' labels, not mixed with organic results.

Provide monthly JSON and CSV dumps of all listings under Creative Commons BY-SA license. Include removal dates for graveyard data to enable academic research on MUD longevity.

Weekly API checks against MudConnector and TopMUDSites. Flag discrepancies in player counts or online status between directories for manual curator investigation.

Maintain a public 'defunct MUDs' page listing removed entries with reasons: 'domain expired', 'port closed >90 days', 'owner requested removal'. Prevents resurrection scams using old names.

Accept PGP signatures or Keybase proofs for MUD owners claiming listings. Display verification status to distinguish between player-submitted reviews and official owner corrections.

Expose Git commit history as human-readable 'recent changes' feeds. Show diffs for description edits, player count updates, and tag additions in reverse chronological order.

Publish markdown files explaining curation policies: criteria for inclusion, removal thresholds, conflict of interest rules for curators who also admin MUDs. Host in public GitHub repo.

Embed third-party monitoring badges from UptimeRobot or StatusCake for MUDs that opt-in. Display 30-day uptime percentages to help players identify stable versus flaky connections.