The text adventure lives on as a result of a network of websites and Usenet groups, and each year this small community gathers to hold the IF competition, in which amateur entries are subject to peer review.

Dennis Jerz, associate professor in English and new media journalism at Seton Hill University, Pennsylvania, says interactive fiction scratches a particular itch among some players.

“An IF game requires the player to combine the textual analysis skills of a literary critic with the problem-solving drive of a hacker,” he says.

Anthony Fordham —Harking back to good old texts (Australian IT)

The article also quotes Scott Adams (great site re-design, Scott) and Eric Mayer.

I guess it’s hard to get away from the nostalgia angle in mainstream coverage of IF, since that’s an obvious way to make the story relevant to the average reader (the average IT professional, in the case of this particular paper). Fortunately, Fordham doesn’t overdo it.