There's an important point to be made about backgrounds.

The only thing a noob will learn by writing a background is how to write one so that it's passed. He might learn an odd bit of trivia, like "elves don't goblinize" or "Or'zet is the name of the new ork language". He might even start thinking about how his character would act in certain situations, and that it would act differently than what he would do if he ended up in that situation himself in real life.

That's great.

Here's Bubba, he don't like you. What are you gonna do now, punk?

No background writing will prepare our beloved noob for that.

If the noob learns how to write a background, he won't learn the Seattle MUSH etiquette. Different skills. Can't default from one to the other.

What does etiquette have to do with the chargen process or backgrounds?

Where exactly would he learn that? ...and that place, wouldn't it be the same background or no? So, you being against, and me being for, the result the same for 'the nooblet'.

Except he'd know elves don't goblinze, and Or'zet is all the rage.

Melkir lifts the cover on the *clickety* switch.

An arguement was made that background writing would prepare a noob for a life in Seattle MUX.

It is simply false. It wouldn't.

The only way to learn the Seattle MUX etiquette is by taking part, by playing, by participating, and ultimately, by getting killed after doing the Wrong Thing(tm).

By slowing this process down by background writing between incarnations, you slow down the learning process of the shadowrunner etiquette by the noob.

It follows that background writing works against learning how to play on Seattle.

A one page background between incarnations works against learning how to play in Seattle?

...

It depends on the scrutiny applied to it and the time spent.

If a person spends a few hours making a character and getting him approved - that's reasonable.

If it takes a few days, then these few days weren't spent interacting with other players and learning hands-on what not to say to the Oyabun, Bubba, etc.

I would have someone learn the rules by reading the rule book. Rather than trying to learn via page and channel chat.

There is a difference between learning Mush etiquette and learning the theme of the game. ?A big difference. ?It's like book learning and experience. ?

But writing a background helps learn the theme, and chances are by learning the theme of the game, you learn at least part of what etiquette should be like.

But a noob who doesn't learn the etiquette in chargen is exactly the same as the noob who doesn't learn it before hitting the grid. ?They both learn it by insulting the Oyabun. ?But chances are the noob who took a day or two to read a bit about the theme realizes now that 'Oh, THAT's the guy who runs the Yakuza. ?Yeah, I was an idiot and I remember that now.' ?While the other guy probably thinks 'Oh, that's the guy who runs the Yakuza. ?What is the Yakuza?'

A background is what you make of it.  It can be a hoop you jump through to get IC.  Or it can be a creative exercise that lets you learn more about the identity you're assuming.  But however you treat it, BG's are a part of MUX history and they're not going anywhere.  You're making mountains out of molehills here- it's a requirement that anyone can meet given enough effort, it's hardly keeping anyone out.  If you hate to write, maybe you need a new hobby, because if you want to mux you're going to have to do at least SOME writing.

Someone needs to stack some wood and strike a match.

Take off, nuke it from orbit.  It's the only way to be sure.

Let's not confuse rules and novel writing. There are no rules to be learned in chargen. We are prohibited from quoting the SR4 book by copyright laws.

Having been the noob who insulted the Yakuza oyabun personally in 1995, and dying on the spot, I can tell you from personal experience,

*drumroll*

Background writing did not help.

*takes a bow* Thank you, thank you, you are too kind.

While I'm on the topic, and this might surprise you, but reading the SR2 book back to back did not help either. The noob has to get away from "I'm the superhero, this story is about me" mentality to "Everybody's dangerous. This story is about us." And it takes a few deaths to realize that.

Likewise the non-noobs who have been here doing whatever since whenever, need to get rid of the "I have the big karma (insert colourful metaphor), I had to do it this way so should you, Why did the noob get this so quickly....etc etc" mentality.

Worry about what you're doing and leave others to do what they want.

And reading the book back to back probably did help you, for, I wager that you started to add in your mind what you would have to do in order to live and/or take someone with? you.