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A new space for those interested in research into the virtual.....(If you would like to join the Wiki, CLICK HERE)
The purpose of this site it to provide a space for those interested in the study of the virtual; from virtual worlds and MMORPG’s to the social spaces of Twitter and even to virtual spaces yet to come.

As these new virtual mediums of human interaction have emerged, it has become obvious to many, that the implications of human activity within the virtual are a worthy focus for scholars to study, ponder, journey within, evaluate, and then share their findings with others.

There are many pioneering researchers who have already begun to blaze the trails into the myriad forms of these virtual spaces, providing templates for others to follow and adapt, while writing the first lines of the story of places where the where takes place mostly in the minds of the users.

In keeping with the nature of the virtual, the shifting sands that one finds in many of these spaces, this endeavor would seem to have the most chance for success if instead of applying the top down model of information diffusion, we adopt the idea of an information community, sharing amongst those interested in the virtual as a open forum where many can share their thoughts, and we can all learn from successes, as well as those research moments of traveling lost in a dark alley.

Perhaps we can share the flashlight, and maybe lend a map to one another, and bring many researchers together from different methodological, academic, geographical, and philosophical viewpoints, to provide insights, illumination and new set of tools for the virtual researcher community.

A special note of thanks to my colleague at ESU, Dr. Beth Sockman, who suggested and helped found this wiki, and to Dr. Bart Simon at Concordia University, who suggested during a discussion with WoW Studies researchers at the excellent State of Play 6 Conference, 2009, NYC, that we would be well served by greater collaboration and sharing of information about our research. I hope this site can be a catalyst to prompt the cross pollination of best practices, new insights, and camaraderie among virtual researchers.

As I like to say when I part with someone in a MMORPG… Luck and fun, Richard

Making connections with others is a need all humans share and a connection can be physical and tactile, it can be a look or a smile.
===It can also be the connection of two people who are harmonious, a connection formed through the sharing of ideas, thoughts, stories, and shared values. In such a situation, a virtual connection can transcend the limits of geography. **RFOTTO**===