Virtual Meeting Spaces

 

The concept of ``Virtual Meeting Space'' covers several possible setups for synchronous communication among communities:

• ``Virtual Cafés'' are places where people can hang out and meet in very informal ways in a similar fashion as in corridors of a conference or in the cafeteria of a university. Since on most ``serious MUDS'' people have descriptions of their research interests which can be accessed either by ``looking'' at a person or by using a command like ``whois xxx'', ``finger xxx'' contacts of persons sharing the similar interest are even easier than in real life.
• ``Virtual Lobbies'' or similar ``rooms'' can be used to display information about an organization. A good example is ``GNA Central'' (#4156) at Diversity University MOO.
• A similar function is fulfilled by ``Resource Centers''. Good examples are the The Virtual STS Centre on MediaMOO (see [Roush, 1993]) and the Ed-Tech Resource Center (#15169) on Diversity University MOO.
• ``Meetings Rooms'' fulfill the same function as real ones, i.e. provide space for regular meetings. Such rooms can be structured by adding ``tables'' (a device for group discussion), white-boards, projection devices and such.
• ``Offices'' can be used for meeting persons in a private space, ``idle quietly'', or for providing more information about a person. An office also adds an anthropological touch by providing a ``home'' where characters can connect to and ``sleep''.
• ``Virtual trade exhibits'' do have potential as shown by the article of Chris Hand and Mark Skipper (see: [Hand et Skipper, 1995]).

• A look at some ``meeting'' MOOs
• Meeting Spaces at TECFAMOO