“presence is one of the most elusive and evocative aspects of virtual systems—and yet it forms the very foundation on which immersion is built…. This grounding of presence not only consists of embodied practice, but of embodied social practice” (Taylor 2002:42, in Boellstorff 2010:116).
Virtual life course? trajectory of online presence. Newbies;
no isomorphism between person and avatar – alts vs. primes.
Gender pushed in virtual worlds more than race/ethnicity. Why? Boellstorff suggests digital divide, but I think there is more going on here. Second Life as white space?
Intimacy of im’s vs. chat.
Making friends in the virtual; the intensity of the virtual world. Is it possible to “cheat” in Second Life on an actual life partner?