Please welcome a new group of students to Second Life! Adrienne Massanari, a doctoral student at the University is teaching a new media course that covers MMOs at the University of Washington's Department of Communication. (http://staff.washington.edu/alm2/ com301sp05) Students in the class are being asked to complete a short ethnographic assignment about their experiences in a virtual environment, reflecting on such things as avatar choice, their interactions with others in game, the geography of virtual spaces, etc.
For the next two weeks, you may meet a resident with a 'Washington' last name. Please be advised that these students have been briefed in our Terms of Service and Privacy Policies. Although they may be conducting research, (or maybe just having fun!) they will not publish your SL username or personal information outside of Second life without your consent. In addition, please do not feel in any way obligated to share information about your Second Life experiences with them.
Thanks!