MUD's my kind of use of technology

Online game environment is the key phrase that comes out in this article and response. I wonder, did internet communities and identities originate in the gaming environment? Have these communities evolved into ones that benefit life, other than entertainment? Has a development of online communities benefited education?
I don't play online games mostly because I don't have time to. Sure I think they are neat but just not my cup of tea at this point in my life when so many other things are going on. As I search for ideas of constructing an online community for the curriculum that I am involved in developing I continue to be disappointed. Has anyone out there found an online community structure or tool that will actually work with the restraints of students and enhance their learning, not cause a disruption?

in the 1960's U.S.A built this ARPANet for some use which int he 1972 they developed the email and Telnet based system.
Later on 1983 they divided the ARPANet into 2 different uses; Military use MILNet and experiment use ARPNet. This kind of shows that the internet started out as a military or experiment type tool to communicate with each other. As serving the Korean military for 3 years (2000-2002) they still do use the intranet system (formal internet) to keep up with other boot camps which the reason might vary (hobbies, supplies, visits from higher people, etc).

But some how the Internet was based on community reasons to connect other people around the world, that's why it has the name for World wide web.

This did improve or changed the way we live in some good or bad way. but it keeps us to develop ourselves into other conditions. As future teachers or researchers, I guess it's important to recognize this and try to use it in different ways.

for online gaming yes, there has been other reasons that people like to play. It's not that I have nothing to do when I play online, I make time to play online. To me it's place where I meet my friends, my family and many others I feel important in my life. I think it as exercise, you don't go to the gym because you have time, but make time for it, or meeting a friend, you make time for it. Online game same for me. of course this is my case, others do think differently (my parents haha)

For WOW it's not only because the graphics are cool and better than any other game but the balance of the professions and the system how it works, is very addict-able. Many European scholars had use this game for a language tool, and so did I and even now I'm doing the same thing too.

Some think tape listening is good, some think music, some like traditional classroom lecture type to learn language. For me game is the answer and that's one of the reason's I'm here in Penn State.