3d chat environments

3d chat environments, they've been around for a pretty long time now, i remember seeing one almost 8 years ago, i think it might have been active worlds, but try running that on DIAL UP! and IM, that's been around for just as long, back when ICQ was popular, and also mIRC, which was also a was to set up basic servers for file sharing through ftp://ftp...but/ moving right along, back to the topic. i guess the major difference between the 2 are the users interface, instead of just a screen with text you have a virtual environment in which you can interact with, as well as being able to interact with the other users, i believe this makes the chat experience just that little bit more life like, allowing the user to get completely immersed in the virtual world. this also represents a very basic version of MMO's like world of warcraft or ultima online. It is much too easy to get addicted to these, if you have played wow for example, you know what i mean. You can pretty much do anything you can think of thats possible in the real world, shop, learn skills, cook, fish, hunt, leatherworking, pretty much everything, as well as things that are impossible, such as flyig etc...which definitly appeals to a lot of people out there, complete with ananomity. but with many IM programs out there now days, they allow for an almost real world chat, allowing for webcam plugins, mic etc... or if you prefer, just text based. straight to the point, just for chatting, allowing you to skip between that and say....writing a blog, or doing something else, it doesnt require as much attention.

honestly i don't mind either option, the 3d environment is like a game, and is pretty fun, whilst Msn etc.... is good for just talking, and the ability to share files, makes it very handy.