Disclosure: I enjoy playing a certain MMO. I really enjoy it. It's a primary hobby of mine along with motorcycles, hiking, and (other) video games. I think a l

Disclosure: I enjoy playing a certain MMO. I really enjoy it. It's a primary hobby of mine along with motorcycles, hiking, and (other) video games. I think a large part of the appeal of MMOs is that they provide an easy artificial hit of accomplishment. Self-growth is measurable in an extremely concrete manner. At the same time the effort involved is much less than is required for most 'real life' accomplishments. All you have to do is show up. When you combine a dose of accomplishment with easy access, fantastic realms, and social interaction the appeal of the game becomes extremely strong. As a replacement for TV I think MMOs are a healthy improvement, in moderation. The underlying focus on personal improvement is a far sight better than watching Al Bundy's latest exploits, or the sensationalism and fear-mongering of the latest news special. I recently moved to Seattle, where I knew one friend from college and had several online acquaintances. By hooking in to their social lives I now have a healthy amount of social interaction. My list of friends here would be much thinner if not for these online encounters. Certainly there are more productive ways to spend one's time than to play video games online. But there's nothing wrong with kicking back and quaffing a virtual ale with a few friends. My thoughts on this subject are still undergoing rapid evolution. My embryonic project which I want to develop into a startup is taking some of these ideas and running with them.