PRESENCE IN TEXT-BASED NETWORKED VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS OR MUDS

A text-based networked virtual environment. represents to a user a sys tem of rooms joined by exits and entrances. When navigating this syste m of rooms, a user can communicate in real time with other connected u sers occupying the same room. Hence, these virtual environments are ap tly suited fbr networked conferencing and teaching. Anecdotal informat ion suggested that some people feel a sense of ''being there'' or pres ence when connected to one of these environments, To determine how man y people feel this sense of presence, we surveyed 207 people from 6 di fferent groups of users of text-based networked Virtual environments, The results indicated that 69% of these subjects felt a sense of prese nce. Experiments with people in text-based networked Virtual environme nts may be helpful in understanding the contribution to presence by so cial interaction in other virtual environments.