Monroe does not worry that cyber-tutoring will replace f2f. For now, the distance may mean simply from a dorm room on North Campus down to Angell Hall Computing Center, where a peer tutor waits for e-mail. But instead of fighting monsters and other forms of freestyle gaming popular among MUD users, MOO users are mainly interested in communicating rather than competing. As a new visitor to a MOO, you need to create a name for yourself. Use your own, find one that's gender neutral or pick the name of a random object.
Many MOOs require permission for entry.
Media MOO, based in Massachusetts Institute of Technology's media lab, is a popular hangout for people with professional interests in media. MOOs can get bogged down with gossip and chatter, but they do provide a forum for live discussions in any field, building international lines of communication for both academics and novices. ECB Lecturer Becky Rickly, who helped Michigan students make alliances with other universities, directed peer tutors to various sites, including the Writery in the Daedalus MOO, where one evening we spoke with peer tutors and directors of peer tutoring programs nationwide.