Some sites are commercial, some private. These room graphics often are used at other Palace sites.
Users can move freely within and between the rooms.
They talk with each other via typed text that appears in balloons that pop out from one's head, similar to characters in comic strips. A unique feature of the Palace is the ability to create icons to represent oneself. My research at the Palace is an ongoing, intensive case study of the psychological and social dynamics of this evolving community. What makes the Palace so fascinating is the fact that it is highly visual and spatial. This is a new dimension to social interaction on the internet, and certainly a predictor of the multimedia experiences to come.