A virtual communication system including logic for supporting layered conversations, the system comprising: at least two computers communicating to one another over a communications medium, where each of the at least two computers represents a User, each computer including a display, audio input, audio output, video input, memory, data storage, and a processor, a knowledge base stored in memory, the knowledgebase containing an identifier identifying each conversation associated with a given user, the knowledgebase storing information identifying each participant in each of the conversations, the knowledgebase storing information identifying the type of each conversation associated with the given one of the at least two computers, where each User may participate in multiple simultaneous conversations over the communication system; and layered conversation logic executed by the processor, the layered conversation logic controlling a volume of each participant in each conversation in which the User participates in accordance with the conversation type; characterized in that; wherein a given User may communicate with one or more other Users over the communication system in a conversation type selected from the group Layer 1, Layer 2, Layer 3, wherein LC X1,X2,...XN refers to a Layer C communication between Users X1 X2,...X N, wherein if User X1 is in a Layer 1 conversation with User X2 then they are not in Layer 2 or Layer 3 conversation, wherein if User X1 is in Layer 2 conversation with User X2 then User X1 and User X2 are in both Layer 1 and Layer 2 conversations but not in a Layer 3 conversation, and if User X1 is in a Layer 3 conversation with User X2 then User X1 and User X2 are in Layer 1, Layer 2 and Layer 3 conversations together, wherein the layered conversation logic scales the volume of User X2 experienced by User X1 in conversation L1 X1,X2 to S 1,1 % volume where S 1 is a scaling factor; wherein if the User X1 is in L2 X1,X3 then the layered conversation logic adjusts the volume of the User X3 heard by the User X1 to S 2,2 % volume and scales the volume of User X2 experienced by User X1 in conversation L1 X1,X2 to S 2,1 % volume, where S2,1 and S 2,2 are scaling factors and S 2,2 ≥S 2,1; and wherein if the user X1 is in L3 X1,X4 then the layered conversation logic adjusts the volume of the User X4 heard by the User X1 to S 3,3 % volume, scales the volume of User X3 experienced by User X1 in conversation L2 X1,X3 to S 3,2 % volume, and scales the volume of User X2 experienced by User X1 in conversation L1 X1,X2 to S 3,1 % volume, where S 3,3, S 3,2 and S 3,1 are scaling factors and S 3,3 ≥S 3,2 ≥S 3,1 · at least two computers communicating to one another over a communications medium, where each of the at least two computers represents a User, each computer including a display, audio input, audio output, video input, memory, data storage, and a processor, a knowledge base stored in memory, the knowledgebase containing an identifier identifying each conversation associated with a given user, the knowledgebase storing information identifying each participant in each of the conversations, the knowledgebase storing information identifying the type of each conversation associated with the given one of the at least two computers, where each User may participate in multiple simultaneous conversations over the communication system; and layered conversation logic executed by the processor, the layered conversation logic controlling a volume of each participant in each conversation in which the User participates in accordance with the conversation type; characterized in that; wherein a given User may communicate with one or more other Users over the communication system in a conversation type selected from the group Layer 1, Layer 2, Layer 3, wherein LC X1,X2,...XN refers to a Layer C communication between Users X1 X2,...X N, wherein if User X1 is in a Layer 1 conversation with User X2 then they are not in Layer 2 or Layer 3 conversation, wherein if User X1 is in Layer 2 conversation with User X2 then User X1 and User X2 are in both Layer 1 and Layer 2 conversations but not in a Layer 3 conversation, and if User X1 is in a Layer 3 conversation with User X2 then User X1 and User X2 are in Layer 1, Layer 2 and Layer 3 conversations together, wherein the layered conversation logic scales the volume of User X2 experienced by User X1 in conversation L1 X1,X2 to S 1,1 % volume where S 1 is a scaling factor; wherein if the User X1 is in L2 X1,X3 then the layered conversation logic adjusts the volume of the User X3 heard by the User X1 to S 2,2 % volume and scales the volume of User X2 experienced by User X1 in conversation L1 X1,X2 to S 2,1 % volume, where S2,1 and S 2,2 are scaling factors and S 2,2 ≥S 2,1; and wherein if the user X1 is in L3 X1,X4 then the layered conversation logic adjusts the volume of the User X4 heard by the User X1 to S 3,3 % volume, scales the volume of User X3 experienced by User X1 in conversation L2 X1,X3 to S 3,2 % volume, and scales the volume of User X2 experienced by User X1 in conversation L1 X1,X2 to S 3,1 % volume, where S 3,3, S 3,2 and S 3,1 are scaling factors and S 3,3 ≥S 3,2 ≥S 3,1 ·