Hi everyone... great to hear from you, Maria Elisa, - there are several distance PhD students studying at Curtin University - well, studying at home, but through Curtin uni! The experience is sometimes quite difficult because of the isolation; on the other hand, I know students also find it very helpful because they don't need to disrupt their lives and travel and be oncampus. Most of the students with us are older and have work commitments/ family commitments. I hope that AoIR, and all of us on the air-l provide a sense of connection for you :) Matt Dr Matthew Allen Associate Professor Internet Studies Curtin University of Technology, CRICOS 00301J Australia m.allen@curtin.edu.au http://smi.curtin.edu.au/netstudies/allen.htm +61 8 92663511 (v) +61 8 9266 3166 (f) President, Association of Internet Researchers http://www.aoir.org