Greetings List, Short introduction prior to a question. Phil Hall – Anthropology BSc from UCL in 1998 - final dissertation an Ethnography in an early Avatar based Multi User Environment. Became hooked by the potential for automation of information delivery via embedded Chatterbots in the game. Since then have worked in IT, set up Elzware a specialist Chatterbot design studio last year. So, why this email ?? I am, as a side line, helping out with an online discussion group known as eMint. This is a collection of UK and EU community managers, academics and commercial interests. Further to this I am representing eMint at a Government Task Force which is discussing moderation in online environments. The objective is to understand and present some information publicly that might assist in the reduction of risk to children online from Paedophiles and other aggressive users of discussion groups. To further this conversation I am hoping to touch base with anyone currently, or recently, working to Ethnographic principles in online environments either text or avatar based, real or lapse time. I was advised from another Anthropology list that this might be a good place to ask for some views. I have had a review of the archive found a “1st Call for Papers: Deviance on the Internet: New Challenges for Social Science” so the conversation would seem to be appropriate. If anyone can help out or give some pointers on this I would appreciate it. Thanks and regards, Phil Hall www.elzware.com