Abstract
In previous research on virtual worlds, the question of whether virtual space can be evaluated just like "real world" space has not been fully addressed. This paper challenges the perceived commonsensical set of assumptions through which virtual world activities are usually unpacked and proposes a new method of evaluating virtual worlds based on Martin Heidegger's phenomenology. Various focus groups conducted in the virtual world Second Life confirmed that a phenomenological paradigm is more appropriate to fully make sense of and leverage this new medium. Besides questioning the relevancy of dealing with virtual worlds as if they were parallel spaces, this paper, by leveraging a new conceptualization of virtual worlds, also offers suggestions for new online qualitative methodologies.
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