Parents Guide: World of Warcraft

The appeal of an exciting second life, made all the more realistic by increasingly powerful personal computers is unquestionable. The world of the massively multiplayer online role playing game, or MMORPG for short, offers players a tempting escape from reality. Online, normal people of all ages can become heroes, villians, leaders of extensive online groups known as “guilds” and even enjoy some degree of fame in their limited, simulated worlds.

An increasing number of online games have been appearing on shelves of late. Lord of the Rings online, City of Heroes, Pirates of the Burning Sea and Conan online have all appeared relatively recently and all have respectable fan bases. However, it would seem that there is currently one game to rule them all, World of Warcraft. With over 10 million subscribers, each paying around 9 GBP a month, World of Warcraft (WoW for short) is the undisputed king of online gaming at the moment.

The game is produced by Blizzard entertainment, the people responsible for the popular titles Starcraft and Diablo. WoW, by far and away Blizzard’s most popular offering to date, takes place in the fictional world of Azeroth. Players choose to play for either the Horde (baddies) or the Alliance (goodies) and can create a character from a selection of races, including classic fantasy staples; elves, dwarves and orcs.

The game’s realism is added to by the existence of its own economy, rare items are bought and sold for varying amounts of online currency (gold pieces) which can take weeks or even months to accumulate. This has resulted in the online gold being sold on both eBay and specialist sites for varying amounts of real world cash depending on demand. This in turn has led to characters investing not only serious man-hours but also several hundred pounds in order to become as powerful as possible.

This practice is often frowned upon by the games hardcore players who resent people being able to purchase powerful or rare items without the necessary amount of playtime. For children who are only allowed limited computer time, the prospect of these virtual get rich quick schemes is highly appealing.

WoW’s producers are not fond of online currency vendors and any player caught using one can face a range of punishments, from a few days ban to your character being deleted. Considering it is not uncommon for high level characters to have clocked up hundreds of hours online, the threat of losing characters is a dire one.

Given the recent media coverage of online bullying it is surprising to learn that such bullying does not seem to feature heavily in WoW. There is a genuine sense of camaraderie in the game, more experienced players are often helpful and will generally reply to sensibly posed questions. Of course there are exceptions and some people can be less than polite, but the game features a language filter and abusive behaviour can be easily reported to the games producers. In-game parental control settings offer parents the welcome opportunity to restrict and monitor their child’s time.

The game’s high level of player anonymity offers some protection to the Virtual World‘s inhabitants. Players refer to each other mainly by character name and seldom do they so much as mention their real names to each other. Of course online friendships do occur and eventually players may get to know one another personally, but I am yet to hear of anything sinister coming of this.

In fact some friends of mine, all of whom were at university at the time, met up with their online “guild”. They enjoyed a holiday together despite the fact they had only met in-game and only knew each other by their character names. The WoW environment is surprisingly safe for children, although the game is best suited to those in their teens and above.

It is important to remember the different time-tables of child players and their adult counterparts maintains a certain degree of segregation. Between 4:00pm and 9:00pm the younger players dominate the servers, they largely keep to themselves as they play at a slower pace than the more hardcore adult gamers. The kind of adult guilds that holiday together as I previously mentioned, mainly enforce a strict over 18′s policy so once again, the younger players do not become involved in unsuitable conversations or social activities.

Online gaming is notoriously addictive. The desire to improve characters is driven by the competition between players. The character names of each servers most powerful and talented players are well known in the virtual community. The most powerful groups of players sometimes achieve a sort of simulated celebrity status. Their exploits become the gossip of the server, with chatter relating to which bosses groups have “downed” dominating the games message boards and discussion forums. The elite of each server are in very high demand to play with, large groups of players are required to take down the games most fearsome monsters and so the best players on each server are often invited to join the battle against these dragons and other assorted nasties.

There is of course, a dark side to gaming addiction, there have been reports of people dying from playing non-stop for over 24 hours. These players have all been of university age or above, younger players generally benefit from parental supervision to keep their playtime within acceptable boundaries.

All in all WoW is a harmless and fun distraction for older kids and teens provided it is enjoyed in moderation. It is easy to forget the sheer amount of other players online creates a strong sense of community in the game. This sense of community can become a haven for children and adults alike. Often the kind of people who enjoy MMORPG’s are considered geeky or uncool and so for these people having over 10 million like minded individuals to connect with can be quite the lifeline. To others it is harmless fun a few hours a week.

Like all fun things, WoW can be abused but responsible parents with sensible children have nothing to worry about. After all in our current cultural climate of youth crime, gang culture and teen pregnancy a little bit of escapist fantasy can’t be a bad thing.

About the Author

Samantha is an expert Research and Theatre consultant. Her current interests are UK shortbreaks including LEGOLAND Windsor and Drayton Manor..

Monster High In FR!

Monster Cable MP SW 200 Subwoofer PowerCenter SW 200 with Clean Power Stage 1 v2.0 $8.89 Monster Cable Cable PowerCenter 2 Outlets SW 200 Home Theatre Surge Suppressor 109355 Surge Suppressors…

New Learning Company Batman Justice Unbalanced Explore Five Different Activities Popular $20.00 Windows Requirements Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP; 266 MHz Pentium II processor; 100 MB Free of hard disk space; 64MB of RAM; 800 x 600 resolution, 16-bit display; 8X CD-ROM Drive (16X speed recommended); SoundBlaster 16 sound card or compatible, 4 MB video RAM; 16-bit DirectX compatible video card; Mouse; Printer is optional. Macintosh Requirements 8. 6 through OS X 10. 2. 8; 233 MHz G3 or faster; 10…

New Eidos Interactive Reservoir Dogs Psycho/Professional Rating System Bullet Festival $48.97 The plot unfolds in a non-chronological order, switching between different events as you get the chance to play each iconic gangster. Psycho/Professional (P/P) Rating system; Play styles are monitored and ratings calculated on your moralistic choices. Threat System; Includes hostage taking, manipulation and police opposition; the professional way to contain civilians without resorting to lethal fo…

Julie’s Gift: Memories of London $12.67 Kevin and Julie travel to London. Kevin loathes sightseeing. Julie is the quintessential tourist. Kevin ends up enjoying the trip but doesn’t tell Julie. He secretly writes a book about his fond memories to surprise her and express his love….

Second World $0.02 Lured from his birthday celebrations by a Marilyn Monroe avatar, the US president finds himself abducted into cyberspace by a mysterious presence called ‘The Voice’. With only twenty-four hours before it will become impossible to return his consciousness to his body, the secret services are thrown into panic. The one called in to solve the mystery of his disappearance is Conor Smith, a disillusion…

Virtual World $6 Virtual World – Code Lyoko – Sebastian Davin

Monster High $8.09 Monster High

Virtual War $8.49 Imagine a life of virtual reality — a childhood contained in a controlled environment, with no human contact or experiences outside of the world of computer-generated images. Corgan has been genetically engineered by the Federation for quick reflexes, high intelligence, and physical superiority. Everything Corgan is, everything he has ever seen or done, was to prepare him for one moment: a bloodless, computer-controlled virtual war. When Corgan meets his two fellow warriors, he begins to question the Federation. Now Corgan must decide where his loyalties lie, what he’s willing to fight for, and exactly what he wants in return. His decisions will affect not only these three virtual warriors, but all the people left on earth.

Monster High Lunch Napkins Pkg/16 $2.5 These Monster High Luncheon Napkins feature a background with a back, pink and blue jacket that is partially unzipped with the Monster High shield on the left side. Every package contains sixteen – 6 1/2 inch paper Monster High Napkins that may be paired up with dinner plates for an out of this world tabletop display!Add these Monster High Luncheon Napkins with the rest of our Monster High Party Supplies to complete your fangtastic party adventure!

Monster High 10 Plates Pkg/8 $3.55 These Monster High Square Dinner Plates feature Frankie Stein, Draculaura, Clawdeen Wolf, Lagoona Blue and Cleo de Nile on a black border background with the Monster High shield in the front left hand corner. Each package of Monster High Dinner Plates contains eight – 10 inch paper square plates that are perfect for serving main dishes, using at buffet tables and picnics.Use these Monster High teenage plates in conjunction with additional Monster High Party Supplies for an out of this world event!

Virtual Honeypots $47.99 This is the eBook version of the printed book. Praise for Virtual Honeypots "A power-packed resource of technical, insightful information that unveils the world of honeypots in front of the reader’s eyes." —Lenny Zeltser, Information Security Practice Leader at Gemini Systems "This is one of the must-read security books of the year." —Cyrus Peikari, CEO, Airscanner Mobile Security, author, security warrior "This book clearly ranks as one of the most authoritative in the field of honeypots. It is comprehensive and well written. The authors provide us with an insider’s look at virtual honeypots and even help us in setting up and understanding an otherwise very complex technology." —Stefan Kelm, Secorvo Security Consulting "Virtual Honeypots is the best reference for honeypots today. Security experts Niels Provos and Thorsten Holz cover a large breadth of cutting-edge topics, from low-interaction honeypots to botnets and malware. If you want to learn about the latest types of honeypots, how they work, and what they can do for you, this is the resource you need." —Lance Spitzner, Founder, Honeynet Project "Whether gathering intelligence for research and defense, quarantining malware outbreaks within the enterprise, or tending hacker ant farms at home for fun, you’ll find many practical techniques in the black art of deception detailed in this book. Honeypot magic revealed!" —Doug Song, Chief Security Architect, Arbor Networks "Seeking the safest paths through the unknown sunny islands called honeypots? Trying to avoid greedy pirates catching treasures deeper and deeper beyond your ports? With this book, any reader will definitely get the right map to handle current cyber-threats. Designed by two famous white hats, Niels Provos and Thorsten Holz, it carefully teaches everything from the concepts to practical real-life examples with virtual honeypots. The main strength of this book relies in how it covers so many uses of honeypots: improving intrusion detection systems, slowing down and following incoming attackers, catching and analyzing 0-days or malwares or botnets, and so on. Sailing the high seas of our cyber-society or surfing the Net, from students to experts, it’s a must-read for people really aware of computer security, who would like to fight against black-hats flags with advanced modern tools like honeypots." —Laurent Oudot, Computer Security Expert, CEA "Provos and Holz have written the book that the bad guys don’t want you to read. This detailed and comprehensive look at honeypots provides step-by-step instructions on tripping up attackers and learning their tricks while lulling them into a false sense of security. Whether you are a practitioner, an educator, or a student, this book has a tremendous amount to offer.

Virtual $4.99 For everything you do, there’s a song that hits the spot. MOG brings them all to you: a world of music on demand, unlimited mobile downloads and ways to discover music free from the limitations of Pandora. The music you love, with you everywhere you go.

Virtual War: The Virtual War Chronologs–Book 1 $8.59 Imagine a life of virtual reality — a childhood contained in a controlled environment with no human contact or experiences outside of the world of computer-generated images. Corgan has been genetically engineered by the Federation for quick reflexes high intelligence and physical superiority. Everything Corgan is everything he has ever seen or done was to prepare him for one moment: a bloodless computer-controlled virtual war. When Corgan meets his two fellow warriors he begins to question the Federation. Now Corgan must decide where his loyalties lie what he’s willing to fight for and exactly what he wants in return. His decisions will affect not only these three virtual warriors but all the people left on earth.

Atlas of Virtual Colonoscopy $105 "Atlas of Virtual Colonoscopy" thoroughly revises and updates Abraham Dachman's bestselling first edition. Joined in this edition by co-editor Andrea Laghi, Dr. Dachman has expanded the focus of the text to cover fundamental topics of this rapidly evolving technology, including the history of virtual colonoscopy, a review of clinical trial data from throughout the world, and a presentation of clinical background information. Also included are chapters covering patient preparation and tagging, performing and reporting virtual colonoscopy, viewing methods, MR colonography, and computer aided detection. The second part of the text presents an atlas of high-resolution images with detailed explanations of teaching points, covering normal anatomy; sessile, pedunculated, diminutive and flat lesions; masses; stool and diverticula; and, common pitfalls. "Atlas of Virtual Colonoscopy" is a valuable resource for all radiologists and gastroenterologists interested in learning the fundamentals of this exciting technique.

V/a : World Is a Monster $17.2 V/a : World Is a Monster

Hands-On Virtual Computing, 1st Edition $63.49 HANDS-ON VIRTUAL COMPUTING offers students as well as professionals the background in virtualization technology needed to advance in today’s technology workplace. It provides an overview of virtualization technology with chapters dedicated to the latest virtualization products: VMware Workstation 6.5, VMware Server 2.0, Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, Microsoft Virtual Server 2005, and Hyper-V. Additional chapters focus on using virtualization software in networked server environments and include building virtual networks, implementing high-availability clusters, enhancing performance and security, and using Microsoft Virtual Machine Manager to centralize management of multiple virtual servers. This book incorporates hands-on activities and allows the reader to work with virtual computing concepts, using real-world situations to build the skills necessary for a successful career in a computer industry increasingly focused on virtualization.

Exodus to the Virtual World $21.2 Surveys the growing popularity of virtual reality worlds as represented by such online games as World of Warcraft and Second Life, explaining how virtual arenas have become representative of new social, political, and economic orders that have captured th

Virtual Reality $35 This text provides an overview of the history of virtual reality and explores the tools and techniques used to mimic the physical world, the fields in which virtual reality is being used, and some of the obstacles that supporters of virtual reality have had to overcome.

Virtual World Design and Creation for Teens [With CDROM] $22.38 Virtual World Design and Creation for Teens [With CDROM]

Monster High Monster Making Kit $16.99 Create accessories so cute they’re scary with the Monster High monster making kit. It includes a monster making machine and all the parts needed to design and construct 3 wicked cool Monster High character charms, perfect for hanging from your backpack, purse, or jeans. For ages 7 years and up.

Monster High Liquid Stickers $3.99 Includes 8 assorted Monster High Liquid Stickers.

Monster High Sketch Book $10.99 Includes (1) Monster High Sketch Book.

Virtual Futures $19.99 Brings together cyberfeminism, postmodern fiction, computing culture, materialist philosophy and performance art to discuss and articulate the consequences of an increasingly synthetic, virtual and technological world.

Monster High Bag $12.99 Complete your Monster High costume and show your school and Halloween spirit with this officially licensed Monster High

Monster High Draculaura Wig Child $12.96 Monster High Draculaura Wig Child

Monster HDP 2400 High Definition $362.99 Monster HDP 2400 High Definition

Monster High Drop Dead Diary $6.75 Monster High Drop Dead Diary

Virtual Audio Project: Virtual World $4.99 For everything you do, there’s a song that hits the spot. MOG brings them all to you: a world of music on demand, unlimited mobile downloads and ways to discover music free from the limitations of Pandora. The music you love, with you everywhere you go.

The Handbook of High-Performance Virtual Teams $81 The Handbook of High-Performance Virtual Teams is an essential resource for leaders, virtual team members, and work group leaders. The editors provide a proved framework based on five principles for working collaboratively across boundaries of time, space

Ethics in the Virtual World $199 This e-book presents three papers presented at the Second International Conference on Teaching Applied and Professional Ethics in Higher Education in September 2005. The papers – based around the conference theme of “Ethics in the Virtual World” – reflect major and continuing themes in computing, ethics and society: access to confidential and sensitive health records; and the teaching of professional computing ethics information.

Intelligent Virtual World $133.9 In recent years, we have witnessed an explosive growth in multimedia computing, communication and applications. This revolution is transforming the way people live, work and interact with each other, and is impacting the way business, government services, education, entertainment and health care operate. This important book summarizes recent research topics, focusing on four major areas: (1) intelligent content-based information retrieval and virtual world, (2) quality-of-services of multimedia data, (3) intelligent techniques for distance education, and (4) intelligent agents for e-commerce.