Talk:Virtual environment

It seems to me that the term "virtual environment" is widely used but ill-defined. It also seems that it is not synonymous with virtual reality. I propose the below as a first attempt at defining this term.

Any networked application that permits both interaction with the computing environment and the work of other users. Email, chat, web-based document sharing applications are all examples of virtual environments. Once the fidelity of the virtual environment is such that it "creates a psychological state in which the individual perceives himself or herself as existing within the virtual environment" (Blascovich, 2002, pg 129) then the virtual environment (VE) had progressed into the realm of immersive virtual environments (IVEs).

References

Blascovich, J. (2002). Social Influence within Immersive Virtual Environments. In R. Schroeder (Ed.), The Social Life of Avatars: Presence and Interaction in Shared Virtual Environments (pp. 127-145). London: Springer.

Will.koszarek (talk) 22:31, 6 April 2008 (UTC)