Virtual worlds present a unique set of opportunities and challenges for technical communicators because they differ from other online text- and multimedia-based information interfaces in terms of how users seek and experience information. In text- and multimedia-based online interfaces, such as help systems, information is content-based, in that the information retrieved by users can be considered as content provided, regardless of whether it comprises text, graphics, or multimedia. The information can also be accessed in a context-sensitive manner from within a software application or online interface by clicking a "Help" icon or pressing Fl (or another allocated key). In a virtual world, help is still context-sensitive. The equivalent of clicking the "Help" icon or pressing Fl in a traditional help system would be the act of touching an object or tool in a virtual world to invoke information (Figure 1). However, the significant difference is that information in virtual worlds does not need to be content-based, although it sometimes is. Information in virtual worlds can include text and media, but more often, it is a hybrid of interactions with people and objects, embedded multimedia experiences like animations, and the active use of third-party tools (such as blogs) within the virtual environment.
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