The difference between the worlds of MUDs and MOOs and the rest of the Internet is the ability to create your own personal “space”. This space can be private or public, can be fantastical or realistic, but it remains a “place” that you can interact within, and provides you with a background to your social relationships online. In comparison, most other `places' on the net have little “sense of place”; they are bland and impersonal areas. It's a bit like trying to maintain real-life relationships in large empty rooms, compared to having you own home, styled to reflect your personality, and into which you can invite friends.