Friday, January 16, 2009

Hello World (of Warcraft)!

It's official, the Director of the Central Arkansas Library System has approved funding for a World of Warcraft (WoW) gaming program. I'll be using this blog to outline the steps and hurdles that must be taken or jumped that led to the approval of this program. I will also be explaining some of the technical issues required to get this done, as well as some of the philosophy behind the design of our programs.

About me.
My name is Bob, and I'm the assistant manager of Computer & Network Services at the Central Arkansas Library System. I've played WoW for six years, since a few friends in the gaming industry invited me to the Alpha Test. I'm not sure if it violates my non-disclosure agreement, but I'll say it anyway... I got to see Dwarven Mages. Before WoW I played EverQuest; before EQ I played Ultima Online; in between various cancellations of EQ I played Asheron's Call, Dark Age of Camelot, and Anarchy Online. Before that I played Dungeons & Dragons and other various pen & paper games. For the record, I am also a fan of the original Star Trek series.

The "Why" of the program.
The social nature of WoW is comparable to a book club or knitting circle, and that communal experience is what I will attempt to harness in the program. I have met other WoW players in public or at work, and most all of these meetings are started with a sense of surprise from both myself and the other player. One of the first things asked when I meet another WoW player is, "What Realm," which is always answered by, "Oh, /sigh I'm on Feathermoon." Through these programs, I hope to foster a sense of community among the area WoW players and provide a medium through which we can all play together, if only for a couple of days per month, without sacrificing our other in-game relationships.

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