I've just started my 3rd and final year at university and like everyone in there final year I'm writing my dissertation and the topic I've chosen to write on is the gaming community.

The reason I've chosen this is because not only do like love playing games, it's interesting how people online meet, join up to form guilds / clans, help each other, debate, and sometimes even meet up in person.

Having gone to Blizzard's invitational back in 2008, I remember how thousands of players decended onto Paris, not only to test the up-coming Wrath of the Lich King expansion, get a first taste of Starcraft 2 but I'm sure meet fellow guild mates or even meet completely random new people.

Do people find it much easier to meet people online then in person? Do people find it much easier to simply talk online then face to face?

Just something for people to think about, compare your real life encounters to the virtual world, is it really any different?