The Palace is one of the original clientserver programs that creates a highly visual, spatial, and auditory chat environment. It is an excellent example of the trend toward graphical, interactive domains on the Internet, sometimes referred to as habitats, GMUKS Graphical Multiuser Konversation, or, multimedia chat. More recent programs e.g., Everquest, SimsOnline usually involve a game of some kind, including specific rules, social roles, and objectives. Palace is a much more openended environment with no specific purpose other than socializing and, for many users, experimenting with ones online identity. Currently, there are many Palace sites located across the Internet, varying widely in technical and artistic sophistication as well as graphical themes e.g., a futuristic Cybertown, a haunted house, Japan, Star Trek, etc.. Some sites are commercial, some private. Some even may be considered art.

Website: http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/palacestudy.html