Welcome to the world of Warcraft

It was with some trepidation that I took my first uncertain steps into the wide wide World of Warcraft. An entire online world, waiting to be explored--quests to undertake, magical artifacts to discover, exotic locales to visit.

Questions gripped me as I logged in, created my character, and ventured out into the icy mountain wastes of Dun Morogh, south of the bustling dwarven city of Ironforge. Around me, a jaw-dropping diversity of interesting characters darted to and fro--dedicated players going about their adventurous business.

How would I adjust to the intense online interaction required by such an ambitious gameworld? Could my dwarf paladin, through hours of hard work, sacrifice, and valiant struggles against the forces of the Horde, achieve the respect and even the admiration of this community of online Warcraft veterans?

Wait--there's a group of gnomes over there. Maybe they can answer a few questions for an inexperienced newbie player. What's that, you say?

...oh.

I thought this place seemed familiar. Beneath the gorgeous graphical game interface, it's the same ol' internet I know and love.

This, I think I can handle.