Language
The lack of non-verbal cues has a definite affect on computer mediated interactions. Parks (1996) discusses the speed with which social context is "rebuilt" online. The importance of words, language use, grammar cues and so on is raised. Harris (1998) discusses the use of language as a differentiator within professions. This use of language as an identifier also applies to online communications, as evidenced by the Jargon File (de Wolf), an extensive study in hacker lingo, and numerous acronym files (http://www.freewarehof.org/acronyms.html). Hackers represent one of many different positions in the Virtual Nation.
Another type of language that has developed on the WWW is the emoticon. Emoticons are representations of human expression and emotion (http://wellweb.com/behappy/smiley.htm). By using emoticons, experienced citizens of the Virtual Nation can add depth to text-only interactions, increasing the expressiveness of thier exchanges.