Define what you mean by "cheating."

The Contra Costa Times has an article by Jessica Yadegaran that examines the impact of in-game "cheating" on a spouse and the ramifications of virtual relationships. While the article focuses mainly on Second Life, other, more traditional MMORPGs like EverQuest are also discussed.

Online infidelity was once limited to chat rooms and dating sites. But there is rising concern that virtual worlds such as Second Life and Kaneva and role-playing games like EverQuest can escalate the potential for and extent of infidelity. After all, avatars, or alternative identities, do it all: shop together, get married in wedding ceremonies and even buy property with virtual currency they purchase with real-world dollars. They can also commit crimes against each other, get divorced and sue one another in real-life court over in-game disputes.

Continue reading the article at the Contra Costa Times. Is cyber infidelity a real problem or just another pop fad? As any long-time gamer knows, in-game friendships can be quite strong and enduring. It's an important question to ask. What do you think?