Welcome GrassRoots is an online, text based virtual reality community, MOO, where people from around the world can come together for support, education, and fun. It's a prototype community that has taken the first steps toward the development of a classical McCluhan "Global Village" idea. This online community is being designed to accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities. GrassRoots has been created in the Multi-user Object Oriented (MOO) programming language that has two components that allow the creation of an accessible site that is uniquely effective for social interaction and education. These components are: one, the stimulation of the imagination and increased academic prowess, and two, the ability to decrease the isolation which can be a part of many people's lives by giving them a place to congregate. Each component is discussed in full on pages whose links are below. About GrassRoots The link above leads to a description of our history and mission, as well as some simple rules by which we live. Tutorials Here you will learn how to do everything from basic commands to building and programming. This section also includes a manual for teachers who wish to bring their students online. Connecting to GrassRoots Come visit our online community. We list several options on this page because how you connect to GrassRoots is dependent on your hardware and software. We also have a link on this page to information about our IRC server. View the TBVR If you want to see what the TBVR is like without interacting with it, you can view the rooms and personae on GrassRoots through our web interface. Most of GrassRoots can be viewed in this way, but we have chosen some special links to exhibits, both old and new, which we think exemplify the best efforts of our citizens. To do that, follow the link above. Using GrassRoots as a Tool for Education See how we at ESF are employing a text based virtual reality site to further the education of K12 students and adult learners. GrassRoots Citizens Reduce Their Isolation Come see how we at ESF employ a text-based real-time community to reduce the isolation of many people, especially those with disabilities. This site is a member of the MOOring, which connects MOO-related web sites. ESF Home Contact Info If you have questions, comments, or suggestions about GrassRoots or this web site, please email : Ann Parsons ( akp@eznet.net )