I thought that the posts on the SIM's were quite interesting. While interesting, it brings up a point made in Telecommunications and the City, with technology, especially the Internet, the individual can dissociate one's self from others, which creates a barrier. If these individuals are living through the Sim's and this virtual world, they will lose touch with the real world and create this barrier as described in the text. Just as Josh said, the "techies" he worked with lost their civic engagement and became immersed in this virtual world.