It's All About Who You Know (in Your Guild)

I suppose this sort of thing is inevitable. High powered tech executives certainly love networking, and it's a fair assumption that a few of them indulge in the odd video game from time to time, so combining the two really seems only natural. That's exactly what happens in "We Know," a World of Warcraft guild largely populated by wealthy tech industry figures. While membership is not exclusive to members of the extended Silicon Valley community, it is at least targeted towards them.

But what sets "We Know" apart is its concentration of movers and shakers in the technology world. The guild includes Ross Mayfield, CEO of SocialText; Sean Bonner, who runs the Metroblogging network and who is a popular blogger in his own right; John Crain, the chief technology officer of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN); and Diego Rodriguez, a product developer at Ideo, a well-known design company.

The name "We Know" is actually a self-effacing joke, said guild founder Joi Ito, a tech investor who has put money into well-known tech outfits such as Technorati. The tech movers and shakers, said Ito, joke that they don't know very much, but they sure like to make people think they do.

With a roster of about 100, members frequently find themselves discussing possible deals or development ideas, and it can occasionally extend beyond the guild. One member was running through the Stockades with a stranger who, after some inital casual discussion, ended up calling him as a potential client. This sort of thing no doubt happens all the time in online world. I have a friend who used to actively DJ in the Los Angeles club scene and produce dance tracks. Last year when we were questing with some random players, it turned out that one of our group members was a DJ himself, and was hosting a party that weekend featuring a guest artist with whom my friend was acquainted and had featured in the past. They swapped stories and tricks of the trade; I was fairly blown away. Anyone else here ever had a similar chance virtual meeting?