From a Swedish perspective World of Warcraft is not just "The New Golf", we would call it the "New Finnish Sauna". For those of you unfamiliar with the Sauna traditions, it means getting naked into a very hot room, stay there as long as possible before rushing out and throw yourself into a lake of ice and snow. And then get back in there with a clear mind ready for some new heat. The saying in Sweden is that all important decisions are made in the sauna.

For obvious reasons mixed saunas aren't that popular amongst women. And for some reason gaming isn't either.

But to avoid another "saunaclub", I guess one has to get inspired by the best playing female golfer in the world, , Annika Sörenstam - and begin learn to play, The World of Warcraft, inspiring title isn't?

We actually have pretty good gender balance in our guild. It was around 50/50 when we started... there are more guys now, but we still have enough women so usually there are at least a few women around. ;-) Interestingly, we seem to have quite a few moms.

Oh, I thought the golf reference was due to the issue WoW's stand on queers that CoryBoing noted: http://www.boingboing.net/2006/02/07/ban_on_gayfriendly_g.html

I think WoW is possibly worse (?) than golf because 'schmoozing' in WoW often involves dying together. Of course, Joi tend to die several times more often than I do...

By the by, this has also been kicked around on Terra Nova last year (http://terranova.blogs.com/terra_nova/2005/10/class_begins_in.html). Any metaphor can be stretched too far, but it seemed to have some merit, especially with regards to game developers, who play WoW in disproportionately high numbers.

I think I'd more call it the new paintball :).

experiencing multiple simultanous borning ideas? :)

If your business partner is addicted to crack, and the only way to consistently reach him is at the local crack house, you would not say "Smoking Crack is the new Golf."

You might say, "DAMNIT, why in the hell do you not answer your cell phone, forcing me to drive over to the crack house at all hours to get your comments and signature."

Even more likely, "Get some help. Please."

Ahem...

Except that Golf at least has the merit of exercise or getting out and getting some fresh air. I don't think WoW has that going for it...

I hate golf, but I'm comfortable with the idea of major business decisions getting made on the course as opposed to being made in some fantasy-based reality abstraction.

I only recently purchased WoW (yeah yeah I know, fine geek I am). I don't really know if it's the new golf. I am really not sure you can do "small talk" in WoW that well. Chat disrupts the action a lot. I guess if you use some sort of voice chat then it might work. Other than that, WoW is probably too hectic.

Then, what do I know. I never played golf.

When WOW starts breaking up marriges as much as golf then it mite start to get there

Oh Nils - once your guild discovers Vent or Teamspeak it will be all over for you.
Plus you get to find out who the real females are. For some reason no one ever believes I'm a woman until they hear me on vent. :D

p.s. I get up early so I can get some levelling in before work - 6am on the 9th tee, anyone?