In this issue of CBR, we tap the expertise of three "in-world" pioneers and experts. Based on their experience both consulting with companies that have staked a claim in-world and their own firsthand experiences, they help us understand the basic characteristics and the potential of the 3D Internet and virtual worlds -- or multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs), as they are more precisely called.

This issue provides a nice separation of focus, language, and style between our academic and practitioner contributors. Rick and Elena bring about a new and fresh theoretical perspective to the notion of CIO effectiveness and success. Get ready to put your hard-thinking hat on for their article! Their perspective introduces the role of timing for CIOs and argues that when you do things is as important as what you do. I also think you will find stimulating their notion that, while efficiency and effectiveness are not always mutually exclusive, they are temporally related and involve tradeoffs in attention.

There is no doubt that e-learning, as defined in this issue, is the next frontier of organizational knowledge and competence building. There are no silver bullets on the road to success, but I believe that the ideas and guidelines offered by our contributors will be instrumental in focusing your attention where it matters most: on the learners.