SocialText to host press conference in 'World of Warcraft'?

These days, it almost seems that if you're a big company and you don't have a presence in Second Life or hold press events in that virtual world, you're hopelessly behind the times.

But while Second Life--and its 1.3 million registered accounts--is getting all the attention these days, World of Warcraft is quietly humming along with more than 7.5 million paying subscribers.

And now it seems the press conference madness may well have arrived at the gates of the online game, where the goal is to slay beasts and go questing with friends.

Ross Mayfield, CEO of SocialText, an enterprise wiki software publisher, announced Tuesday that his company will hold its next press confab in WoW on December 5.

The event is planned for WoW's Eitrigg server, and Mayfield set forth some rather amusing rules of conduct.

First, he mandated, "no ninjas."

Next, he asserted that journalists will only be able to ask questions in player-versus-player mode. Presumably that means journos may well find themselves under attack while posing their queries. How many big company execs wouldn't like to have that power?

My favorite?

"If the spokesperson is not forthcoming," Mayfield wrote, "you may duel for information."

It's not entirely clear if this event is on the up and up, but I hope it is. After all, I've always wanted to show up for a briefing in full body armor.