Bridging physical and virtual spaces

A computer-implemented method in a network communications environment comprising at least one server network node and supporting real time communications between co-present ones of a user and one or more other communicants in virtual locations that define different respective communication contexts in the network communications environment, the method comprising:

• executing code by the at least one server network node to cause the at least one server network node to perform:
• based on a request from a first client network node, logging the first client network node into a particular one of the virtual locations, wherein the first client network node and a first communicant are located in a particular real-world location;
• based on a request from a second client network node located outside the particular real-world location to log a second communicant into the particular virtual location, establishing a presence for the second communicant in the particular virtual location, and administering between the first and second client network nodes a first realtime communication connection that enables realtime communications between the second communicant and communicants who are located in one or more particular real-world locations;
• based on a request from a third client network node located outside the particular real-world location to log the user into the particular virtual location, establishing a presence for the user in the particular virtual location, administering between the first and third client network nodes a second realtime communication connection that enables realtime communications between the user and communicants who are located in the particular real-world location, and administering between the second and third client network nodes a third realtime communication connection that enables realtime communications between the user and the second communicant;
• and;
• based on a determination that the real-world location of the user coincides with the particular real-world location, terminating the second and third realtime communication connections while maintaining the first realtime communication connection and maintaining the presences of the user and the second communicant in the particular virtual location.