I'm sorry, I didn't consider that one might think that this is a scam. If you feel at all uncomfortable chatting over RealID, I would be more than happy to use any other IM service. I have actually conducted a number of interviews over Gmail's IM, but I could definitely use any other IM.
As to verifying my identity: my name is Tim Arnold. I am a dual Master's degree candidate in Information Studies and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. In both disciplines I mainly focus on new media, online communities and online culture. I can provide you with links to various net profiles which verify this information:
Here is a short profile on the website of the
Center for Middle Eastern Studies which lists my name and my enrollment in the dual degree program (along with a really unfortunate photo of me, ugh).
This is the
website for the grant-funded program in videogame preservation at the School of Information at UT for which I am a research assistant.
I also have a
Twitter account and a
LibraryThing profile which corroborate some of the information I listed above.
I will definitely make copies of my final paper available to all of my interviewees, and with luck it will be published in the proceedings of the
Digital Games Research Association. I applied to speak about this research project on WoW Addons at their conference next September. I'll find out whether my proposal was accepted next month.
If there is anything else that I can do to set your mind at ease, please let me know!