the equivalent of erasing a neighborhood community center

From an article that appeared in The Los Angeles Times Business section (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lively21-2008nov21,0,7000770.story)

Here's another lesson, courtesy of other virtual worlds that have collapsed in recent years: Turning Lively off come Dec. 31 may not be that easy.

"People in virtual worlds establish a sense of community and belonging" that's difficult to uproot, said Dmitri Williams, assistant professor at the USC Annenberg School for Communication. "It would be the equivalent of someone erasing a neighborhood community center. It's bound to ruffle feathers. These are important spaces for people."