MUDs do give me the opportunity to change identity frequently; to change age without the use of a time machine, to change gender without all that tedious mucking about with surgeons' knives.

MUDs cross national boundaries easily.  The process of typing into a talker conceals distances.  The person I am talking to might be in Canada, Australia, New Zealand or England but it makes no difference ... and it doesn't break the bank either because it only costs as much as a local call.

I have no status carried over from RL, I acquire status by being there and learning about talkers and helping other newbies when they come along making the mistakes I was making until recently.

Most important of all, I bury my mistakes.  New identity, new bloke, or a new woman or a small furry creature.