1. A method, comprising by apparatus of a virtual area creation service that provides services enabling realtime synchronous conferencing communications between client network nodes: receiving information for creating a virtual area, wherein the information comprises communicant information designating a set of users of the network service as members of the virtual area, and network service information comprising a property value for accessing a network service that administers data associated with the designated members of the virtual area; after the receiving, creating the virtual area and associating the communicant information and the network service information with the virtual area; responsive to requests from client network nodes of respective ones of the designated members, establishing a respective presence in the virtual area for each of the respective designated members, and sending a specification that enables the respective client network nodes to create a visualization of the virtual area; and in a context of the visualization of the virtual area, providing realtime synchronous conferencing communications between the respective client network nodes and, based on the property value, providing the respective designated members with shared access to the data administered by the network service.