People do not want to know the history, minutiae of policy, or operations, or even the political intrigues of a virtual consortium. People want to know if the consortium has value, whether it can help them, and if it is a threat. In this article, the author focuses on the operating principles and policies that have proven successful in the development and operation of WashingtonOnline, a virtual consortium of the thirty-four community and technical colleges in Washington State. (Contains 1 table.)