I like the idea of looking at being virtually connected rather than being in physical proximity as a boost to the team productivity instead of an obstacle. I've always heard people complain and state "lack of face-to-face" on the disadvantages side, but now more people are recognizing how it can actually help.
What if I personally prefer my desk rather than a round table in a conference room? I'd join a virtual team. What if I hate frequent travelling, the tiresome jet lag effect and the awful airport delays? What if I believe in the "No-Place-Like-Home" philosophy? ... What If? What If? What If? ... All of these are valid reasons to prefer a virtual team over a physical one.
But it's always a matter of weighing pros and cons in a subjective judgement call. What about the time difference? What if the team finds a convenient meeting time to most members, but it's 3:00 am in the morning where I live? How can I -as the group manager- maintain trust between the members? What if I get more motivation from being in a group- physically in a group- rather than being alone with a laptop? ... What if? What if? What if? ... All of these are also valid reasons to prefer a physical team over a virtual one.
As I said, it's a subjective judgement call, I believe.
