1. A computer-implemented method of executing a virtual conference among a plurality of nodes, wherein some or all of the plurality of nodes are associated with a plurality of participants in the virtual conference, the method comprising: providing, to each participant, images of the plurality of nodes; receiving an active node selection input from a first participant of the plurality of participants, the active node selection input indicating which of the plurality of nodes the first participant selects as an active node for communication; and modifying an image quality of the active node provided to the first participant, so that the active node has a first image quality that is different from a second image quality that is assigned to other nodes, wherein image quality includes at least one of resolution, brightness, sharpness, tone, contrast, noise level, and frame rate of an image.