It is important to think provocatively to help us generate ideas. In that spirit let me offer up a definition of a Virtual Assistant:
A VA GOES where no person has gone before regardless of distance and time zone.
How? with good intentions by cramming the intentions into bits and manifesting
them in distant physical location(s)
In this process, may stumble, trip, do just right, exceed or fall short much like Physical Assistants do in real life.
The stumbles, trips and such are often offset by the far reaching reach :-)