EDUCEDGE,

[original post 1/10/08]

I decided on my avatar knowing that I was interested in using SL as a research and work place. Consequently, I immediately tuned in the reputation system in SL. I do not care about anonymity in SL although I do respect colleagues who prefer not to reveal their RL id while in SL. I do not reveal my RL name when exploring places. But when in conferences, or other educational related activities, I do not mind mentioning my RL id or contacts.

And so, my avatar is female, although I do like switching avatar skins often for fun and depending on the context. For example, when I hosted the inworld Met@Morph, my avatar looked like the long-haired sister of the X-Men’s nemesis Mystique. I’ve been Darth Vader and other robot looking avatars. I’ve been a green alien and a floating humanoid jelly fish. Again, it all depends on the context as some audiences are not comfortable with ‘wierd’ looking personae.

I take care of my avatar as my representation of myself inworld. And so I am quite pleased to change her hair and clothes by my fancy. It’s probably reminiscent of playing dolls, although I never like playing dolls when I was a little one. In fact, I am now more interested in designing an avatar that is professional looking with appropriate gestures for listening and presenting. (although, apparently, the bosoom-ness of my avatar — although appropriately dressed– was a brief topic of conversation. Although it is possible to modify the size of all areas of the body, certain skins are not full perms….as the one I was using when the comment came about. And so I could not ‘deflate’ the bosom However, she was dressed professionally. I guessed she was still too pretty.

I wonder: would RL assumptions about beauty and brain carry over inworld? Based on my earlier comment, it’s easy to answer. But what do other think?