Let's see ... the online dictionary gives the definition of avatar as:
1) The incarnation of a Hindu deity in human
or animal form.
2) An embodiment, as of a quality or concept; an archetype: the very avatar of cunning.
3) A temporary manifestation or aspect of a continuing entity: occultism in its
present avatar.
Goodness, that's not what I'm talking
about at all!
(Dictionaries just never seem to keep up with the times.)
Oh well, I'll just have to explain this
on my own then.
What the dictionary left out is the
cyberspace definition of avatar.
On the Internet
(and in games) avatars are icons or
images that we use to represent ourselves.
Neal
Stephenson, in his 1992 cyberpunk novel, "Snow Crash" (and excellent
read, by the way),
called the virtual characters in his Metaverse (a future virtual
reality) avatars.
He was probably
the first person to use the word in this way - and it really stuck.
Avatars are used mostly on forums, and in
chats,
but they can appear almost anywhere (even in websites).
Here are a few examples of these avatars:
As you can see, an avatar can be anything
you want it to be,
from a simple graphic element, to a photographic image.
And there are even 3D avatars (which I'll
get to in just a bit).
But you should always remember that your
avatar represents you,
so you should choose carefully.
If you pick a unique one, people will
begin to identify you with your avatar. |
