Identify in the Context of Virtual Worlds

Virtual Identity allows a gamer to create an avatar and explore different genders, races and languages without being judged.  A man who plays in a virtual world, whether its in Meshmoon or Second Life, could being playing as a woman and vise versa.  No one will know if the person behind the computer screen is a man or a woman, black or white, tall and skinny, or short and fat.  The gamer is able to construct an avatar with limitless of possibilities.  There is no right or wrong creation in virtual worlds.  During my time entering different virtual worlds, majority of the avatars I noticed were skinny and decent looking.  I didn't see a lot of fat or short avatars while playing in Second Life and in Meshmoon.  In the real world, everyone wants to perceive themselves as the perfect image.  Well now, people have the ability to do just that in Virtual worlds.

(SecondLife)

Before this class i knew nothing about virtual worlds and specifically virtual identity.  In virtual worlds you are able to construct an avatar of your imagination and make it look like anything you want it too.  Its all about how people express them selves and how people perceive others in different virtual worlds.  In our last assignment we got to change the appearance of our Avatar in second life.  Starting off as a normal looking guy, I got a some normal responses from outsiders.  But when i change the appearance and made my avatar fat, one of the outsiders told me to go away.  it seems that people are only interested in talking to good looking avatars.  The advantage of entering different virtual worlds is a chance to have a fresh start.  No one knows who you are or what you look like in person.  It up to the creator to design and build their own avatar.

(MeshMoon)

In the article Identifying in a virtual World, Yee says  "We have all the freedom to do what ever we want in Virtual worlds".  He also mentions that its harder for men to explore different gender roles in real life.  But in virtual reality, no one is able to judge nor discriminate someone due to people not knowing who the controller  of the avatar  is. Entering a virtual world enables a person to be who they want to be.

(MakeHuman)

In Discovering Computer graphics we explored Virtual worlds using Second Life, Minecraft and Meshmoon.  We primarily used  MineCraft and Second Life due to the fact that it lags less.  In second life you are able to construct your avatar however you wanted to.  You have the ability to create your own virtual identity.  In the world we live in today, majority of the people want to perceive themselves as the perfect image.  But being perfect isn't human.  Everyone is different shapes and sizes, and if everyone would look the same then whats the point. The world as we know it would be boring. 

 

(MeshMoon)

In the article Neutralizing Identiy, it talks about how students use second life to examine, race, gender and language.  Second life and other virtual worlds give people the chance to communicate with others while forming an avatar of their choosing.  They have the ability to choose limitless options of physical features including animals.  Creating their own virtual identity in virtual worlds allows people to express who they are and who thy actually want to be. Its all about desires and how people want to perceive themselves as PERFECT.  

(MeshMoon)