Talk:Christian Vandercook

The first paragraph gives a well-rounded and succinct summary of this assignment and its meaning. The one basic guideline that Christian emphasizes gives a clear reason for his approach to avatar creation. The outside source that Christian chose was also related to this point. It tied the in-class assignment to the outside world, showing how avatar creation can be relevant, even in non-academic and non-leisure contexts.

While reading over this reflection I noticed two somewhat contradictory ideas. The first idea is that the more accurately an avatar reflects an actual person, the more likely they are to feel that it is an extension of themselves. The second idea is that avatars could benefit in an online environment from making themselves appear more attractive. It would be interesting to hear about the interplay between these two ideas. To what extent is it more important to be attractive, and to what extent is it important for one’s avatar to represent one's actual self? Does it change in different contexts? What are the effects? Christian didn’t explicitly address the interplay between these two ideas, but his discussion of his fantasy avatar showed that he found it important to both represent himself and to make himself appear more attractive.

Danielle Lott

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Christian,

Your entry starts off with a strong, insightful look into the world of avatar creation. Your thoughts on how closely the avatar resembles the creator leading to a more "real" feeling in the virtual world is something I agree with wholeheartedly. You convey your feelings about the software well in the "Self-Portrait Avatar Creation Process" informing the reader that although accurate avatar creation exists, it does not in the given software.

Your outside source and reflections pertaining to the piece helped me understand your motivation for creating the avatar that you did. The part in the passage where you explain the possible benefits of creating a visually appealing and attractive avatar make sense and tie in with today's society being obsessed about appearance. Sadly, this desire for perfection stretches even to the depths of the gaming and online world where the idea is to become immersed by the world the player or user is interacting in.

Helen Long