Talk:Andy Lin

The author does an excellent job of establishing the issues related to the creation of his avatar and fantasy avatar. For the first avatar, the note about not being able to constantly see his appearance, despite it being a constant part of his identity was thoughtful. Further, he explains that while he has his own limitations based upon his lack of familiarity with his own appearance, the software also creates limitations. Not being able to add glasses to one's own face seems like a glaring mistake by the creators of the Evolver software. People, such as the author, who wear glasses are completely prevented from adding something that not only alters their appearance to the outside world, but also the way that they experience the world around them. The lack of ability to express the difference in the way that someone perceives the world around them limits that avatar to being able to solely describe their appearance, and not even their appearance in its entirety!

The comparison to Pinocchio in the section about the author's fantasy avatar not only was a great reference to a piece of work about identity. It also established a strong connection between the author and his audience. His question about what is "normal" in America, followed by his desire to exemplify the most normal physical characteristics are in an effort to "fit in" established the foundation for the conclusion. Despite how he may feel, the author says that changing his appearance to stay unnoticed is "a wish upon a star."

Overall, this article does a great job of explaining the limitations of the software, the challenges faced while creating the author's avatars, and also gives the reader a great connection to the author's feelings about his appearance, which is part of his identity. It was clearly-written, and very understandable.