Talk:Ashley Church

Hi Ashley,

I liked your point about how our perceptions of ourselves are skewed because we have been looking at ourselves way longer than anyone else has. I agree with you that we see the details in our face and body that we like and don’t like. A lot of the times, we think we look one way but others perceive us in another, so I see how building an accurate avatar of yourself that others can identify could be difficult. Throughout your reflection, you stated what you were looking for in your avatar, such as traits and personalities, addressed your concerns and reflected on the end result. The structure was clear and easy to read. However, I thought maybe you can expand a little more. Although it was very good that you made a very strong point about the importance of showing personality, it almost seemed like it was the only thing you talked about in your reflection. I felt some sentences overlapped a little often, reiterating the same point.

Your outside source was clearly cited with footnotes, and you integrated into your reflection well. I just wish you could’ve talk a little bit more about it. Maybe analyze the quote a little more and relate back to your experience. Overall, I liked the structure of the reflection. I think you did a good job with your avatars. And I can definitely get a sense of your personality, not just through your avatars, but also through your words.

--B Humphrey 02:26, 12 November 2011 (EST)

Ashley's use of an outside source serves as a great launching point for the explanation of her fantasy avatar's appearance. Nonetheless, I wanted to know more about Nickyee and the boundaries between appearance and equipment. Appearance is influenced by equipment - clothing is a big part of our appearance as it is a customizable factor. Individuals are judged by their appearance, mainly their clothing, upon first impression. Ashley is correct in asserting this and uses this fact to channel her energy towards selecting the right clothing for her avatar rather than personalizing the body. There needs to be a recognition that others' perception of an individual's appearance account for clothing in the context of a body. Individuals are often perceived differently though they may share the same clothes. Ashley did create a fantasy avatar that meets her goal - the body and clothing convey the "determination, strength, and dedication" of an athlete.

Ashley begins by commenting on the issue of self-reflection - it is hard to see exactly what is in the mirror! Ashley then addresses the issue of forced symmetry in Evolver. The reality is that individuals often have asymmetrical features of their appearance. Ashley points out that Evolver makes the assumption that individuals are symmetrical which is in contrast to her real-life experience and her experience with avatars in The Sims. Outside of these issues, Ashley did not encounter many issues with her avatar creation.