Talk:Sarah Green

In this particular personal reflection of avatars, the main issue in avatar creation was the lack of options in editing hair styles - which apparently is Sarah's one defining characteristic. Her explanation that prefaced her one problem was that she would not be able to capture the "more important details" that would most likely be missing - but she never explained anything other than her "very large eyes that disappear when smiling or laughing" and her hair. How can you form such a polarized opinion on software before you use it and then not care to explain specific details that define you, other than your hair? Does this mean you're a mannequin with magnificently curly blond hair?

Your argument can become stronger with details or specific examples personal experience with other avatar creation software.

I like the detailed description of the fantasy dancer avatar - where was this in your avatar? The use of Glee to ground the basis of her discomfort in creating a dancer-stereotype is only half true in the sense that the high school cheerleaders' and jocks' personalities are playing more to perceived stereotype, not the appearance.

Humor me this: all jocks look pretty much the same in TV shows, but their intelligence can differ. There is a distinct separation between stereotypes of personality and those of appearance. However, towards the end you change your mind when you say that you aren't doing your dancer avatar an injustice by playing into the stereotypes of appearance - you haven't even defined a personality yet where you can make it "sluttier or less intelligent".

I like the insight on judging a rando online by their "visual aid" and showing everyone a piece of yourself without direct interaction. However, in real life, you're saying that it's similar to your online persona by having people judge you based on only one thing - your hair. You also say that there is a chance that there's more to you than your hair. That's pretty self-deprecating by leaving the rest of your personality up to the chance that you're different from the stereotype.

The use of outside sources to anchor the reflection were good in that there was a point about judging avatars solely on stereotypes and there was a fear in losing personality that way. The description of issues in avatar creation tied in with the Glee reference well too - fear of falling into stereotypes. However the incorrect use of ellipses, run on sentences, ending sentences with prepositions, and indecisive writing really takes away the full effect of the content.

S.Dickerson ____________________

The author explains how she wasn’t surprised that the Evolver software would create limitations. It was nice to know that she knew there would be limitations, but even then she struggled to create an avatar. For example, her biggest problem was the lack of hairstyles and color. After reading on her essay, I realized that her hair was a big part of who she was. She wanted to express herself through her hair, but the Evolver wasn’t letting her to full abilities. She understood this and continued on created her avatar. One thing I really liked about the authors essay was that she tried to bring out her personality in her avatar, but then realized that an avatar is extremely superficial and let it go.

The description of the fantasy avatar creation was clear and understandable. It seemed like since she couldn’t express herself fully in her personal avatar, she decided to bring out her personality in her fantasy avatar. She mentions that her avatar is a fun, elegant and expressive dancer and she choose the most extreme characteristics to express that. For example, she chooses the stereotypical dancer as her fantasy avatar with dark hair pulled back, pale skin, and stronger makeup features. I really liked the idea of creating the fantasy avatar based on personality.

-Lucas Norton

I think that you did a great job explaining the subtleties of someone's personality that are more difficult to express in an avatar. I really liked the personal examples you gave regarding your personal daily routine. I agree that it's difficult to portray yourself accurately in an avatar, especially when your options are so limited as far as customizability. The is especially true if you have certain features that you know you want to express in your appearance. Therefore, it can be really frustrating when those traits that you know to make up your identity cannot be perfectly expressed in the same way in your avatar. This also relates to what you're talking about when you say that the first thing that someone notices is your looks. Not only is this the first thing people notice, but it's the only thing that they really have in the online space when it comes to your avatar as a whole. So, it is more important than ever to get across those key traits that make up your identity, so that you can carry that identity across from the physical space and into the online space.

However, I disagree with what you said about stereotypes. You say that it can be effective to play to the fact that people can easily recognize stereotypes, and therefore, it would be easy to quickly have another person make that connection and understand who you are on first glance. While you did a good job using Glee to explain how easily you were able to pick on stereotypes as compared to picking up on other more subtle personality traits, it is important to remember that Glee is a television show. They play up those stereotypes to allow the audience to quickly distinguish between different character roles. Therefore, this technique is really only good for that particular case, which is when you think that you are a stereotype. If you don't think that you are a stereotype, then I think it is best to try to stick as close to your true appearance as possible. Furthermore, stereotypes, regardless of whether or not you think that you can identify with them, can be offensive to others. It may be difficult to get across your traits the first time, but I think that it's best to do your to get close as close as you can. The viewer should understand in the same way that there are software limitations, and I think he or she will interpet the avatar accordingly.

-W. Mack