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JCE · #5 04-03-2001, 04:00 PM

YMSin:
check this site for a definition of avatar:

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/a/avatar.html

A company making these is http://www.eyematic.com/

A near avatar precursor (bot) is at the news site http://www.ananova.com , where a bot takes the place of a news broadcaster. (click on the green haired woman 'bot' for a news broadcast).

In very sophisticated systems (nearly SciFi here) you could have the avatar look like anyone you wanted to, could have it mimic your actions, expressions, etc. Some writers see this as a futuristic internet 'reality' where you don't go out to a bar, your avatar meets your friends avatars at a virtual bar (you are all really drinking at home) and has an evening out on the 'town'. Read the book "Snow Crash" by Neal Stevenson if you like SciFi about posssible futures! As soon as I install an 800 node Beowulf linux cluster at home, I am going to have an avatar that is a cross between Bruce Lee and Stephen Hawking, and I'll name it Buckaroo Banzai!

[Edited by JCE on 04-03-2001 at 04:08 PM]