06 Avatar (Group)

1. How do you define an avatar? Enumerate the consensus definition.

An avatar is an online representation of oneself. The user tries to put every single detail of his/her physical looks and his/her whole personality in his/her avatar. It’s like the user’s picture but was edited –like turned into a vector.

An avatar could also be an idealization of the user’s identity. Since avatar is used in the virtual world, one might think of making an avatar which projects an identity which is not truly his/hers but that is the identity he/she wants others to see in his/her.

2. Does definition of what character or personality your avatar has would only be defined in the role-playing games? Explain your answers.

No. Because there are other platforms in which avatars are being used. We think that an avatar is a representation of oneself. It could show one’s personality, if the user wants people to see that, or it could be the identity he/she wants to have. Character of avatars could also be seen in the one who made it.

3. Do you want to be defined as an individual or entity virtually based on your avatar or online name? Why or why not.

No, because the resources available to make an avatar is limited. We cannot make an avatar which is exactly the same as our real personality which is why it is not enough for people to judge us based on it (our avatars). Some of our hobbies and interests do not have an interpretation in the avatar-maker pages, so how would our avatars showcase what type of lifestyle do we have? Members of this group use avatars which are close to what our personalities are but then, it is not enough to be a basis of who we really are. We just don’t want to mislead people’s thinking about us.

4. Do you find any significance of having a purposeful avatar or online identity?

Yes, because one should keep some private things about him/her from the online world. But our group thinks that an avatar should still showcase a bit of that person’s personality like his/her interests and the simplest things like his/her favorite color. Some of us also have blogs in which we have secret identity because we have thoughts that we want to voice out but we do not have the strength to let others know that it was ours yet.

5. Does having multiple characters imply negative or positive impact to the person? Give at least two examples and explain your answers.

Having multiple characters imply both negative and positive impact to a person.

First, if a person tries to create a different online identity from his/her real personality. Example, if a girl who is known as someone who is very modest made a picture of a half-naked guy as her avatar.

The positive effect would be felt by the modest girl because there would be a sense of fulfillment. Maybe she just adores that guy so much that she wanted to make that picture as her avatar. That is one thing about avatars, there is not law to follow so you can put anything you want.

The negative effect would come from the people who know her as the modest one. Some might immediately erase their perception of that girl being modest just because she chose a picture of a half-naked guy as her avatar. Some would get confused of whom to believe –the person they see in the real world or the person online.

Second, a guy who keeps a blog but does not give his real identity, even a bit.

The positive effect would be the privacy and mysteriousness he has. He can actually say foul words to his friends online without them getting mad at him or even knowing about it. One member of this group thinks that kind of set-up is healthy because it gives a person the power to voice his/her feelings, be it positive or negative, without having someone getting mad.

The negative effect would happen if people, especially those who are close to him, knew that it was him who is keeping the blog –who is saying negative stuff about them.

6. If you will be asked to make an avatar for yourself today as a Social Being in the #Socmed class, how will you draw your avatar? And what #onlinename will you use?

“My avatar will be a girl with eyeglasses and her name is eyecansee.”

-Diane Mallari

“My avatar will be a girl with a long straight black hair and big blue earrings. She is playing piano. There will be a music-related background.”

-Mihaela Mamenta

“My avatar will be a girl with small eyes and short hair. She is wearing a zebra-printed dress which is colored pink and black. There would be hearts all over her background. Her name is Nexbigstar.”

-Nicole Indiongco

“My avatar will be a young man with reading glasses, wearing polo shirt, and gray pants. His name is Riyuno.”

-Rreuno Velasco

05 Online Representation

This is my avatar in Candymag.com. I profoundly thought of how will I make it look a lot like me but I think the resources available to make an avatar in Candymag.com is limited.

That is the closest hairstyle, available there, to my real hairstyle. I do not have highlights though! Yes, I do have bangs and hair is quite short. (But my neck is not that long!) I also have thick eyebrows. I do not have big eyes but unfortunately, chinky eyes are not available in Candymag.com's avatar maker. Their options for noses are also weird, so I just chose that. My aunt and cousins once told me that I have fat and small nose. I chose to put big lips because, well yes, I do have big lips -sometimes I hate it, sometimes I don't. I also chose that open lips because I love to talk! The top worn by the girl in my avatar is similar to the top I wore during FWDANCE culminating night. I used to be addicted to the color violet/purple. The accessories I put also tell a bit much about me. I like hearts that is why I chose that pair of earrings. I also love the color pink, since I was a kid, that is why I chose that necklace. I am also a music lover that is why I chose to put and iPod on it. I do not have an iPod but I always bring my handy music player with me. It's my boredom savior! Whenever I'm alone, like during LRT rides or when I'm at the mall waiting for my parents to show up, I just play songs in my crappy but beloved music player. I am not thin, unlike the girl in my avatar.

04 Moving Pictures in the Cloud

I used to say that I am not a Youtube person. Well, it's quite true because I am not really the type of person who opens Youtube.com every single time I go online. Even if I am bored, I do not just go to the site and watch just any videos there. Maybe I am not an active Youtube user but when I profoundly think about it, I'm quite a frequent visitor of it also. For years, I limited my use of Youtube to being my music search engine. When friends recommend songs, and I wanna check those first if it's my type before downloading, I listen to it in Youtube. I know it's weird how I use this video-sharing website to just search for music and listen to it! Sometimes, I go there when friends give me links of funny or annoyingly funny videos. (I think, boys like Youtube next to computer/online games and basketball.)

I haven't maximized the use of Youtube, which is an offering of web 2.0, yet but I'm trying my best to do so. One use of the site, which I appreciate a lot, is being a place where people could showcase their talent for free. Luckier people do not only get millions of likes and comments but also good offers from talent scouts. (See Charice Pempengco, Arnel Pineda, Marie Digby, Justin Bieber, Maria Aragon) Sometimes, I enjoy watching Youtube personalities more than those who are active in television right now. Other people use it also to post educational videos which is a good help to students. Children nowadays want to have a new learning experience, and because we rely on technology too much now, so Youtube can totally give it to them. Google is very helpful in giving articles related to our studies, but I prefer watching videos in Youtube which are related to what we are tackling in class like lessons in programming class, Math class, Science class and others. Sometimes, educators ask their students to use Youtube as an outlet of their insights, that is why there are some who require us to do short clips that show our insight about a certain issue. Youtube can also be used as an advertising tool. Others are also comfortable in sharing their experiences -which are recorded- such as travelling, partying, playing, giving a prank or those who share experiences through video blogging. Some people upload television show episodes, music videos and movies in Youtube, too, which I also appreciate because there are times when I miss my favorite show -in its time slot- because I have to go out or something. Some old filipino flicks are also available in Youtube, and I actually watched the movie 'Bagets' there.

Youtube can be a good tool for education since most of the youth are now engaged in online activities. I mean, a lot of students tend to use the Internet for their homework, research and projects, so maybe they would enjoy learning (by watching videos) in the WWW too. I experienced having a teacher/professor who is not good in teaching(AT ALL!), so I tried searching for a video about one topic in our class and I swear, the videos I saw in Youtube are more understandable! Sometimes, reading articles about a topic is not enough or is too lame for students to learn from it, so videos would really be a great solution for that. And if those videos will be uploaded on Youtube, a lot of people will be able to see it and learn from it. Some people in Youtube videos sound really cool and they are direct to the point, and I think it's a good technique in teaching. Youtube can also be a good help for schools to save cost in storage devices since it the videos are in the web, all they need is a computer and internet connection to be able to share the videos to the students. But there is a disadvantage in using Youtube as a tool for education, like Wikipedia and some websites, we cannot assure the reliability of the information that is shown in the videos because anyone (who has a Youtube account) can just post anything that they want in the site. We cannot also expect the students to focus on watching and learning from the educational videos in Youtube because there are also a bunch of activities in the WWW which are more interesting for some students.

(With lots of uncertainty,) I see Youtube, ten years from now, still being a popular website where people upload and watch videos that they cannot see on CD and television. It is also possible for Youtube to defeat some local soap operas if there would be "Youtube series." I am afraid that TV network companies would stop operating because people would be so attached to their computers and would stop watching on boob tube. That is a crazy idea but it is possible since Youtube is such a powerful tool if you think about it. :) I am hoping that ten years from now, Youtube would still be an awesome web-based application which uses will be maximized by the people. I hope that more educational videos, which are creatively made, would be uploaded there and students would treat the site as a classroom extension and not as a replacement for school. I also wish that people would consider the young viewers, who might see their videos, before uploading in Youtube. Maybe some people find entertainment in watching malicious videos but a popular website, such as Youtube, is not a good place to upload those since it is open to everybody.

Web 2.0 offers a lot of applications which could be a really good help for us but it also leaves us the responsibility to use it properly and be careful of the actions that it allow us to do.

03 Of the Internet and My Social Life

Insights on “The Internet Makes it More Likely You Will Be Social, Not Less by Matthew Ingram”

“Use of the Internet in general, and social media in particular, has become the lubricant for chatter and outreach for all kinds of groups ranging from spiritual communities to professional societies to ad hoc fan clubs.”

-Lee Rainie of the Pew Center

I agree to the Pew Center’s claim that Internet users are more likely to discover and engage in groups. Groups who are using the Internet, Social Networks in particular, as their means of communication are most likely to be more productive as a group for they have an easier way to hold meetings or discussions. Online meetings are easier to attend to because it does not require members of an organization to travel all the way from their home to a certain meeting place –effort, energy, and money are conserved. If a member has a minimal work to be done at home during the desired meeting time, he/she could be more productive if the meeting will be done online, for he/she could do another minimal work while meeting with his/her fellow members. Information is also transmitted easier using the Internet.

In my case, Internet is really useful especially when there is a group work, for school, to be done. If the activity does not require actual meeting, I always insist to do it online through Y!M conference or Google Documents because travelling to go to a place consumes time which can be used for the meeting itself. I am not active in any organization anymore but yes, Internet makes me more sociable. It allows me to keep in touch with my old friends and also to meet new friends who I share common interests with.