Sometimes popularity can be a result of the creation of an online avatar. In the case of the Three White Girls from YouTube, despite their roles being fictional, each had their own identity and with it a large group of followers that could relate to their characters. Whether or not these characters were real, their avatars and even the people behind these avatars were able to increase their fame. While in virtual games people create avatars as expressions of themselves, in venues like YouTube avatars can be created that not only express the creator, but can gain followers of people that feel similarly, even when the creator is not truely expressing their real views.

A point of view can play a large role in what a user is able to get out of the environment that they are inhabiting. First-p0erson games don’t typically allow for much customability of its avatars because there is no need. This type of gameplay is usually mostly narrated for the user and can range from shooting to driving games. Third person games typically are setup for the user to be creative with their avatars, which are generally more expressive. Even in games such as Sims 2, there is a level of customability that is given to its users even though the social network is amongst the computer generated world and characters.

The creation of a character even in its most simplistic form allows for an alternate reality where expression and a diversion from the norm is encouraged. I believe Meadows is right when he says that virtual worlds, “will become increasingly popular and important as time goes on.” There are many untapped capabilities that these worlds could provide and it will be interesting to see how they will be utilized in the future.

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Online social networking has boomed within recent years. People frequently use these sites to keep in touch with their friends and family, upload photos, share links and videos, and learn about others. For my analysis on websites that are considered web 2.0, I focused on Facebook and Myspace. These websites are the two most popular social networking forums. While both are very similar in their goals, their usability and functionality differ.

Facebook was initial geared towards college students, but recently due to wider exposure a larger audience has started to utilize this social platform. Many people join Facebook to keep in touch with friends, in which they can send posts or messages to, as well as invite various groups for a more private venue of communication amongst several people. With its simplicity in its format, Facebook has managed to effectively meet its goals of providing several networking tools to its users.

Myspace offers many of the networking tools that Facebook does, but its format may deter less avid computer users. There is a greater amount of customability and personalization with Myspace that is not seen on Facebook. Profile pages can be altered with a variety of different themes and colors that allow the user to make their profile unique from others. Myspace is also a great venue to promote various events, bands, and people that are trying to broaden their exposure. However, this can pose security issues as people don’t have to be tied to any given network. This problem can be easily fixed by making the necessary adjustments to individual profiles.

While I enjoy Facebook’s interface more than Myspace, each do their job in providing social networking services. Despite the lack of customizable options opposed to Myspace, I believe Facebook is more user-friendly. Both websites continue to evolve to meet the expectations of the growing online society. There are pictures and links to the websites at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!