What is an Avatar Virtual World?
It is a computer-generated space, usually 3D but sometimes 2D, which is downloaded over the Internet and viewed on a standard computer monitor. Typically, accessing such a space, or “world” as they are called, requires a client program and usually these clients are distributed free of charge. There are currently several different VW platforms available, based on different enabling technologies, and offering different capabilities and limitations. There is no VW killer app that has it all. The defining characteristic shared by all VW systems is the ability to represent users as figures or characters called avatars. As we travel through virtual space, our avatars can be seen to move about, and even more importantly they can meet and converse with other avatars, which can represent people from essentially anywhere on earth. Avatar forms can be as utilitarian as a suit-clad business person, or as fanciful as imagination will allow. The act of choosing an avatar becomes itself a kind of com
