IMVU - Week 8

I was like everyone else when the internet chat room was at it's original peak... and back then it wasn't as scary. But we did that for laughs, and never on our own. The world, back then, also included MSN messenger - one of the only things that was so exciting on the internet that I still use today, and by the MSN stage you were able to chat with people you actually knew.

Today I looked through each 3D world provided in the tute task list, and IMVU seemed the quickest to download - so thus tru4387, the short haired, brunette, jean / green shirt wearing, pink sunglasses avatar was born. Now on IMVU if you wanted to smart yourself up it actually costs 'points' - I was way too excited and wanted to get my own 'room' - but that was three times the amount of credit that you get for free when you sign up (I think you get more credit when others you invite sign up, and buy themselves some credit) so my medieval castle idea went out the window. IMVU gives you the option to actually buy credit - with actual money - but the idea of buying stuff for a virtual world for my virtual other half doesn't seem entirely worthy.
The IMVU tutorial is pretty straightforward, basically you can work out how to change the mood of the avatar (quite restricted options - apparently being bashful, flirtatious, 'grooving', sad, mad, old (what is this supposed to mean?) and impatient). You can also change the actions of the avatar - if I wanted to tru4387 can do a flip, kick, breakdance, burp or break out into air guitar. Now what kind of MSN messenger can do that?! You can also change your avatar into a giant smiley face object - which was a tiny bit weird.

Anyway, so after I fiddle around trying to find what they mean in the tutorial by 'Buddies window' and the 'Chat now' button, I get it working, and then the website just randomly brings you to some room - 'Buckstars Coffee' - and seats you down next to someone else random. First there was this one girl whose first question (after the normal 'hello') was 'Are you straight or gay If you don't mind me asking.' - well - welcome to IMVU world! That conversation didn't go on for too long - I must've been fairly boring. She turned out to be (or so she said) a US 20 year old. You can apparently reject these people - but I haven't quite worked out how. So after she rejected me, I got put next to a 33 year old US woman with two children, living in the Bronx. (Is the US taking over EVERY type of world?) There is only so much you can talk about with a complete stranger - the weather comes up, the age question, what you do for a living (or for your future living i.e. uni) etc, but this conversation is much easier than with the confronting 20 year old.

I think that the new 3D virtual worlds - as common as they are now - are really just a complete upgrade from the old style chatroom - where you can chat to anyone who may be online - of whom you have no idea who they are. With MSN you are actually definitely aware of who you're talking to - provided that when you add them you know their email address.
3D worlds also provide you to show the other person (or avator) what you actually mean - through body language or expressions - whereas, in MSN messenger you've only got words - and words can be easily misinterpreted.

The 3D world does have it's fun aspects - you can be much more creative - but it does have that same stranger danger element that the internet has introduced.

Anyway, I've got someone else on another line (window) right now... must get going.

tru4387 - Over and Out

The Confusion of Photoshop

Ok, guys, I'm not real sure what I'm doing with these, but these are my Summer inspiration images... A few play arounds with Blurring, Painting, Drawing, minor Layering... but all in all I'm still a bit too confused :-S

Enjoy the easter break!

Trudy