[-empyre-] FWD- Avatars-- from Angela Thomas

["Melinda Rackham" <melinda@anat.org.au>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Angela Thomas" <a.thomas@usyd.edu.au>


Hello all,

By way of introduction, I am Angela Thomas (author of the article about avatars,
power etc.. that Christy just mentioned).  I thanks Kathy for inviting me to
join the list and have really appreciated the opportunity to spend a couple of
days reading the discussions before jumping in.

I have been in Second Life since 2005, and in numerous other worlds prior to
that.  I've been studying the avatar as a body culture and analysing them as one
might analyse visual texts.  I've also been writing (on my blog and in
Slatenight) and giving conference papers (here and in the US) about pedagogy,
play and the arts in SL.

Since my name was just mentioned I thought it a good time to say hello!

One of the misperceptions I've seen on the list is that the furries are the only
non human form of avatar.  In the role-playing sims there are your standard
dwarves and gnomes and monsters; there a whole heap of steampunk avatars, and
some fantastic 3D animated sculptures that some people are using.  There is a
huge elven community, a mermaid community, the neko women, and the panther women
who role-play for various purposes.

Because I am known for writing about avatars, I am in the privileged position of
hear personal stories from strangers in many different cultures, some of them
queer cultures, some goth and grunge, and a surprising number of transsexuals.
You might be interested to know that the office lab for Linden Lab is populated
with a very high number of queer folk, particularly gay, lesbian and
transsexuals, and some of the most famous furries from the grid. Understanding
that Second Life has been running for some years now and understanding the
"Linden Way" of forging a space for their own employees to play and explore
their fantasy roles helps us to see the transformation of the space over the
years, from being almost utopian in creativity and expression, to becoming
increasingly more limited as more parts of the real world seep in.

Next week is a Symposium on Creativity in Second Life, being sponsored by the
NMC (new media consortium) and I am giving three interactive presentations.  One
will be related to avatars and discourse and discrimination, another will be
about providing creativity pedagogy for students, and the third one is part of a
panel of educators using SL with classes from all different fields, including
the arts.  I would recommend people check out the program and see if it isn't to
late to join, because the strands include art and performance, machinima, avatar
and identity, pedagogy, and a few others.  It would be truly valuable if you
could extend the sorts of discussions you are having here into the symposium.
(Details here: http://www.nmc.org/symposium-on-creativity)

Because I am engrossed with prep for my three sessions, I won't have time to
contribute to this list very often, but I'll try to crystallise some of the key
points made and pop in after the conference is over to comment again.

Thank you once again for the invite.  I do hope it isnt an intrusion.

Angela Thomas
http://angelaathomas.com

Angela Thomas, PhD
Lecturer in English Education
Faculty of Education and Social Work
University of Sydney
NSW 2006
AUSTRALIA



-----Original Message-----
From: empyre-bounces@gamera.cofa.unsw.edu.au on behalf of Christy Dena
Sent: Wed 8/8/2007 11:38 PM
To: 'soft_skinned_space'
Subject: RE: [-empyre-] discussion on Second Life in another list


Firstly, furries are not the only ones who experiment with their avatar.
Lots of people play. But one of the problems that many seem to be concerned
about is the fact that the default avatar is an 'idealised human' (though
you can select 1 furry). It takes time, knowledge and skill to change your
avatar (to tweak it yourself or figure out where to find a new one). Here is
a listing of some avatars you can buy:
http://www.slexchange.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&CategoryID=404

What would happen to the culture of SL, though, if the default avatar was
something more creative?

On the general topic of avatars, here is an article by Dr Angela Thomas
'Avatars, Power and the Ethics of Freedom in Second Life':
Source:
http://www.slatenight.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=82&Itemi
d=40
"This article discusses some of the choices we make in Second Life about
representation and identity through the avatar."

James Morgan of Ars Virtua could perhaps add a few words about avatars as
he's had a few interesting exhibitions in SL on this topic?

Over to Kathy, who could provide some great insights into avatars I'm
sure...

Best,
Christy

-----Original Message-----
From: empyre-bounces@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
[mailto:empyre-bounces@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au] On Behalf Of Ana Valdés
Sent: Wednesday, 8 August 2007 23:19
To: soft_skinned_space
Subject: Re: [-empyre-] discussion on Second Life in another list

That's the people choosing for their avatars animal furs and other
"androgyne" aspect.
Definitely, a qeer race, to follow Ricardo's reasoning!
Ana

On 8/8/07, sdouglas@uoguelph.ca <sdouglas@uoguelph.ca> wrote:
>
> Interesting! A "furry" Other.  Is there a race dimension to SL, too?
>
> Quoting Ana Valdés <agora158@gmail.com>:
>
> > The only people trying to do different things in bodies are the
> > "furries", people with animal atributes and it's a real hate campaign
> > against them. Weird.
> > Ana
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 8/8/07, Helen Varley Jamieson <helen@creative-catalyst.com> wrote:
> >> i agree with you, ana, & with whoever it was who
> >> said why can't we walk thru things. & why do we
> >> have to be human? is there a way to make your
> >> avatar be, for example, a fuzzy blob?
> >>
> >> >Interesting discussion! I approached SL with enthusiasm and built a
> >> >house (with stairs and doors and bought  sofa with a script who showed
> >> >my avatar crossing legs and smoking). After two weeks of flying ballon
> >> >and swimming/diving, attending a church meeting for a new religion and
> >> >gambling some Linden dollars in a virtual casino, I dropped the whole
> >> >project.
> >> >Later on I went into again, visited my lonely house, wathered the
> >> >virtual garden with virtual water and went into the Port, my friends
> >> >Art space. I was the only visitor then. I was later invited to a
> >> >concert and made my avatar jump with others in an avant garde dance
> >> >performance reproduced in "real life" and in SL.
> >> >After three months I really felt I exhausted the possibilities of
> >> >travel and interaction in SL, too much replics and reproductions of
> >> >"real things", furniture you don't need (an avatar don't need sleep,
> >> >sit on a couch or eat sitting near a table), clothes you don't need,
> >> >houses with living rooms and stairs and gardens and windows you don't
> >> >need.
> >> >
> >> >I feel that it's a really waste to have an universe you don't need to
> >> >respect the laws of gravity and other physical borders and not use the
> >> >"impossible" ways to perform. Why cars in SL? Why ways and motorways
> >> >ending in the void? Why are we so obsessed with the reproduction and
> >> >multiplication in an endless linear mainstream?
> >> >
> >> >Ana, really curious and eager to convert to a believer!!!
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >--
> >> >http://caravia.stumbleupon.com
> >> >http://www.crusading.se
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >Skarpnäcks Allé 45 ll tr
> >> >12833 Skarpnäck
> >> >Sweden
> >> >tel +468-943288
> >> >mobil 4670-3213370
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth
> >> >with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you
> >> >will always long to return.
> >> >- Leonardo da Vinci
> >> >_______________________________________________
> >> >empyre forum
> >> >empyre@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
> >> >http://www.subtle.net/empyre
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> ____________________________________________________________
> >>
> >> helen varley jamieson: creative catalyst
> >> helen@creative-catalyst.com
> >> http://www.creative-catalyst.com
> >> http://www.avatarbodycollision.org
> >> http://www.upstage.org.nz
> >> http://www.writerfind.com/hjamieson.htm
> >> ____________________________________________________________
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> empyre forum
> >> empyre@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
> >> http://www.subtle.net/empyre
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > http://caravia.stumbleupon.com
> > http://www.crusading.se
> >
> >
> > Skarpnäcks Allé 45 ll tr
> > 12833 Skarpnäck
> > Sweden
> > tel +468-943288
> > mobil 4670-3213370
> >
> >
> > "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth
> > with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you
> > will always long to return.
> > -- Leonardo da Vinci
> > _______________________________________________
> > empyre forum
> > empyre@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
> > http://www.subtle.net/empyre
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> empyre forum
> empyre@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
> http://www.subtle.net/empyre
>


-- 
http://caravia.stumbleupon.com
http://www.crusading.se


Skarpnäcks Allé 45 ll tr
12833 Skarpnäck
Sweden
tel +468-943288
mobil 4670-3213370


"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you
will always long to return.
- Leonardo da Vinci
_______________________________________________
empyre forum
empyre@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
http://www.subtle.net/empyre


_______________________________________________
empyre forum
empyre@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
http://www.subtle.net/empyre