Create a Virtual Person
From LoveToKnow Online
If you want to create a virtual person, you probably won't have a hard time learning how to do so. All it takes is a little bit of time and a few clicks with most creation programs. If you're creating an avatar, you'll be able to represent yourself online however you like. Or you can create a digital person to lead through a career, romance—basically a life of his or her own. You can even use a virtual person to represent your business online.
Why Use a Virtual Person
Creating a virtual person is a little different from creating a virtual pet—but only a little. Usually, the reason to build a virtual person is to put a "face to a name" online. However, another reason to create a virtual person is for amusement; it's a game to make your virtual person do so well at work that he or she receives a promotion, buys a new house, and so on.
Sometimes you're not completely in control of the person you've created. Because of the game and its surroundings, the characters adapt certain behaviors, ways of thinking and reacting, and more. You're not always in control, but it can be more fun that way.
Aside from being a recognizable face on the Internet in social settings such as instant messaging programs, and for the creator's entertainment, virtual people are often used as business tools. They're used as customer service representatives that respond directly to customers' queries online. They can also be used for visitors' entertainment within the site where a product is sold.
In work or play, being able to look at a "face" online may make interacting easier.
Where to Create a Virtual Person
When you're ready to give your online personality a face and maybe even a body or a background, here are a few sites you can visit to get the "you" you want.
Person Generator at Tools Internet
Person Generator at ToolsInternet.com starts by asking you to choose a gender. Then you answer a series of questions about your character to create a "personality". While your resulting character won't talk back or become a 3-D being that allows you to observe or influence his or her life onscreen, it's a fun exercise that you can take to other virtual person programs. By answering seemingly random questions, you get a character's name, zodiac sign, appearance, career, favorite car, favorite color, and more.
IMVU
At IMVU.com, you start off by choosing a name and a gender. You then choose your avatar from a list of males or females. One disadvantage here is that you can't progress until you give your avatar a completely unique name, something that can prove challenging. After you manage to do so, you will be asked to enter your email address and your first and last name. From there, you can log in to your email account and invite your friends to join, though it does allow you to opt out of this step temporarily. Once you're set up, you can send instant messages in 3-D. You can also type in commands for your virtual person, such as wave. When you start out, your virtual person is given a background scene and an outfit, but to get more, you have to purchase credits and use those to buy your character new scenes, clothing, and more.
Second Life
If you're into the online game called Second Life, you already know about the importance of creating a virtual person. It's a 3-D community formed by its users and their virtual characters. When you visit the site, you can get a "starting look" from one of the thumbnails. From there, you can change your skin color, hair color, gender, how much of you is actually "human", and more. As the site says, you're only limited by your imagination, so you can create or buy anything you'd like to change who your character is. The Wiki Second Life Creation Portal is a fantastic place to find tutorials for just about anything you'd like to do with your Second Life character.
The Bottom Line
No matter how you're using your online character, it's nice for others to be able to put a face with the name—yours, a character's, or sometimes even a business. You can use sites like the Person Generator to get suggestions for names and potential backgrounds when you're creating a new character, so even those who tend to get stumped when designing something from scratch can successfully create a virtual person..
Learn More
Comments
You can't make a virtual person here, Taylor, but if you visit one of the sites mentioned in the article, it's easy to get started. Our article Create Virtual Character can give you some more options.
-- Contributed by: Lorie Witkoplet me make one
Thanks for stopping by, Sakura. Hope you enjoyed learning how to create a virtual version of yourself.
-- Contributed by: Lorie Witkop
This page has been accessed 18,791 times. This page was last modified 01:41, 4 August 2009.
© 2006-2009 LoveToKnow Corp.
Print this page
Follow ltk on twitter
Visit us on facebook