Is your avatar an alter ego or just an extension of your RL version?

Hello people,

I have this question for you, when you are in world, your avatar is an alter ego or just an extension of yourself?. I saw that for example there are people trying to recreate a SL version of themselves, including the same appearance, the same job, the same personality, etc. But most of times people try to be another person, changing gender, shape, breed (furry, vampire), jobs, personality, etc.

In my case, i try to experiment different things that actually i do or i'm planning to do in the future in my RL life: that's why i enjoy travel, explore, build and do business in SL, because it's part of me. So in that point my avatar is an extension of me, but i don't like to use my RL name and identity in SL. I like to play a role and that's all that people can expect from me. I don't like see RL pics of avis because it's like to shout in the cinema: hey!!! it's just a movie!!!

My appearance is similar to my RL version, but i don't pretend to create an exact copy of me. Finally, in personality i'm the same in SL and RL.

What about you?

hmmm - I think my avatar could be described as an extension of my RL alter ego

Extention of me.....
A crass, outspoken, less conservative, bigger breasted, naughtier me.

Yes, I am one of those who has endeavoured to create an exact replica of my RL self in SL. I worked long and hard to get every detail as close as I could.

I actually think I've done a pretty good job.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20573914@N02/2234679042/

Are you scared yet?

Ditto, would be too much work to act like someone else and have to remember to act that way all the time.
Maybe some day I'll make an alt for the purpose of RP, but I doubt I can sustain the illusion for very long.

Same personality, looks completely different. I try to be a bit more confident in SL, but it's not always easy.

It's a 3D model that constantly gets in the way and obscures my view.

Both. She is the same person yet different. Individual. She has the same sense of humor yet is more outspoken. She is sweet and innocent, yet recently has developed a bit of a dark streak which shows every now and then depending on my mood lol.
She is a neko most of the time - although I would call her more half-neko as she doesn't wear a tail because of lag
Depends on how I am that day. Sometimes she is in a sexier more feisty mood and sometimes she acts pure and innocent and sometimes she just wants to veg around.

I don't exist in RL. I'm the main character in a book my RL host wrote. She enjoyed writing the story so much that when it ended, she was kinda depressed. Then she heard about SL and thought it would be a great way for her to elevate me from the pages of the book into a virtual person in this virtual world. I'm very very glad she did!

I don't know what to answer. The personality is me,no roleplaying, but I dress completely different. I am not a ninja in RL ; )

So close to me it's scary, although she does live out some things I never got the chance to do in RL. Personality is me completely. I am an open book, more or less once you get to know me. Oh but, you'd have to take off 20 some odd years, I should only look that good still.

I have an alt who is a lot different looking than I am, and acts quite different too. She was my roleplay personna; a furry vixen, and when human form; quite naughty all around Gee, I had fun with her. Might have to think about taking her out some time soon and dusting her off a bit

I'm both.

I'm a character, an altar ego. I'm a kid here, I speak a bit like one, I act like one, an all dat.

I'm an extension of my RL self, in appearance and attitude.

Mari

Hmmm this sounds like one of MY questions.

Honsly, Jig in SL is me in real. Charcater-wise I have many flaws - at least other people see them as flaws - and they are just as evident here. However, I think my charm, precociousness, intelligence etc etc are to the fore when I am in sl world.

Upon enterting SL, I wanted to create an alter-ego but quickly found myself returning to everything I am. My original plan to "take a walk on the wild side" was interrupted by my inability to feel comfortable doing so. I do more in SL than I do in RL, but not much!

The more I play this game the closer my avatar looks and acts like I do. Sometimes I think she's even bitchier

My personality in SL is exactly as it is in RL.

I think i put a lot of my RL personality into my SL avatar. But she isn't a copy of me visually. Heck no.....then I would live of my good look! I would probably be a model then, or an actress..or married to a millionaire somewhere.

If i should do exactly the same in SL as in RL...what would be the difference?

My av is an alter ego with better looks and a taste for roleplay, dancing in nude beaches and a shopping problem. The way I speak with and treat ppl is mostly the same in SL and RL.

Virtually all of my avatars are fictional characters, created to do roleplaying. They are like the characters in a novel, or the many characters that a prolific author has imagined over the years for all of their collected works. Only one of my many alts is actually designed to look and act pretty much like me, and I hardly ever use that alt!

When you can be anything you can imagine, why just be what you already are? Why not enjoy some variety?

If a geinii gave you three wishes, would you use them to look just as you are, have the same job that you have now, and have the same car that you have now? No? Then why do that to your avatar in SL?

I completely agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

went through one major evolution. My first intent was to create one that looked like me, a middle aged, graying, athletic man with glasses that loved to play music. It ended up looking a lot like some Star Wars character instead and I'm not talking Han Solo.

A very wise and caring woman subtly let me know I appeared a bit geekish and helped me find my new look and believe me, it really looks nothing like me but seems to be a chick magnet. I can live with that as long as I make sure and quickly let my new friends know that what they're seeing is all in fun.

My real intent before I found out the passionate and sensual side of SL was to expose my musical interests in this 3D world and with almost everyone I've met, I've given them a link to my musician's Myspace page. On it are not only music and video samples but also an extensive picture collection of my life and that of my family.

So basically, my avatar is a fantasy but I will always tell the truth about who I am to my friends. It seems so silly to hide who you really are.

Well I'm sure I'd not wish to be a humanoid fox. It'd scare the shit out of everybody.

But really, if my avatar is cute then that doesn't make me cute. I am not my avatar. So that's partly why I choose not to take the vanity route. I'm also a little turned off by the barbies in SL.

I saw someone other day that belonged to some group where you were not allowed to change your avatar. The other group members picked at avatar for you that best represented you in real life.

I am "me", but one that is not afraid to explore the deep dark recesses of her mind. Something that "me" did not know was there until she found sl. I love not being afraid to explore things for a change. Do things I would have never considered doing before like giving Trout a big juicy kiss.

An old SL friend (who is now no longer with us in RL or SL, sadly) once told me that deep-down our Avies are the same as our RL "hosts", it's just the surface stuff that changes.

Looks-wise, Kaldi is different to the RL host's appearance. I figure why be the same, when it's easy to just be a bit different?

I am an entity in my own right, I exist in SL now, I've left UK behind me. My link with RL is through my 'agent' who sits at a computer and gives me things to do or sends me to places. To me Second Life is like a kind of reality TV show where part of my time I'm being watched and manipulated by someone.

I suppose I must share certain personality traits and interests with my agent otherwise we'd have fallen out by now. (Hmmm....I reckon the dumb testbot alt won't last long!!).

Like another contributor, I am partly inspired by a character in a novel written by my agent. (Confusing: normally agents reject movels written by OTHER people LOL). The main inspiration from the novel is in my go-for-it, slightly show-offy personality, which is, perhaps, my biggest difference from RL.

If this board was for people using their RL names or nicknames, I'd keep quiet and let my agent speak - but it isn't so I don't!