I just came across “Learning Inkscape – An Order of the Stick Avatar Guide” [ http://www.trazoi.net/tutorials/inkscape/oots/index.html ] that describes in excellent tutorial fashion how to use the free to download inkscape editor ( http://www.inkscape.org/ ) to draw cartoon like characters.

As soon as I get a chance, I know I;’m going to give it a whirl…

Although not as polished as the miieditor described in the above post, here’s another online mii editor: http://www.joystiq.com/media/2006/10/mii.swf

You’ll need to use a screen capture to actually take a copy of the avatar (I use Jing [ http://jingproject.com ])

Thanks for spotting that take down notice on the miieditor site.

In response, I’ve just deleted a load of wii games from my amazon wishlist, the cost savings on which get me a fair way towards an Xbox or PS3. For now, I guess I’ll just be using the wii for watching youtube and iplayer ;-)

Dear Friends,

I deeply regret to have to inform you that due to legal action taken against this web site from the “Big N,” the editor service provided here will no longer be available.

While still in ownership of this domain, I would like to personally thank each and every one of you who has supported this project and has provided me with positive criticism and feedback regarding the editor and this site. To my surprise, I have received many heart-warming stories concerning the use of the editor and the impact it has had on different people’s lives. It pleases me to no end to have heard those stories and would like to encourage everyone to continue to share their stories with other developers and site owners so that they too can feel the same appreciation that I have.

Though I do not welcome what is being done, I do understand the reasons. And while I don’t necessarily fully agree with those reasons, especially in the context of this web site, there isn’t much I can do about it.

I have had as much fun working on the editor as people have had using it and I am thankful of the time it was able to remain online.

Sincerely,

Trevor
MiiEditor.com

“The enterprise part stems from NHS’s licensing deal with Microsoft, which built their online Resource Centre [ http://www.microsoft.com/uk/nhs/ ]. The avatars come from WeeWorld [ http://www.weeworld.com/ ], the Benchmark Capital-funded social network featuring customizable avatars that resemble “South Park” characters cleaned up for prime time.”

” ‘We thought avatars might engender more of a community feel,’ Microsoft Web Editor Marilisa Vergottini told me. ‘Otherwise it’s a bit more anonymous.’ (The site is not just for the NHS’s IT department, but for the organization’s health workers, admin staff, etc.) Microsoft last summer initially tried using more generic, non-customizable avatars, but was unsatisfied, so it recently partnered with WeeWorld. ”

http://gigaom.com/2008/03/20/microsft-brings-weeworld-to-the-nhs/

One of the easiest ways to share really long URLs is to create a TinyURL. Copy the long URL from the browser address bar, go to http://tinyurl.com and create a short form URL from there…

Quote from a page with a REALLY long URL.

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/ramayan-3392ad-trailer/2496687369

Well, I guess the game of the film is sure to follow!

‘and all my family are making mini miis now.’

Heh heh…. I’ve noticed some of the people who read my other blog have started looking for avatars too, now.

Voki appears to be popular ( http://www.voki.com/create.php ), maybe because you can get them to talk!

So far, though, I don’t know anyone who’s (yet?!) gone for a makeover with http://www.taaz.com/ …!

Oh, and all my family are making mini miis now.

For anyone interested in a little more background, one telling of the stories can be found at http://www.indianetzone.com/2/incarnations_vishnu.htm

For a bonus 10 points (and I don’t know the answer to this…) are there any multilevel games that claim to have been inspired by these 10 avatars in their design statement, and that use the approach of the player character appearing in 10 different guises loosely corresponding to the avatars descending to the game world?

I’m now wondering if I have time to build a Peter Miller style dragon beforehand. Not practical but fantastic.

http://tidalblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/alternative-avatars.html

Worth a look…

This is a really good point. One of the things that’s going on in the worlds of 3d virtual worlds is a consideration of avatar and object portability between virtual worlds.

I do wonder the extent to which a single avatar is useful… I have a couple of different usernames ofn different sites, for example, which i se for different purposes. In real life, many people have nicknames that identify them them in home/social life, and a ‘formal’ namae for work/professional life.

Many people are also known by different names at different parts of their life – school or college nicknames, for example – that get left behind as life moves on. One thing about communities on the net is that you can move in and out of them far more quickly than in real life maybe… BUT there is the danger with online communities that your identities on several different networks can be reconciled…

For example:
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/google_releases_social_graph_api.php
and commentary here:
http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2008/02/social-graph-visibility-akin-t.html

And please don’t feel obliged to use a mii avatar here – indeed any avatar at all (even if it’s just a photo)…

PS one of the reasons I chose the mii editor is that it’s quite hard to make anything offensive with it… although it has to be said, mii’s donlt necessarily have the gravitas you might want as your avatar in a professional setting! (What sort of avatar would be, though? A passport, or ‘press’ photo?)

I have four wordpress blogs though (one personal, two work, one ARG) and WordPress (as far as I can tell) won’t allow one avatar for one blog and another avatar for another blog using the same account.

This avatar wouldn’t be appropriate for all four sites. So, depending on the circumstances, I’d want to portray myself differently.

Not sure what that says about me…