Human Interaction via the Internet

Human Interaction via the Internet

Throughout the course of this class, and more specifically the process of generating an idea for my final project, I found myself drawn time and again to the way people interact with each other electronically namely the internet. Having been involved in computers and nearly everything related for the majority of my life I have experienced a number of different tools and applications from chat rooms to online games to instant messaging that provide a means of interacting with others in a number of different ways. This experience and other concepts and ideas that Ive either read about or envisioned stood as my foundation in deciding on and formulating this project.

The many methods of electronic interaction can be overwhelming. With the relatively recent emergence of online gaming we have been exposed to yet another. This form of interaction however is more involved than most. There are monsters and quests to distract you and keep you busy doing other things. This is probably not the ideal environment for the casual chat room user. On the other hand a standard chat room or even slightly more visual instant messaging programs may not hold the interest of the avid gamer. I wanted to do something that would appeal to both sides while at the same time staying true to the social interaction that from which so many of the online games tend to stray. By combining a familiar chatting environment with the visual graphics of a digital environment a hybrid experience a more engrossing experience can be achieved.

Your average chat room focuses on text as the main resource for transmitting and gathering information about the many different users. In the world around us a much larger portion of perception is taken from imagery. However, we often use words and images in combination to present information that could not be conveyed by either one alone.* By combining the two, a more complete picture is formed. Likewise, by adding a world environment that each users custom, animated avatar can move around in people can express them selves in a completely new dimension that has never really been explored in a chat environment before. Not only would each user decide on a unique name, they will also be able to decide on the physical appearance of their own character. From gender to hair style and color to clothing everyone will have enough options to be able to choose a unique look all their own.