Avatars and Identities

虚拟化身是用户的虚拟表现，是21世纪日常计算机使用界面技术的关键要素。虽然化身的专业方面受到了技术行业和学者的高度关注，但迄今为止，工作的重点一直是界面的技术效率，而不是理解其使用的全部社会影响。通过与业界协商，对虚拟角色的作用进行历史、人种学和批判性分析，该项目提供了一个独特的机会，以发展更广泛的视角，有助于理解数字经济的用途和政策。

The avatar, a virtual representation of its user, is the key element of interface technology for everyday computer use in the twenty-first century. While specialist aspects of the avatar have received intensive attention from the technology industries and scholars, the focus of the work to date has been on the technical efficiency of the interface, rather than understanding the full social implications of its use. Through a historical, ethnographic and critical analysis of the role of the avatar, in consultation with industry, this project offers a unique opportunity to develop a wider perspective that will contribute to an understanding of the uses and policies for the digital economy.