For anyone unfamiliar with the term, ‘avatars’ are those graphical computer representations of users you find around the net.  You’ve definitely seen them by now.  Some people try to make them as realistic as possible, while others make them as fantastical as they can.  Some avatars are static, two-dimensional images, and some are animated 3D.  Mine (on Yahoo, at least), is an angry version of myself with a weiner dog and a fishbowl:

Avatars can have a number of uses.  Some of the most common places you will see them applied are:

• in Video games
• on Internet forums
• as a part of Internet chat (including instant messenger programs)
• on Blogs (although, I don’t use them here)

In the early days of the internet, it seemed possible that everyone would have their own avatar, which would travel with them as they navigated around the web (ever see Tron or The Lawnmower Man?).  In many ways, it made a lot of sense.  Creating a digital representation of the real world (a la Second Life) provides many possible benefits, and maybe some new and interesting opportunities for monetization of non-ecommerce websites. 

But, that isn’t the way that things have evolved.  Instead of a bunch of Max Headroom’s surfing through pages of the net, the primary method of navigation has become search engines.  While it is a more utilitarian way to get around, and certainly much more anonymous, it may be a little more boring compared to what else is possible. 

Finally, however, there seems to be a resurgence in some of the ideas that may lead us further in the futuristic-direction of avatar-based web navigation.  Google has now launched a new beta, named Lively.   

Lively looks to be pretty cool stuff.  It not only lets users create their own avatar, but allows them to build a “space” for them to “exist” within.  That space can include links to other “rooms” containing videos, photos, even games.  Avatars visiting these rooms can interact through chat or IM.

Right now, it doesn’t really look like all that much more than a scaled-back version of Second Life.  But, there’s a reason that Google has chosen to get involved in the avatar game— and, it is possible that they see the potential for evolving the foundation of internet navigation, and are not just looking to get more into the internet chat pickup scene.

Imagine, if you will, each space containing all of the internet properties associated with a particular user.  My own space would contain rooms for my photographs, videos of my baby girl, each of my other websites, IM programs I use, my social networking pages on other sites, and even this blog.  Some rooms would be available by invitation only, and some would be open to the public to browse.  My space would be linked to other spaces, much like hyperlinked navigation works today.  Heck, my space might even include ads for products and services I promote (yeah, come to think of it, it probably would).  People would find my space because it would be linked to other people’s spaces with similar topics, ideas, or themes.  Popular spaces would be easiest to happen upon, while unpopular spaces would be obscure. 

Doesn’t seem so far-fetched, does it?  In fact, it sounds quite a bit like the way PageRank works today.

Well, the future all starts with an avatar.  I guess I’ll build mine on Lively when I get the chance, and while it is still free.