hey :]

well i checked out both www.activeworlds.com and http://www.imvu.com to check out the differences between 3D and IM socialising.

I am a regular user of MSN and find it convienient, easy and quick. It is definitely my prefernce over 3D world chat rooms.

Whilst both types of chat rooms are there to serve the same purpose there are a number of differences.

3D chat rooms, activeworld.com specifically, to create their own world and character. It offers a varity of visual aspects that add an extra dimension to the chosn environment. The defining difference is that 3D world chat rooms commonly involve avatars. Avatars are internet users representations of themselves. Users are able to custimize their own avatars, the avatars gestures, and the position and orientation of their avatars.

On the other hand, IM socialising does not solely serve the purpose of a created environmnet. It is a type of communications service that enables you to create a private chat room with another individual. Typically, the instant messaging system alerts you whenever somebody on your private list is online. You can then initiate a chat session with that particular individual. Many IM programs offers users the optin of visiting 3D world and playing 3D games with other poeple on thei rcontact list. However, its main purpose is just quick correspondence and less emphasis on the visual side of things, unlike 3D chatrooms.

In my opinion, it is not the communicating that is vastly different with 3D chat rooms compared to IM correspondence, it is the environmnent that it is done in. Therefore, communication is not altered depending on the program, rather the visual aspect. At the end of the day, i feel it comes down to user preference.

That is all for now...
Sophie