Social Media plays an important role in how many people
network and socialize in today’s technological age. It provides a digital place
to share information, photo and videos with the masses at the click of a
button.
There are a variety of social networks available across the web that
provide a presence for free and can certainly replace the high costs of
advertising if you know how to use them. Facebook is the most widely used
social media network available today but because of their terms of service,
many virtual world residents are finding themselves locked out and unable to
expand their following because avatars are not considered “real people”. Some
would agree that avatars are not while the business side of virtual worlds
disagrees as it hinders their ability to grow their business without this vital
social media tool.
Xandria Winterwolf created a social media network that
was designed to cater to Avatar not such in Second Life but in virtual worlds
as a whole. It provides the same concept as the “real world” social media
networks but it is a place where an Avatar name is just as important as a real
one. Let’s find out more about Avatarhookup.com
Interview
with Xandria Winterwolf
Lanai:
Hi Xandria, it is a pleasure to meet you and learn more about this brand new
tool that allows virtual world residents the opportunity to use social media
without the fear of having their account banned because they are not “real
people”. Can you tell our reader what inspired you to create avatarhookup.com
and what the features are?
Xandria: Hi Lanai, Sure. I would be happy to. I created
Avatar Hookup because I was kicked off Facebook for not being a “real
person.” I was extremely frustrated
because I knew many of my friends had Facebook accounts for their avatars, and
they were able to advertise their businesses and keep in touch while not logged
into their respective virtual worlds. I on the other hand, felt cut off. Then,
many of my friends started complaining that they too were removed from
Facebook. It was a pity, because we put lots of time and effort into building
our Facebook profiles only to have all that work wasted in the blink of an eye.
I looked everywhere for a solution, and none presented itself. I even created a
Google profile and was kicked out of that for not being a real person! Finally, I decided to take matters into my
own hands and create www.AvatarHookup.com
My avi is real to me, and I have just as many friends in
virtual worlds as I do in the real world. I also work just as hard to make my
businesses work In-world. I wanted to be taken seriously as my avatar identity,
and now I finally have a place to do it!
AvatarHookup.com is a social media network in which a
person can create a membership and keep his or her real identity completely
private. In other words, it’s like Facebook for your Avatar.
Another thing we allow that is unusual among social
networking communities is that you can have more than one account. I know many
people that have multiple avatars for various businesses. You can create
accounts for each of these avatars to keep your businesses separate from your
social life and function flawlessly.
Lanai: I agree it was pretty simple for me to become a member. Avatarhookup.com has very similar features like the popular social media networks available today have. Which features are similar,
which ones are different?
Xandria: Well,
I’ve already mentioned a couple of differences, being you are identified
through your avatar name and not your real name, also you can have multiple
accounts.
Other things you can do on AvatarHookup.com is write on
your wall, post pictures and videos, start groups, advertise, place classified
ads, create your own blog, join in forum discussions, share links, send gifts
to others, private message your friends, search for services, content, land
rentals and sales, join in group chat, video chat, and much more! We’ve
tried to incorporate everything necessary to have a successful and rich online
social media experience!
Lanai: I like the concept. Is Avatarhookup.com only available to Second Life users?
Xandria:
AvatarHookkup.com is available to anyone who lives in a virtual world. I
personally have homes in Second Life, The Adult Grid, and InWorldz. I think diversity is important and helps
others to know their options. Likewise, it’s easy to find users and business
avatars who create certain products and services from your chosen world because
it’s all part of the search function.
For example, you can click boxes to search for “Avatars who create
Furniture in Second Life” Or “Scripters in InWorldz.” It’s
fantastic for both the creator and the shopper!
Lanai: I think it is a great idea for
avatars in any virtual world who want to expand their following and share what they do without all of the real world nonsense that we see on the leading
social media sites. I think when both worlds are mixed it dilutes the expose to
virtual world activities. What do you think?
Xandria: I completely agree. This site is for avatars by avatars. Also, when you join you will know everyone on AvatarHookup.com is interested in the Virtual
World Community! You don’t have to weed through anything not related to virtual
living.
Lanai: That is a good point that every member there shares one common interest The opportunity to blog directly from avatarhookup.com is a great feature too. It
allows avatars to exercise their writing skill, post their own press releases
and share stories without the restriction of just status space. What other ways
can avatars take advantage of the blog feature?
Xandria: The blog feature can be used in a variety of
ways. I personally plan to host my own show called “Virtual Voyages” through
it. Haha! In “Virtual Voyages,” I interview avatars from
all over the virtual world platform. After the interviews are edited and
complete, I plan to post them in my blog. Some of the interviews will be text
based, while others will be in video format.
I am currently in the process of gathering information, filming,
editing, and such for my first posts. If you or anyone you know would like to be
interviewed, let me know! It is another great advertising tool.
Other ways to use the blog feature would be to keep an
In-World video public diary, use the blog as your storefront, record your
adventures in the virtual grids, and more. The possibilities are limitless!
Lanai: Sounds fun sure, I'll participate in an interview, let me know when! So, with every social media network their needs to be a set of rules to follow to
avoid cyber bullying, sexually explicit content or illegal activity. What rules
do you have in order to protect users?
Xandria: While
AvatarHookup.com encourages freedom of speech, we must also protect our
community from those that would abuse others, upload illegal content, or post
sexually explicit content. It is our goal to keep this network safe, sociable,
respectable, and fair.
Our TOS includes rules that will not allow illegal or
copyrighted material to be posted, bullying, discrimination, slander,
hate-speech, or other activities that infringe on the rights of others’ safety,
wellbeing and personal boundaries. We also encourage anyone who sees this kind
of activity, or is the subject of abuse from other members to inform us
immediately so that we may take appropriate actions. To see our full TOS,
please visit our website and click the “Terms of Service” the link on the
bottom of our site.
Lanai: It is good to have a terms of service to protect you and other members. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers about
Avatarhookup.com?
Xandria:
AvatarHookup.com is the place
to be! We encourage you to invite your
friends, customers, bosses, staff, and everyone you know to join this fast
growing community of Avatars. The more
Avatars we have, the more successful we all
are. It’s a Win/Win situation!
Lanai:
Thank you for taking the time to talk about Avatarhookup.com. I wish you the
best of luck with this new social media network.
Xandria: Thank you
Lanai, for your time and thoughtfulness. Also, I would like to thank all who
read this entire article. J
Don’t be afraid to say “Hi” once you’re there!
Get connected today!
Additional
Information
Group: Avatar Hookup
InWorldz URL:
http://places.inworldz.com/Winterwolf%20Estates/121/196/26
Preferred contact:
AvatarHookup@gmail.com
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