In just about every online game or environment, there are avatar representations of the participant. You. What you look like, and how you want to be represented is malleable, to some degree. I have a friend who loves bright pink hair on her avatars, no matter what game or world she visits. If it doesn't have pink hair, it doesn't feel like "her." Others prefer something that looks far more true-to-life. Still others like to branch out into crazy or unusual looks.

What people don't often find out for a while in their virtual environments is that there is usually a bug or a feature that will do something unexpected or crazy with the avatar; either its look or its trappings. What I demonstrated today at the conference I "attended" was a bug that is only tied to one hairstyle, and will be fixed - but until then, it's hilarious! When the female avatar in Wonderland, wearing a ponytail hairstyle, raises a hand to wave, the hand-raise is connected in the programming to the hair. It falls off.

The fun you can have with things like this is the little spark of hilarity that can ensue when little glitches happen in regular, in-person conferences. Except, virtually, there's more amusement and far less embarrassment. I have to say I like it that way. The hunting for and use of avatar fun for the purpose of adding a little tension-relieving laughter is a good thing.

And that makes a good "game" great!