Zwinky Reviewed

The use of avatars has gained enormous popularity as more and more people are working and socializing online.  An avatar is a way to create a persona without using an actual photograph of yourself.  It is basically a graphic image much like a cartoon that can be designed and manipulated to look like you and represent you on different social networking sites.  These images can be changed using a variety of options including hairstyles, face shape, eye color and clothing.   This means that it is possible to create an avatar that looks very much like your own self, but that has the flexibility to change styles instantly. 

The premiere site for creating avatars is Zwinky.com, which also has one of the largest and most popular social networks on the internet. Zwinky avatars start with one of four template body types: a male “hottie”, a female “hottie”, a male “cutie” or a female “cutie”.    The user then has the ability to choose the face and eye shape, skin color, hair style and color, and even apply cosmetics to their Zwinky.  Finally, it is time to go “shopping” by selecting clothing, shoes and accessories from hundreds of different available styles.  Another cool feature is that the background can also be changed to reflect your personality or location. 

Once your avatar is created, you can then go back to the beginning to create another.  After you go through the process of making a new avatar a few times you’ll find some of the avatars you make are exceptionally good, and you want to use again and again.  So, Zwinky.com lets you label and save your favorite avatars in your profile for future use.  You can also fill out your avatar with other information about you so that prospective friends and contacts are able to find you based on common interests.  As you meet new members of Zwinky.com, you’ll add them to your list of “Friends”, and before you know it you’ll have an entire community of people online.

Zwinky.com avatars are designed to be used both on the site and off.  The site provides short snippets of html code that can be used to add your avatar to other popular social networking sites such as MySpace.

Zwinky.com itself has several different features that make it a great place to hang out online.  The site contains “Zwinktopia” a virtual world that allows all Zwinky.com members to interact with each other in different scenes.  What this means is that more than any other avatar site,  Zwinky.com is created to be entertaining as well as useful. 

You can literally “walk” your Zwinky around places such as a shopping mall, a coffee shop, or a night club and see other users walking around there too.  You have the ability to chat with anyone you see by typing in messages that appear over the character’s head in a cartoon-like bubble.  Other activities in Zwinktopia include playing games for points and “shopping” for new clothing or gifts for other users.  The site also offers people the chance to use points to buy private “dorms” or chat rooms that only your friends or people you invite have access to.  You can even plan regular meet ups or virtual parties on the site with your friends! 

One of the most impressive features about Zwinky.com is that when you download it you also receive access to its sister sites and all the amazing tools they have available, too.  That includes SmileyCentral.com, a site with thousands of smilies used for conveying emotions in emails and instant messengers; and MyFunCards.com, a site that provides thousands of free pre-designed e-greeting cards and allows you to design your own.  There is also a Screensaver application and a feature that lets you actually put your Zwinky on real life merchandise like T-shirts or coffee mugs.  They have thought of everything!

Zwinky.com is easy to download, and easy to use, but the sheer number of options and tools on it means that a user will probably have to make a couple visits to the site before they feel confident with everything it has to offer. 

One word of caution:  even though Zwinky.com is animated and colorful, the same concerns exist as on every other social networking site.  It is important for parents to have a talk with their children before they turn them loose in a virtual world where people are not always what they seem.  Anyone can create an avatar to look like someone else and misrepresent who they are.  Even adults have been taken in by these types of people, and kids need to be able to spot warning signs of imposters.  They also should understand the importance of not giving away any personal information on a website, not matter how comfortable they feel with the other member.

Some of the Zwinky avatars are mature in nature, and the clothing choices range from demure to very sexy.  There is plenty of flirting that goes on in Zwinktopia, and there is no censor for language.  People of all ages and from all over the world are mixing together on the site.  Children under the age of 17 should probably have adult supervision, and children younger than 13 really don’t belong there.

The more avatar sites you visit, the more you’ll see why Zwinky.com is so popular.  If for no other reason but that it has an enormous number of options, which simply makes it much more fun.  While avatars aren’t a necessary part of online interaction, they certainly make it more entertaining.  Whether you choose to use Zwinky.com strictly as an avatar maker, or you choose to play and socialize on the site, you’re sure to enjoy your time on the site.