The Interactive Glossary: Defining the Net
Avatar
An avatar is a graphic facsimile that you can use in chat rooms. Anyone who has participated in a web chat realizes that exchanging typed messages can get boring very quickly. But what if you could assume a visual identity, say a frog or a clown? An avatar lets you role play and interact with people you meet online. The term was popularized in the novel Snow Crash written by Neal Stephenson.
