Floating Point :: Silly Avatars
avatar [av–uh-tahr, av-uh–tahr]
- Hindu Mythology. the descent of a deity to the earth in an incarnate form or some manifest shape; the incarnation of a god.
- an embodiment or personification, as of a principle, attitude, or view of life.
- Digital Technology. a graphical image that represents a person on the Internet.
A pixel represents a single point of color information. When upscaled, it’s often misconstrued as a square due to nearest-neighbor scaling.
Stepping back from the concept of the square, information can be gleaned based on color information to determine the nature of the pixel. Integer values for red, green, and blue are quantifiable data; the emotions and aspirations of the color are qualitative.
Pixels aren’t the only representative form, however. Polygons with simple shaders can express those emotions through shape and line, rather than a collection of singular hard on/off pixel values.
Polygons are often considered less expressive than hand-crafted line art, however. While more limited in terms of animation and perspective, the feeling expressed by the lines and their composition makes up for any shortcomings.
Line art can drop precision entirely for a fully expressive feel, wild lines slashing back and forth to form vague representations with that vagueness being part of the expression itself.
Finally, combining pixel art with hand-drawn line art results in a best-of-both-worlds scenario; the digital precision of pixels joins the emotional composition of lines, to create expression within a unique style.
But these are still representations of self; they are not the self. They point towards the truth without becoming the truth.
In the end, a Program is not his or her avatar. A Program is not a One or a Zero, but everything in between. A Program is alive, with hopes and dreams and fears and nightmares… and to expose all that lurks within, you must dig below the surface skin of the avatar, to the floating point within…
Lirazel says
*winces, shrugs, then bursts into song*
o/~ SWEEEEEET Care-On-Line! (BWAH-buh-buh)! o/~
Sorry… had a Red Sox/Floating Point crossover moment there.
They please me too. But why are Spark and Tracer the same age if he’s the Hot Older Brother? Or do those that evolve from Apps get born in a different way?
Stefan "Twoflower" Gagne says
He’s the Hot Older Brother because the Scott Pilgrim av creator randomized the character’s title and I couldn’t find anything better.
I need to find a good spot in the story to explain how child processes work in this universe, actually. I MOSTLY have it worked out in my head. I think chapter 3 will work perfectly for that.
Jeremy Jinkerson says
This pleases me.
Stefan "Twoflower" Gagne says
This pleasing you pleases me.