Parallels in games & social networking

Over at getlucky.net, there's an interesting three parter on Understanding Avatars in Games and Social Media (plus parts two and three). Drawing from sources like Xbox Live, WoW, and MySpace, the author examines avatars & related elements, from the obvious like your onscreen persona in a MMO to what's in your signature line on a forum.

I found that if a system didn’t provide the ability to automatically describe or summarize pertinent achievements or possessions, users often care enough to list them on their own.

Lots of shiny examples & interesting (if involved) discussion, and goes to show that people like their achievements out there for all the world to see.