How do some avatars become famous?

[Saphira Nuyasaka]

As most of you probably know, there's some people who are known all across SL, and sometimes the internet. I'm curious, how does this usually happen? Is it that their avatars are very unique and appealing, is it that they're a good artist and draw their character often and it got popular... What is it?

I'm actually asking for the opposite reason you might think. A LOT of people have been gawking over my avatar regularly, offering to make me free profile pictures and even in some case draw it for free, among other things which I'd rather not repeat here, and I'd honestly rather avoid being internet famous. I don't like too much attention I need to know what NOT to do that now-famous avatars have done previously. The most logical choice would be to not go out in public, but then I'd be incredibly bored, as well as changing my avatar... But I hate being ugly.

[Ariel Vuissent]

/me blinks.

Alrighty then.

Most people in SL get "famous" by being good at something. Well known builders, creators, fashion designers, etc. could be considered "famous" because of their creations. There are some "famous" personalities here on the forums - we recognize them because they post frequently, and are usually helpful.

Frankly, there are a lot of attractive avatars in SL. Someone may be trying to scam you by offering to take free pictures of you or draw you for free, etc. Or they just like your look. There are a lot of "up and coming" photographers who want to boost their profiles; they look for avatars who are photogenic.

Part of this "gawking" might be a result of where you hang out. Try some other places. If you wear very "sexy" outfits, you could switch to more conservative outfits. If you wear certain attachments that may draw attention, remove them.

Frankly, this post makes you sound incredibly conceited. Very few people become famous in SL just because they're pretty. Anyone can achieve that in SL.

Edited for spelling.

[JoJo Aurelia]

Famous Avi's? Well, there are some photographers and models who are well know, and many actually in the fashion industry. I think it depends on what you do in Second Life. People asking to to take profile pictures should be avoided unless there is evidence (in their profiles) that they actually take them. And why would they do that for free? Could be a "come on" to get closer to know your avatar better.

I have a Twitter account (faye4kakia) and a blog Kakia Designs and I make clothes. Famous? No, but I am all over the Internet with a fast Google check.

Many people have social networks with their avatars and, also, have many images uploaded.

But, "famous" or perhaps "notorious" you mean? Either, or, it's what you take out of Second Life. As long as you're not uploading images, you should be fine.

[Soda Lemondrop]

nice stuff

 

[Griffin Ceawlin]

[Ry0ta Exonar]

I have no idea who are so famous that are known all across the grid. lol

If you are very active on the web, writing blogs, post comments on others blogs, having accounts on social network sites, Flickr, youtube and what not, you may become very famous among those people who engage in the same activities, but there are many more people who are not interested in those things, so to those people you would remain unknown.

[161488303349]

if you worried about being famous for being beautiful then dont be. is a zillion pics of beautiful avatars

name recognition is what makes you famous. otherwise you just another pretty face on a catwalk among a zillion pretty faces on the catwalk

if you dont want to be catwalk famous then is not much you can do about it. cant stop other people taking photos or even vids of you

+

have been catwalk famous two times myself

one time a guy made a vid of one of my old accounts at inspire space park and post to youtube. got quite a few views for a while then it got forgotten like they do. so that was ok

+

other time was when philip linden quit

i went to psquared just for a nosey. someone else famous took a picture of himself, philip linden and me and post on his interwebz feeds. 

was actual my own fault bc i asked philip linden if was ok if i took a photo. i just wanted to have for myself. when he said was ok then the other famous dude took a photo as well

i wuz doomed after that. i delete that account after a short time bc heaps of people asked me to tell them stuff i didnt know anything about. was just unlucky in that way

 +

eta: so if you dont want to be famous for being a nobody then dont get your pic taken with someone famous by someone else famous who has a feed seen by heaps of people (:

[Canoro Philipp]

you might become famous if you dedicate a lot of time appearing in what you do best, lets say you become a famous model that many photographers would like to work with, maybe because you have great skills in customizing your avi, in getting what the photographer wants, or you have a great dedication to fashion events and photography, you are gonna be very known in the fashion industry as a model easy to work with, and you may become very famous.

famous people here in sl are the ones who spend a lot of time getting themselves known, providing something top of the line for its public, like Torley Linden, Prokofy Neva, & Anshe Chung.

[Innominatus Blackheart]

"Very few people become famous in SL just because they're pretty. Anyone can achieve that in SL."

Agreed.

Some of the *pretty* ones are in reality the opposite sex of their avies, weigh 600 pounds and live in their parents basement.

Before anyone jumps on that and says I shouldn't judge people . . . I'm not.

I'm simply stating, in another way, what Ariel said. Anyone can be pretty in SL, even if they're not_so_pretty otherwise.

[JoJo Aurelia]

[JoJo Aurelia]

Soda, that was a funny video! Thanks for that link!

[Naughty Caramel]

"Famous" is subjective.  I have quite a few favorite designers who seem to be popular, but nobody famous.  Those people that were mentioned, Prok, Ansche, etc.. are only well known to the people who know of them.  If I never read forums, I would never have heard of them.  People are only "famous" to that group that is interested.  There's a large world of people who never even bother with anything outside of the "game."

People who want to do your profile pic/draw you could also just be flattering you so they can build up their portfolios and give you something for free.  Of course, they could be buttering you up for other selfish reasons as well.  Only one way to find out.

And yes, a pretty avatar is a pretty avatar.  90% of SL men and women are hot, stunning, gorgeous.  I start to gag when I hear it too much.  My first thought is usually, "I need boots for this, what do you want from me?"

One guy came out with the "You're the smartest woman I've met here" and I figured he read in my profile how I hate people who say nothing but, "You're beautiful" so he decided to try a different route.  LOL

[Amethyst Jetaime]

If you think that your the only person that has been gawked at or that someone wanted to take a picture of or draw, your delusional.  Anyone with the Lindens and good taste can make a beautiful avatar.  These people are only flattering you in the hopes of making a sale. 

I've been in SL for years and can't tell you the name of one person who became famous this way.  Sure, there are so called fashion models who claim fame, but outside the SL fashionista world no one knows who they are. There are well known people that became known due to a skill or talent, other than just being beautiful, but very few that have become world famous or famous across the net.

I don't think you have anything to be worried about.

[Eileen Fellstein]

I could be wrong as I don't watch a lot of TV or listen to a lot of radio (besides internet stations), but I don't think it's happened so far outside of SL. I've yet to see or hear a news story about someone who is known by their SL avatar name. To me, that would be famous.

Grid wide I think some designers would be the most well known, and possibly some Lindens. But the influx of new members would probably shrink their known status by the second, no matter what.

If someone already famous were to make an avatar then publicize some stuff, then maybe it would happen.

[Amethyst Jetaime]

---

Eileen Fellstein wrote:

I could be wrong as I don't watch a lot of TV or listen to a lot of radio (besides internet stations), but I don't think it's happened so far outside of SL. I've yet to see or hear a news story about someone who is known by their SL avatar name. To me, that would be famous.

---

 

Back in the early days some SL residents were featured in national publications.  One was on the cover a RL business mag, and one fo the earliest models was in a men's nudie mag, and the owner of one of the first 'super' club (before his club there were only small bars and pubs) was featured in Popular Science.  There were probably a few others.  But i think this had more to do with the novelty of SL and its open economy than anything else.  Today, when I mention their names to SL residents and the fact they were in RL magazines, most people haven't a clue who they are or even knew this and people in RL even less.  So this isn't really being famous in my book other than in the sense of the '15 minutes of fame" Andy Warhol talked about..

[Tiffy Vella]

If you don't want to be "famous" (or are you also confusing this with "infamous"?), then don't do any of these things---

 

Don't create anything wonderful and unique,

Don't have a blog with opinions or images that people remember and enjoy,

Don't post informative or amusing things on any forum or other social media site,

Don't take excellent and original photos and share them on Flickr/Snapzilla,

Don't host a sim and make it into a wonderful place for people to visit,

Don't be involved with any group and offer assistance or inspiration to others.

Don't help anyone as a teacher,

Don't provide any kind of service or have any sort of successful enterprise.

 

None of these things would neccessarily guarantee fame, but anyone who is anyone does at least one of these things excellently. A few SL personalities are infamous for doing some of them very very badly, but that's different.

 

However, if someone wants to anonymously blend in with the crowd, they need do nothing but have a stunning avvy and hang out at clubs saying "Wooo" a lot. People are highly unlikely to be famous for this, despite however many gorgeous photos of themselves they submit to competitions, or whatever may appear in their profiles.

 

Edited to add that what I mean by this is just stop fretting about this as we are all gorgeous (snort!). Go and achieve whatever you want. And don't let silly people who are merely trying to sell you a photo or turn you head...well...turn your head. The chances of you becoming e-famous from this are slim (absolutely no offense is intended by this). If you ever do become known for something, let it be for your achievements, and if this happens, have the sense to put it into balance.

 

 

 

[Mrs Miggins]

---

 A LOT of people have been gawking over my avatar regularly, offering to make me free profile pictures and even in some case draw it for free, among other things which I'd rather not repeat here, and I'd honestly rather avoid being internet famous. I don't like too much attention I need to know what NOT to do that now-famous avatars have done previously. The most logical choice would be to not go out in public, but then I'd be incredibly bored, as well as changing my avatar... But I hate being ugly.

---

I know how you feel, lovvie, and to be so beautiful is a curse. The constant attentions are simply annoying, and some of the offers I get are positively repulsive and a bit pervy, really. I have tried to hide my head in a bag, I tried to stay home and never leave, I even painted my entire body with walnut juice (this somehow made it even worse in the Brazillian free sexy nude beach sims, and the amount of male attention I got was incredibly embarrassing for the other ladies who were all entirely overlooked), but the Good Lord said "don't hide your light under a bushel', so shine I will, and so should you!

[161488303349]

jejejejejeeje (:

[Rin Tae]

Now this is a interesting question ... since in all the years I have been in SL, I have not heard of anyone who would be known across of all SL. Some people claim to be famous but in reality, they are just known in their circle.

SL is a very divided place with little connection between various communities and many people mistake their little place for all of what is out there. When people mention seemingly famous names, they usually get stares and questions about who that is and what they did to become famous from those who are not in the same (or close to) social circle or trade then those seemingly famous people are.

However there are some who are public enough to be known by at least a number of people across communities. Mostly blogers (but then only to those people who read blogs) or machinima makers who manage to do films of great quality (but those too mostly to those people who make and watch such films themselves since a lot of those who did see the film will never look for one again and forget the name of the maker a few seconds after telling everyone how much they loved it). Some artists too from time to time, but their fame usually retracts back itno the artist community very quickly (what is sad cosidering the works that are being made there).

After all even the large uproars in SL only happen in small circles when looking at the bigger picture of overall SL ... when talking about the dramas of the past that filled up blogs, forums and discussions and looked like the whole of the community would be involved .. 9 times out of 10 I had to explain what is going on and why and no one inworld was aware of anything special going on.

The same is true for 'fame'

One way to become famous is to do public apperences and be invovled in something that concerns many people but those topics are few and not easy to get into since this usually invovle lots of time, knowledge and work. And some wit and talent when going into the public.

 

So there is no reason to worry ... chances are, that even when you become famous in one place, noone will know you once you cross the next sim border. Let them look, stare and say no to those who are nof freindly enough, there is no reason to change anyways, if you feel good with the way you look

[madman626 Fall]

Famous people are you talking about lindens ? ,,if not well the hell they been all my sl life * 5 years* don't flatter your self you only inpointing to your self has for big name yeah we know a few because we all use there stuff and what not,, now for being famous and dress up like movie stars these are all wanna be that never made a foot pint in sl grid so get over your self . I dare you to name a few of so call famous ones and see if we know them,, good luck you will need it .

[Conifer Dada]

Has anyone become famous through SL?  I can't think of any SL residents who have become famous outside SL.  There's the woman who made a real-life fortune through SL - but I can't even remember her exact name !!  

There are people who have become famous within SL - obviously some of the Lindens are widely known.  Then there's a handful of creators who are famous, but that's about all.  In the long-gone days of high SL land prices and a booming virtual land market, some of the land barons were household names, but only because you saw their 'for sale' signs everywhere.

 

 

[Phil Deakins]

Those who are well-known in SL are well-known for different reasons.

One of the ways is to be an opinionated loudmouth - posting anywhere and everywhere, running a blog, etc. But that only gets a person known among those who frequent places where a loudmouth can flourish.

Another way is to create something that becomes very popular throughout SL. Or, in the case I'm thinking of, hijack something that becomes very popular throughout SL.

And yet another way is to make a massive amount of RL cash from SL - so much that word of it, and the person, spreads.

In other words, there is no common method by which a person can become well-known throughout SL.

I'm not aware of anyone becoming well-known because of the way their av looks. I don't think that's even possible. For instance, I have the best looking male avatar in SL, but have you heard of me before?

[Irene Muni]

---

Rin Tae wrote:

 

SL is a very divided place with little connection between various communities and many people mistake their little place for all of what is out there. When people mention seemingly famous names, they usually get stares and questions about who that is and what they did to become famous from those who are not in the same (or close to) social circle or trade then those seemingly famous people are.

---

This.

[Jo Yardley]

There is only one "famous" person in SL I can think of, Anshe Chung.

She made a lot of money in the early days of Second Life and was mentioned in all sorts of RL media.

Anybody else I can think of is just an active blogger or someone who makes nice pictures/videos.

Only one or two I would reconaise by name if I would bump into them.

[Hippie Bowman]

Have a big party!  

 

Peace!