ALTER EGO: DESCRIPTION OF INITIAL THREE AVATARS
With Alter Ego, you have a personal team of avatars who will search the Internet for you, according to their particular character. These are “your people” on the web. They will make it easier to find what you want, and quickly, without the hassle of trying out different search terms -- most of the time either not getting what you want or getting way too much from your search.
The strategy is simple. Each avatar is a character, with a specific “personality.” They are designed to search the web in a way that matches that personality. So, when you are searching for something, you pick the avatar from your team whose character matches the kind of search you want to do, and then just turn them loose. These avatars literally become your alter ego in cyberspace. Say, for example, you want to go on vacation, and you want to find vacation possibilities that are adventurous and exotic. Go to your team and ask the Adventurer avatar to do the search for you, and that’s exactly what you’ll get. On the other hand, if you are looking for a family-style vacation, choose the “Parental Unit” avatar, and you’ll get a whole listing of kid-friendly, fun, safe and affordable options.
The avatars in this initial set are just a demonstration. Many more will be available to tailor searches for a broad range of avatar characteristics!
YOUR TEAM
- The Adventurer: Think Indiana Jones. Think explorer. Think world traveling, adventure seeking. Kayaking down the Amazon. Staying overnight underwater in a submarine. Trekking in the mountains of Southeast Asia. Eating in a restaurant on the top of a mountain, with food caught or gathered right there. The Adventurer looks not just for thrills (there’s another avatar for that), but for experiences that will put you to the test, but also teach you something about the world. The Adventurer is a character that wants to engage, to see, to push the limits, whether it is on a vacation, looking for a house, finding a place to eat, or looking for a good book or movie.
- The Professor: Think Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Jean-Paul Sartre, Sigmund Freud, Barbara Tuchman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Think science, history, philosophy, sociology, psychology. Think research, deliberation, in depth consideration of any topic, focusing on the academic research and detailed considerations that are part of a serious inquiry. This is the avatar you go to if you want much more than the latest buzz or soundbite about something. And the professor can look for serious research about almost anything – about a health condition, about a place you might want to visit, about good wine, even about baseball!
- The Parental Unit: This is a unique avatar because it really can’t be just one person. So we’ve made this one a “groupatar” – two parents and a child, all lumped together as one avatar. Think flexible, fun, recreational, safe, educational, active, and kid-friendly. The Parental Unit will find you places to eat where the food can satisfy everyone and no one will get bent out of shape if there is a spill. It will find books to read or movies to see that are appropriate for children and families, doctors who focus on family practice, cars that will work for the family, vacations you can afford and that fit family needs, or anything else. This avatar knows that families need a little support, and this is your team member who is up to the task!
HOW DO YOU USE ALTER EGO?
It’s very easy. You have a team! From the toolbar, select the avatar icon that represents the kind of search you want to do. Using the search engine of your choice (e.g., Safari, Google, etc.), type a word or two in the search box that represents the general subject of your search – like, “vacation,” or “buy car” or “find movie.” Click search, then relax, and let your people do the work.