Monday, December 21, 2009

How Many Avatars Can Fit Inside a Phone Booth?


My finger was poised on the mouse button to click on quit Friday evening, when an urgent instant message arrived inviting me over to help out with an experiment. With a naturally inquisitive mind set, I’m generally open to learn something new, so I replied with a “Send me a TP.” I arrived at the NC WeBIEE 2 SIM to find myself standing in front of a phone booth that had several avatars stuffed inside. As I arrived and the site began to rezz full, my friend called out.

“I’m in the back with my butt up in the air. See if you can click on the phone booth and sit.” She said.

“I thought I recognized the butt.” I replied with a grin and did as she instructed. With a left click, the sit option came up in the pie menu and I was soon stuffed inside the booth.

“I thought you would ... with Nazz that makes ten and if John returns, that will be eleven.” She said when I did then added; “Everyone, IM your friends.”

I moved my camera view around to see from the front and found the virtual me at the front of the booth, seemingly with both arms stretched across the opening holding the rest of the avatars from spilling out onto the street. I moved the camera view around to the back of the booth for a look. There were now eleven avatars stuffed inside and several more had just arrived.

“I’m taking a few pictures.” Someone called out and several others chimed in with similar comments.

“OMG! Nazz, do you have your head up her skirt?” I was asked. So I moved the camera view back around to the front of the booth to find that the virtual me was now partially obscured by a pink poodle skirt which covered my head and shoulders. My outstretched arms still held the now fourteen avatars inside.

“I’m not looking … honest … my virtual eyes are squeezed tightly shut.” I said in chat to the woman perched on my shoulders.

“Well that adds a new dimension to the poodle skirt.” My friend called out and then laughed.

“We’re now at fifteen with Jup on top.” Someone called out and we all let out a virtual cheer.

My virtual arms had grown tired from holding everyone in and I clicked on the “stand up” button. We all spilled out of the booth in a fashion reminiscent of the stateroom scene in the Marx Brothers movie, “A Night at the Opera”.

Afterward, I found out that the instigator of “How Many Avatars Can Fit Inside a Phone Booth” and the lady who sat on my virtual shoulders were one and the same, Lorraine Charron. After apologizing I asked, “I hear that you are the originator of the stuffing the phone booth. Where'd you get the idea?

“Just by reading online about the 50’s” She replied.

“Was the phone booth here or is it something you built?”

"The phone booth was built by DrJohn Lane." She replied.

"This SIM is a great build, is it yours?" I asked

“Yes me and Tayren … my alt … she makes the clothes too.” She replied and then added; “My clothing store is in Blue City.”

With everything and everyone sorted out, we all began to TP out. So how many avatars can fit inside a phone booth, fifteen.

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