Avatar?

[Mac1952]

Pardon my ignorance, but will someone please tell me how a boat or vessel has become known as an Avatar? What is the origin of the word?

[ifishcq1]

Hi Mac

An avatar is a computer user's representation of himself/herself or alter ego, whether in the form of a three-dimensional model used in computer games,[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_avatar#cite_note-0) a two-dimensional icon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icon) (picture) used on Internet forums (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_forum) and other communities,[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_avatar#cite_note-1)[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_avatar#cite_note-2) or a text construct found on early systems such as MUDs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUD). It is an “object” representing the embodiment of the user. The term "avatar" can also refer to the personality connected with the screen name (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_name_%28computing%29), or handle, of an Internet user.[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_avatar#cite_note-3)

cheers

SL

[Ausfish]

The word comes from Hindu mythology in which spirits come down and inhabit bodies