Whyville.com: Long time Lover

Hello internet!

Today, I shall be writing about one of my favorite websites: www.Whyville.com!

This is an online games mostly for children and teenagers where they can play educational (BUT FUN!) games, dress up an avatar with creative face parts made by other talented people, talk to friends, and even drive their own car! (Don't worry, parents, they have to take a driving class before they can drive their very own car ;] )



One of my favorite things to do on Whyville is to shop at Akbar's Face Mall, where I can see other people's fashion designs they have created for others to buy and use on their avatar! It is so awesome to see others' artwork and be able to put it all together into one big fashion statement

with a few drags of my laptop! I am a bit of a fashionista myself, loving anything having to do with fashion, and it is nice to be able to wear what I want on Whyville and stand out, and that is a good way to build confidence. Even if I am an okay artist outside of Whyville, it is nothing compared to what some people can do. It is like my own little art gallery!



You have to have been a member on Whyville for a little while to see who is the real artist of a great face part, and who is just copying and pasting someone else's design and calling it their own, though. To get a face part in Akbar's, someone has to purchase a Face Factory voucher, or FFV. Once you have an FFV, you can go to your own little online cavas and create your design, kind of like the Window's Paint tool. It takes a very long time to make something as wonderful as one of the long-time artists of Whyville, and it takes a lot of patience, so I give them credit for that.



After you have created your wonderful design, you can send it to "Akbar," or the main leader of his face mall, to get it approved. Akbar looks at every single one of the designs submitted and helps you out with things that may need to be fixed before putting it up for sale For example, one arm may be longer than the other on a shirt you are designing, or one eye is blue and the other is green. He also makes sure the face part is PG so it doesn't scar the children LOL. He can be quite strict on some things, but it just to help you out when you first start designing. I have tried before, but for me I could hold my computer's mouse steady enough to even make a straight line, let alone detailed hair! Some are naturally talented with this, though and it is a good way of expressing your steady hand as an artist.



In conclusion, Whyville has helped me through some very difficult stages in my life. I know what you're thinking, "How could a stupid website help someone's life?" Well, in middle school and some of high school, I had a very difficult time fitting in with everyone around me. They were all wearing Holister, Aeropostale, American Eagle, and all these other name-brands. I thought they all looked like Barbie clones, compared to my fringed skirts, patterned shirts, and wild headbands. I was quite an outcast until I started playing Whyville, due to loneliness. It helped me dress the way I wanted, and find friends who liked me for my personality, not for the way I dressed. I learned new ways to make friends by not judging the way they looked, like how others judged me, and I found very close friends that I still keep in touch with almost everyday, online and at school. So, I thank you Whyville, for letting me express myself in ways I could not at that time. I highly recommend this website to any child, teen, or young adult struggling with the pressures of fitting in and finding out who you really are. Parents, if your child looks like they are having a hard time at school, or can't seem to make friends, first get them help, and maybe show them this website, because it really helps build confidence. Share this with your friends, and maybe the message will get caught on, like it did for me in 6th grade by my friend in computer class; I can remember her saying, "Hey! You should look at this website I play! It's really fun and we can talk to each other on it while the teacher is lecturing us! Hahaha!" Very fun memories are made on this site lol :)

-Stacy