We have a new (and rather unique!) correspondent joining the Athlone team this week(see sidebar to your left - halfway down page). If you want to hear what Mary has to say just click on the [>] button underneath her picture. The volume can also be adjusted.

We don't actually know of anyone else using animation in their blogs (a few sites are using it on their home pages) but for us, incorporating it has allowed us to solve a fundamental dilemma: how do we give a 'voice' to regular contributors who want to be in print but only on an anonymous basis?

A 'virtual' character seemed an ideal solution. The question has always been what technology could support such an idea (given not all avatars [virtual characters] are compatible with blogging) and how could we design online personalities to suit real people (given that apart from some basic html script knowledge we had minimalist programming experience)? All I can say is that we have certainly had a heap of fun, and the likeness between the characters and their alter egos is actually not that far off (well, ok, maybe you wouldn't recognize them if you bumped into them at the local supermarket but even so...)!

Mary is the first character to see the light of day (or at least the light of the Internet) and she will post the occasional audio comment from Europe. Please forgive her her voice ... we assume technology (or our skills) will catch up at some point!

We expect to introduce other commentators from the US, Dubai and Asia in the next few weeks.

Mary's email is Mary@AthloneAssociates.com if you wish to contact her directly.