zwINK: The Latest Buzz from Zwinktopia and Beyond!

What's in a username?

Hey Zwinksters!

I often get questions about my username...Mister E. As many of you have probably assumed, it's a play on words, or more accurately, a play on letters. Mister E = mystery.

Much mystery exists around Zwinky. What's the history of Zwinktopia? How and why was it created? Who the heck is this Z guy who owns the Pizza and Burger joints in the food court? What's coming next to Zwinky or Zwinktopia?

Well, I consider myself a keeper of those mysteries. Just as importantly, as I'm sure many of you do, I want my real identity to be somewhat of a mystery to the community.

So why's this important now? Well, given that it's Internet Safety Month, what better time to talk a little about the importance of your username providing you with the right amount of anonymity?

I'm reminded of this SNL skit from a few years ago that pokes fun at creating usernames as well as just the types of behaviors on the Net that this month is meant to raise awareness about.

Of course, in my opinion, the skit gives the WRONG advice! So, while it may be too late for some of you readers to improve upon your Zwinky usernames, here are some tips to consider when registering at any site:

1. Never use your real name or even parts of your real name. This one seems obvious, but you'd be surprised how many times we see it.

2. Avoid including anything specific about your location. It's great to have national, regional or state pride represented in your username, but you should never reveal city, postal code or even street names as part of it.

3. Never include your age or birthdate. We give you the ability on your profile to share your age, but that's something you control rather than letting just anybody know that info.

4. Don't offend people. It's important to be able to express yourself and even show part of your personality in your username, but don't be vulgar. At the end of the day, Zwinky is a community where we want every Zwinkster to feel safe and accepted. If your username has the chance of offending others, then Zwinky just isn't the place for you.

Lastly, I love the creativity around usernames that we see on Zwinky. If any of you think you have an exceptionally creative username and care to share why, drop me a ZNote.

Be safe,
Mister E

Safety = Fun ... seriously!

Woohoo! June is Internet Safety Month!

Okay, fine. I get it. Safety Month isn't as glamorous as Prom or Halloween. But you'd be sadly mistaken if you think it's not about fun. Safety may be seriously important, but without it, Zwinky would be no fun at all!

Think of safety this way: pick a movie you've seen after you already read the book, like "Twilight" or "Harry Potter." Sure, the movie's good. But it's even better when you know the details that the book had! Zwinky's the same way. It's fun, but it's even more fun if you know how to do it safely.

Besides, is anything more fun than a freebie? Hey, maybe you already know all about the secret safety room at the bottom of the ocean. ZSI is the headquarters for our amazing safety staff, but it's also the place to go for free safety gear!

Oh, what's that, you've already clicked on the TV, seen the safety video, aced the safety quiz and chosen your item? Well, now's still the time to head back in, smartypants! We've got a brand new life preserver available!

Mastering the safety basics is only the beginning, though. Safety and fun go together in a major way. Safety isn't about spoiling good times. It's about keeping Zwinky safe so that everyone can have good times.

Maybe the word "safety" gets a bad rep because you think it's about someone telling you what you can't do. Zwinky's supposed to be a dream-world, right, where you can be anyone you want to be? Yes... moooostly! Because even in a dream world, actions do have consequences.

So, when we say safety, we don't mean "Here are 10 rules that will ruin your fun!" What we mean is "Here are ways that you can do what you want to do without hurting yourself or anybody else in the process."

So, stay tuned. Because this month, different bloggers are going to be talking about some of the different ways that you can have the most fun with Zwinky in the safest possible way!

Here are a few of the posts to look forward to:

Miss Paprazzi will talk about how to deal with certain Zwinksters when they just won?t leave you alone.

Miss Thang will talk about, of COURSE, dating (safely)!

Mister Professor will explain why being mean can mean really big trouble.

Mister E will answer Shakespeare's question: What's in a name?

We're hoping Safety month will be both informative AND fun! Meanwhile, strap on that safety gear and wear it with pride this month! And as always, keep your passwords a secret, don't click on links from anyone you don't know and never ever ever ever meet up with strangers in the real world.

June Zworoscopes... in time for summer!

Welcome back to Zworoscopes, your Zwinky's monthly astrological forecast.

Find out from our secret astrologer what kind of month your Zwinky is destined to have.

Remember, your Zwodiac sign is based on when your Zwinky was created. You can find that information where it says "Zwinky Since:" on your profile.

Zwinky Prom King and Queen to appear live!

Zwinksters, the votes have been tallied and your voices were heard loudly and clearly! The winners of this year's Prom King and Queen competition are Mister E and Miss Paparazzi!

Here are the final results from the Prom King competition!

And here are the results from the Prom Queen competition!

Clearly this was a landslide win for both!

To bring this year's Zwinky Prom to a close, the King and Queen will appear inworld for their official dance at 3:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday. Other bloggers are expected to be in attendance, as well. Stay tuned to the official zwINK Twitter page for details about where the royal couple appears! Then JOIN US!

Vote for 2010 Zwinky Prom King and Queen!

Prom has begun and it's time to cast your ballot for your favorite zwINK blogger! Will one of our new writers, Mister Professor or Mister DJ, steal the crown from 2009 Prom King Mister E? Does dapper Mr. Foxtrot have what it takes? And don't underestimate Mister Snacktastic... After all, movies and treats do go hand-in-hand!

Mr. Metropolitan? He packed his laptop and took off for that island he likes to vacation on. I think he scheduled it during prom on purpose, but, hey... we might see that novel from him yet!

As for the ladies, Miss Paparazzi has joined the fray. Does she... or Miss Anastasia... or Miss Cosmopolitan ... or Little Miss Indie dethrone our 2009 Prom Queen Miss Thang? Could it be me?!

It's all up to you!

So let's get to the feature presentation, shall we? Te polls for the 2010 Zwinky Prom King and Queen are hereby OPEN!

Vying for Prom King are:

Up for Prom Queen are:

Make sure you vote for one male and one female to represent all of Zwinktopia!

The two winners will make special appearances together during the prom!

Who needs Hollywood? Check out the 2010 Zwinky prom!

In case you weren't catching all the exclusive scoops and sneak peek pics on our Twitter feed (and why not?! It's so easy and you'll always be the first to know! Follow us now!), the 2010 Zwinky prom begins today and will last all the way until June 1!

As we enjoy this year's event, we also celebrate the power of cinema! So quiet on the set: the 2010 prom theme is ...

As French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard once said, "The cinema is not an art which films life... the cinema is something between art and life."

What does this mean? That like so many events and features in Zwinktopia, cinema is a spectacular realm where your imagination and your experience melt together. The result, as a spectator and a participant, is what you choose to make of it. In other words, the possibilities are limitless! Let's look at some options...

Of course, you can mingle in the star-studded red carpet Zwink! lobby, complete with stage lights!

But behind the scenes, or at least behind the dressing room-style doors, lies the real Hollywood scene! You can spend prom on movie sets inspired by some of the most creatively fantastic fantasy movies of the year.

Let's face it, it's all about the design!

Hey, Zwinky friends – how goes it?

So, I'm Miss Awesome, Zwinky's greatest authority on design. While I may be new to zwINK, I'm certainly no stranger to Zwinky. My team and I have been working diligently behind the scenes for over four years now to dream up and create the visual, virtual wonder that is Zwinktopia.

Most of you are focused on prom right now, which is cool... 'cause my team worked really hard to create stunning room designs and clothing for the event, and I hope you love them as much as we do. Yay, prom!

I wanted to take this opportunity, however, to bring you behind the scenes and introduce you to my own personal heroes – the creators of Zwinky's beloved characters. I'm sure you've all wondered who these people are, what they're like and what inspires their creativity. I've worked with both designers for many years now, and I can honestly say they're two of the most talented, creative, hard working people I've ever met. Fun fact: they're part human, part robot, and are often heard making the sound "bzzzjt, bzzzjt" as they work.

The initial Zwinky character was sketched in October 2005 by bekah25, long before Zwinktopia even existed. She jumped at the chance to lend her unique illustration styling to an entirely new character, which we commonly refer to as the "cutie." Inspired by cartoons and all things cute, bekah25's passion for fashion and love for character design make her the ultimate Zwinky designer.

In April 2006, another character came to life; we refer to her as the "hottie." The incredible styling came from chihiro, our Japanese animation guru. The female hottie is by far the most popular character in Zwinktopia, and is a clear testament to chihiro's anime inspired awesomeness. She, too, wins the "ultimate Zwinky designer" crown.

And there you have it folks. I hope you've enjoyed learning about two of our super star designers. Based on the awe inspiring level of creativity some of you Zwinksters exhibit, maybe you'll follow in their footsteps one day!

Znote me to let me know which body type you chose... and why. And always feel free to post your fancy design ideas on my profile – 'cause let's face it, it's all about the design!

-Miss Awesome

Zwinky Prom: What do Twitter followers know that you don't?

You might be surprised how many scoops get released on our Twitter page before they can be officially announced in zwINK!

So here's what zwINK's Twitter followers already know:

What the 2010 prom theme is

When the 2010 prom will begin and when it will end

What the 2010 prom renovated Zwink! lobby look like

What parts of each of the special theme rooms will look

When the second shipment of prom stuff will arrive in Z Avenue, Artizans and the other as-yet-unnamed store

As I've said before in previous posts, following ZwinkyBlog will let you in on sneak peek info a bit before the official zwINK articles can be posted!

Add us if you've got a Twitter account! And if you don't have a Twitter account, get one and follow us!

A Zwinky prom update!

Prom is just around the corner and the prom committee has been in a frenzy getting Zwink! decorated!

I can't believe it's been a whole month since my last prom update, so let me fill you in on what I've been up to.

First of all, I've spent a lot of time leaving messages for the committee, especially Miss Cosmopolitan.

If you've been following us on our Twitter feed, you know Miss Paparazzi, Miss Thang and I were all banging on the back door of Z Avenue trying to get Miss Cosmo to sneak us in to look at the new prom outfits. She felt super-awful about not being allowed to. And we know she totally tried.

Meanwhile, I've been talking quite frequently with the manager of Z Avenue...

Miss Thang's Getting Ready for Prom...Are You?

Hello you gorgeous Zwinksters!

It feels like its been ages doesn't it, sweetie pies? Well, let's face it...it has been. I know, I know. I'm not really doing well keeping up with my New Year's resolution, am I? Shame on Miss Thang! Well, I have been known to be a bad girl every now and then...guess this is one of those times!