9. An automated method for arranging the positions of a plurality of avatars during a virtual conversation, that is visualized in a three or 2½ dimensional space computer graphical user interface by an outside observer with a viewpoint that is projected by at least one computer processor, to a projected observer viewpoint location in the X,Y plane of said three or 2½ dimensional space, each said avatar having a front face, said method comprising: using at least one computer processor to automatically determine the location of said plurality of avatars relative to each other and relative to the location of one or marks in the vicinity of said plurality of avatars; said marks being designated regions or points in said avatar's virtual world; said marks imparting a preferred avatar orientation to avatars standing or sitting above said marks, thereby producing marked avatars; for said plurality of marked avatars that are positioned above said marks, then using said at least one computer processor to automatically position said marked avatars in said preferred avatar orientation; for those plurality of unmarked avatars that are not positioned above said marks, then using said at least one computer processor to generate a convex hull based on the location of all marked and unmarked avatars as well as the preferred avatar orientations of said marked avatars, such that the preferred avatar orientations of said marked avatars generally face the interior of said convex hull; using said at least one computer processor to automatically position said unmarked avatars along the perimeter of said convex hull, and assign said unmarked avatars a preferred avatar orientation that is facing an orientation that is on a point on a line segment between the center of said convex hull and said projected observer viewpoint location; and using said at least one computer processor to automatically distribute said unmarked avatars along the perimeter of said convex hull in a manner that biases the position of the unmarked avatars away from said line segment.
9. An automated method for arranging the positions of a plurality of avatars during a virtual conversation, that is visualized in a three or 2½ dimensional space computer graphical user interface by an outside observer with a viewpoint that is projected by at least one computer processor, to a projected observer viewpoint location in the X,Y plane of said three or 2½ dimensional space, each said avatar having a front face, said method comprising: using at least one computer processor to automatically determine the location of said plurality of avatars relative to each other and relative to the location of one or marks in the vicinity of said plurality of avatars; said marks being designated regions or points in said avatar's virtual world; said marks imparting a preferred avatar orientation to avatars standing or sitting above said marks, thereby producing marked avatars; for said plurality of marked avatars that are positioned above said marks, then using said at least one computer processor to automatically position said marked avatars in said preferred avatar orientation; for those plurality of unmarked avatars that are not positioned above said marks, then using said at least one computer processor to generate a convex hull based on the location of all marked and unmarked avatars as well as the preferred avatar orientations of said marked avatars, such that the preferred avatar orientations of said marked avatars generally face the interior of said convex hull; using said at least one computer processor to automatically position said unmarked avatars along the perimeter of said convex hull, and assign said unmarked avatars a preferred avatar orientation that is facing an orientation that is on a point on a line segment between the center of said convex hull and said projected observer viewpoint location; and using said at least one computer processor to automatically distribute said unmarked avatars along the perimeter of said convex hull in a manner that biases the position of the unmarked avatars away from said line segment. 12. The method of claim 9 , wherein said at least one computer processor uses said convex hull to designate the conversation area, and a new user may instruct said at least one computer processor to direct his or her joining avatar to join an ongoing conversation by clicking within the region bounded by said ongoing conversation convex hull, and wherein when said joining avatar joins said ongoing conversation, said joining avatar is either automatically repositioned by said at least one computer processor to the existing perimeter of said ongoing conversation convex hull, or the convex hull of said ongoing conversation is automatically recalculated by said at least one computer processor to incorporate the position of said joining avatar, and said joining avatar is automatically repositioned to the perimeter of said recalculated convex hull.