Avatars and your opinions

I have a few questions regarding Avatars and people opinions.

Do you identify people by their avatar and not so much by their name?
Does an avatar shape the way you think about that particular member?
Do avatars distract you in any way?

I identify many members by their avatars until I can completely remember their names, it just helps me out. So what are your opinions on avatars?




If you don't mind answering, what do you think of my avatar?

Originally posted by Misoir
Do you identify people by their avatar and not so much by their name?

Sometimes.

Does an avatar shape the way you think about that particular member?

Not really.

Do avatars distract you in any way?

Nope.

If you don't mind answering, what do you think of my avatar?

Not bad at all.


-TheAssoc

reply to post by Misoir


I do tend to recognize posters by the avatar and when they change them I don't get who they are for a while until I actually bother to look at the name, I once had someone change their avatar in the middle of a thread and I thought I was arguing with two different people

I think the ones that are overtly trying to make a point (political or otherwise) will tend to colour my view of what the person is posting and why they may be posting it

I like your avatar

Yes to all of your questions. A picture is worth a thousand words, or something like that, right?

My first impressions based on an Avatar is not always a correct one and have had to change my opinion more than once based on the things those persons actually said in their posts.

Some people's avatars are quite beautiful. Your's is evocative. That is intriguing.

Avatars are great in the way they usually reflect some aspect of the owner. They don't make me think a certain way about an individual but they do make me aware of the individual. Scanning through a long thread you come across a familiar image, one that belongs to someone you have learned to appreciate so the scanning stops on their mini-profile and you take the time to read their post. Beyond adding beauty and expressing members individuality to the board it's a quick way to identify people.

reply to post by kinglizard


You my friend, make avatars that are almost too beautiful to wear ... I really mean that.
They are so impressive and impressionable, so evocative, that I immediately recognize your touch more so than the person's profile.

I don't mean to say that they take away from the member's contribution in any way ... but they are so amazing that the person sporting them better bring their A game, lest their avatar speak louder than they do.

Being that I can't operate under such pressures, I have stopped asking you to make them for me.

But I am not joking, you have an extraordinary gift.

If a person has a good avatar I think that they are usually quite creative and will pose some good questions and maybe debate!

I normally look at the name but the avatar also reminds me of who they are!

Thoughts on my avatar please

usually i identify the member by her/his name
the avatar is like a dress which i wear.
i can change my appearance as much as i want like redressing every day.
and like my clothes my avatar expresses a bit the way i am or the way i want to be

when reading the boards i try not to be influenced by the avatar of the member but honestly somebody who has a beautiful avatar appeals me more than avatars i dislike.

when knowing a member longer the avatar slips a bit away and content of the contribution gets more and more into the foreground avatars influence less.

i guess it is like in offline life
the more beautiful or handsome a person you are talking to is, the more you are willing to listen but as in offline life beauty is in the eye of the beholder ;D

Just speaking for myself, I hate .gif avatars. I can't read a post with all that jumping around.

Originally posted by kinglizard
Avatars are great in the way they usually reflect some aspect of the owner. They don't make me think a certain way about an individual but they do make me aware of the individual. Scanning through a long thread you come across a familiar image, one that belongs to someone you have learned to appreciate so the scanning stops on their mini-profile and you take the time to read their post. Beyond adding beauty and expressing members individuality to the board it's a quick way to identify people.

I'm sorry but that red button is begging to be pressed!

I do like the splash of greens, blues, red...very clever!

I do identify people by their avatar at first, until I get to know their name. The avatar does not shape the way I think about other members, their words do. Sometimes I get distracted by moving or flashing avatars, but otherwise, no.

I think your avatar is pretty. Most of what I get from it is just the color. I don't always focus on the avatar and see what it is. Sometimes I just see the basic color or shape.

An avatar sometimes affects the inner voice I'm hearing as I read the post, but it doesn't have any bearing on the post itself.

I change my avatar a lot, so I'm hoping folks look at the name more....

reply to post by insubordinate


Looks like Satan or Satanism? Am I correct. Either way regardless it's still pretty cool.

I think I've gone overboard with mine.

It's all so dark I must come across as a 'Twilight' loving Goth or Emo - which does not represent my personality at all.

But out of a sense of vanity I persist with it - for better or worse.

reply to post by Misoir


1.Do you identify people by their avatar and not so much by their name?

*Yes. well, I recognize the avatar immediately and than obviously the name that accompanies it. I have been confused a time or two by two different posters who have a similar avatar.

2.Does an avatar shape the way you think about that particular member?

*It can. I do believe that avatars are designed to project a message or something from the person to the outside, so it will typically be a glimpse into that person (it could be what they like, what they don't like, a statement, etc.) I also tend not to like certain avatar images and that *may subconsciously color my view on a post. Especially if it is offensive or something that really bothers me (as an example)

3.Do avatars distract you in any way?

*Only if they are moving. I dislike those avatars so much I will scroll right over a post without reading it.