I probably take some first impression from avatars, especially the amusing or impressive ones, be they artistic, or animated like RWood's and
TadW's (one of my faves). I'm not sure how long those first impressions last before they're overwhelmed by reality.
I love your avatar, Ea. I don't know that I take anything from it other than that pleasure.
My avatar does change, but it does tend to gravitate to this one, created by the often-absent-and-much-missed
Taylor514ce. I have no idea what first impression people get from it. It amuses me, and without being so foolish as to delve too much into the reasons lest I not like what I see, I also feel that the mask fits my face like a glove (a glove made in the shape of my face).
I think if first avatar impressions count, they can only count up to one. If that's what people want to count to, well, I'm a monkey-masked fool in a propeller-beanie... move on, there's nothing else to see here. If people look
beyond that initial mask though, I would hope that they'd then get the distinct impression that I'm more than that - that I'm a monkey-masked fool in a propeller-beanie, that also likes icecream.
In the end though, people will take impressions from your avatar, your location, your job, your gender, your hobbies, your proclivities, your signature or even your use of fonts, slang, grammar or choice of words. A cynical part of me sometimes thinks that much of our impression of an individual is determined by a ragbag of nurtured prejudices vying for attention. I regularly beat with a stick that cynical part of me, but it just lies there looking at me with now-confirmed disappointment. Bastiche.
Avatars are possibly what people want to be, how they want to be perceived, or how they actually are, or are even meant ironically (in that they're the exact opposite of who they are). Possibly they're an outlet for or example of their own creativity. I figure that unreliability of determination is not without its charm, as it tempts one into finding out more about that person, by interacting with them. That seems to me like a good thing. Hey, it worked for
Zelda.
Cheers,
Monkey-faced beanie-boy (a.k.a. Marc)
(PS. There are no useful impressions to be obtained from my username without awareness of what it actually means - generally difficult without me telling you, and dull when I do)