Quote:
Originally Posted by Daithi
Ea's avatar in particularly influenced my perception in an intirely wrong way. I responded to one of her posts, and probably based on her metalic male lion I thought she was a male. [She let me know I was mistaken.  Sorry, again, Ea.]
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As for my own avatar, I think it represents me fairly well. I also use a pseudonym because the first board I participated in was an Irish board and my name was taken (David), but oddly enough the Irish version of my name wasn't, so I've been using that name on the internet for years now. |
No problem. Tell you what, I thought for some time you were female - your name sounded a bit like a Indian girl's name. It wasn't until there was something you said, and I thought
and double-checked your profile. I think I might have guessed better in a more explicitly Irish context, but not Rhode Island. Sorry
Quote:
Originally Posted by montsnmags
Your point that I chose that avatar is a good overview...I'm not at all in disagreement with it...but I just wanted to point out that my choice was also influenced by others here, based on impression gained from my posts, and that is not insignificant. Sort of a chicken-and-egg scenario.
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Of course, and it is influenced by others, but apparently this at least felt more right to you.
This is the first message board I've attended where avatar images were actively used actively to express things, such as that sock thing, and some people change very often. The avatars are also larger than what I'm used to, and I notice them a lot more. I don't want to change avatar all the time, partly because I recognise other people by their avatars myself, and partly because I don't care that much about it - it's just nice to have the option.
I'm glad to hear - from some of the latest posters - that I'm not the only one who is influenced by the avatars in my perception of the person behind. We all wear 'faces' in our relations with other people - here, our virtual-physical 'face' is the avatar and username, I would say - where a psychological-emotional 'face' is our words and deeds, such as they are.
It's interesting that some seemed to feel that they so definitely weren't influenced. It's my impression that we all are not quite as consciously in control of our selves as we would like to think. I wonder if this notion plays a part, or if it's because I'm very visually oriented myself.
Or perhaps the difference in opinion could be likened to an idea about interpretation of a 'text'. That is, that the meaning of that 'text' only really exists when it is 'read' (a dialogue) -
or if there exist some meaning in itself,
independent of the 'reading' (a monologue). I would agree more with the first point, thus feel that my 'reading' of the avatar gives me an impression of that person and influences my perception of him/her. I think....
