Seriously thoughtful Do avatar images influence your impression of personality?

[kindlekitten]

ok, I'll try a real picture for awhile and see how that goes...

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

ok, I'll try a real picture for awhile and see how that goes...

Oh No! Now I'll never recognize you!

[kindlekitten]

ah gee! is it the lack of whiskers?

[kennyc]

And every one else that has changed their avatars because of this thread, going to be wandering around like a little lost tarkus.

[Daithi]

I'm a little late to this party, but it is a great question Ea. I'd say "yes" it does make a first impression, and then like someone else here posted, the avatar becomes someone's face in my mind. Which can sometimes be confusing, because occassionally PilotBob and Shaggy turned out not to be PilotBob or Shaggy.

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.]

There are a few avatars that really stand out and stick in my mind -- desertgrandma, HarryT, and Kazbates to name three, but there are several others as well.

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.

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by Ea

...
I think, for me, avatars are reality online. It's the only visual cue I have to the identity of the person. In your case, the propellor hat says 'nerd', 'IT'. The monkey face is someone who's a bit unconventional, perhaps artistic, have wide mental horizons. Remeber you chose this exact picture over others - and you chose to have an avatar image in the first place.
...

It is true, but there's also the factor that in some ways this avatar was chosen for me. While I have elected to use it, it is also partially someone else's flattering (though others might not see it that way ) impression of me - an impression gained more from my behaviour here rather than from a self-referential previous avatar's influence. In the same way, your (flattering, to me) impression of me contains some aspects of accuracy, but I might also (actually, I'm almost certainly) biased by its complimentary aspects. As I mentioned, it's perhaps more how I want to be perceived then how I actually am. My reality (my "real face") is a lot duller than the avatar (and written word) I purvey.

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.

Cheers,
Marc

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

It is true, but there's also the factor that in some ways this avatar was chosen for me. While I have elected to use it, it is also partially someone else's flattering (though others might not see it that way ) impression of me - an impression gained more from my behaviour here rather than from a self-referential previous avatar's influence. In the same way, your (flattering, to me) impression of me contains some aspects of accuracy, but I might also (actually, I'm almost certainly) biased by its complimentary aspects. As I mentioned, it's perhaps more how I want to be perceived then how I actually am. My reality (my "real face") is a lot duller than the avatar (and written word) I purvey.

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.

Cheers,
Marc

Is that why marc backwards is cram?

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

It is true, but there's also the factor that in some ways this avatar was chosen for me. While I have elected to use it, it is also partially someone else's flattering (though others might not see it that way ) impression of me - an impression gained more from my behaviour here rather than from a self-referential previous avatar's influence. In the same way, your (flattering, to me) impression of me contains some aspects of accuracy, but I might also (actually, I'm almost certainly) biased by its complimentary aspects. As I mentioned, it's perhaps more how I want to be perceived then how I actually am. My reality (my "real face") is a lot duller than the avatar (and written word) I purvey.

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.

Cheers,
Marc

Yes, but would you have picked it, even if others wanted you to pick it, if you couldn't find yourself with the avatar?

[montsnmags]

When you say, "if you couldn't find yourself", do you mean the same as "if you couldn't see yourself"? If so, well I have another avatar created by Neko which is quite wonderful. I tend not to use it as much, not because I don't like it, but because I'm not sure it's me (but, on the other hand, worry that it is how I might be perceived - it's just a very tiny bit "scary", you might say, and I am a bit self-conscious about perceptions).

All of which is, I think, your point, no?

(Sorry if I've misunderstood)

Cheers,
Marc

[Ea]

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.]

...

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

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.

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....

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

When you say, "if you couldn't find yourself", do you mean the same as "if you couldn't see yourself"? If so, well I have another avatar created by Neko which is quite wonderful. I tend not to use it as much, not because I don't like it, but because I'm not sure it's me (but, on the other hand, worry that it is how I might be perceived - it's just a very tiny bit "scary", you might say, and I am a bit self-conscious about perceptions).

All of which is, I think, your point, no?

(Sorry if I've misunderstood)

Cheers,
Marc

Yep, that's what I meant!

Originally Posted by Ea

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....

I wouldn't say it's the "reading" of the avatar alone. Because you can read letters, you are always conscious of them. You can't "turn it off". The name of the person is above the picture. So, you see the picture but you will also see the name. I think together they say more than just the name or just the image.

[Ea]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I wouldn't say it's the "reading" of the avatar alone. Because you can read letters, you are always conscious of them. You can't "turn it off". The name of the person is above the picture. So, you see the picture but you will also see the name. I think together they say more than just the name or just the image.

I meant 'reading' in a more general sense - in which the image is the 'text'. Actually the avatar+name is the 'text'.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by Ea

I meant 'reading' in a more general sense - in which the image is the 'text'. Actually the avatar+name is the 'text'.

I wonder how much thought have people put into choosing their names?

When I originally signed up, I just wanted to get the registration process over with - I didn't know then I'd be spending so much time here.
I think I just kept trying nouns until I got one that wasn't already taken.

(I wish I was Binky Huckaback - that's more how I see myself. )

[kennyc]

Well, I'll just say I love Ea's Avatar.

Makes me think of some kind of futuristic Wizard of Oz

[PieOPah]

Originally Posted by Ea

We all wear 'faces' in our relations with other people - here, our virtual-physical 'face' is the avatar and username

And in my Avatar, I am literally wearing a face It was never intentional. My wife drew the face on a balloon for our daughter. I was messing around and the girls took a photo. I liked it and now use it most places (where I have an Avatar!)

Originally Posted by Sparrow

I wonder how much thought have people put into choosing their names?

My username is based on my favourite character from my favourite book (Pie 'Oh' Pah from Clive Barker's Imajica). I think that with this thread in mind, 'hiding behind a face' is quite ironic since the character 'Pie 'Oh' Pah' could change it's face (kind of like a shapeshifter)...