Your avatar defines you: For you and for others.

[JacksonCougAr]

Your avatar is part of your online 'self'. It defines how you post, and how others see that post.

Lets talk about the 3rd person perspective of avatars, aka: the reader.

When reading a post the eye will always look a the avatar to identify the poster: by doing this we also get other information from the avatar: especially if it has a 'face'. Generally, a smiling face will make us think that the poster is happy, or their comment is positive. However, if say; the poster has a cat that looks like it just stole your wallet and it thinks you will never figure out what it did then people might inadvertently think that you are smug or egotistic. Sad faces make people think your a mopey emo, ect, ect.

Text-only and icon avatars will generally not have much, if any, of an impact on the readers perspective of your posts.

Now lets think about the 1st person perspective, aka: you, the poster.

Your avatar will inadvertently creep into your posting characteristics if you are not careful and you avatar contains a "face". You are constantly seeing your own avatar when you read your posts and in a way your learning from the 3rd person perspective to match the 1st person perspective.

Supporting devices: if you are trying to support yourself, and your avatars 'personality', you should choose a signature that in some way or another either complements your avatar, or draws the attention to your avatar.

Examples would be making your avatar and signature image to 'match', or contain common themes, or images.

You should not repeat your avatar in your signature as this will simply take away form your avatars personality and presence.

Your signature should not be so 'loud' that it drowns out your avatar.
ie: bright, bold colours. Using the full image space.

Quotes! If you don't want images for your signature you should consider quotes or thoughts in your signature that reinforce the personality of your avatar.

Having a smiling old man: then quoting screamo bands, or some such thing may work for creating a personality but such a personality may not ring 'true' to the reader. Instead support the avatar with quotes from the past or some such thing like that.


Got something to add? Things you disagree with? Things you agreed with?
Post now!

[Tural]

Visual identifier, not personality definer. That is all.

[JacksonCougAr]

Right now I'm getting this very odd vibe from your avatar Tural...

Its feels sort of like I pissed scorpion off and now he wants to get me...

Visual identifier, not personality definer. That is all.

I saw your post before your edit; thus I take this as a statement of denial :p

[Tural]

You are taking emotional ideas from a fictional character digitally represented on a forum instead of the content of the post. I hope you're happy.

[JacksonCougAr]

I am: I'm sure you would agree with me that there is a leeching effect from ones avatar.

[Tural]

Something you choose, and are free to change at any time, cannot reasonably be argued to have an impact on posting style. You have no evidence, you're just talking out of your ass, for lack of a better expression. The personality affects the avatar, not the other way around. For instance, I am growing tired of this site, hence my recent change in posting styles, which led to a change in avatar. The avatar was changed because the previous one was retarded and people were proven to be incapable of looking past it. The others are responsible for their overgeneralizing assumptions about an avatar, but that does not affect the intention of the post, only the interpretation.

[GametagAeonFlux]

Your avatar pisses me off.

[Tural]

Everything pisses you off.

[JacksonCougAr]

I used you for a case study for this in a way. Your posts at Halomods were often received less then amiably and I remember an occurrence where you stated something to the meaning of: People see a personality in my posts that I do not have, or intend, when I make them.

And anyways: it's not exactly like it was 'you' they hated but perhaps it was the cat?

Something you choose, and are free to change at any time, cannot reasonably be argued to have an impact on posting style. You have no evidence, you're just talking out of your ass, for lack of a better expression. The personality affects the avatar, not the other way around. For instance, I am growing tired of this site, hence my recent change in posting styles, which led to a change in avatar. The avatar was changed because the previous one was retarded and people were proven to be incapable of looking past it. The others are responsible for their overgeneralizing assumptions about an avatar, but that does not affect the intention of the post, only the interpretation.

Essentially what this topic is about: how your avatar affects peoples views and interpretations.

[bcnipod]

Right now I'm getting this very odd vibe from your avatar Tural...

Its feels sort of like I pissed scorpion off and now he wants to get me...

Visual identifier, not personality definer. That is all.

I saw your post before your edit; thus I take this as a statement of denial :p

I agree, it seems that since you have had to new avatar, to me anyway you have seemed more harsh, no offence, i know you have stayed the same, but it seems like it was a small change from the cat to the man.

[Tural]

No, it was me. I am, and have been, an asshole for a long time. It's me. If they are taking ideas from the avatar, then they are probably stupid.

I agree, it seems that since you have had to new avatar, to me anyway you have seemed more harsh, no offence, i know you have stayed the same, but it seems like it was a small change from the cat to the man.

Did you even read?

For instance, I am growing tired of this site, hence my recent change in posting styles, which led to a change in avatar. The avatar was changed because the previous one was retarded and people were proven to be incapable of looking past it.

I changed my avatar because people were being stupid, and the fact that I have grown more and more fed up with this site and the people on it. There is absolutely no cause-effect correlation between the changes. The avatar changed because of the posts, not the other way around, that would just be retarded.

[JacksonCougAr]

But even if it is you, how could one take such deep meaning from text alone as you seem to be arguing for. Instead the personality I argue is derived from the avatar.

[Tural]

That doesn't even make sense. They take it from my posts because my words are harsh and angry. That is how they are, and that is where they get it. As I said, if they took my emotions from an UNCHANGING, DIGITAL IMAGE OF A CAT, then they are stupid. If you want to be proven wrong so desperately, I'll make my fucking avatar a big pink heart, and I'll still be a fucking douchebag, just like always.

[Philly]

Hang on, does this make me a silohuette of a cheap, plastic gun? But this is still interesting indeed.

[Tural]

Because of your avatar you want to shoot people with a gun. FACT!

[Philly]

Says you. Omg I am a eta you k?

[JacksonCougAr]

But now this seems as if we're just talking about you. I may have used you for an example but I did not mean to focus too deeply on one user.

Take GTAF for example: He has never been negative or positive to me, and I partly believe that is because of his avatar, which is simply a logo and text. His signature also hides the face in it not allowing too much in the way of personality to be derived from it.

Says you. Omg I am a eta you k?

Your avatar is like a shadow: you may be able to recognize someone by it but you won't know how they feel or what their personality is without seeing a 'face'.

[-Legendary-]

I sort of kind of agree, but like. I see, when people change there signatures, it makes me think of them as clean, or fresh. And then there's some people who never change change their signature >__>... gtaf ;x

[Tural]

He doesn't ever post except to harass people or comment on something he likes. Now you're talking only about yourself.

This thread is just stupid. I'm leaving.

[JacksonCougAr]

Please clarify what your talking about with quotes: this has been a fast discussion...