Influence of Avatars and Images: are you affected?

Originally posted by LadySkadi
Ex: Do you trust them? Are you more likely to consider a message valid from one source -vs- another, based on your interpretation of who that person is and is that interpretation based on your like/dislike of the image they use to represent their online persona?

(sorry if I misread your intent, LadySkadi...)

In response:

Trust requires a little more than just a pretty package on this side.

Personally, I'm rather unaffected by how much weight or validity I give someone based on their avatar alone.

There are some avatars that attract my attentions more so than others - but the bearing of conversation and verbal/textual expression will always hold more water on this end.

It's always nice when the image is backed up by a comprehensive understanding of matters outside the purely symbolic realm.

Even so, how one chooses to symbolically express themselves through images alone is always a fascinating science in and of itself.

Originally posted by LadySkadi

Cool thread LadiSkadi,


This thread of yours probably was inspired by my thread asking people about their ATS handles and I did ask for their explanations of their avatars, but, dammit, the ATS mods moved it to the BTS forum, where it got very little attention, so I hope that this thread stays here. I protested to the mods, but to no avail.


So I encourage those of you who are responding to also do some 'splainin' of your ATS handles as well, if that's ok with you, LadiSkadi. Some don't have avatars, but all do have interesting handles.



[edit on 21-10-2009 by Historical-Mozart]

I find that if an avatar is visually jarring, animated or both - I tend to skip their post entirely just to get it off the screen.

Other than that, I don't pay that much attention to them. Except the one that has a woman attempting to eat an entire octopus as sashimi.

(as for mine: I like blue. Helps me find my posts, to see where I left off. Unless that other person with a plain blue band posts in the same thread, at which point I start thinking: I don't remember writing this...)

what could me avatar suggest? its of me jumping from a wall xx

Originally posted by GENERAL EYES

Originally posted by LadySkadi
Ex: Do you trust them? Are you more likely to consider a message valid from one source -vs- another, based on your interpretation of who that person is and is that interpretation based on your like/dislike of the image they use to represent their online persona?

(sorry if I misread your intent, LadySkadi...)

In response:

Trust requires a little more than just a pretty package on this side.

Personally, I'm rather unaffected by how much weight or validity I give someone based on their avatar alone.

There are some avatars that attract my attentions more so than others - but the bearing of conversation and verbal/textual expression will always hold more water on this end.

It's always nice when the image is backed up by a comprehensive understanding of matters outside the purely symbolic realm.

Even so, how one chooses to symbolically express themselves through images alone is always a fascinating science in and of itself.

Hey, no problem. I know it's fun for people to talk about their image choices!

Reflection on what other peoples image choices have on you and how you view them is even more interesting, I think... I wonder how many people realize the impact it could have? I also wonder at the possible power behind that intent?

Curious...



[edit on 21-10-2009 by LadySkadi]

I could be wrong but I think it are mostly females who pay attention to the avatars. (Unless it's a half naked girl, that get's everyones attention )

Mine is just something I liked and created with photoshop, but all my avi's reflect a state of mind, the one I was in at the time I made it. Most say nothing about my interests or opinions, other then art. Some do, but then that would be obvious

Personally I tend to see people like their avatar when I dont know them very well. A bitchy avi girl suggests to me that the person behind it is bitchy aswell. And then there are the give aways: angels or symbolism on the avi's are no doubt a reflection of the owner.

My avatar is zoom view of a picture I took while out in the woods. In about my first post I asked others what they thought this object was about 100 feet up the tree top that was growing on a cliff. Due to its unreachable location I couldn't get a closer shot with my camera setup. The current best explanation was some sort of tree growth like a "burl".

I left the avatar the same hoping that somebody might give me a better explanation than my original thread, but all I've had is a few inquiries asking what it was and its location.

So, I guess I wasn't consciously attempting to convey something about me. I'm not sure how it affects others in my posts. I hope it doesn't bother anyone because it is kind of blurry. Now, I'm second guessing it, but I'd probably just put up another pic.

I like the use of non specific avatars because it keeps me guessing what the users behind them look like and perhaps allows one to have a more open mind based on what is written rather than how physically handsome or beautiful somebody is.




[edit on 21-10-2009 by verylowfrequency]

reply to post by Historical-Mozart
I thought your thread had to do w/user names? Hope I didn't step on it, sorry if I did!

Of course, if people want to explain their choice in avatar that would be awesome, but also I really hope to see an idea of what other peoples choices in avatar/images have made on them... if any. Maybe there isn't an impact, that would be interesting to know too.





ed: sp, whoops!

[edit on 21-10-2009 by LadySkadi]

Mine just represents my family history without giving away too much info.
I like people knowing a bit about me but i prefer they have to work a bit for that info.

Also i love the movie Erik The Viking

[edit on 21/10/2009 by SvenTheBerserK]

reply to post by Historical-Mozart


Yeah, I almost replied on your thread before it was moved, oh well it happens.

About my handle. Well that came from another trip near the woods. Okay, I was really looking at properties that were next to a wooded area that happened to be fenced off.

There were these guys driving a hummer spying on me and I decided to find out what they were doing out in the middle of nowhere when I found my answer. They were protecting the perimeter of a SVLF radio station that relays command and control communications via a Super Very Low Frequency network to the Pacific Nuclear submarine fleet.

I suppose one could call it an underground base, but I really don't know how much is underground - cause it's fenced off. I wanted something that fit into the Above Top Secret theme and VLF was taken, so I became VeryLowFrequency long for VLF communications of the doomsday fleet. I thought about using one of the com towers for my avatar and perhaps I will someday.


[edit on 21-10-2009 by verylowfrequency]

And you wounder why some people don't have avatar images.Too close for comfort.

This thread hit home how often I don't look at avatars.

I'm too busy reading the comments. I need to get rid of this tunnel vision.

i chose my avatar cuz it represents me pretty well

[edit on 21-10-2009 by DjSharperimage]

Well since my avatars change with my moods usually, I suppose Iam perceived that way..moody, flippy, probably dark, feminine for sure,sex obsessed perhaps, bitchy,all the above would apply.
Do I care? Not a bit.The images I put up as my avatar are never casual in thought. I put up EXACTLY what image represents ME at the time.
I care not how anyone reacts to it, and would hope they just read my posts.

Mmm... I choosed (and made) this avvie because it was the most neutral way to introduce myself here... I usually made avatars out of illustrations, i'm a fashion student and i love fashion illustration, but i feel those don't fit in a forum like this one. In the other hand, i have always been looking at the sky, I have an entire folder of hubble pics and i just choosed this one for the colours.

Anyway... this forum is curing one of my fears because of the avatars. I have a weird fear against greys. Oh Lord how those beings scares me. But having this much users with greys on their avatars are starting to make me used to them and my fears are vanishing. I can't lie, I usually skip posts that are made by those users.


@AccessDenied: I love your avatar's pants *o*! *shallow comment off*

I made mine cause I love organized religion

My avatar is taken from what is usually described as the Lewis chess, although there are perhaps better theories that the pieces are from a Hnefatafl set. Whatever they are, they're generally thought to be Norwegian and dating back to the 1100s.

The actual piece in my avatar is a berserkr. Whilst quite often, like a lot of things, beserkers and the like are often proffered in a pathetically macho way: 'look how tough I am'.

Personally, I find it incredibly funny that someone can get so off their faces on drugs or so 'wound-up' and angry that they will actually bite inanimate objects.

It's a bit of a dig at internet 'tuff guys' and people that get incredibly angry in their posting but with a bit of viking/heathen/Norse theme.

The only time an avatar pops out at me is if its blatant propaganda. I tend to think less of people who do that. Or political faction avatars, what a great way to show ones ignorance to a failed system.

Ironically, I arrange my viewing window so that avatars are not visible. I do this because so many avatars are animated, and I find the repetitive motions to be a distraction. I rarely know what a person's avatar looks like.

I don't know whether an avatar affects me. I tend to doubt it. I am subjected to images all day long, every day. Over the years I've learned to discount most of what I see as being meaningless. I suppose there could be some influence on a subconscious level, but I think probably most people by now are fairly resistant to such suggestion.