An Avatar By Any Other Name....The Psychology of Avatars

I know there's a plethora of threads about avatars on ATS, but I want this thread to be for our latest members. This is something I find interesting, and I can't wait to find out what my fellow ATSers think.

Here are a couple of questions I'd like you to answer, please.

1. So....how did you choose your avatar?

2. When you read a post, do you pay attention to the poster's avatar? If so, does the avatar ever influence your response or moderate your reply?

I'll start by answering these questions myself.

1. I found my current avatar by googling "smileyface" and I fell immediately in love with it. I have a serious addiction to smiley faces, (you should see my classroom...they're everywhere). Anyway, I like this avatar because I identify with her. To me, she represents femininity and strength. Plus I just like the colors.

2. There are a lot of avatars that I've come to "recognize" over the course of time spent here, and it really sucks when someone changes avatars. One of my favorite posters, Sinny, did this a while back...and to my surprise, I realized I agreed with her posts more when she had her "original" avatar. Was it simply that I disagreed with her point, or did her avatar have an impact on me?

I don't know, but sometimes a person's avatar creeps me out to the point of inner revulsion. And there are some creeeeepy avatars on ATS. At other times, an avatar will make me laugh....and surprisingly, these are the posts I tend to agree with.

Hmmmmm, the psychology of avatars.......looking forward to your replies, ATS!

reply to post by smyleegrl


1. its an artist called sharp writer, and I just loved all his work, picked this one cause Teddy's a personal hero.

2. I kinda do, I figure those that took the time to do a nice avatar actually give a crap about their ATS persona? if that makes sense.

reply to post by smyleegrl


1. I choose my avatars to match up with my username. But I cannot for the life of me remember my thought process of why I chose my username. Generally I view myself as separate from the rest of humanity. So that may be it, but was that what I was thinking when I registered? I don't know.

2. Generally no, unless I am expecting a certain member to respond to one of my posts. Otherwise I just read through the whole thread.

Originally posted by smyleegrl
...but I want this thread to be for our latest members....

...I'll start by answering these questions myself.

lol

I'll play anyway.

My avatar and background are to remind me that I can still shine however dark things get. A pinpoint of light with so much potential energy.

I try to share the energy and shed a little light where others seek it. I don't think I'll ever change it.

Avatars don't really mean much to me here except as a quick subliminal identifier but some of the funny ones are entertaining. I'm not a big fan of self photo/portrait ones as it makes the site feel more like a social internet site which is really bad vibes. I really enjoy seeing animated ones in particular and I've created a few for members (but no longer upload to the site so I can't help anyone out. Sorry.)

An interesting concept that I myself have thought about many times. Basically, the avatar identifies YOU. Since I can't see your face (unless you have your pic as your avatar) I sort of have to judge you and the point your making across based on your avatar that which projects out of your persona and character. The avatar is the subconscious YOU.

You are absolutely right, I notice that I see a post completely different when the persons avatar is creepy and just plain weird. The same response but this time someone who has a more positive looking avatar and I might just star it. Also, when I read peoples post I always imagine their avatar speaking can get pretty interesting sometimes.

I notice this one girl (no names) always choosing creepy avatars, like why? Her posts are always negative and attacking in a ego-maniac sort of a way. Maybe avatars do represent peoples subconscious selves.

Avatars aren`t very important to me the only reason i even have one is because i used this one on another site awhile ago and since i still had it on my computer and it`s the right size and kb`s i figured i`d just go ahead and use it here too.
If i didn`t already have this one saved on my computer i definitely wouldn`t have gone looking for a pic and then resize it to use as a avatar here.I would have remained avatarless.
I always give stars to the good looking women who use their real pics as avatars, yeah i know thats really shallow but no harm no foul right? i mean it`s not like they can go buy a new mercedes with the ATS stars they have accumulated.

ETA: I chose this name awhile ago too as a parody of Spartacus when that movie was making the rounds.

reply to post by smyleegrl


A product of highly improbable synchronicity, and Da Vinci as the back ground.


Seemed appropriate.

Hey Smyleegrl ,

Strange you should bring up the subject of avatars, your's is most definitely my favorite on ATS, I remember when we first exchanged words some time last year, actually in a thread about avatars! Aha.

I loved your post, as you've a very captivating mind, and yet your avatar at the time got over looked, it was a bunch of smiley faces... If everybody else thought the same as me, the lack of comment was due to the simple fact, there wasn't a lot to say apart from you really like smiley faces! Lol.

I noticed a short while after that, you changed to your current avatar, and I was full of envy (and still am!) Cuz its so darn awesome! For all the reasons you have stated, it represents you are a straong, bold woman, with style, I might add!

Which of my avatars did you prefer? Evil looking "Nemi" with the sharp eyes or this one?

My avatar stories simple, and some are familiar with it, the character is from one of my favorite news paper comics, she's quite hilarious if stoopidy, sarcasm, dorkism, and cynicism are your thing...

I changed from my "evil eyes" one, to this current one, as the staff thought I was being to "acerbic" in my posts, I thought maybe the avatar was influencing my posts, so I opted in a for a "softer" one. Although I completely agree, my posting styles all round the place at the moment, too many people excerpting pressure from different sides to influence how I type... I've quite forgotten how to say things naturally now, which is a shame.

Its caused me all sorts of grief having the "illuminati hand sign" and the pentagon included within it! Lol... Alas, I don't want to change them to often.

I did have an avatar of the real me for a brief period, simply because many people wanted to know who was behind the screen, even a few confused fellows thought I was a man! Aha.

As you can see, I've quite quickly reverted back, as I got far more attention than makes me comfortable.

I wish I'd remained a mistery!

Anyway, quite enough rambling, another thought provoking thread Smylee!

Originally posted by nerbot

Originally posted by smyleegrl
...but I want this thread to be for our latest members....

...I'll start by answering these questions myself.

lol

I'll play anyway.

My avatar and background are to remind me that I can still shine however dark things get. A pinpoint of light with so much potential energy.

I try to share it and shed a little light where others seek it. I don't think I'll ever change it.

edit on 21/9/2012 by nerbot because: (no reason given)

Poor word choice on my part, sorry! I didn't mean to exclude our mainstays, I just didn't want this thread to get the remarks about "already posted"

My avatar is my dog, the late, great Moses Schuyler. I miss him.

I do pay attention to others' avatars, mostly as a quick recognition issue. If I've had good interactions with another member and recognize the avatar, I probably pay a little more attention than someone I don't know.

I don't care for creepy avatars and I think it reflects on the person behind it. They are trying to tell me something. I don't know if it's how "cool" they are or how mean they think they are, but to me it reflects on their character. That doesn't mean I will dismiss it entirely, but it probably means my first impression is not very good.

I suppose you could do a study to see if the "mean" avatars belong to people who are more aggressive in their postings. That might be interesting. I don't intend to do it myself.

reply to post by smyleegrl


No worries.

In your avatar, is the girl folding her skin "back"....or "on"?

My avatar is a photo of the twin towers after opening to the public in 1973. I display it so that people will never forget the two buildings that should still be standing today, and never forget 9/11. They were a landmark of New York City's skyline.

Of course I always look at the avatar in threads. You immediately know who's posts to pay attention to and who's to just skim or pass by.

For instance....

Phage!

For the love of aliens, please bring back your old avatar!!!

1. Mine represents my love of books. Anyone else read Terry Pratchet?

2. I'd like to say that the avatars don't influence the responses I post, but I know for a fact that some do.

reply to post by nerbot


I think she's folding it back.....

....it gives the avatar a whole new meaning if she's putting it on! I never even thought of that...

I love avatars ! Yes, I think they do influence me in some sort of way. I find that they often represent the poster but I've been wrong.. Some male avatars are gals, some female avatars are guys and some of them are so way out there that it's nearly impossible to fathom who (or what sometimes) is behind them !

Mine? A female. I'm a guy. it was made by King Lizard (as my signature says) and I just fell in love with it. I used to change avatars weekly, daily sometimes but will stick to this one for a while.

Some avatars that remain the same are easy to recognize. Some of those will make me smile and warrant a reply, some of them will make me run out of a thread without looking back..

Yeah..they influence me.

Originally posted by smyleegrl
reply to post by nerbot

 

I think she's folding it back.....

....it gives the avatar a whole new meaning if she's putting it on! I never even thought of that...

I always took it to be revealing the inner strength and resolve of women, an iron will and all that, to go along with the whole Rosie the riveter its based on.

1. I ended up making mine... I kinda wanted something funny, sometimes ATS can be a bit humourless. Oh and I love films and Aliens, so it seemed like the perfect mix. Also, I'm not a very serious person, I like to joke about a lot, so having a funny(ish) avatar is a good way of saying, "don't take me too serious"

2. I do enjoy a good avatar, especially a well made one. But it probably doesn't influence my response. But it does make you remember users easier, and you get to know people via their avatars.

I did notice a difference when I changed avatars over the years.
A lot of people really do respond differently depending on your avatar.
My most current, and now permanent avatar I made myself many years ago with a fractal generator.
I was fascinated with the strange images I was finding in fractals and this one came out and became an instant favorite picture of mine. Geocities died, and so did my artwork with it because I didn't back up things, and well, one day I was searching the web and found an archive of my old dead website and this picture of mine, and I knew right away it was meant to be used as my avatar and more.
Sounds strange, and maybe it is, but in my life, I expect it.



As far as other peoples avatars, I admire the awesome artwork and creative pictures people find for themselves or make themselves. I do pay attention to the avatars, but only really like I would an art gallery. The content of a post to me is different than the avatar. I get the best of two world, I get to enjoy art, and then enjoy (or not) a post. The avatars do help to identify people who's posts I enjoy, and who's posts I don't, but I have also always been in the habit of reading a persons name and location along with the avatar, so I catch when they change pictures and know it is still someone I am familiar with, if that makes sense.

reply to post by _BoneZ_


I'm curious of Phages avatar, I'd like to know the reasoning behind it.. Just a hobby?

I've observed him quite a bit, and exchanged him a handfull of times.
I notice he doesn't post exceptionally often, but when he does, he's persistant.

He's the top man for "debunking", however lacks the inability to allow others to draw their own conclusion.
I encounted this once, I finally got to his answer, but I insisted I do it alone. Can't just take some ones word for it aye? Where'd we be?

I don't know whether this is a correct presumption or not, but also also feel he is a UFO skeptic.
Having saw my own bonafide daylight saucer, I presented him with one of my own encounters (of 3 solid ones), which included a photo of a silver orb, which I also explained I've seen previously, I asked him to draw conclusions..

He conluded the photo had captured a round, silver, reflective BIRD.
I'm all for plausibity, but isn't that clutching at straws?
I don't hold it against him, I would have said the same 3 years ago.

Skeptics aye

reply to post by benrl


Your avatars another great one.

Between your posts and pik, I feel your a real honest patriot and your calm, collected and reasonable

Its also a warm colour that reminds me of Autumn, my favorite season.