Avatars: Are they who they seem to be?

You know after a while, I start to see what people write in thread and start to filter them, through what their avatar looks like. And I am sure that's a mistake because in many cases, they probably resemble nothing like their avatar.

Or do they?

Here are a few avatars that stand out and how they come across to me. But its not necessarily how they are.

• Black Barney: Richard Simmonsesque. Richard Simmons is almost an adjective in and of itself. A unique blend of hyper and curley hair.


• Ryan B. Overly civilized out of touch English gentlemen; too far above the fray.


• Barnes: Drugged out crazy man;


• Pat II: Almost could hear Paule in everything he wrote.


• Saglarius: Socrates; projects wisdom at every turn.


• Juniper: Cute puppy dog, almost what to say "good boy" after every post.


• Billy Z: Has that guy in a biker bar vibe that says don't mess with me

Do you guys subconsciously find your self making the same mistake of inferring personality based on a person's avatar? And who else's fictional avatar makes you do that?

Ryan B. wrote: Barnes: Drugged out crazy man;

Even though I know that picture is older than the internet, everytime I see it I can't help but imagine that it is a picture of Barnes himself.

Edit - Haha, I never realized that was an unalterned photo of an relatively well-known person.

I was thinking about this the other day, when Barnes mentioned how in his dream Jeb looked a certain way. I found this funny, because to me Jeb has always just been a giant yellow head that looks like it's squawking or something. I then realized that every single avatar on here has basically determined how that person looks.

Barnes looks like Mark E. Smith (even when I saw an actual picture, my brain rejected it as inaccurate)
Scissors looks like Summer Glau
DukeofChutney looks like Kim Il Sung

and so forth.

I can't say that seeing an avatar for the first time gives me a lasting impression on the user. It's usually the other way around. I associate the picture and what it resembles, with what the user wrote and how he behaves. I knew Barnes before Mark E. Smith and I always think of MES now being very much like Barnes. I think I know how the Grateful Dead sound like although I never listened to a single song of theirs. They sound like something Justin would like: a bit old-fashioned, laid-back music but intelligent. Titan seems to me like it's a very sophisticated and thoughtful game, I have never played it. I never knew Richard Simmons, but I have a firm and probably wrong grasp on what his routine is like. This doesn't apply to all avatars of course.

Jared, Butcher of Song

good thread, Ryan.

Yeah, I thought (even though I knew it wasn't true) that Barnes picture is him.

Pat II's avatar really bothered me because I always read over-aggressiveness in his posts (which weren't there). I think I was intimidated by his stupid posts just cuz of the avatar.

For and Richard Simmons, it began as a homophobic joke maybe to use him as an avatar but my online persona is kind of like him in some ways. We both have big intimacy issues and if you met me in real life, you'd see it quick (if I got comfortable with you). Imrahil can attest to this.


Uba's avatar does weird things to me

Ken's avatar always brings a mental image of him playing a demo of Guitar Hero in a Best Buy with a kid looking up at him and Ken is licking his chops and stuff. I can't stop laughing when I picture this

Scissors' avatar always serves to remind me how much I must like this person (this happened the very first time I saw his avatar)

I forget who but someone is running around of a picture of a young dude laughing wearing a powdered wig. I think that's been the avatar that has me most perplexed. I can never figure out how to read into it. WHAT DOES IT MEAN

Jeb on my FAT forums serenades me in ways I didn’t think possible.

It's Tim Hulce as Amadeus, Barney.

Black Barney wrote: I forget who but someone is running around of a picture of a young dude laughing wearing a powdered wig. I think that's been the avatar that has me most perplexed. I can never figure out how to read into it. WHAT DOES IT MEAN

It's Mozart, from the movie Amadeus. I always associate that poster with how Mozart acts in that movie. What a weird phenomenon.

Michael Barnes wrote: It's Tim Hulce as Amadeus, Barney.

It can't be. Disgustingplatter said it was a relatively well-known person.

Fallen's avatar is cool cuz I think he is proud he has a good-looking wife.....or sister.

Avatars can be fun to manipulate perception. Like if Uba drove a Volvo and her avatar was a picture of a volvo, I would immediately think she was a good parent. I have no other information to base that on.


EDIT: I thought Barnes was saying who his avatar was, not the powdered wig guy. My bad

I find this is well - you can't help but associate the person with the avatar. sometime's I wish loter would take that godamn wrench (freudian object) out of his mouth already

As for me, i've tried to dump summer glau's image but somehow can't find anything 'better'. I didn't even chose it for any reason orginally other than the attitude... not a fan even, not much anyway. but can't find anything else I'm happy with. Was thinking about the fatty cream puff eating general from Junta: viva el presidente... but for one I cant find the image online and for two... it's too much of a departure!

Michael Barnes wrote: It's Tim Hulce as Amadeus, Barney.

That would be JoelCF2, right? Is that his handle?

It makes me imagine that grating laugh in a game session. Gives me chills.

scissors, that Junta hilarious image would be the ONLY thing I would tolerate you dumping Summer Glau for


defanso, you have the most phoned-in selection of avatar image ever

"I wish I had three heads!"

man, I'm so disappointed Joel's avatar is from Amadeus. In my mind, I had this awesome gamer situation imagined:

Joel is playing Brittania with his friends and they have this stupid house rule that whoever is Bretwhalda(sp?) has to wear the powdered wig (this is an actual house rule my friends and I play with. The brewhalda also has to hold a sceptre (read: pen)). So Joel has to put on the ridiculous powdered wig and starts laughing and someone captures it on the iPhone and VOILA, most awesome avatar image ever.

but now it's just boring.

THANKS FOR TELLING ME ABOUT SANTA, BARNES. what a dick