Avatar interpretations? (yes this is another out of the blue thread by Meg)

[Meg]

*has random thought*

I wonder if a person's avatar effects how people see and interact with them? Take my pretty av for example. :wub:

First thing you notice is that it is in fact of Lightning. Would how people feel about Lightning as well as Final Fantasy in general effect their willingness to talk to me? Not only that, but the expression in the av is very serious. Can that in turn strengthen my words when I am being serious and discredit me or confuse others when I am being a goof ball? Since non verbals are such an important part in communication, but there are none on the internet, so is it possible that people connect the words to the avatar on some level, even subconsciously and can that in turn effect how the person interprets the words? After all, why else do people use smilies?

Sorry, I'm minoring in Communications and have a general interest in Sociology. XD

 

[Nicodemus Zamoran]

Honestly, the avatar doesn't really affect how I interact with a person. I'm not big on judging by visuals. But that's just me.

 

[Vergil'sBitch]

I think my name puts ppl off talking to me.
I suppose it comes across as a bit 'violent' or nasty...

 

[Dante's Stalker]

^ That's one of the reasons I kinda strayed away from chatting to you when I first joined. I was very intimidated by your username. And by Trish67.

But the avatar USUALLY doesn't affect how I interact with others. It's how I might associate a persona/link with them, eg. when I think of Angelo Credo I think of the colour green, but when I get to know the person other factors link their personas in my memory like when I think of Zany I think of a cat, or when I think of Meg I think student, or when I think of DT I think Lizard-fanatic, or when I think of VB I think of finally finding someone who shares a similar obsession as mine (ahem, Dante).
Beyond the avatar there are some really nice people if you put the effort into getting to know them.


-Oh EDIT gosh darn it-
I didn't mean Zany is a cat. His best friend is a cat called Truff, which is why I make the connection. Ha ha ha if you really thought he was a cat though.
But I have to say, I believe a lot of new members who might be Vergil fans will want my beef. See my username and avatar about why. XDDDDD

 

[Meg]

Well shoot. My effort to get a discussion going in a subject I'm really interested in has failed. I should stick to Lightning BS. *leaves thread with head down*

Where's Moses when you need him? :lol:

 

[DreadnoughtDT]

I take people's avatars as a reflection of who they are inside.

Probably confuses the crap outta people when I'm joking, yet my completely serious looking avatar says otherwise.

 

[Elton John]

I wonder if a person's avatar effects how people see and interact with them? Take my pretty av for example. :wub:

Of course Meg. I fell in love with you the moment I saw your avatar! :wub:

So I guess it does give a first impression until you get to know the other person.

 

[Meg]

I take people's avatars as a reflection of who they are inside.

Probably confuses the crap outta people when I'm joking, yet my completely serious looking avatar says otherwise.

Who the hell am I on the inside then? :lol:

 

[Darth Angelo]

I think it's a bit of a mixed bag, having never played FF or even heard of lightning until now I don't really associate much with the picture of Lightning in your avatar Meg (please don't throw anything at me).
Hard to tell whats going on subconsciously but I mainly feel that I use avatars to just identify who is posting what more easily as everyones avatar is unique and stands out more but if I do that without realising it I must latch it onto who people are on some level but how much influence it has I have no idea.
I think it does definitely play a part but a very small part and it may be different with each person and what the avatar is.

 

[LordOfDarkness]

If you mean to interpret a person (Gain an understanding of them) through viewing their avatar, I would say it depends on what you personally know about the person beforehand. An avatar may have a hidden meaning. An image used for a specific means that nobody else would personally understand. You only gain an understanding of the person through the person, and by no means as to what the person does.

In our case, your avatar and my avatar show people certain aspects of us. They are both things we are attached to. And they are both things we won't give up. Also, they show us as who we are also. Your alter ego is Lightning, and my 'somewhat' alter ego is Neo. Whereas your avatar is self explanatory to other users, other people's avatars may not be.

My avatar represents me as a person in such ways. We're going with mysterious and intriguingly different in a sense. The characters are wearing glasses, covering up their eyes (Could mean they don't always want to be noticed. They remain in the background, watching, but don't want to be seen) It also shows that not everything is what it seems. It's somewhat dark and somewhat serious, but nothing too evil. And that in a way represents me as a person. I am many of those things. I like being noticed when I want to be. I like hiding myself from things and not getting too involved. That's just me though.

So I wouldn't say it's about understanding people through their avatars. But understanding the person themselves, as to know why they would have a certain avatar. Everything is linked to everything else, but someone may not have an avatar that personally represents anything about themselves. So it's about personal representation also.

 

[V]

If I don't know the person, until (or if) they post a picture of themselves then their avatars and sigs are kind of what I use to identify them on a page and I'll semiconsciously associate them with it. Which is why it's slightly disorienting to me when they change them randomly.

 

[Meg]

@LoD- 'Alter ego?' *angry eye twitch*

That's actually not what I meant, though you bring up good points. I meant more so how the avatar and words can relate to one another to different people.

 

[LordOfDarkness]

@LoD- 'Alter ego?' *angry eye twitch*

That's actually not what I meant, though you bring up good points. I meant more so how the avatar and words can relate to one another to different people.

I don't follow what you're asking then.

Maybe I'm too stupid to understand the question.

 

[Meg]

I don't follow what you're asking then.

Maybe I'm too stupid to understand the question.

Actually, I didn't get much sleep last night, so I'll admit I'm dirt tired and not making sense. Ok, let me see if I can explain this better.

In communication, non verbals help show what a person really means. On the internet there aren't any. I've know many people will associate the avatar with the person, like what Lexy was talking about, so is it possible that the person's avatar (and the sig to I guess) act as non verbals on some level (even subconsciously) and can in turn effect how other people interpret the words. Especially since the avatar is always right next to the person's words. You can't not see it. So what I'm asking is it possible for the person's avatar to effect how the person views the post?

Here's a pretty basic example. If someone was presenting an argument and their avatar was of a king would people perhaps view the person as being self centered and take their post the wrong way then say if someone posted the exact same thing but their avatar was of Mickey Mouse? (Assuming said post wasn't rude or condescending in any way, although you can also wonder if the level of rudeness would increase depending on the avatar)

I hope some of that made sense. I'll admit I tend to fumble over my words sometimes. I can give more explanation if need be.

 

[Ebony]

If I don't know the person, until (or if) they post a picture of themselves then their avatars and sigs are kind of what I use to identify them on a page and I'll semiconsciously associate them with it. Which is why it's slightly disorienting to me when they change them randomly.

^ This is exactly how I think.I couldn't have said it better so instead of blabbing on I'll just quote Lexy. ^_^

 

[Specter]

^ That's one of the reasons I kinda strayed away from chatting to you when I first joined. I was very intimidated by your username. And by Trish67.

But the avatar USUALLY doesn't affect how I interact with others. It's how I might associate a persona/link with them, eg. when I think of Angelo Credo I think of the colour green, but when I get to know the person other factors link their personas in my memory like when I think of Zany I think of a cat, or when I think of Meg I think student, or when I think of DT I think Lizard-fanatic, or when I think of VB I think of finally finding someone who shares a similar obsession as mine (ahem, Dante).
Beyond the avatar there are some really nice people if you put the effort into getting to know them.


-Oh EDIT gosh darn it-
I didn't mean Zany is a cat. His best friend is a cat called Truff, which is why I make the connection. Ha ha ha if you really thought he was a cat though.
But I have to say, I believe a lot of new members who might be Vergil fans will want my beef. See my username and avatar about why. XDDDDD

I agree with this, we make our general assumption based on things we see clearly. Looking at the colorful avatars here I seem to have gained a sort of connection to humans (that genuinely up close I try to avoid) due to there avatars and occasionally their usernames.

 

[Dante's Stalker]

Actually, I didn't get much sleep last night, so I'll admit I'm dirt tired and not making sense. Ok, let me see if I can explain this better.

In communication, non verbals help show what a person really means. On the internet there aren't any. I've know many people will associate the avatar with the person, like what Lexy was talking about, so is it possible that the person's avatar (and the sig to I guess) act as non verbals on some level (even subconsciously) and can in turn effect how other people interpret the words. Especially since the avatar is always right next to the person's words. You can't not see it. So what I'm asking is it possible for the person's avatar to effect how the person views the post?

Here's a pretty basic example. If someone was presenting an argument and their avatar was of a king would people perhaps view the person as being self centered and take their post the wrong way then say if someone posted the exact same thing but their avatar was of Mickey Mouse? (Assuming said post wasn't rude or condescending in any way, although you can also wonder if the level of rudeness would increase depending on the avatar)

I hope some of that made sense. I'll admit I tend to fumble over my words sometimes. I can give more explanation if need be.

So, you mean that when people read my posts they'll view it as haughty/obnoxious/cold/rude/condescending, instead of funny and sometimes serious but mostly silly?

Darn. I think I need an ava change.

 

[Meg]

So, you mean that when people read my posts they'll view it as haughty/obnoxious/cold/rude/condescending, instead of funny and sometimes serious but mostly silly?

Darn. I think I need an ava change.

O_O Well when you put it like that it makes it sound so terrible! ;_;

I'm sorry everyone. I didn't mean to offend or upset anyone. I was just presenting a theory I had, but it obviously isn't a very good one. Sorry. Just forget it.

 

[Esura]

What can you interpret from my avatar? Nothing really, other than the fact I like Phoenix Wright.

Most sigs and avatars I use on message boards though are of my favorite female character...and no its not because I have some secret desire on being a cross dresser or some other messed up psychological stuff. I just rather look at a pretty female in my sig and avatar than some dude (unless its a pic of myself or something cool, like Phoenix Wright). The female form is a thing of artistic beauty and is definitely eye candy to me.

EDIT: I need to make a Franziska von Karma (chick in the gif below) set btw...

 

[V]

I guess without us being able to see each other online, we really do have to imagine that people's avs and sigs are their face - it's how we identify people normally, so we just wing it subconsciously if we don't have the face to see. I have been using this sig pic for nearly three years on the places I go, and before that a DMC sig with Vergil in it for 6-7 years and this avatar for a while now and amazingly, I've actually been tracked down on the net by friends and others not by my username (which changes from place to place sometimes) but by this picture of Vergil with its exact dimensions, or with how it was put into a sig. People recognised that and then me from it...

So although you probably can't figure much from what it really means except that I'm probably a Vergil fan, it's my 'face' online. It's one reason why I can't bear to change it anymore, it's too disorienting to myself and my buddies online, lol. 8D