# How much do avatars affect your perception?



## Polednice

This is an interesting question - at least to me; you may all find it boring.

I was prompted to think about it because, as some of you saw in another thread, I only realised today that our dear member _Sid James_ is the one and same _Andre_! However, under different names, his avatar has been (previously) a cute little cat in a hoodie, and (currently) the late, great Sid James. 

Having thought up until now that these have been two separate entities, my perception has been seriously skewed my the mere presence of different avatars. If you won't mind me being shallow and critical of your posts, 'Sid James' (after all, this is more of an insight into my own warped psyche ), I found Andre's posts more gripping and interesting, always thinking: "cat in that 'hat' - this'll be worth a read". Yet, with Sid James, I've always seen his posts as really quite rambly, so I've avoided most of them (sorry!!!).

Now that I know these are the same person, I'm surprised, amused, and confused! I've started paying more attention to 'Sid's posts, even imagining that the cat avatar is there because that's what I'm used to, and it lends the posts an entirely different voice.

So, obviously given that we're on an internet forum, most of us not using our real names or pictures of ourselves, and many of us unaware of others' ages, how much would you say that a person's avatar influences your inner realisation of the member?


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## samurai

Good topic, Polednice. I want to give it a little more thought before posting an anwer.


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## Klavierspieler

You're absolutely right. Take you, for instance: whenever I see one of your posts, I think 'this has gotta' be good, it's by a bloody pig (with fangs)'.


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## graaf

I also realized that Sid James used to be "cat in the hood" few days ago, by checking his profile, after I noticed many of his good posts. Well, at least I liked both Andre and Sid James, but without profile picture I would never guess that it is the same guy.



Polednice said:


> how much would you say that a person's avatar influences your inner realization of the member?


Avatars definitely influence the way I perceive posts, but unfortunately I can't say precisely in which way. I can only say that the influence is quite significant, no matter how irrational that is...


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## samurai

Even though there is the old adage of "don't judge a book by its cover", I think we as humans have a very strong tendency to do precisely that. After all, isn't it highly counter-intuitive not to?


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## mmsbls

This forum is the first and only place I utilize that has avatars. In general I don't look much at avatars. Since many people here use pictures of classical music composers or performers as avatars, I used to assume that pictures of people that I did not recognize must be a picture of the member. In a couple of cases I thought of members as female when I later realized they were male. There may also have been a case where the opposite was true.

I think the personality of the posts have a much, much stronger effect on my view of the member than the avatar. I think I knew almost immediately when Sid changed his avatar because I saw a post that I knew used to be Andre but was now Sid. Nevertheless, I think I would have known his posts since they are so distinctive. 

Appearances are not high on my list of important things. My wife is amazed if I notice a new picture or a change in some aesthetic of a room. So I'm not surprised that avatars have little influence on me.


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## regressivetransphobe

The left side of my screen is broken, so none.​


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## Kopachris

I do use avatars to identify posters quite often, though I try to read every new post in threads that I'm interested in. I suppose who's posting does affect how much attention I pay.

On other places on the Internet, avatars can even affect the voice I give to the poster in my head.


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## Manxfeeder

The biggest thing I seem to notice is, if the avatar is female, I assume it's female, and vice versa. But I suppose I'm more comfortable speaking with someone who represents theirself as a furry feline than someone depicted as a fiery hellbeast; as to the latter, there's probably an underlying reason for the choice which I don't want to discover unintentionally.


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## Polednice

mmsbls said:


> This forum is the first and only place I utilize that has avatars. In general I don't look much at avatars. Since many people here use pictures of classical music composers or performers as avatars, I used to assume that pictures of people that I did not recognize must be a picture of the member. In a couple of cases I thought of members as female when I later realized they were male. There may also have been a case where the opposite was true.
> 
> I think the personality of the posts have a much, much stronger effect on my view of the member than the avatar. I think I knew almost immediately when Sid changed his avatar because I saw a post that I knew used to be Andre but was now Sid. Nevertheless, I think I would have known his posts since they are so distinctive.
> 
> Appearances are not high on my list of important things. My wife is amazed if I notice a new picture or a change in some aesthetic of a room. So I'm not surprised that avatars have little influence on me.


I suppose that, over time, the content of someone's posts, which I naturally come to associate with the avatar, shape my opinion more than the actual picture. Though I must admit that I'm guilty - at least where long posts are concerned - of glancing at the picture (and thus bringing to mind its associations of style and voice) before deciding whether or not to bother! 

Perhaps my perception of Sid James/Andre is an anomaly and that, usually, I would recognise a member by writing style rather than just avatar? I don't know, it hasn't happened more than once!


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## Polednice

Manxfeeder said:


> But I suppose I'm more comfortable speaking with someone who represents theirself as a furry feline than someone depicted as a fiery hellbeast; as to the latter, there's probably an underlying reason for the choice which I don't want to discover unintentionally.


Are you talking about my adorable piggy?!

Well let all be revealed: it is my favourite character (he is well-spoken and non-violent!) from my favourite TV programme as a child, _Huxley Pig_. See, I'm a big, nostalgic cuddle-monster really!


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## Weston

I think Polednice is absolutely spot on about the avatars and our perceptions. I had a slightly opposite reaction. I find cats to be aloof, and so I found Andre a bit aloof, but interesting and even a bit daunting. Sid James however seems a lot chattier, unpretentious (not that Andre was pretentious) and amiable.

I still think of Polednice as the elder Brahms statesman and Tapkaara as some kind of Tiki petroglyph and still react to them as such since the names have not changed. Aramis I reacted to as a font of creative lunacy regardless of the avatar. 

For those who just have keyboards and key signatures for avatars, which includes me, I think we all blur together into a nondescript mass. Maybe it's time I changed too, but I would be torn as to what or who I would be. I shall have to think on this.


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## Polednice

Weston said:


> For those who just have keyboards and key signatures for avatars, which includes me, I think we all blur together into a nondescript mass. Maybe it's time I changed too, but I would be torn as to what or who I would be. I shall have to think on this.


I find all the keyboards quite distinctive, but I have often got confused over people who use sheet music in their avatars. I.e.:

*Looks at avatar, registers the writer to be X*
*Reads contentious post...*
"What the..?! X wrote this?! But I normally agree with everything they say!"
*Double-takes the name*
"OH! It was actually Y. Well, this drivel is understandable then!"


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## Manxfeeder

Polednice said:


> Are you talking about my adorable piggy?!
> 
> Well let all be revealed: it is my favourite character (he is well-spoken and non-violent!) from my favourite TV programme as a child, _Huxley Pig_. See, I'm a big, nostalgic cuddle-monster really!


Oh, shucks, I never associated a tuxedo-clad pig with a fiery hellbeast. But I never knew about Huxley Pig. The things you learn about around here!


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## Polednice

Manxfeeder said:


> Oh, shucks, I never associated a tuxedo-clad pig with a fiery hellbeast.


Whoops! All my secrets have been unnecessarily ruined now! Is there a fiery hellbeast round here that I'm being dumb in not remembering, or was that a hypothetical?


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## kv466

Is this what you're talking about???

Seriously, though...I know most of you here by your avatars and, well, I don't even wanna tell what I think of when I see...'the pig'....haah...but my fav has to be Sid James' and Samurai's...hard to choose...I like so many of them.


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## Sid James

Well, that's three people I know here so far who got confused about my simultaneous change of avatar & name - your good self, Polednice, also stlukes & graaf. I probably shouldn't have changed both at once. But no use crying over spilt milk, as they say. & I'll just leave them as they are now.

I think if people put composers as an avatar, if I know the composer, I have a tendency to think that that composer is virtually all they listen to or like. Which is obviously not always true, as our members here with certain composers as avatars listen to much more than from that composer. One thing I've been surprised a bit by is that member Jeff N here, he has the great Brahms as his avatar, but he often clicks "like" on my "current listening" posts, & I listen to a variety of things, Brahms included, but not always him. So that perception equating a member's taste as restricted to the composer on his/her avatar is obviously not right.

& I'm the same with avatars & gender - I tend to think that if they have a male, they must be male (or vice-versa). I thought member Meaghan was male since she had a composer (I think it was Mahler?) as her avatar, but I learnt later that she was a lassie, not a laddie! So there you go. But wierder than that, I had a friend on facebook who'd have the most confusing avatars in regards to that, eg. one was an African-American male actor, but this friend is not black & she's a woman!


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## StlukesguildOhio

Well... we are all visual people to a greater or lesser extent. As a visual artist, I can't help being especially aware of this. Of course we all know the adage "You can't judge a book by its cover"... but then there are also truisms about only having one chance to make a first impression. 

On the literature site I frequent I long used the portrait of Susanna Fourment (the artist's lovely sister-in-law) by Peter Paul Rubens as my avatar. One member finally discovered my real name, used by another long-term member in passing, and stated that his illusions had been dashed. He had long imagined me as a book obsessed buxom blond and admitted to having certain fantasies about me.:lol: 

In the same vein, the user names can be equally misleading. My own name derives from the old painter's guilds (The Guilds of St. Luke) that were akin to the painter's unions in medieval and Renaissance Europe. A member on the same literature site was equally dismayed after I had posted a slightly risque comment shocked that a "saint" would act in such a way.:lol:


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## mmsbls

Polednice said:


> Are you talking about my adorable piggy?!
> 
> Well let all be revealed: it is my favourite character (he is well-spoken and non-violent!) from my favourite TV programme as a child, _Huxley Pig_. See, I'm a big, nostalgic cuddle-monster really!


That's from a children's show? I guess I had no idea where it came from, but I would never have guessed children's show. Looks a tad bit menacing, but again within the context of the show maybe he was a sweet, kind, loving little thing.


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## Almaviva

Other than the male-female thing (which does naturally influence the perception) and the distinctive/too-similar thing (a green monster vs. keyboards, sheet music), avatars do not_ further_ influence my mental image of a poster.

Maybe because of moderation (I *do* need to have an understanding of a poster's style and personality) I pay a lot of attention to who is who, and the idea that we don't know people's ages and circumstances is not true for me, regarding those who have disclosed these pieces of information. I tend to retain this information (by memory, I don't keep tabs on you all), and I know at least the basics about most posters who made their circumstances public (such as - "young single male American music college student who plays the viola" - "middle-aged audiophile male business owner who lives in Ohio" - "British middle-aged widowed female opera lover who works in ... (field of work - I won't say because I'm not sure if this part is public domain)" - "American married adult male scientist in his 30's-40's, liberal, ex-Christian, expat who lives in South Korea" etc, etc (some of you will recognize themselves). To this, I'd easily add favorite hobbies, family circumstances, sexual orientation, political persuasion, religion or lack thereof, in certain cases socioeconomic class, musical preferences, etc., etc. - as long as the person has revealed these things, including looks for those who have posted pictures of themselves, and real name for those who shared it with us or with me by PM - and definitely, posting style and approximate personality (which can be misleading given that this is an anonymous forum, but can be inferred in some cases).

OK, OK, now you're all panicking, thinking of Big Brother and looking around for the hidden camera!:lol:

But it's just that in my 6,000 some posts, I've interacted a lot with the bulk of you, at least with those whose haunting grounds are in the areas that are under my watch. And I also spend a lot of time here, so, I pay attention.

Therefore, this detailed set of characteristics influences a lot more my perceptions of you all than your avatars. Their most useful property for me is to help me associate the set of information to the poster, when the avatar is distinctive. But I have detailed perceptions of people who don't even use an avatar, as well - in which case I attach the set of information to the ID - case in point, mmsbls.

Besides, some of you are so unique that regardless of the avatar, the mental image doesn't change (case in point, Aramis who has had several avatars but is our one and only Aramis).


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## Ukko

Not counting your avatar, which identifies you as a wine snob but not much else, you are a competent moderator and something of a wuss as a Big Brother (my decided preference for Big Brothers)

[Well, now I need yet another emoticon]


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## Almaviva

Hilltroll72 said:


> Not counting your avatar, *which identifies you as a wine snob but not much else*, you are a competent moderator and something of a wuss as a Big Brother (my decided preference for Big Brothers)
> 
> [Well, now I need yet another emoticon]


 Hey, you forgot that Almaviva is also the name of a womanizing opera character.


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## Ukko

Almaviva said:


> Hey, you forgot that Almaviva is also the name of a womanizing opera character.


Didn't forget it, didn't know it. BTW, is that wine any good?


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## kv466

Almaviva said:


> Hey, you forgot that Almaviva is also the name of a womanizing opera character.


Also, señor,...that it literally means "a soul that is very much alive" in Spanish...but you knew that~


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## Ravellian

I'm always half-staring at the avatars when I read posts.. so whenever I read a post by, for example, HC, I'll imagine that a funny-looking man with a wig is spouting out the words on the screen.


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## Weston

There also used to be several people with pictures of buildings. One was ChiTownPhilly (I don't remember how to spell it), a moderator. Another was Elgarian? There may have been a few more. I always had trouble telling them apart.


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## Sid James

As for landmarks, I thought of having an Aussie one as my avatar, eg. Ayers Rock (Uluru) or the Sydney Opera House, but I thought it's kind of too chliched. In terms of personalities, our own Dame Edna (Barry Humphries) would be a funny one, but that character is a bit dated now...


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## kv466

To answer the question correctly, though...No. It doesn't affect my perception of anything...it is the words that ya'll put down that defines who you are and how you are...sure, once you've read enough about someone whose posts you find less than nice, you'll associate their avatar with their nastiness...I can even be accused of this at times although I try, I really do (I swear, Alma!)...so, yeah...avs are avs but what is written next to them is far more important...

...case and point: our good buddy Mr. James...do we really like this whacky picture? Or do we associate it with his intelligent and insightful words?...I feel it is the latter...


Oh, and since I was asked once before...mine is simply me looking at myself using an iMac mirror feature.


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## Weston

I talked myself into it. The keyboard is gone. I am now using my Second Life avatar. Somehow liberating.


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## clavichorder

It really does affect the perception you have of people's posts. Aramis's eccentric intellectual personality was even more convincing with his current avatar. I think its Berlioz? Or is it Chopin?

If I may draw some attention to myself, what is your honest opinion? Do you like my avatar? What kind of a vibe does it give? My bony fingers look like talons on that clavichord to me sometimes. Should I change it? Could always use a facelift I suppose.


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## Manxfeeder

Polednice said:


> Whoops! All my secrets have been unnecessarily ruined now! Is there a fiery hellbeast round here that I'm being dumb in not remembering, or was that a hypothetical?


Totally hypothetical.


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## Meaghan

Haha, multiple people have said that they either pictured me as looking like Mahler or at least thought I was male when I had him as my avatar! Perhaps I shouldn't have changed it and should have continued being distinctive and misleading. 

Avatars do not generally affect my reaction to posts, or if they do, I am not conscious of it. But I do picture some people as resembling their composer/musician avatars.


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## Polednice

clavichorder said:


> If I may draw some attention to myself, what is your honest opinion? Do you like my avatar? What kind of a vibe does it give? My bony fingers look like talons on that clavichord to me sometimes. Should I change it? Could always use a facelift I suppose.


It always reminds me of the wonderful Medtner you introduced me to, and that I know I can trust your taste in piano music!


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## HarpsichordConcerto

Ravellian said:


> I'm always half-staring at the avatars when I read posts.. so whenever I read a post by, for example, HC, I'll imagine that a funny-looking man with a wig is spouting out the words on the screen.


_Toupée_ is the correct technical term these days. But the oxygen tank is more important now.

I guess we can be naturally curious in an internet discussion forum about fellow posters, offering anonymnity and all that, especially about members who we might get on particularly well with or particularly not well with as the case might be. But I find it much, much more telling from their posts, in writing in particular, about "what they might be like" in real life. And having known a lot of people and continue to share correspondence with them, this way of observing and part guess work is surprisingly accurate.


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## Couchie

I have to admit quite a bit, and on a very superficial level at that. Polednice's avatar makes him out to be a kind of fun, sometimes silly character while Almaviva's wine bottle makes him out to be more mature and restrained but possibly drunk; Maegan's sheet music gives her an academic vibe, etc... I think I read their posts with a sort of infusion considering that. This of course may not represent at all their actual personalities, for example there's nothing stopping someone from picking a disarming, dumb-looking green monster to downplay their enormous, intimidating intellect... 

...No? It was worth a try...


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## clavichorder

Couchie said:


> I have to admit quite a bit, and on a very superficial level at that. Polednice's avatar makes him out to be a kind of fun, sometimes silly character while Almaviva's wine bottle makes him out to be more mature and restrained but possibly drunk; Maegan's sheet music gives her an academic vibe, etc... I think I read their posts with a sort of infusion considering that. This of course may not represent at all their actual personalities, for example there's nothing stopping someone from picking a disarming, dumb-looking green monster to downplay their enormous, intimidating intellect...
> 
> ...No? It was worth a try...


From Couchie I get the impression of someone who is hilariously snarky, it seems to convey a sort of wit to me.


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## Kopachris

Hmm... Actually, Couchie, your avatar looks to me like some sort of hyper-intelligent alien with four legs who likes the company of Paula Deen. Of course, as you said, there's no reason to assume that it represents your actual personality⸮ 

How about users' names? For example, I sometimes get clavichorder and Klavierspieler slightly mixed up in my head because both of their names refer to playing a keyboard instrument, and whenever someone refers to Almaviva as simply "Alma," I immediately complete that as "Alma Mahler." HarpsichordConcerto sounds like a refined, but sometimes over-enthusiastic old gent, and Meaghan sounds like a cool, calm, scholarly young woman. And of course, Polednice was (to me) a very childish and Internet-y name until I learned how it's pronounced; now I can't get the association with Nietzsche out of my mind.


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## Meaghan

Manxfeeder said:


> Totally hypothetical.


Not a bad idea, though. Now I'm considering changing my avatar to this:









(It's what came up when I did a google image search for "fiery hellbeast")


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## clavichorder

Meaghan said:


> Not a bad idea, though. Now I'm considering changing my avatar to this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (It's what came up when I did a google image search for "fiery hellbeast")


We should have an intimidating avatar week.


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## Kopachris

clavichorder said:


> We should have an intimidating avatar week.


Isn't my avatar intimidating enough already? 

No? Maybe you should look closer... the penguin is definitely plotting something.


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## samurai

@ KC, Just as I'd always suspected!


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## Almaviva

Hilltroll72 said:


> Didn't forget it, didn't know it. BTW, is that wine any good?


 Oh yes. Very. It's kind of expensive, though. It sells for about $100 a bottle. It's a joint venture between a Chilean winemaker (who loves opera) and the Phillipe de Rothschild family from France.


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## Almaviva

kv466 said:


> Also, señor,...that it literally means "a soul that is very much alive" in Spanish...but you knew that~


 Yep, in Italian too.


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## Sid James

Meaghan said:


> Not a bad idea, though. Now I'm considering changing my avatar to this:


That's exactly what a person I know comes across as when they get out of bed in the morning (the wrong side of the bed, probably!). Only a coffee and a cigarette make this person change from a "fiery hell beast" to a "normal" person ready to start the day. Say a word to this person who is in this state, a good or bad word, and you'll be lashed with their sword of fire. So if you change your avatar to that, Meaghan, you'll remind me immediately of that person!...


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## science

Sid James said:


> That's exactly what a person I know comes across as when they get out of bed in the morning (the wrong side of the bed, probably!). Only a coffee and a cigarette make this person change from a "fiery hell beast" to a "normal" person ready to start the day. Say a word to this person who is in this state, a good or bad word, and you'll be lashed with their sword of fire. So if you change your avatar to that, Meaghan, you'll remind me immediately of that person!...


Now _my_ person wakes up in a lovely mood, but by the end of the day, if she has to stay up much later than 11 PM, she slowly turns into the fiery hell beast.


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## science

On the original topic, here I've just been playful with my avatars, but on another site I've intentionally chosen old, ugly, bookish guys (Harold Bloom for instance) as my avatars so that people will judge my posts in that light. I enjoy the anti-authoritarian resentment the image seems to inspire in some of my e-correpsondents. 

I would do it here, but I don't think it would be as effective. I haven't really figured out what I want to do with my avatar here yet.


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## Kopachris

science said:


> On the original topic, here I've just been playful with my avatars, but on another site I've intentionally chosen old, ugly, bookish guys (Harold Bloom for instance) as my avatars so that people will judge my posts in that light. I enjoy the anti-authoritarian resentment the image seems to inspire in some of my e-correpsondents.
> 
> I would do it here, but I don't think it would be as effective. I haven't really figured out what I want to do with my avatar here yet.


So, does it work well on other sites, then? If so, I'll have to remember it. I suppose it's sort of like a logo that the person gets to be known by. If you have a silly logo, your company (or in this case, posts) will be interpreted as being silly. if your logo is clean, professional, and elegant, your company (or posts) will be taken much more seriously.


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## science

Kopachris said:


> So, does it work well on other sites, then? If so, I'll have to remember it. I suppose it's sort of like a logo that the person gets to be known by. If you have a silly logo, your company (or in this case, posts) will be interpreted as being silly. if your logo is clean, professional, and elegant, your company (or posts) will be taken much more seriously.


I think it does. It doesn't get me respect, rather a "who does this old guy think he is" kind of thing.


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## schigolch

I've disabled the "Show Avatars" option, so no idea what's the avatar of most members. It makes for quicker navigation, in my experience.


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## graaf

I am actually right now browsing the forums without avatas, and while I was changing that in my forum settings, I also increased number of posts to be displayed on each page (up to 40, from 15 or something like that). First thing I noticed is how I have to check who the poster is, because I used to see the avatar with a corner of my eye. So I'm not sure that I am going to keep this. But removing signatures was a good idea. 50 chars allows nothing good anyway, and they just distract me.


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## Yoshi

Maybe I'm the only one, but they don't affect my perception at all...


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## Klavierspieler

You know, I never looked closely at Almaviva's avatar until recently; I always though it was a page of open sheet music.


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## violadude

I used to think Trespicos was a girl because of the girl on the money in his avatar. lol


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## violadude

On a similar note, I have it stuck in my head that member Air looks uncannily similar to Sviatoslav Richter.


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## Almaviva

Klavierspieler said:


> You know, I never looked closely at Almaviva's avatar until recently; I always though it was a page of open sheet music.


 That's what I think too after I drink three bottles of it. Hic!


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## Rasa

Don't get so much influenced by avatars the first time, but if there's a tl-dr post then a quick glance at the avatar helps me skip or read.


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## Huilunsoittaja

If I had a picture of Prokofiev, would all of you here start to think I look like him? I don't at all haha!

From now on, you just know me as an inanimate flute... or is it?


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## violadude

Huilunsoittaja said:


> If I had a picture of Prokofiev, would all of you here start to think I look like him? I don't at all haha!
> 
> From now on, you just know me as an inanimate flute... or is it?


No, you're the Glazunov person...that was my first impression anyway.


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## Almaviva

Huilunsoittaja said:


> If I had a picture of Prokofiev, would all of you here start to think I look like him? I don't at all haha!
> 
> From now on, you just know me as an inanimate flute... or is it?


 No... we know that you're a good-looking young female.


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## Sid James

Huilunsoittaja said:


> If I had a picture of Prokofiev, would all of you here start to think I look like him? I don't at all haha!
> 
> From now on, you just know me as an inanimate flute... or is it?


Well, I think your old avatar was Glazunov, and back then (when you were new to the forum), I did think you were a guy, but then another member addressed you as a girl, so that kind of "righted" my wrong perception!...


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## larifari

I have been thinking of using a family picture as my avatar, signifying my being a loving family member.
Also, a picture of my lemon beagle, indicating that I am an animal lover.
Or a picture of Joseph Green proving that I love Italian opera.

In the end I decided: Let them guess! No avatar.


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## Almaviva

larifari said:


> I have been thinking of using a family picture as my avatar, signifying my being a loving family member.
> Also, a picture of my lemon beagle, indicating that I am an animal lover.
> Or a picture of Joseph Green proving that I love Italian opera.
> 
> In the end I decided: Let them guess! No avatar.


 Well, avatar-less new member, welcome to the forum anyway!


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## TresPicos

violadude said:


> I used to think Trespicos was a girl because of the girl on the money in his avatar. lol


Really? Cool. Well, in a way, I guess I am quite the babe... 

But maybe I should change to something like this instead:










I've never realized that I am actually one of those annoying members who confuse others by using cross-gender avatars.


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## clavichorder

My latest WF Bach avatar has an effect on my talkclassical self esteem. In general, I feel more cheeky and sly and likable, but I'm certainly partly delusional.

So, how does your avatar affect your self perception? That is the next question.


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## beethovenian

clavichorder said:


> My latest WF Bach avatar has an effect on my talkclassical self esteem. In general, I feel more cheeky and sly and likable, but I'm certainly partly delusional.
> 
> So, how does your avatar affect your self perception? That is the next question.


NOOO!! how could you replace *this* with your Cats!!!


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## clavichorder

You noticed! I think I want a better picture though. I like that they were both staring at the mirror, but I want to do as you originally asked and have them curled up together, which is what they do.


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## clavichorder

We're back! If you look closely, you can see the black cat's face(Raven) in the mirror as well, so it proves that he's not the lynx point siamese cats' shadow(Simon).


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## Kopachris

clavichorder said:


> So, how does your avatar affect your self perception? That is the next question.


I feel more artistic since I made my avatar myself and I think it turned out quite well.


----------



## violadude

Kopachris said:


> I feel more artistic since I made my avatar myself and I think it turned out quite well.


....sooooo you're a penguin?


----------



## Kopachris

violadude said:


> ....sooooo you're a penguin?


The point is that I'd never done vector graphics before.


----------



## beethovenian

clavichorder said:


> We're back! If you look closely, you can see the black cat's face(Raven) in the mirror as well, so it proves that he's not the lynx point siamese cats' shadow(Simon).


Yea when i first saw it, i felt sad i couldn't see their faces. Then on a closer look (as i do with all cat pictures....lol), i spotted those demonic evil eyes!:devil:

It's like those, when you see it you **** bricks moment...ooh...those shiny eyes. Catgasm overwhelms me!!


----------



## Polednice

My personality remains the same, but I get sudden urges to dig my teeth deep into some juicy flesh, thick with blood...


----------



## Kopachris

Polednice said:


> My personality remains the same, but I get sudden urges to dig my teeth deep into some juicy flesh, thick with blood...


Maybe you'd like some cupcakes? I made them with some friends.


----------



## clavichorder

Kopachris said:


> Maybe you'd like some cupcakes? I made them with some friends.


Your friends are penguins, correct?


----------



## Kopachris

clavichorder said:


> Your friends are penguins, correct?


Not exactly... my friends aren't much of anything now, but they _are_ delicious. Not all of them had wings, but this one did. :devil:

(Am I going too far?)


----------



## clavichorder

Kopachris said:


> Not exactly... my friends aren't much of anything now, but they _are_ delicious. Not all of them had wings, but this one did. :devil:
> 
> (Am I going too far?)


I learned about you wayward penguins in a documentary by Werner Herzog


----------



## Kopachris

TBH, this actually has nothing to with penguins and everything to do with a small, slightly anthropomorphous, pastel-colored equine, and I refuse to explain it any further.

Now, back to your scheduled programming... (If you want. I mean, I guess you really don't have to if you don't want to, but I'm finished talking about Cupcakes.)


----------



## myaskovsky2002

I can't help it, but when I see an old guy on the avatar, I think they're old! and I'm wrong!

Martin


----------



## clavichorder

My thoughts on this topic have reached a definite conclusion, yes they do! 

When violadude put up his first avatar which is his current, I believe, my perception of his presence on the forum changed dramatically, and his posts had a certain humor and authority to them that they did not quite have previously. And now Huillunsoittaja's new avatar totally colors her posts differently from the innocuous flute that existed before.

And now I'm a rakish looking and stylishly dressed man from the 18th century(named Wilhelm Friedeman Bach). This is probably very misleading when it comes to my actual personality, if the text that I submit here isn't already.


----------



## Dodecaplex

Nice thread. I wish I was around back when it was first posted.
But hey, how's my avatar? Anyone care to share some thoughts?


----------



## violadude

Dodecaplex said:


> Nice thread. I wish I was around back when it was first posted.
> But hey, how's my avatar? Anyone care to share some thoughts?


I get the feeling from your avatar combined with your user name that you're a very complex person.


----------



## Couchie

Dodecaplex said:


> Nice thread. I wish I was around back when it was first posted.
> But hey, how's my avatar? Anyone care to share some thoughts?


I'll be honest: I don't really care for it.


----------



## Ravellian

Dodecaplex said:


> Nice thread. I wish I was around back when it was first posted.
> But hey, how's my avatar? Anyone care to share some thoughts?


I can't really see what it is. I like the pic on your profile page - I think you should use that as your avatar instead.


----------



## Couchie

Ravellian said:


> I can't really see what it is.  I like the pic on your profile page - I think you should use that as your avatar instead.


I believe it is a picture of a Tesla coil.


----------



## Dodecaplex

Couchie said:


> I'll be honest: I don't really care for it.


Are all Wagnerians this rude? . . .


----------



## Couchie

Dodecaplex said:


> Are all Wagnerians this rude? . . .


Sorry, I don't try to be rude, just spicy.


----------



## Kopachris

When Aramis changed his avatar just recently, my impression of him changed from a mad genius to just a madman.


----------



## Dodecaplex

Ravellian said:


> I can't really see what it is. I like the pic on your profile page - I think you should use that as your avatar instead.


I guess a weirdly shaped object looks better than a few hundred kilovolts!


----------



## Almaviva

My avatar and nickname entirely and completely match my personality. They were very carefully picked.


----------



## Philip

clavichorder said:


> I learned about you wayward penguins in a documentary by Werner Herzog


the penguin is my favourite animal


----------



## Kopachris

Philip said:


> the penguin is my favourite animal


And philosoraptors are my favorite raptors!


----------



## Weston

Dodecaplex said:


> Nice thread. I wish I was around back when it was first posted.
> But hey, how's my avatar? Anyone care to share some thoughts?


It's a hyper dodecahedron or something -- a 4 dimensional object like a hypercube only with more facets? Yeah, those are cool.


----------



## clavichorder

Dodecaplex said:


> Nice thread. I wish I was around back when it was first posted.
> But hey, how's my avatar? Anyone care to share some thoughts?


Its makes me think you like geometry and abstraction, makes you seem logical and and openly quirky.


----------



## Ravellian

Weston said:


> It's a hyper dodecahedron or something -- a 4 dimensional object like a hypercube only with more facets? Yeah, those are cool.


See, we all like your avatar better this way. You can thank me now.


----------



## Dodecaplex

Thanks everyone!:tiphat: You're all very kind and helpful. (With the exception of that Wagnerian green larva thing).


----------



## Philip

Dodecaplex said:


> Thanks everyone!:tiphat: You're all very kind and helpful. (With the exception of that Wagnerian green larva thing).


now show us the derivation for the content and area of the 120-cell and its corresponding 3D hyper-surface, respectively.


----------



## CountessAdele

Avatars do cast posts in a certain light for me. I imagine Couchie having that same half smile as he posts. Alma's seems to fit perfectly. I thought Jan was a guy at first glance. etc.

I picked out avatars that have the color purple, and also that somewhat match my name; which I chose from characters in Le Comte Ory and Die Fledermaus (particularly the interpretations of a certain german soprano). A Countess and a maid and rather silly ones at that.


----------



## science

Inspired by this thread, I changed my avatar from the "dance of death" scene at the end of "The Seventh Seal" to a ludicrous pink high heel. I went in search of shallow, materialistic, hedonistic symbols and that was the best I could do. 

Did it change anyone's perception of me, I wonder? Was it too obviously ironic?


----------



## violadude

science said:


> Inspired by this thread, I changed my avatar from the "dance of death" scene at the end of "The Seventh Seal" to a ludicrous pink high heel. I went in search of shallow, materialistic, hedonistic symbols and that was the best I could do.
> 
> Did it change anyone's perception of me, I wonder? Was it too obviously ironic?


It made me second guess your gender. Actually, I'm still not sure, cause I could have sworn you referred to yourself as a male before right?


----------



## regressivetransphobe

science said:


> Inspired by this thread, I changed my avatar from the "dance of death" scene at the end of "The Seventh Seal" to a ludicrous pink high heel. I went in search of shallow, materialistic, hedonistic symbols and that was the best I could do.
> 
> Did it change anyone's perception of me, I wonder? Was it too obviously ironic?


I almost never bother looking at usernames (but unavoidably, I see avatars), so I didn't even know you were that Seventh Seal guy until now.


----------



## Kopachris

science said:


> Inspired by this thread, I changed my avatar from the "dance of death" scene at the end of "The Seventh Seal" to a ludicrous pink high heel. I went in search of shallow, materialistic, hedonistic symbols and that was the best I could do.
> 
> Did it change anyone's perception of me, I wonder? Was it too obviously ironic?


Actually, it did change my perception of your posts somewhat--and in exactly the manner in which you describe.


----------



## Aramis

Kopachris said:


> When Aramis changed his avatar just recently, my impression of him changed from a mad genius to just a madman.


That's because so much genius is expressed in my current avatar that you lost it from your sight.


----------



## kv466

CountessAdele said:


> Avatars do cast posts in a certain light for me. I thought Jan was a guy at first glance.


Funny, when I first saw Jan's avatar I said to myself, "now, this person knows what's up!". I never even think about mine as the main way I use avatars is to recognize someone and know it is them,...but what the actual avatar is doesn't really have an effect on what I think about the person. If anything I'm a little more concerned about my name because Clavichorder recently rapped about me holding this work so dear (which was really funny)...it's true, I do hold it dear but I didn't pick it for this forum or any other.

I've actually used this as a screen name since the earliest days of aol when I first heard the term, "screen name". I was totally vibing on the piece and so, I used it. One of my other names was bwv1056. So we're talking at least fifteen years here.

My avie is simply me looking at myself.


----------



## Aramis

kv466 said:


> My avie is simply me looking at myself.


You may think it's something special to have picture of yourself looking at yourself but let me tell you, I have picture of myself looking at myself while looking at myself looking at myself while looking at myself looking at myself while looking at myself at the moment I'm looking at myself busy with looking at myself.


----------



## Couchie

I like to think my avatar gives an air of sophistication.


----------



## Yoshi

I wonder if I changed my avatar to a female person, people would start thinking that I was a in fact a girl and not a guy.


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

Hmm not sure but could change my dress, maybe a new colour


----------



## Capeditiea

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> Hmm not sure but could change my dress, maybe a new colour


Go with a vibrant pink.


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

Capeditiea said:


> Go with a vibrant pink.


Will give it some well considered thought, vibrant hey.........


----------



## Capeditiea

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> Will give it some well considered thought, vibrant hey.........


Capeditiea liked this Post

(but for some reason the like button isn't working.) *Capeditiea cries from the sudden sadness of not being able to officially like post.


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

Try pressing a couple of times and then wait a bit


----------



## Capeditiea

how long is a bit? :O i shall go out and smoke then return to mention if your strategy worked or not. :3 


it has failed... maybe i need to wait longer or something?


----------



## Klassik

Capeditiea said:


> how long is a bit? :O i shall go out and smoke then return to mention if your strategy worked or not. :3
> 
> it has failed... maybe i need to wait longer or something?


Still no likes for us? Maybe the conspiracy is real!


----------



## Capeditiea

*suspicious eyes, 

but it could also be due to the combination of torrenting, low data, and using this site...


----------



## Klassik

Capeditiea said:


> *suspicious eyes,
> 
> but it could also be due to the combination of torrenting, low data, and using this site...


Probably, but I prefer the conspiracy where I'm some sort of secret TC moderator who baits people into infractions. :lol:


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

Klassik said:


> Probably, but I prefer the conspiracy where I'm some sort of secret TC moderator who baits people into infractions. :lol:


Are you the Double Double Agent?


----------



## Capeditiea

:O we need to get to the bottom of this... my like addiction is going haywire.


----------



## Klassik

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> Are you the Double Double Agent?


Shh! You're going to blow my cover!

Signed,

Double Double Agent David Dennison


----------



## Capeditiea

Klassik said:


> Shh! You're going to blow my cover!
> 
> Signed,
> 
> Double Double Agent David Dennison


i am not so sure if i should trust a doubl double agent...

one question. Do you like popcorn?


----------



## Capeditiea

...on the subject of profile photos... maybe i shall use an anime character. :3 then have the notible process of having a meme where it states, "people with anime characters in their profile photo don't know what they are talking about." 
thusly it would lead folk into confusion and i would be happy.


----------



## Klassik

Capeditiea said:


> one question. Do you like popcorn?


Double Double Agent David Dennison likes KFC Popcorn Chicken. Does that count? :lol:


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

I thought your name was Andrew David Henry David


----------



## Capeditiea

Klassik said:


> Double Double Agent David Dennison likes KFC Popcorn Chicken. Does that count? :lol:


:O you are a spy for the mastermind organization of doom who's primary objective is to induce migraines of an unsuspecting Capeditiea. -_- i see what you are trying to do. *nods, we must tar and feather you.  Cats! start the kiln.


----------



## Enthusiast

I am slowly getting around to choosing an avatar for this site but knowing how much my own perception of posts is influenced by the poster's avatar it is not something I want to do quickly. Maybe I should just leave it blank?


----------



## Capeditiea

Enthusiast said:


> I am slowly getting around to choosing an avatar for this site but knowing how much my own perception of posts is influenced by the poster's avatar it is not something I want to do quickly. Maybe I should just leave it blank?


go with a photo of pluto (the planet... or dwarf planet... not the disney dog. well i guess disney dog pluto could work.)

or simply make a photo of some weird obscure plant thing. 

:3 my next one will probably be of the anime variation.


----------



## Guest

Enthusiast said:


> I am slowly getting around to choosing an avatar for this site but knowing how much my own perception of posts is influenced by the poster's avatar it is not something I want to do quickly. Maybe I should just leave it blank?


Having an avatar makes it easy for your own posts to be spotted, by yourself and others. If it's blank, not so much.


----------



## Guest

Two tips I picked up:

Donald Trump: Not acceptable
George Osborne: Acceptable


----------



## Enthusiast

dogen said:


> Two tips I picked up:
> 
> Donald Trump: Not acceptable
> George Osborne: Acceptable


Neither of those had occurred to me, I confess. Is Osborne acceptable because he is a joke (and Trump not because he is beyond all that)?


----------



## Guest

Enthusiast said:


> Neither of those had occurred to me, I confess. Is Osborne acceptable because he is a joke (and Trump not because he is beyond all that)?


I supposed Trump is divisive (how tactful I am!) globally, whereas Osborne was only despised in a restricted geographical area (Britain). Also, a racist pretending to be praying is always worthy of censure.


----------



## Enthusiast

Also, I assume that there are no copyright issues with avatars? Most images are owned by someone, I guess.


----------



## Art Rock

Enthusiast said:


> Also, I assume that there are no copyright issues with avatars? Most images are owned by someone, I guess.


Since avatars are thumbnail size, they are generally considered as "fair use" under copyright terms, and thus permissible. Two caveats though:

[1] as with all "fair use", this is an assumption which may be viewed differently if it would come to a court case.
[2] this board falls under Danish laws for copyright issues - that does deviate from generally accepted copyright rules in some aspects. I have no clue whether it makes a difference here.


----------



## Guest

Enthusiast said:


> Also, I assume that there are no copyright issues with avatars? Most images are owned by someone, I guess.


Posting album covers has been discussed at length, since they are copyrighted. A bit of promotion on an obscure forum probably is OK. Who knows.


----------



## Klassik

dogen said:


> Posting album covers has been discussed at length, since they are copyrighted. A bit of promotion on an obscure forum probably is OK. Who knows.


It's probably okay...until it isn't. 



Enthusiast said:


> I am slowly getting around to choosing an avatar for this site but knowing how much my own perception of posts is influenced by the poster's avatar it is not something I want to do quickly. Maybe I should just leave it blank?


Klassik says no avatar is the best avatar. Members and lurkers have no problems spotting a Klassik post.


----------



## Capeditiea

Klassik said:


> It's probably okay...until it isn't.
> 
> Klassik says no avatar is the best avatar. Members and lurkers have no problems spotting a Klassik post.


wait... who posted this?


----------



## znapschatz

My avatar has no meaning to anyone but me, so I think it safe to use. Actually, I once posted its significance, but I doubt anyone remembers, and if they do, it doesn't really matter.


----------



## Klassik

The music Klassik enjoys does not have any frou-frou images. Thus, Klassik does not need any frou-frou avatars. Klassik says it would be appropriate for opera fans to use clown imagery though. 

Klassik isn't one to put members on an ignore list. Klassik does not operate that way. Klassik does, however, use avatars as a screening process. When certain avatars come up in Klassik's reading, Klassik keeps on scrolling.


----------



## znapschatz

Klassik said:


> The music Klassik enjoys does not have any frou-frou images. Thus, Klassik does not need any frou-frou avatars. Klassik says it would be appropriate for opera fans to use clown imagery though.


Well, that would be appropriate for *Pagliacci*, but *Boris Godunov*, less so. No frou-frou to be found in that. Actually, I am very much the opera fan, but not all of them, including from composers I admire. It goes without saying that I enjoy all forms of European (origin) classical music and some Asian (so why did I say it? ) ), including vocal. I'm up for it all. Please don't deprive yourself of at least *Boris*, my gateway opera from teenage years.



> Klassik isn't one to put members on an ignore list. Klassik does not operate that way. Klassik does, however, use avatars as a screening process. When certain avatars come up in Klassik's reading, Klassik keeps on scrolling.


Screening of members never occurred to me. If the subject matter looks interesting, I'll take a look, regardless of source. I really have too much time on my hands (or too many responsibilities to neglect.  ).


----------



## Klassik

znapschatz said:


> Well, that would be appropriate for *Pagliacci*, but *Boris Godunov*, less so. No frou-frou to be found in that. Actually, I am very much the opera fan, but not all of them, including from composers I admire. It goes without saying that I enjoy all forms of European (origin) classical music and some Asian (so why did I say it? ) ), including vocal. I'm up for it all. Please don't deprive yourself of at least *Boris*, my gateway opera from teenage years.


When Pushkin comes to shove, Boris is not Godunov for Klassik. Sorry, but Klassik can't be Modest about it. 

And, yes, that's three bad Modest puns in less than one day for Klassik! :tiphat:



> Screening of members never occurred to me. If the subject matter looks interesting, I'll take a look, regardless of source. I really have too much time on my hands (or too many responsibilities to neglect.  ).


Klassik does not believe in putting members on Klassik's ignore list. Everyone has interesting insights every now and then. If nothing else, some members can be a good source of knowledge about what not to do! That said, Klassik can only take so much nonsense at a time. Thus, when Klassik sees Renee Fleming or Joan Sutherland, Klassik keeps spinning the scroll wheel on Klassik's computer mouse. Sometimes spinning one's wheels, or wheel in this case, does lead to good results.


----------



## znapschatz

Klassik said:


> When Pushkin comes to shove, Boris is not Godunov for Klassik. Sorry, but Klassik can't be Modest about it.
> 
> And, yes, that's three bad Modest puns in less than one day for Klassik! :tiphat:


:lol: (actually, that's all I wanted to say, but forum rules require at least 15 characters, so here they are. And more, if needed).


----------



## laurie

Klassik should stop speaking in the third person; that makes Klassik seem kinda krazy, & kreepy.
'K?

:lol:


----------



## Klassik

laurie said:


> Klassik should stop speaking in the third person; that makes Klassik seem kinda krazy, & kreepy.
> 'K?
> 
> :lol:


*K*razy *K*reepy *K*lassik?

 Maybe you're right. That makes me look like Richard Wagner!


----------



## laurie

Dang .... now I'm kraving a Krispy Kreme!  :lol:


----------



## Klassik

laurie said:


> Dang .... now I'm kraving a Krispy Kreme!  :lol:


Klassik may be sweet, but Klassik certainly isn't Krispy Kreme sweet! One can taste the diabetes when one takes a bite of a Krispy Kreme.


----------



## znapschatz

laurie said:


> Dang .... now I'm kraving a Krispy Kreme!  :lol:


Hah! I just bought one! My wife got a sudden craving for a donut, so I detoured on the way home to pick one up for her. Just between us, I can't stand them, but you know, :kiss:.
.


----------



## Guest

Klassik said:


> Members and lurkers have no problems spotting a Klassik post.


Yes, they're always the ones with an ode to the MVP.


----------



## Klassik

dogen said:


> Yes, they're always the ones with an ode to the MVP.


That or a reference to my...uhh...hmm....Klassik. 

I do wonder if Schiller's Ode to Joy is actually an ode to TC's MVP, most valuable poster. There's a line in it that translates into:



> [Even] the worm has been granted sensuality,


I'm pretty sure this is referring to the MVP and Beethoven's rotting corpse, si? :devil:


----------



## Capeditiea

:O i am utterly confused now...


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

anyone for the Zombies


----------



## Enthusiast

Well. I chose one. I already feel I will change it after a short while. But, yes, it certainly makes it easier to find my posts (which are obviously the ones I most want to find).


----------



## Madiel

once you choose an avatar, changing it should be forbidden, the eye reads images faster than words (and avatar images are bigger than usernames), when a forumer changes avatar I have a hard time to understand who he is, at least until my visual memory will muscle the new association (and of course by that time that same forumer will change avatar again) so I con promise that when I will choose an avatar, I will never change it, I need to know who I am.


----------



## Cosmic Cowboy

Madiel said:


> once you choose an avatar, changing it should be forbidden, the eye reads images faster than words (and avatar images are bigger than usernames), when a forumer changes avatar I have a hard time to understand who he is, at least until my visual memory will muscle the new association (and of course by that time that same forumer will change avatar again) so I con promise that when I will choose an avatar, I will never change it, I need to know who I am.


People love pets on this site - especially dogs - so you might want to go with this one -









or this -


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

How many dogs has she got ............?


----------



## Klassik

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> How many dogs has she got ............?


39,999


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

I hope she does not travel with them all, otherwise she could ask Johnny Depp for Advice- don't want another Boo and Pistol issue

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-18/johnny-depp-and-amber-heard-gold-coast-court-dogs/7333662


----------



## Cosmic Cowboy

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> How many dogs has she got ............?


A lot of the dogs have "stunt doubles" so she's always on the lookout for more. She just takes them. Never pays for them. Just takes them. Steals them right out of people's yards.

It took me a while to figure out why the dog is the only one who appears genuinely happy in the photograph. He's thinking - "As soon as she lets me out I'm taking off and never coming back."









It took me a while to figure out why Roger is the only one who appears genuinely happy in the photograph. He's thinking - "As soon as she lets me out I'm taking off and never coming back."


----------



## Klassik

Cosmic Cowboy said:


> It took me a while to figure out why the dog is the only one who appears genuinely happy in the photograph. He's thinking - "As soon as she lets me out I'm taking off and never coming back."


Renee Fleming with dogs makes sense though. She sounds like a dog in heat!  Personally, I'd rather hear a yapping dog than hear Renee Fleming sing. They both sound terrible, but at least dogs occasionally look cute.


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

Shame Pugg's not here to join in the debate...............


----------



## Cosmic Cowboy

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> I hope she does not travel with them all...


She actually doesn't travel with any of them. She asks random strangers on the street to "hold" the dog for a second and then just takes off and never comes back. When she arrives at her destination she just steals another dog from someone's yard.


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese

Cosmic Cowboy said:


> She actually doesn't travel with any of them. She asks random strangers on the street to "hold" the dog for a second and then just takes off and never comes back. When she arrives at her destination she just steals another dog from someone's yard.


if you said she asked them to hold the dog for 4'33", I would believe you


----------



## St Matthew

I used to be Jesus and it was fun to be her for a while but now I'm a guy with flashing eyes and it's fun to be him now; strangely I get no likes anymore


----------



## Cosmic Cowboy

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> if you said she asked them to hold the dog for 4'33", I would believe you


I give silent thanks to John Cage every day of my life for writing 4'33".

4'33" of relative sanity is the midst of 23 hours, 55 minutes, and 27 seconds of the clang and clamor of head-banging madness.


----------



## Cosmic Cowboy

^^^^^^ My apologies for the misspelling above which should read "in the midst" rather than "is the midst". Lost the ability to edit my posts for reasons unknown.


----------



## Capeditiea

Cosmic Cowboy said:


> ^^^^^^ My apologies for the misspelling above which should read "in the midst" rather than "is the midst". Lost the ability to edit my posts for reasons unknown.


is the midst sounds a bit more interesting.


----------



## Enthusiast

dogen said:


> Two tips I picked up:
> 
> Donald Trump: Not acceptable
> George Osborne: Acceptable


Something _*terrible*_ has happened to your nice tasteful avatar, Dogen. It is "too soon" to be "reminded" of May.


----------



## Guest

Enthusiast said:


> Something _*terrible*_ has happened to your nice tasteful avatar, Dogen. It is "too soon" to be "reminded" of May.


I'm just working my way through various politicians to work out the political leanings of the mods. Next up: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.


----------



## Enthusiast

dogen said:


> I'm just working my way through various politicians to work out the political leanings of the mods. Next up: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.


No! Spare us! Why not heroes? Even controversial ones.


----------



## Guest

Enthusiast said:


> No! Spare us! Why not heroes? Even controversial ones.


I tried that with Trump :lol:


----------



## Enthusiast

Try Che - he can't be dangerous any more.


----------



## Guest

Enthusiast said:


> Try Che - he can't be dangerous any more.


Good one! I'll add him to my list.


----------



## BobBrines

OK, I'm new to the forum, and I suppose my opinion will be weighted accordingly. And no, I haven't read the 12 pages of this thread.

I am within a couple of months of my 75th birthday, and I have witnessed the total disappearance of civility. When I took my first airplane trip, I dressed in a coat and tie. People, even in large cities were polite, used words like "sir" and "madam". Now people wear tee shirts with the most disgusting and obscene words and pictures on them. If I were the dictator, the only things written on your shirt would be the name of your school or your branch of service. But I digress.


You will note that my handle is my name. That pretty well sums up my attitude about "handles. When I finally make the required 10 posts and wait 12 hours, my avatar will be my portrait, most likely playing a recorder, which pretty much sums up what you need to know about my positions on most topics posted here.

Bob


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## Merl

I've had a sudden urge to change my avatar. What do you reckon, Bob?


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## Pat Fairlea

Tough choosing an avatar. I have spared you my face ("You have a great face for radio", BBC TV producer some years ago). As for lurking beneath another face, I don't have heroes or a favourite composer or performer whose mug I wish to co-opt. Dogen's experimentation with politicians is fun. I look forward to Clem Attlee.


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## Guest

BobBrines said:


> OK, I'm new to the forum, and I suppose my opinion will be weighted accordingly. And no, I haven't read the 12 pages of this thread.
> 
> I am within a couple of months of my 75th birthday, and I have witnessed the total disappearance of civility. When I took my first airplane trip, I dressed in a coat and tie. People, even in large cities were polite, used words like "sir" and "madam". Now people wear tee shirts with the most disgusting and obscene words and pictures on them. If I were the dictator, the only things written on your shirt would be the name of your school or your branch of service. But I digress.
> 
> You will note that my handle is my name. That pretty well sums up my attitude about "handles. When I finally make the required 10 posts and wait 12 hours, my avatar will be my portrait, most likely playing a recorder, which pretty much sums up what you need to know about my positions on most topics posted here.
> 
> Bob


Thank goodness that I am not alone. Children no longer stand up when I walk into a room and pretty young women do not flirt with me (much) any more. There is no respect.

There is no such thing as aeroplanes. They are just cattle trucks nowadays, and the humiliation of showing the world a naked full size photo of you at airport security is simply abhorrent. (I don't mind it too much if I'm in good shape though.)


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## Norman Gunston

dogen said:


> Good one! I'll add him to my list.


Ivan the Terrible is my favourite


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## Fredx2098

I chose my avatar to let people know that Feldman is my favorite composer and therefore my opinions are invalid.


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## Barbebleu

Fredx2098 said:


> I chose my avatar to let people know that Feldman is my favorite composer and therefore my opinions are invalid.


I never knew that Marty Feldman wrote music! Every day is a school day! :lol:


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## Fredx2098

Barbebleu said:


> I never knew that Marty Feldman wrote music! Every day is a school day! :lol:


Indeed! I feel like he sees the world of music in his own unique way.


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## Guest

Pat Fairlea said:


> Dogen's experimentation with politicians is fun. I look forward to Clem Attlee.


I've just worked out why May's face is like that. Although it is only meant metaphorically, the explanation (involving MPs of her own party) on this forum would, I'm sure, fall foul of the ToS.


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