Do peoples avatars affect you too?
 

One of the great things about a web forum is that it allows us to interact with people with whom we share an interest at a time and place of our own choosing. Unlike real friends who call round when it is not convenient, and make impositions upon us. How we handle those impositions is a measure of our friendship, but you can't impose yourself on me. No matter how much you glare at the monitor you cannot force me to reply to your question. And if I want to wait until 3 in the morning to reply, I can, and will.
Whilst this is one of its strengths, it is also one of its drawbacks. We cannot help form opinions about each other based purely on our messages. After a while we know which folks are really good at math, which ones know about programming, or hardware etc. So we learn to interpret the answers we get to our questions in light of our impression of the person who answered. But this impression is imperfect. It is only a glimpse of what the person is really like, and can sometimes be formed on very flimsy evidence.
Lately, I have discovered that I have been using, unconsciously, peoples avatars to help form this impression. I don't mean that because Citrix has a lemon for his avatar that I think Citrix is a lemon, it is much more subtle than that. TRex for example has this very friendly looking tiger, looking into the centre of the screen, as though it is looking at me. And this forms a much warmer image than say, Xillman's rather terse finger-pointing exercise.
Pet owners are renowned for anthropomorphising their pets, and I suspect that to a degree that is what I have been doing too. I just wondered if anyone else has experienced this, or has anything to say on the subject.

[QUOTE=Numbers]And this forms a much warmer image than say, Xillman's rather terse finger-pointing exercise.[/QUOTE]
There's a story behind my choice of icon. I learned to count in binary on my fingers many years ago and can tally things at a reasonable speed --- at least 2Hz. I can also add and subtract in binary, though much more slowly.

Some years ago I was demonstrating this skill to Phil Carmody. He sent me the animated GIF a while later. He's recently sent me a much more realistic counting hand, but I fear it is rather too big for use as an icon.

Paul

You have to be absolutely the only person I know who would say that he can count on his fingers at 2Hz. Everyone else would just say 2 a second, and mean exactly the same thing. When I read TTn's comment (in another thread) that he doubted you were an educated man I choked on my toast. He was obviously after a reaction, and the fact that he didn't get one probably went a long way to convincing him that he was wrong (or right).
I am a little disappointed that I now know that it was not you who programmed it. My belief that you had was part of the image-forming process that this thread is about, so I guess this proves what I said about our impressions often being based on flimsy and incomplete evidence.

[QUOTE=Numbers]You have to be absolutely the only person I know who would say that he can count on his fingers at 2Hz. Everyone else would just say 2 a second, and mean exactly the same thing.[/QUOTE]Brevity my dear Numbers, brevity.

"Hz" is two characters. "a second" is eight.

Paul

Be aware that a large number of avatars in the forum are randomly assigned, and are without meaning.

[QUOTE=Xyzzy]Be aware that a large number of avatars in the forum are randomly assigned, and are without meaning.[/QUOTE]

Indeed. Some time ago (I don't know if this is still going on now), the moderators unilaterally assigned avatars to users (including me) with a large number of posts.

Yes, I thought that might be the case, since I did not choose the one I have. It just appeared one day last summer. But since it is the avatar we have that contributes to this essentially false image that other users form of us, the fact that we didn't choose the avatar reinforces the falsity of the impression.

Maybe I didn't explain it very well. It's a bit like people who know smoking is bad for them, but they still smoke. On one level they are intelligent and rational enough to know that smoking causes nasty things to happen to them. But on another level they can't help walking into a newsagents every day and buying twenty more cigarettes. Their rational self cannot justify that, but the illogicality of it doesn't stop them buying cigarettes.
So in the same way I know that you are not a bird with a long red bill, that Delta T is not a green frog, that surprisingly I am not a yellow butterfly, but that doesn't stop the irrational, illogical part of me associating the person with the avatar.

Its also I suppose a bit like mathematical symbols, or the symbols on a map. A real life railway station is not a red circle,...

Maybe it was just a dumb question.

I use 'my' avatar all around several forums. It was an art work someone made of a cartoon that was made in a few episodes that i liked very very much. Silly subjects of the cartoon ofcourse.....

But I haven't seen it somewhere else. So i like it and it sets my reactions apart from others. It is also usefull to see it quickly seperating it from others in a thread while scrolling down or up.

I think that the colors look nice and warm :)

Speaking as a painter, blue is considered a cool colour. One of the considerations when painting a picture is that cooler colours go towards the rear of the picture and warmer colours come to the front. It's one way of creating depth in the picture; distant hills are often painted a very pale blue, for instance.
But greens and reds are, as you say, warm colours, and these over ride the cool blue in your avatar, particularly against the pale blue background of the forum.

I always browse the forum with image rendering disabled, so people's avatars matter not a whit to me.

[QUOTE=Numbers]Lately, I have discovered that I have been using, unconsciously, peoples avatars to help form this impression. I don't mean that because Citrix has a lemon for his avatar that I think Citrix is a lemon, it is much more subtle than that.[/quote]

I connect the avatar icon to the people - it will be a very strange situation when I someday meet members of this forum in person...

[quote]Pet owners are renowned for anthropomorphising their pets, and I suspect that to a degree that is what I have been doing too. I just wondered if anyone else has experienced this, or has anything to say on the subject.[/QUOTE]

Guilty! :lol:

[QUOTE=Xyzzy]Be aware that a large number of avatars in the forum are randomly assigned, and are without meaning.[/QUOTE]

Or just assigned because a Mod thought I would like it. :) It was a certain mods probable final Mac thing he touched. :D

Do peoples avatars affect you too?
 

[QUOTE=Paulie]Or just assigned because a Mod thought I would like it. :) It was a certain mods probable final Mac thing he touched. :D[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Paulie]Or just assigned because a Mod thought I would like it. :) It was a certain mods probable final Mac thing he touched. :D[/QUOTE]
:smile:
Some time ago Mike thoughtfully decided that I deserve an avatar and overnight the picture of a young man with a moustache appeared on every post of mine.Because the portrayal was not accurate, as I am a much older man, though with a bushy 'tashe often mistaken for Omar Sharif 'then and now' I objected to him and he promptly deleted it.

In my message I asked him to put instead the formula e^ (i(pi)) - 1 =0 as my avatar. As you know, this represents the five fundamental constants of maths, and even nature. I thought it would truthfully portray me as a man who eats, drinks and sleeps mathematics. With my arsenal of books to back me I dont need to Google much on formulae as I have within my reach maths to the highest level if required. Hence I can be quite a force to reckon with!

In all fairness to him he asked me to send him my formula which he would put down.

Due to my lack of IT skills I could not forward this to him and so it lies.

I hope Mike takes note and does the needful on his own style.

As far as other people's avatars concerned, I get particularly interested in the numbers some use in them and I wonder how female posters portray themselves in their avatars and if they give a clue for recognition.
Mally :coffee:
P.S. BTW mfgoode is my true name with initials M.F. The 'e' at the end means excellent or as one poster put :evil:

[QUOTE=mfgoode]In my message I asked him to put instead the formula e^ (i(pi)) - 1 =0 as my avatar.[/QUOTE]
The correct formula due to Euler is [tex]e^{i\pi} + 1 = 0[/tex]

WRT custom avatars: I have absolutely no art skills at all. I just collect funny or cute avatars. There is a way for users to upload custom avatars I think.

Personally, I like the avatars because at a glance I can tell who is who, probably by the color or something. I never really focus on the picture too much.

I'd prefer the avatars be a bit smaller but a while ago everyone voted for larger ones.

The default layout of the forum software is to place the avatars between the messages vertically. We have to override the software to place them on the left, which I find to be a lot less intrusive.

I haven't assigned any avatars since the incident with mfgoode. I guess I just don't want to chance offending anyone.

Finally, I think BotXXX has one of the coolest avatars. I like the colors but most of all I like how it is original.

Do peoples avatars affect you too?
 

:surprised
Thank you alpertron it was a silly mistake on my part.
Cos (theta) +i sin (theta) = -1 when theta is pi
Mally :coffee:

Another fun 5-constant identity: i[sup]i[/sup]*sqrt(e[sup]pi[/sup])-1 = 0.

[QUOTE=ewmayer]Another fun 5-constant identity: i[sup]i[/sup]*sqrt(e[sup]pi[/sup])-1 = 0.[/QUOTE]

Except for the fact that neither i[sup]i[/sup] nor sqrt(e[sup]π[/sup]) are well-defined. i[sup]i[/sup] really means e[sup]i log(i)[/sup], which gets you in trouble defining the logarithm of a complex number, and with the square root there is a positive and negative root.

Do peoples avatars affect you too?
 

[QUOTE=Jushi]Except for the fact that neither i[sup]i[/sup] nor sqrt(e[sup]π[/sup]) are well-defined. i[sup]i[/sup] really means e[sup]i log(i)[/sup], which gets you in trouble defining the logarithm of a complex number, and with the square root there is a positive and negative root.[/QUOTE]
:smile: HINT for you Jushi.
Try out Euler's formula given by me (and also Alpertron) in the previous posts of this thread.

i^i is a real number and equal to .207 879 576 350 761 908 546 055 ...
If you really can prove it then try deriving this equality using the same formula.

/0\( Phi ) = 2cos (Log (-1/5i) where \o/ is the golden ratio and equal to
1.618033989... or [(sq. rt. (5)) + 1)]/2
Good luck to you
Mally . :coffee:

I think Avatars add another layer of anonymousness to a users pseudonym.

[QUOTE=xilman]He sent me the animated GIF a while later.[/QUOTE]

In case I didn't tell you at teh time, I purloined it off mensanator's website.
I suspect that it was all his own work, as he seems to do all his own graphics.

[QUOTE=ewmayer]I always browse the forum with image rendering disabled, so people's avatars matter not a whit to me.[/QUOTE]Which is a real pity, because Eeyore is one my heros.

Paul

I like Eeyore, too.

I just try to not take xilman's 001004 and 001015 personally..

Realistically though, for me the avatars become just another identifying label which causes brief confusion if/when they happen to be changed.

[QUOTE=potonono]I just try to not take xilman's 001004 and 001015 personally..[/QUOTE]
Oh, I see.

It's 00110 6 that fulfils that role in the UK.


Paul

In Italy, it should be 10010 18. :devil:

Interesting thoughts. I think I've only associated one avatar with a person and that is jinydu. That was a most interesting match of person to avatar.

Mine is just a photo of a baby tiger that I nik'ed a few years ago and re-sized to fit.

Fusion

I am particularily affected to Akruppa's and ltd's Avatars, probably because I adore the TV series. Both happen to be German, just like me...:huh: simple coincidence or fatal relation?

I've chosen mine after one year without any, and opted for a charakter of my favorite cartoon artist; I would have preferred Newton with an apple, but I couldn't find a good one.

What about the nicknames (or whatever it is called). These seem to be impressive (can you say that for "making a strong impression"?).

Some are obviously chosen from the owner's name (e.g. mine); others are more imaginative. I feel term "terse" Numbers used for xilman's hand describes rather well the choice of "Numbers". No offense meant.
Mystwalker, I imagine him with a beard, call me insane if you want.

Sometimes it becomes hard to associate real names and forum names, if both are known, but not identical.

Another question is the joint impression of Name, Avatar, the use of emoticons and signature.
"Jinydu" I put in false relation to his two aliens, and took the false conclusion they are called like this in the Simpson's.

To answer the initial question: there is an influence, but of course what I read has much more importance.

Du bist mir nicht böse, oder?

Yours, H.

[QUOTE=hhh]I've chosen mine after one year without any, and opted for a charakter of my favorite cartoon artist; I would have preferred Newton with an apple, but I couldn't find a good one.[/quote]

Somehow, I always have to think of Mr. Spock when I see your avatar. :huh:


[quote]Mystwalker, I imagine him with a beard, call me insane if you want.[/QUOTE]

Only when I feel too lazy to shave it for a couple of days - just as now... :whistle: :wink:

Calvin and Hobbes
 

Although I'm French, I've read and bought all books of "Calvin and Hobbes", by Bill Watterson, in English. I surely have not understood all details, but it's much better than the French version. I really love this comic.
I have many other French "Comics Books" ("BDs = Bandes Dessinées" in French) at home, like Astérix et Obélix (don't buy the last published one !) and more recent ones. Many of them are really good. But none of them provides this mixture of "humor" and "philosophy". Also, it's so incredible what Mr Watterson was able to do with black & white.
Calvin is a devil and Hobbes is so calm.
Probably I'm close to Calvin and hope to become more like Hobbes ...
Tony

T'as reconnu qui c'est? Si non, illico presto à la bibli la plus proche, demander la rubrique-à brac.

Translation:
Have you found out what it is? if not, move as fast as possible to the next public library, and ask for the rubrique-à-brac.

The running gag is Newton, recieving this apple (or any other random object on his head, and having this idea about the universal law of gravity (or sometimes any other idea, or none).

[QUOTE=Numbers]One of the great things about a web forum is that it allows us to interact with people with whom we share an interest at a time and place of our own choosing. Unlike real friends who call round when it is not convenient, and make impositions upon us. How we handle those impositions is a measure of our friendship, but you can't impose yourself on me. No matter how much you glare at the monitor you cannot force me to reply to your question. And if I want to wait until 3 in the morning to reply, I can, and will.
Whilst this is one of its strengths, it is also one of its drawbacks. We cannot help form opinions about each other based purely on our messages. After a while we know which folks are really good at math, which ones know about programming, or hardware etc. So we learn to interpret the answers we get to our questions in light of our impression of the person who answered. But this impression is imperfect. It is only a glimpse of what the person is really like, and can sometimes be formed on very flimsy evidence.
Lately, I have discovered that I have been using, unconsciously, peoples avatars to help form this impression. I don't mean that because Citrix has a lemon for his avatar that I think Citrix is a lemon, it is much more subtle than that. TRex for example has this very friendly looking tiger, looking into the centre of the screen, as though it is looking at me. And this forms a much warmer image than say, Xillman's rather terse finger-pointing exercise.
Pet owners are renowned for anthropomorphising their pets, and I suspect that to a degree that is what I have been doing too. I just wondered if anyone else has experienced this, or has anything to say on the subject.[/QUOTE]

I kind of like to eat citrus fruits, that is why I decided on using a lemon. (The same reason for the username Citrix). I wanted to use the PSP logo as my avatar, but some people were against it. So I went along with a lemon. Also the decision was based on what pictures google could find for me that fit the forum's regulation.


Xyzzy wanted my logo to be a frog initally. But I have no feelings towards or against frogs so I decided not to use it.


:smile:

Maybe it's a little offtopic but that's why I see your question.[B]

Do peoples avatars affect you too?
[/B]
Yes in my bandwidth limit. That's right, I have international bandwidth limit of 4GB per month. With avatars and signatures hidden (turned off) I managed to reduce traffic by 10-15%.

Carlos