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[ToonyMan]

Indeed.

[Vector]

Vector, I do wonder about this too. Some avatars bring people to obscurity of never being known or recognized by anybody else, where other avatars will make even a boring person popular. I've always wanted to know what unique and fresh things one could have to manipulate this, although it's subjective enough to be a fickle study.

Yeah, it seems to me that it'd be more an "exploration" than a study--just one of those "well, here's a series of correlations we found, and the end result is that maybe if you do this series of things you'll be noticed more."  It might actually be interesting as a sort of side-door into advertising and fashion theory, because there are fewer variables to work with.  A sort of case study.

Well, anyway.  I'm not the right person to do this project, just like I'm not the right person to try to apply Conway's Game of Life to Go AI, but I thought I'd throw it out there anyone in case anyone felt like thinking about it.

[Enzo]

I am the ever-burning sun of kindness, shining my warm fuzzies onto everyone with my light and fair posts.

Actually, in other things that made me happy today, I just thought up an unverifiable social experiment... I'm kind of wondering how one's avatar influences one's own posts.  If someone is told to post in an account with an "aggressive" avatar, how does their behavior change from "happy" avatars and no avatar?  Is there any difference?

Rather than banning someone, could we just make an avatar force-change for some amount of time to alter their behavior?  Or are the behavioral patterns I see the results of someone feeling aggressive and swapping to a more aggressive-looking projection of themselves?

Dunno.  Seems kind of pointless.  But I enjoy this sort of thought experiment.

Eh, I figure the reader is more effected by the avatar than the poster. Aqizzars posts for instance, if taken out of context, are not always oozing with gruff masculine authority. Slap that beautiful mug up beside them and suddenly, hell, they totally are.

And if we're broaching the matter of people with stupid avatars acting like dumbasses, it's a little hard to trace cause and effect here, but I think you have it backwards on that one.

[Vector]

Right, I generally expect the reader to gain more context than the poster does, but it seemed like an interesting loop of causation to explore.

[Elegy]

I blame all my swear words on that last avatar.

So cruel, so mean. It caused me to say such fiendish things!

But now I feel warm as the sun itself! :]

Who wants a big ol HUG!?

[Jackrabbit]

I am the ever-burning sun of kindness, shining my warm fuzzies onto everyone with my light and fair posts.

Actually, in other things that made me happy today, I just thought up an unverifiable social experiment... I'm kind of wondering how one's avatar influences one's own posts.  If someone is told to post in an account with an "aggressive" avatar, how does their behavior change from "happy" avatars and no avatar?  Is there any difference?

Rather than banning someone, could we just make an avatar force-change for some amount of time to alter their behavior?  Or are the behavioral patterns I see the results of someone feeling aggressive and swapping to a more aggressive-looking projection of themselves?

Dunno.  Seems kind of pointless.  But I enjoy this sort of thought experiment.

Eh, I figure the reader is more effected by the avatar than the poster. Aqizzars posts for instance, if taken out of context, are not always oozing with gruff masculine authority. Slap that beautiful mug up beside them and suddenly, hell, they totally are.

And if we're broaching the matter of people with stupid avatars acting like dumbasses, it's a little hard to trace cause and effect here, but I think you have it backwards on that one.

I dunno, I always find Aqizzars posts recognizable. He's just really good at speaking. Presumably less so in real life without the benefit of preparation but his posts always seem to stand out, in arguments especially. Him and Dasleah.

It might have something to do with me being impossibly impressionable.

[Rose]

I feel that my avatar is as honest as they get.

[Gunner-Chan]

Somehow I feel like playing DF.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO KITTY?!

Mod it real quick so you can play as elves or something.
I've always preferred playing as humans.

I think Ill go back to my old mod idea. Yay!

[ein]

I have a feeling mine gives off vibes not unrelated to raping and/or killing.
Not necessarily in that order.

Meanwhile, Janet made me realize that I am incredibly safe if a vampire ever attacks me, with three crosses, one of which is actually a voodoo doll, four tarot decks' worth of pentacles, and two hexacles, one carved into my thigh and the other carved into one of my rings.

[ToonyMan]

Your avatar gives off vibes on ALOOFNESS YUUUUUUU.

My avatars are always just people I like.

[Elegy]

Your avatar gives off vibes on ALOOFNESS YUUUUUUU.

My avatars are always just people I like.

Silly Toonyman, animes aren't people!

[Enzo]

I dunno, I always find Aqizzars posts recognizable. He's just really good at speaking. Presumably less so in real life without the benefit of preparation but his posts always seem to stand out, in arguments especially. Him and Dasleah.

It might have something to do with me being impossibly impressionable.

Well, I certainly didn't mean it as a slight to Aq. The avatar just adds to the effect, you know? His well-reasoned arguments are backed up by sheer concentrated mangrit, a devastating one-two punch.

And I could recognize Dasleahs posts blindfolded.

[Gunner-Chan]

Spoiler: Remilia wants me to replay stalker? (click to show/hide)

[Elegy]

And I could recognize Dasleahs posts blindfolded.

[Solifuge]

Rather than banning someone, could we just make an avatar force-change for some amount of time to alter their behavior?  Or are the behavioral patterns I see the results of someone feeling aggressive and swapping to a more aggressive-looking projection of themselves?

A forum I used to frequent would short-term ban you, and permanently set your avatar (and all avatars on that IP, I believe) to this, if you were disruptive enough: