Does an Avatar affect your perception of the poster?

[Bogey]

Well then, I will reconsider before switching to this one:

[Antoine Marchand]

Well, of those three, the first and the third I know nothing of, unfortunately.  The middle one, Bolaño, wrote what I would describe as the worst book I ever read.

I can live with that, Scarpia  , but sorry if I have some observations about the logical aspects of your reply:

First, I was talking about people (in this case writers) that I admire. It's not necessary that you also admire (or know) them.

(Second) But the fact is that I was precisely saying that sometimes it is not necessary to know the people in a picture to enjoy that picture or appreciate some aspects about it (well, I suppose that's the meaning of the art of the photography).

Third, Chesterton and Borges are two of the most important writers of the twentieth century. Therefore, if you do not know them, I easily deduce that you are not interested in literature at all, which –for sure- is a legitimate choice.

Fourth, Roberto Bolaño (dead rather young) is the author of one the best novels written in Spanish during the twentieth century: Los detectives salvajes, quite unfortunately titled in English The Savage Detectives. Personally, I don't know bad texts written by Bolaño, but it is clear that not all readers enjoy the same things and bad translations are a fact. Well, my own atrocious English is a fact. 

[Gurn Blanston]

I can live with that, Scarpia  , but sorry if I have some observations about the logical aspects of your reply:

First, I was talking about people (in this case writers) that I admire. It's not necessary that you also admire (or know) them.

(Second) But the fact is that I was precisely saying that sometimes it is not necessary to know the people in a picture to enjoy that picture or appreciate some aspects about it (well, I suppose that's the meaning of the art of the photography).

Third, Chesterton and Borges are two of the most important writers of the twentieth century. Therefore, if you do not know them, I easily deduce that you are not interested in literature at all, which –for sure- is a legitimate choice.

Fourth, Roberto Bolaño (dead rather young) is the author of one the best novels written in Spanish during the twentieth century: Los detectives salvajes, quite unfortunately titled in English The Savage Detectives. Personally, I don't know bad texts written by Bolaño, but it is clear that not all readers enjoy the same things and bad translations are a fact. Well, my own atrocious English is a fact. 

I didn't know any of those men by picture, but all of them by reputation or their works. I always did find them interesting, as you say, that is the art side of photography.

To the original question; I find it to be incomprehensible that people could NOT be influenced by an avatar, even if it was not the intent of the poster to influence someone else, just to please himself. I have only used 2 in the last 6 years, and I suppose that I actually do seem to represent something about me (in this case my taste in music and my enjoyment of a pun). But I never thought about that going in, I only put something that I liked. I see no reason to change; I'm not likely to become a Wagner fan and need some representation of Little Dickie...



PS - Keemun, I thought yours was a tire on the beach. I didn't think that represented you at all...


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Now playing:
Academy of Ancient Music / Hogwood - Hob 01 065 Symphony in A 2nd mvmt - Andante

[greg]

Well, my own atrocious English is a fact. 

And I didn't even know until now that you are a non-native English speaker... 

That's the fellow who wants to return to the womb. I think the avatar is the least of his problems.

I wonder if he ever got that Group Sex in London. 

[Gurn Blanston]

I wonder if he ever got that Group Sex in London. 

You don't suppose that he would want that cup of coffee with Dmitri, do you?   






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Now playing:
Academy of Ancient Music / Hogwood - Hob 01 065 Symphony in A 2nd mvmt - Andante

[Scarpia]

Fourth, Roberto Bolaño (dead rather young) is the author of one the best novels written in Spanish during the twentieth century: Los detectives salvajes, quite unfortunately titled in English The Savage Detectives. Personally, I don't know bad texts written by Bolaño, but it is clear that not all readers enjoy the same things and bad translations are a fact. Well, my own atrocious English is a fact. 

I read his novel 2666 (or maybe it was another number).  It was composed of a series of stores, once of which consisted of many hundreds of pages with little more than graphic descriptions of mutilated female bodies discovered in some Mexican border town.  I was persuaded to keep reading because I thought there would be a point somewhere.  I never found it.   There were parts of the book that I felt had merit, but the summed experience was strongly negative for me, and a large amount of time spent on something I ultimately felt was worthless.  I won't be reading anything else by this author.

[kishnevi]

  Composer portraits (especially pompous looking ones) are stuffy and off-putting. 

Speaking as someone who uses a composer portrait for his avatar--I use it because I think a music themed avatar is optimal on a forum devoted to music;  because the supply of music them icons I have at the moment is fairly limited;  because Mahler is--not precisely my favorite composer--but the composer with whom I most personally identify.  Us neurotic Jews have to stick up for each other    And also because, while there is no family relationship between us,  beyond the fact that all Jews are related to each other if you go back far enough in time,  Mahler, as caught in this photo, bears a vague resemblence to myself. 

[Scarpia]

Speaking as someone who uses a composer portrait for his avatar--I use it because I think a music themed avatar is optimal on a forum devoted to music;  because the supply of music them icons I have at the moment is fairly limited;  because Mahler is--not precisely my favorite composer--but the composer with whom I most personally identify.  Us neurotic Jews have to stick up for each other    And also because, while there is no family relationship between us,  beyond the fact that all Jews are related to each other if you go back far enough in time,  Mahler, as caught in this photo, bears a vague resemblence to myself.

I'm not saying you shouldn't use it.  I'm just commenting on the impression it makes on me, essentially a lack of imagination--just what you're describing.  When I see your icon, I have on impression "this person is obsessed with Maher to the exclusion of all else."

[springrite]

It is natural, conciously or subconciously, to form opinions or biases based on very little meaningful information, avatars included. I always feel that if I am affected in such a way, be it an avatar or a username, it says more about me than about the other person.

[Bogey]

Usually I used a Bogart one, but after finding this Schroeder and having George crop it to size I have not changed.  Probably my longest standing one and I have no plans of changing in the future.  With him holding a Brahms' album, my love for vinyl, what he is saying (with which I concur), and my sheer enjoyment of the Peanuts cartoon strip, this one was a perfect fit for me.  The only reason I have kept "Bogey" is to curtail confusion with a name change.

[karlhenning]

. . . of which until very recently i was the premier authority in this forum . . . .

Such a tediously overrated virtue, humility, n'est-ce pas?

[Keemun]

PS - Keemun, I thought yours was a tire on the beach. I didn't think that represented you at all...

"It's a cup of Keemun tea, of course." 

[karlhenning]

Can't be bad!

[bhodges]

I find the "cultural reference" avatar to be the most evocative of the character of the person who chose it.  For instance, I notice knight usually has an architectural detail of a graceful public building.  This suggests to me a respect for cultural traditions, and for things of beauty and grandeur.   Bhodges has an odd piece of avant-guard furniture.  There is a taste for elegance, but a bit more iconoclastic than knight.   These avatars give me the illusion, at least, of having some additional insight into the posters persona.  Having a generic picture of Mozart, or whatever, strikes me as unimaginative, redundant, and somewhat presumptious, as though the poster claims a preeminant claim to that composer on the board.  Anyway, just my impression.

While I don't mind photos of composers (personally, I'd be hard-pressed to pick just one), I like avatars that are more obliquely related to classical music, or that show a little bit of another avocation.  I assume that my being on a classical music board speaks to a love of that product, so I want to show just a little bit of something else in which I'm interested.

--Bruce

[Bogey]

While I don't mind photos of composers (personally, I'd be hard-pressed to pick just one), I like avatars that are more obliquely related to classical music, or that show a little bit of another avocation.  I assume that my being on a classical music board speaks to a love of that product, so I want to show just a little bit of something else in which I'm interested.

--Bruce

I am not a fan of modern art, Bruce, but due to your well chosen avatars I have come to appreciate some of the work out there. 

Many memorable:

There was one with radio tubes.
Another with cubes.
And I enjoyed the recent house one.

I do not recall their names, but enjoyed them.  Keep them coming, Bruce.

[bhodges]

I am not a fan of modern art, Bruce, but due to your well chosen avatars I have come to appreciate some of the work out there. 

Many memorable:

There was one with radio tubes.
Another with cubes.
And I enjoyed the recent house one.

I do not recall their names, but enjoyed them.  Keep them coming, Bruce.

Thanks, Bill!  I'm just a very visually-oriented guy in general.  Love some of the opera posters designed by Polish artists floating around, although many of them don't look so good when reduced to a postage-stamp size.

And I'll repeat some of those you mentioned!  That tube lamp was one of the most interesting products I've seen in awhile (and at $225, not super-expensive, either).  PS, here's the website of the designer, Nik Willmore:

http://www.e-dot.com/

--Bruce

[DavidW]

And then there are those posters who have evocative avatars for the sake of garnering attention. 

I always liked the "my features whilst listening to" avatars though.   Anyway it looks the bottomline is that nearly all of us are not so superficial that we judge someone by their avatar, but we all have different preferences for what is a good avatar. Can we all agree on that?

[Scarpia]

I always liked the "my features whilst listening to" avatars though.   Anyway it looks the bottomline is that nearly all of us are not so superficial that we judge someone by their avatar, but we all have different preferences for what is a good avatar. Can we all agree on that?

Yes, he announced he would be listening to Schoenberg next, and never came back.   

[Sergeant Rock]

....we all have different preferences for what is a good avatar.

The only good avatar is a permanent avatar...excepting, of course, John's various listening faces    and Bruce's art collection 

MN Dave is a special case: his avatar is the constantly changing avatar. A breed unto himself.

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

Yes, he announced he would be listening to Schoenberg next, and never came back.   

I've been worried about John. He hasn't been around much lately. We were discussing the Rott concert last month and he never checked in. I thought that odd since he's such a Rott fan. Hope all is well. He did mention a trip to the continent. Maybe he's traveling.

Sarge