Do you think Avatars ever influence you?

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Any information someone provides - avatar, signature, whatever - has the potential to influence my impression of them, but beyond the occasional brief flash of admiration or contempt I try not to judge by them.

Thank you!

Avatar can have positive influence on me, no influence at all, but very rare negative. I like unusual, non-standard avatars, maybe self-made)
And about myself, I prefer to use impersonal avatars, landscapes or abstract signs.

Avatars give me a good impression of someone's personality, especially when folks pick funny or artistic ones. (I generally choose silly ones, out of habit.)

ooh i really like faceofboo's tiki face!

I know,but I've been meaning to change it anyway.

Sometimes. But not usually. I assign voices to pictures of people sometimes but that's about it.

Anyone have any thoughts about me based on the avatar alone?

To me that makes you sound like one of the biggest conformists around. You're in the massive group of idiots who hate things just because other people like them, deriding them because they take please in things which other people also like. Especially when you actually liked something and then stopped liking it because other people found it.

The red shows anger and Mars heat (fire sign?) while and symbology of the image reminds of satanic idolisation?

Good guess. But wrong... the symbol is from a video game. For me it represents happiness because of the good memories associated with it. I'm hardly an angry person, though I sound like I am sometimes. And it would be difficult for mean anything satanic for me as satan is little more than a villain in an old book to me (atheist.)

Still, I can see how you came to the conclusion you did.

Your avatar looks like an occult symbol to me, I woulda guessed you were in some magickal order, or at least interested in such things.

Well good! I still think you are hiding something!

Yes, lots, not by choice. If someone has a picture of a person for their avatar I receive a negative impression (probably with exceptions -- ie if its a picture of a historical political figure then I get a neutral or positive impression, depending on the aesthetics of the picture). If its a picture of nature, a nice object or architecture then I receive a positive impression. If it is a cartoon figure or references an aspect of pop culture to which I am not sympathetic or not familiar (most) I will probably receive a negative impression. Pictures of animals (the kingdom of life, excluding humans) are usually neutral, unless it is a water animal, in which case it is positive. Generally it is positive or neutral for those that I have not mentioned.

I see the avatar as the face of the post (and of course the member). So I am influenced somewhat by the look of the avatar. Of course I realize the animated ones are animated and not real. But the real pictures of humans cause me to ask myself, "Is this actually a picture of the member? Or is it a picture of a celebrity, etc?"

I believe that most of us an avatar, or a real picture of our self, as a representation of our self. It represents the member. I have used two avatars so far at the WP---both childhood pictures of me. The one I am currently using is a reflection of happiness I often experienced growing up with an extremely supporting and caring family who encouraged my interests. I can't remember exactly what I was thinking when that picture was taken of me, but I do remember having been out in the backyard just prior to going inside when the picture was taken. That was in 1972. And that was a special year. My passion for roller coasters had just been born in me. I wonder if that smile on my face was partly due to my new found love of the roller coaster?

I mostly remember people by their avatars. If someone changes their avatar, I think it's someone new until I look at their name and remember it. People without avatars are a faceless mass.

I like avatars, particularly the funny ones, but I don't think the avatar influences my opinion on the post. That's all about what they're saying.

What does my current avatar say?

Me too. And your current avatar says nothing, it is mute (in my view).

I absolutely think avatars are a way of expressing the inner self. I usually changed my avatar based on my mood and based on how I feel. Right now, I don't have one. How hypocritical of me.
But I too remember people on their avatars before I remember their username. That's why the avatar savvy people I can never remember because they have a quickly changing face.
I also think I behave based on my avatar. Or my behavior is somewhat influence by it....somewhat.