Avatar as a part of your online presence
If you are serious about your online presence or otherwise just everywhere and want people to recognise you outside your normal circles, avatar is the best way to do this. Online world relies heavily on written word and images. Images, I think we all agree, draw our attention more efficiently than text. This means, that when people are reading your words, they won’t necessarily spend time memorising your name but they will probably at least take a glance at your avatar. In addition, your user name might not be always available for every website you want to join, but your avatar will be. That is why you should have a bit of a think about your avatar. What do you want people to remember you by? There are some types of avatars that tend to give a negative impression of you at first glance:
Photo of a child on man’s avatar. Probably the last time any woman told him he was cute.
Photo of a child on woman’s avatar. A stay at home mother who has nothing else to talk about but her kids. (Probably uses a screen name such as “MomOf2″.)
Just the eye. Seeks a deep contact with people while trying to remain anonymous and appear soulful. Kind of works but is quite unoriginal and thus utterly forgettable.
Popular cartoon character – A male who is trying the “boyish charm” angle although it has never worked for anyone. We’ve seen enough of Vinnie the Pooh and friends already! Original cartoon characters by the man/woman behind the avatar, are encouraged though!
Disproportioned photo - An avatar of a casual Internet user who hasn’t yet found the delights of Photoshopping. (Has uploaded a photo straight from the camera, without shaping it into a square first.) Unprofessional.
Logo – impersonal. Is here to sell me something.
The vast majority of people prefer the picture of a person in an avatar over a logo or other graphic. People want to speak to people. If your avatar is listed amongst several others (like recent visitors list), the likelihood that you’ll get a click is higher if it’s your face in there. But, sometimes you need to put that logo up there. Another thing is, that if you’re using your photo, it gets boring after a while, and intolerable to you when you get a better photo of yourself. But the problem arises, that people get confused if you change your avatar. They won’t remember who you are for a while, until you say something really characteristic to yourself. I believe I found a solution to both of these problems. You are not likely to change your logo too often, right? So why not use that together with your photograph?
Here are some of my recent avatars:
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See what I mean? There are elements in the avatar that stay constant while I get bored with the rest of it – me. :p This of course requires some Photoshop skills, but nothing too complicated. This also gives you the option of using different theme in the photos while still tying them to yourself. The one I’m holding my dog is used on social sites for field spaniel owners. The one I hold a pen in, is designed for my writer’s profile.
Lastly, it’s a good idea to upload your avatar to Gravatar, which is a centralized avatar storage, that will allow you to link a photo to your email address. This way when you comment on a blog (all that have Gravatar enabled) will fetch your photo that matches the email address you used. Sweet.
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I like this. First the analysis of the cons of certain types of avatars [which I have often noted with amusement & wondered if they served the blogger well-I feel, though that some may have] and then the pros of your proposition of the concept of using the dis proportioned photo in conjunction with a constant logo.
But I have somehow carried this notion: bloggers who feel confident and want their authority implanted use their photo to good effect: Larry Brauner on Online Social Networking, Aldon Hynes on Orient Lodge, Mike on LiveLife365 and more.
When you helped redesigning my blog on WP platform, you helped me put up my avatar with this concept. And I remember the idea you explained then. Has it helped me? Well, I have no feedback on that yet-may be no one felt I was prompting them for such a feedback.
Except that I did not upload the corresponding image at Gravatar which is why my basic portrait photo appears on sites that I comment. Blame it on my poor understanding of the Tools such as gravatar :p!
Pushhyarags last blog post..Yearn To Learn More
You’re exactly right. Using your photo portrays confidence. You know what you’re talking about, or at least believe you do, and stand behind it.
People don’t really give you feedback on these sort of issues… Even though the last time I changed my avatar, I got a few compliments on it on Twitter, instantly, so they noticed I changed it, but still obviously knew it was still me.
You can upload your avatar on Gravatar (Globally Recognised avatars) and every time you use your email address to reply to a blog, it will show up. (If the blog supports it of course.)
Nothing is creepier than being contacted bya guy with a Disney character avator or other cartoon character who starts to try and flirt with me. It just has a huge “Yuck” factor io it.
Bries last blog post..Excuse me, are you wearing a diaper under that romper?
Great article, Sebastyne. I think you’re spot on with a lot of what you say.
My avatar was arrived at after much debate with my wife, which revolved around the pros and cons of having a cartoon avatar rather than a self portrait.
Insecurity about my lack of looks aside, I eventually decided on using the Reuben character as my avatar because that’s what my blog is centred around – my Trottersville strip. This is primarily what I want to become known for in the blogosphere… “the guy that does funny pig comic”.
This also gets around the problem of trying to squash a photo of me and Cassy into a tiny, tiny picture and expecting people to whip out microscopes in order to see it! More and more, I’m beginning to see that a more iconic avatar will serve me better in the long run. :p
It wasn’t complicated: uploading the desired picture at gravatar
. I had my picture there. It was just that I hadn’t uploaded the theme image! For some reason [may be I had my photo on the services I use and wanted the same thing to show up on comment forms too], I had uploaded my photo not the theme image. I hope the gravatar shows up this time, when I hit the ‘submit’ tab.:D. This post prompted me to work on that one. Thanks.
Pushhyarags last blog post..Yearn To Learn More
I used my own pix at first, but now I use my Grand Daughters pix for my avatar. I love her so much. My grand daughter is my world outside of my husband of course.
It also gives me a kid at heart view. Not acting like a kid, I’m far from that.
I just love showing off my Grand Daughter I guess.
Sheila-ArmyWifes last blog post..Octuplet’s Grandmother Could Lose Home
I’m sorry, but it doesn’t work that way – it doesn’t give other people the impression of you being a kid at heart. However, everything else you said is what it shows, whether it is your own or a grand child, it does give that “center of my world” impression. While other moms and grand moms find it absolutely fine, childless and childfree people, such as myself can find it a bit off-putting.
(not for publication)
I’m sorry you don’t have children or grand children and By off-putting, I’m not sure if you mean being mad or by being sad. I don’t know how to construe your statement. As I can read it both ways, mad and sad.
Sheila-ArmyWifes last blog post..Octuplet’s Grandmother Could Lose Home
My comments are auto-published, sorry. I know my sentiments are not popular amongst mothers or grand mothers, who simply cannot understand why any woman would not be madly in love with every baby ever produced, but that’s just the way it goes. There’s nothing sad or mad about it, just another way to look at things.
Although I do have a personal development blog I was stalked by a pervert with outstanding warrants for sexual assault when I first came online. After her was apprehended I spoke to the police, my husband and family and friends. They all said words to the effect of don’t post our images and don’t talk about our private stuff online. That sealed it for me. I have a personal development blog that never gets too personal.
Thereafter I have used a variety of avatars. I choose now to use an avatar that depicts me when I was younger and I find it sufficient for my needs.
P.S. To armywife,
I know Sebastyne and she’s neither expressing anger or sadness. She’s like me very blunt and forthright.
timethiefs last blog post..SEO Basics For On Page Optimisation
I had a stalker once too… He sent me some pretty scary emails at one stage. He wasn’t as much after me as he wanted someone else to “teach me lessons”, but it was potentially dangerous. I do live more dangerously now, that my real name is fairly easy to find and even my general whereabouts are public knowledge because of my business. However, I do have a fierce Doberman near by and I’m rarely alone so I’m hoping I’ll live. :p
Thanks TimeThief for putting the word in for me.
Sebastyne- I understand.
I had my children at 19 and barely 21. I love them dearly, but if I knew then what I knew now, I probably would not have had children. I know that may sound bad, but children are a lot of responsibility and I worried an aweful lot and still do, even though they are 24 and 22 and they are both doing financially well off, A mother never stops worrying.
But life goes on.
The 1st and the 4th one look the best!
Can you tell me something about Hostgator? I know they are good people; just put in a nice word and your experience. Thanks.
You don't have to ask me twice to say nice things about Hostgator, they're the best.
I've paid about 10 times more for hosting as I do with them and got far less for it. They answer support questions in about 15 minutes or less and the server is rarely down – that happens of course, but I can't remember when that would have happened.
Thanks I knew that would be the answer!
Baby plan can handle a lot of hits, no? I am looking forward to making an all text WP blog that may become as popular as getting 10,000 to 20,000 hits per day [a niche blog]; I talked to the support and they said it can handle that.
BTW, I have done a lot of research on web hosting and I keep doing it for fun! I learnt that no web hosting can be perfect [given the nature of hosting]! I found some very affordable nice web hosts.
Yeah, I've got the baby, and it's handling about 15 domains at the moment, no worries. Including the worlds biggest online Barbie photogallery. :p
15, wow! You have a rich online life. I also bought some 4 domains recently!
Glad to know your very popular bdoll site and forum is also with Hostgator!
I'm with HG now on upscblog.com [baby account] and will soon shift my blogs to self-hosting.
You know earlier they used to reply so quickly but now suddenly the response time is 2 to 5 hours! I often have to use chat. I even told them that it seems they differentiate between customers and non-customers because earlier they were very quick in replying to my mails but they said that was not the case. I am not very unhappy but I may write to Brent Oxley directly if that continues (I've done that before) and he gives elaborate explanations/replies.
I don't know if this is related, but I've had some weird stuff happen on my websites over the last week. Maybe they had a really busy day, if it was related.
They had a very busy day yesterday as well though it was night in Houston when i wrote to them (night means less workload usually). Response time has really increased of late. I hope it is temporary. I end up using chat if I can't wait more.
I don't know if this is related, but I've had some weird stuff happen on my websites over the last week. Maybe they had a really busy day, if it was related.
They had a very busy day yesterday as well though it was night in Houston when i wrote to them (night means less workload usually). Response time has really increased of late. I hope it is temporary. I end up using chat if I can't wait more.