There is hardly any 'middle space'
Funny thing about an avatar is that once you have selected it you start 'acting' it. It's kind of you who is trying to 'live' up to an imaginary role pattern. I swicth Avatar's regularly because people built up certain communication scripts in their reactions to it. They too built up 'personality traight' to answer to the 'casted' Avatar personality. This is a fruitless bussiness, hampering 'web personality growth'. Reactions and answers become stereotyped.
Example: Zaza's got a cool Greek philosopher and watch how he (his Avatar personality) acts cool and lazy ... yet of course his own personality is no fool. In his case he has managed to be rather stimulating in his short posts. This is an achievement. However his 'real' personality is also caught up in the role of the Avatar and has its limits.
Then there's William's cowboy. Cowboy = gunslinger, dangerous, lone rider. Now look at this: William knows a lot about French poetry. We have had exchanges about that. Yet some posts ago he posted with great bravour something that, when looked at carefully, connects the word 'hate' with 'the French'. What has happened there? I'd say it was his Avatar that has 'dictated' the attitude which sparked off the remark.
Same with me and the silly face I have used. It puts me up to 'so-called' witty remarks. I play the 'role' then, become silly! I have in the past tried 'womanish' avatar's, feet and so on. Well, I 'became' a woman! In the end I had shared close bonds between real woman posters, hunted on men, chaving them, etc. Weird game and dangerous in the end.
But there's this problem of the Web. There is hardly any 'middle space' between communicator and reader. It's a 'straight shoot' thing. In how far can one be 'open' and 'honest'? Real pic Avatar's is an attempt to be straight but this is also a daring road. Mostly women do this. I'm too sporting my face lately but have already thought 'no go' and will change it again, etc. People like your face or they pis on it. Question really is: Has it any sence to communicate on the web what so ever and überhaupt? And then, to what depth? And blah blah you know what I mean. Surrogate stuff etc.