Visualizing PF Members: Avatars, Names, and Identities

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The discussion revolves around how members of a forum visualize each other during interactions. Participants share their methods of visualization, often associating members with their avatars or names, and sometimes creating imaginative representations based on their posts. Some express a tendency to visualize members as gender-neutral "cybernauts," while others admit to forming distinct mental images based on their experiences or perceived personalities. A notable point is the fear and respect some members have for others, particularly those who are seen as authoritative or intimidating, leading to confessions about initial impressions. The conversation also touches on the challenges of recognizing faces and names in real life, with some members discussing their difficulties in remembering faces and the possibility of prosopagnosia. The lighthearted tone includes humor about avatars and personal anecdotes, creating a sense of community among members as they navigate their online identities.
  • #61
oops - never mind
 
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  • #62
Silicon Waffle said:
Come on don't waffle around now, we can have fun with this! :wink:
 
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  • #63
jim hardy said:
oops - never mind
Your face is in your avatar, I remember also having seen your picture taken with Greg some time ago. I have a facebook Australian friend whose brother's kids or nephews take after you in the avatar very much :biggrin:. They look very beautiful.
Edit to add an image.

cutebabies.jpg
 
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  • #64
1oldman2 said:
Come on don't waffle around now, we can have fun with this! :wink:
Will you still love me if you see me like that ?
People only sound real and cute via their monitor screens or chat boards but in face-to-face meetings what they act and say might be disheartening. :frown:
 
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  • #65
Silicon Waffle said:
Will you still love me if you see me like that ?
People only sound real and cute via their monitor screens or chat boards but in face-to-face meetings what they act and say might be disheartening. :frown:
True! Better use our imagination to create a wonderful fantasy world of avatars. It's a safe refuge for us introverts :)
 
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  • #66
Evo said:
I guess you can teach an old mule new tricks. Here's me . https://www.physicsforums.com/attachments/96050

Wow, what a looker:woot::woot:
 
  • #67
Oh Woolie...Honey...that picture is about 200 years old! Don't you remember she used it back in 2003? By now she's all fat and lumpy, running around in her housecoat and fuzzy slippers, curlers in her hair and a cigarette hanging out of her mouth...kinda like a fat Maxine. :biggrin:

155440-Maxine-On-Groundhogs-Day.jpg
 
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  • #68
Tsu said:
Oh Woolie...Honey...that picture is about 200 years old! Don't you remember she used it back in 2003? By now she's all fat and lumpy, running around in her housecoat and fuzzy slippers, curlers in her hair and a cigarette hanging out of her mouth...kinda like a fat Maxine. :biggrin:

View attachment 96077
It was the first picture that was labeled "me". Of course all pictures on my computer are old. :biggrin:
 
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  • #69
Evo said:
It was the first picture that was labeled "me". Of course all pictures on my computer are old. :biggrin:
SERIOUSLY old. :biggrin:
 
  • #70
naahhhh ,

Evo must resemble this pretty voyageur
350px-John_William_Waterhouse_-_The_Lady_of_Shalott_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg


only happier .

Silicon Waffle said:
I have a facebook Australian friend whose brother's kids or nephews take after you in the avatar very much
Handsome children !
Thanks, Silicon , but I'm much more homely in person.
do you remember "The Clovers" from 1959?
"... I am a flop with chicks,
i've been this way since 1956.."

 
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  • #71
jim hardy said:
naahhhh ,

Evo must resemble this pretty voyageur
350px-John_William_Waterhouse_-_The_Lady_of_Shalott_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg


only happier .

I apply for the job as gondolier! :oops:
 
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  • #72
I don't even look at jim's avatar to visualize him. Well, I do, but it doesn't have influence on my mind when I read his posts because his words create an image by themselves. I visualize jim as a very wise person. My perception is that Jim is able to wield his words with great mastery. I don't think it is something that could be achieved with talent alone (talent is fine, but this is something more). It is the true proficiency that can only be achieved through countless and continuous improvements across time. I wouldn't mind sitting next to jim all day long and hear some stories perhaps of his life which must certainly have some awesome teachings in them. I would probably make this face while hearing jim out: :bugeye:

:smile:
 
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  • #73
thanks but no way can mediocre me measure up to that. I'm doggone lucky to be accepted here, and grateful for you kind folks' forbearance.

“Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.”eric hoffer
 
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  • #74
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  • #75
Mark, did you know my first *serious* job was as a "cordboard operator" which is what your picture is of?

That was such a FUN job! I quickly climbed the ladder to mobile and marine calls and international. Taking calls from ships at sea was very unusual.

The most fun was the messenger calls to Mexico. Living in Texas, I knew enough Spanish to be able to do quite well with calls to Mexico. Mexicans in the Texas (mostly illegal immigrants) would go to phone stations set up for them since they could not get phones, they would tell me what town and which person they wanted to speak to. I would call the operator in the closest town (this would be a woman who would have a phone in her house that would allow people to come to her home and use the phone and she would get paid by the Mexican government). She would then arrange to send someone on a burrow to go up into the hills, get the person and bring them back to her house, she would give me a day and time that she expected this person to be at her home. I would then tell the person in the US, the day and time they should try back. It was just a hoot.
 
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  • #76
Evo said:
Mark, did you know my first *serious* job was as a "cordboard operator" which is what your picture is of?
Yes! You mentioned that to me some time ago. :woot: That's the inspiration for the image. :smile:
 
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  • #77
collinsmark said:
Yes! You mentioned that to me some time ago. :woot: That's the inspiration for the image. :smile:
Aww, you remembered. :oldsmile:
 
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  • #78
Normally I do not let anyone take my picture. It steals my spirit. :wideeyed::biggrin: Occasionally my family FORCES me to be in a picture or someone gets cute and sets me up. Which is what happened here. One of my coworkers handed me a pair of MONstrous 1980's sunglasses and said 'Here...put these on and strike us a pose.' So...I did! But the brat had her phone with her and caught me being weird. Hopefully this will be too small to see well, but here's me sporting an AWEsome pair of '80's shades. You all now have a piece of my spirit. :oldwink:
 

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  • #79
Oh good. It's super small. :oldbiggrin: Sorry. Can't fix it.
 
  • #80
Tsu said:
Oh good. It's super small. :oldbiggrin: Sorry. Can't fix it.

OOOh Tsu you are blond and look cushty
 
  • #81
de25a39409e206b3208371c6777ba3b4.jpg


Evo and Tsu.
 
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  • #82
wolram said:
de25a39409e206b3208371c6777ba3b4.jpg


Evo and Tsu.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm the one who heard the snores! Honest!
 
  • #83
wolram said:
OOOh Tsu you are blond and look cushty
Thank you, Woolie. :blushing:
 
  • #84
Tsu said:
Normally I do not let anyone take my picture. It steals my spirit. :wideeyed:[emoji3] Occasionally my family FORCES me to be in a picture or someone gets cute and sets me up. Which is what happened here. One of my coworkers handed me a pair of MONstrous 1980's sunglasses and said 'Here...put these on and strike us a pose.' So...I did! But the brat had her phone with her and caught me being weird. Hopefully this will be too small to see well, but here's me sporting an AWEsome pair of '80's shades. You all now have a piece of my spirit. :oldwink:
Whaaat! I thought tsu was an old man and in fact, she's a pretty lady!
I'm sorry tsu for having a wrong picture of you in my head :-)
I hope that the fact that I've read only a few of your posts can explain this unintentional insult to some degree :-)
Can you ever forgive me??
 
  • #85
Sophia said:
Whaaat! I thought tsu was an old man and in fact, she's a pretty lady!
I'm sorry tsu for having a wrong picture of you in my head :-)
I hope that the fact that I've read only a few of your posts can explain this unintentional insult to some degree :-)
Can you ever forgive me??
There is nothing to forgive, Sophia. :oldsmile: Years ago, Evo and I were two of the Sisters of PF (That's why the "Nuns (Sisters) with Guns" photo :oldbiggrin:). The others have gone and I have only recently popped up again for awhile. When spring comes I will be here less. I have a beautiful 5 acre parcel of land with a creek and I spend a LOT of time out there when the weather is good.
 
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  • #86
Tsu said:
There is nothing to forgive, Sophia. :oldsmile: Years ago, Evo and I were two of the Sisters of PF (That's why the "Nuns (Sisters) with Guns" photo :oldbiggrin:). The others have gone and I have only recently popped up again for awhile. When spring comes I will be here less. I have a beautiful 5 acre parcel of land with a creek and I spend a LOT of time out there when the weather is good.
I fully understand that you spend so much time in such a lovely place! I love nature too. In the summer, I take my dog and we walk through meadows for couple of hours. If I had a parcel like you I'd be outside all day long :-)
 
  • #87
Sophia said:
I fully understand that you spend so much time in such a lovely place! I love nature too. In the summer, I take my dog and we walk through meadows for couple of hours. If I had a parcel like you I'd be outside all day long :-)
And... I AM! :biggrin:
 
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  • #88
Please don't post pics of yourselves on the internet. I'm actually ignoring the pics members post. Not this thread, but other threads as well with what appear to be picture of members. When I see what appears to be a real pic of someone I divert my look, scroll away and don't see it. Good thing I'm terrible at remembering faces. I need to put a huge mental effort to remember someone's face or see them like a thousand times to remember. I never sweat the details of people's faces.

@berkeman - I visualize this as the most rebel of mentors. :biggrin: I may be wrong, I don't know. I have seen him posting at threads that are already closed :DD. Like: "Who cares if this is closed, I'm still going to post my mind." :oldlaugh:
 
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  • #89
Psinter said:
I need to put a huge mental effort to remember someone's face or see them like a thousand times to remember.
A few days ago I met a former neighbour in a drug store. It's been a little embarrassing that I did not recognize him before he turned on me to say goodbye.
 
  • #90
fresh_42 said:
A few days ago I met a former neighbour in a drug store. It's been a little embarrassing that I did not recognize him before he turned on me to say goodbye.
We are in the same ship then. :nb) It happens to me a lot. People have to look at my face like: "Aren't you going to say hello?" in order for me to trigger a recognition of them. Or simply say hi first. At times people greet me and I greet them back, but very awkward like: "Where do I know this person from? Come on, remember!"

EDIT: A girl once got angry at me at uni because I did not remember her. She called me by my name, but I could not recognize her. I told her: "If you know my name I suppose I know you from somewhere, right?" I think I shouldn't have said that, she looked like I offended one of her great ancestors.
 
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