This is just a simple question.

 Has a term or phrase been coined yet for those that use a female image as their online avatar or icon - when they are really male ? And vice-versa : women who use pictures of men or male characters  as their avatars.


 Just wondering .
 There are two or three posters on here that do that and maybe 10 or 12 on the Big Purple.

 How common is this on other forums?

 Also, what about the huys who have a female persona on their WoW and Everquest games? Is that similiar ? or a different phenomena?


- Ed C.

You're attributing avatars with some sort of direct correlation or representation of the user.

I think they're more like airplane nose-art.  They're a personal emblem or expression of the person, but not necessarily meant to iconify them.

It may be because you're thinking in terms of a roleplaying fan, where direct representation through tokens or images is par for the course in our entertainment.  

Maybe you're right, maybe you're wrong.

 I just wanted to know if anyone has made a term for this sort of thing.

- Ed C.

I've heard it called "cross-playing", but that obviously doesn't include non-avatar avatars. Considering the thesis that males use those avatars so that they get to see the object of their admiration whenever they look at their own posts, I propose the term "wankatar".

That one makes sense.
 Kind of like the guy on the Big Purple who kept posting picture of Michelle Trachtenberg in a thread - his avatar for the longest time was a picture of that actress.


At least my friend who plays on Wow, says he prefers playing a female character because if he has to stare at the backside of a character for most of the game he'd rather it have an attractive rear side.

- Ed C.

Quote from: SosthenesConsidering the thesis that males use those avatars so that they get to see the object of their admiration whenever they look at their own posts, I propose the term "wankatar".

So I use Lothar Matthäus in shorts as avatar because I enjoy to wank on this pic?
...

That's a sick image :footinmouth: Curse upon thee, Sosthenes, for making me think of _that_.

Quote from: SkyrockSo I use Lothar Matthäus in shorts as avatar because I enjoy to wank on this pic?

Puh-leeze. As if the phallic trophy in that picture isn't a big enough hint.

It could be more disturbing...


Hello Jürgen, welcome to WankHack! You are a lawful male human Kicker.
You see here a phallic trophy.
j - a phallic trophy.
What do you want to use or apply? [j or ?] j
In what direction? 9
You hit the Queen.

I think you're thinking too hard about it, Koltar.

XD

On tBP I use an image of Molly Ringwald.  Have done for years.  mainly because if I have to look at someone everytime I make a post I figure Molly Ringwald ain't a bad choice.

Not a transvestite, not gender confused, just a normal bloke with a longtime crush on a certain actress.

Quote from: StumpydaveNot a transvestite, not gender confused, just a normal bloke with a longtime crush on a certain actress.

So you say.  I've noticed the glowering beefcake in your current avatar.

!i!

Only reason I asked, like I said, its one of those things that seems to be common enough that I figured the internet community had made a term for it by now.

 We got Blue Devil on here - using a female avatar, but is apparently a guy.

 Shwolf is a woman (handle helps) who uses Jayne Cobb as an avatar.

over on the Big Purple ...I wasn't sure what was up with Vipergrrl  till she talked to me in PMs and told me she was Bi.

 Yo master! used to use Michelle Tractenberg as his avatar.

 Me ? I only use female icons - IF I'm playing an already established female NPC in one-on-one instant messaging roleplay.  But the other player and I already know whats going on - I'm not anonymous or hidden about it . We both know I'm a GM playing an NPC.

- Ed C.

I think avatar pictures have the same range as our login names. Some people use photos of themselves like some posters use their own name. And on the other side of things, some people really identify with their avatar and want to be called by their login name preferably. And the rest just sits in between...

Personally, I just chose this nick because my real name was taken in some RPG forum (probably by myself, with an old unreachable email adress) and ended up using a random NPC name. For some kind of reason, I re-used that character here. I probably takes just a few more people speaking of themselves as their pseudonyms (I don't want to point fingers...) to go back to a permutation of my real name...

That reminds me of a trip I took to California back in 1995.  Went out there to visit somne Klingon fandom friends there and go to a convention.

 Here in Ohio, we only use our "Klingon" names when addressing each other when we're wearing uniforms or costumes of the personas or our characters. When I went out west  - they were calling me Khar'Ton or qartun even when I was wearing street clothes. It was VERY strange...took some getting used to after the first 24 hours.
I always treated the names as part of the character  - I respond to it when I have the outfit on ...when I'm in regular clothes I respond quicker to " Ed " or "Hey Charlton!".

 - Ed C.

Quote from: SkyrockSo I use Lothar Matthäus in shorts as avatar because I enjoy to wank on this pic?
...

That's a sick image :footinmouth: Curse upon thee, Sosthenes, for making me think of _that_.

Hey what about Rudi Voller, Bodo lllgner, Andreas Moller, Mathias Sammer, Thomas Helmer, Jurgen Klinsmann, and the rest of the team?
What? I'm Uruguayan we're supposed to be football wise.