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Topic:
The Pragmatics of the Icon: A question on forum usage
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Master_Keralys
Title: Lit Mod of Ferociously Furious Fury
Registered:
Oct '03
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Date Posted:
6/20 6:27am
Subject:
RE: The Pragmatics of the Icon: A question on forum usage
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I have the same name everywhere, yeah.
As for icons, I've had this one for a long while, now, and before that it was another, similar, Obi-Wan picture. And that was after several years of the Traitor-face Jacen. It's evolved to fit what I think of my online persona as being. Obi-Wan is the closest thing to it, and any other image here doesn't really fit. (Also, I look more like him than anyone else in the roster; see the Social Thread for a pic; it was a ways back but it's there.)
And it throws me horribly when someone picks up another user's icon. There's a guy named darksama who's pretty cool, likes the comics... but has dp4m's icon, and it throws me every single time. Somebody had Ex's icon, too, and that confused me to no end. ("Wait. What did he say?" *goes back and rereads* "What's wrong with Ex? He's not speaking normally today. I mean, he's speaking normally, but that's not normal... ooooohh. It's this other guy."  ) A few weeks ago someone picked up Charlemagne19's icon, and that threw me, too.
In answer to the original question, then, yeah, I do identify more on icon than on picture. It's funny you brought it up because I was thinking about that exact question not four days ago.
- Keralys
-----signature-----
God made man. Man rejected God. God became the man Jesus Christ, died and rose again to life, saving man from himself.
The craziest story ever told.
The truest.
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Jedimarine
Registered:
Feb '01
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Date Posted:
6/20 6:32am
Subject:
RE: The Pragmatics of the Icon: A question on forum usage
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I "try" to get the same handle...but somebody (or somebodies) out there in cyber land started stealing it at various places.
-----signature-----
GO SEE "THE DARK KNIGHT"
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MsLanna
Title: CR GSFF Central
Registered:
Jul '05
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Date Posted:
6/20 6:45am
Subject:
RE: The Pragmatics of the Icon: A question on forum usage
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I think of users as their icons very much. I have a very visual memory, so that's natural. It is worse, when the icons are people I don't recognise immediately.
It always throws me off when somebody changes the icon, or when I see 'mine' somewhere.
So far I change it - once. Frome the blue Imperial seal (which 'belongs' to somebody else, but we were never in the same forums much) to this.
A statement I never wanted to make. 
But I'm a fanficcer, I can get away with it by saying it's representing my improved version of the guy. 
And even when I know users in rl, if their icons are people I don't recognise I will think they look like it, disregarding all proof of the opposite. 
-----signature-----
Padawan owned by Corellian_Ale Master of CloneCaptainRex.  Proud FanFic Master of Darth_Sathanos Why so serious?  October 3rd - Ghent Day in the WNU!
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Jedi Trace
Title:
• SouthEast RSA
• Fan Fiction Manager
Registered:
Dec '99
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Date Posted:
6/20 7:02am
Subject:
RE: The Pragmatics of the Icon: A question on forum usage
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Until recently, I used Mara Jade icons almost exclusively. Even back in the UBB days when our avatars were little Yahoo smiley faces, I had one with red hair.
I finally branched out and, given the history behind and current users of the Ass O' Cade™ icon, it's become somewhat symbolic. 
-----signature-----
Captain of the Cade Brigade  “Light, dark – They are just directions. Do not be fooled that you stand on anything other than your own two feet.” ~ Shaak Ti, The Force Unleashed The Society for Girls Who Like Things that Go Boom
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The_Loyal_Imperial
Title: Y & B Host
EUS Chancellor
Gold Medal Winner
Registered:
Nov '07
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Date Posted:
6/20 7:30am
Subject:
RE: The Pragmatics of the Icon: A question on forum usage
- Date Edited:
6/20 7:33am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
The_Loyal_Imperial
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SuperWatto posted:
Do you get that - that you somehow subconciously start thinking users look like the icon they use? For instance - when I think of Havac, I imagine Obi-Wan behind a computer screen.
All the time. Does send me for a loop whenever I see someone else with the same icon, though. 
That aside, on the topic itself, icons are the primary way for me to identify people. Whenever I see a certain one, I'll automatically assume it's the same person as the one I'm used to seeing it on.
I do change mine now and then, but the Seal of the Empire is my favorite of the lot, and my "standard" icon choice.
-----signature-----
Attack of the Clones was released May 16, 2002.
Star Wars: Republic covered the Clone Wars starting Jan 22, 2003.
What's the next big Star Wars project? Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Fall 2008.
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Manisphere
Registered:
Aug '07
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Date Posted:
6/20 9:39am
Subject:
RE: The Pragmatics of the Icon: A question on forum usage
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If it is someone who switches icons frequently, (as I do), I tend to recognize them for not being consistent with their icons. I see the new icon, look at the name and think, "ah, they've changed again." Takes a second to get used to.
About different user names?: My DH forum name isn't Manisphere. I changed the email address once, made a mistake on it and forever lost the name to cyber-oblivion as I could never sign in again. I don't post much there anyway...but I digress.
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Ulicus
Registered:
Jul '05
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Date Posted:
6/20 12:23pm
Subject:
RE: The Pragmatics of the Icon: A question on forum usage
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Robimus posted:
Here's a question we could add: Do you use the same user name on every online forum you frequent? I do but I'm guessing lots of people have a different name for every different forum.
I'm Ulicus everywhere and have been for... whoa, nine years now. 
-----signature-----
Recipient of Golden Ewok™
Trip Cares
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SuperWatto
Registered:
Sep '00
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Date Posted:
6/20 1:19pm
Subject:
RE: The Pragmatics of the Icon: A question on forum usage
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I don't post anywhere else...
-----signature-----
TRACK THAT TRACK http://trackthattrack.blogspot.com frustrating you with sound
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lazykbys_left
Registered:
Feb '05
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Date Posted:
6/20 2:11pm
Subject:
RE: The Pragmatics of the Icon: A question on forum usage [3PO, then invisible, then none]
- Date Edited:
6/20 2:19pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
lazykbys_left
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When I started posting, I used Threepio icons because I like the character. I switched to the "invisible" icon during a bit of . . . er, redness in Fanfic.
Now I don't use icons at all and have Firefox set to block all images from the TFN images server. This is just me being weird, I guess.
- lazy
-----signature-----
"You're like some kind of link machine." - rhonderoo It didn't stop being magic just because you found out how it was done. DARK SIDE FHTAGN lazykbys fanfic index (click and scroll dowwwn): http://boards.theforce.net/m/b1/17609715/r17736763
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Grey1
Registered:
Nov '00
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Date Posted:
6/20 2:31pm
Subject:
RE: The Pragmatics of the Icon: A question on forum usage
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So there's actually some of you guys there who equate me with Kyle Katarn? Sweeeet.
I didn't change my first Kyle icon for ages. There's lots of stuff I like, and nice icons I could use (I especially liked the Yoda Adventures icons, and I think I once had the Luke one...), but in the end, I've been a Kyle fan ever since Jedi Knight came out. And it helps that it's both a photo-realistic image (it's just more... real and more visual for me) and an expanded universe element. In the end, I'm here for the EU forum, so I guess having an EU icon makes some sense.
I did, however, change my icon some months ago after seeing that there were new Kyle images in stock, and the current one is really good looking.
Oh, by the way, I've also got a beard. So much for looking like your icon... 
And yeah, I tend to associate regular posters with their icons. It helps me knowing when to expect opinions I probably won't share
-----signature-----
Jacen had learned that one can meet the Universe [...] with fear, or with hatred, or with despair.
Or one can choose to meet it with love.
Jacen had chosen.
But still, he was astonished to discover that the Universe could love him back.
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iamobiwan1970
Registered:
Aug '05
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Date Posted:
6/20 2:42pm
Subject:
RE: The Pragmatics of the Icon: A question on forum usage
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My icon is fairly common. I've had it since I discovered who Kyp was. That was after selecting my user name. Everyone thinks I'm a guy cause it is i am obiwan! I'm not! I would use a different name if I could do it over again, but Obiwan is cool enough!
-----signature-----
Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there, with open arms and open eyes.
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Manisphere
Registered:
Aug '07
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Date Posted:
6/20 3:23pm
Subject:
RE: The Pragmatics of the Icon: A question on forum usage
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I'm a guy. So if I wear a female icon am I in icon drag?
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The_Loyal_Imperial
Title: Y & B Host
EUS Chancellor
Gold Medal Winner
Registered:
Nov '07
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Date Posted:
6/20 3:41pm
Subject:
RE: The Pragmatics of the Icon: A question on forum usage
- Date Edited:
6/20 3:42pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
The_Loyal_Imperial
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Manisphere posted:
I'm a guy. So if I wear a female icon am I in icon drag?
Yes, I would think so.
-----signature-----
Attack of the Clones was released May 16, 2002.
Star Wars: Republic covered the Clone Wars starting Jan 22, 2003.
What's the next big Star Wars project? Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Fall 2008.
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Lord_Hydronium
Registered:
Jun '02
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Date Posted:
6/20 3:49pm
Subject:
RE: The Pragmatics of the Icon: A question on forum usage
- Date Edited:
6/20 3:50pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Lord_Hydronium
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Well then call me RuPaul.
I usually go with female icons, though at times I've switched to a few male characters that I like, and I've been called "she" a couple times as a result. I know others have told me they associate me with the Kreia icon, which I had for a long time. I tend to associate the regulars with their icons, and when reading through a thread usually don't even look at the user names if I recognize the icons. Though that can cause confusion if someone takes on a regular's icon, and I wonder for a second why they're talking like that now, so I avoid icons I know others have.
-----signature-----
Great midis have little midis
Swimming round inside 'em
And little midis have lesser midis
And so ad infinitum.
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CoppiceThorne
Registered:
Jun '08
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Date Posted:
6/20 6:26pm
Subject:
RE: The Pragmatics of the Icon: A question on forum usage
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Not knowing how many people are out there with the same icon, feels a bit like a Lit. Board equivalent of a recurring nightmare. 'Such is our lot in life.' "We're doomed!"
*laughs playfully*
-----signature-----
I won't make you feel small, because that's the one thing I belittle.
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