If your avatar doesn't have a twiddlable mustache, your avatar is worthless.

I'm in the same boat as you. GOG is the exception though, I figured why not use an avatar from a game I'd like to see released here? Instead of going with something obvious like Shodan from System Shock 2 I thought I'd go with a lesser-known gem, Commander Zod from Z by the Bitmap Brothers.

I identify people exclusively by their avatar, because I've always been good with faces but bad with names. If someone changes their avatar I think I'm talking to a different person.

I feel obliged to counter your argument, good sir, and state that womenfolk do not look good with mustache and, in fact, prefer to shave it. Good monocle goes a long way in establishing intellectual look, however.

- I'm not using the forum that much (here to buy games, not to be a social butterfly), so I didn't bother to setup anything beyond the minimal required.

- It doesn't look that relevant in the context. Yes, I do find it problematic to follow a thread populated by swarms of "Anonymous" 'unnamed' users, but any unique tag/label should suffice to have a coherent discussion.

- I don't want to use an impersonal generic image. If I use an image to identify myself, I feel it should be something I did, not a cropped/resized picture picked from a random game.

- I wouldn't like to be "Hey! Look at me!" with a mega-cool in your face avatar all over the place.

- I like being lightweight: less data to download, and less browser cache and memory used. Any small picture I could post is likely heavier that any series of long-winded dumb things I could write - hey, better data/noise ratio.

I already chose an alias for most places, why should I choose:
- an avatar,
- a title,
- a signature?

How many masks do I have to wear at the same time? Does it give more flesh to my persona if I do this? Should I get out of my cavern, be a good girl, render a cute avatar and upload it... or should I just say: "I don't care" and be Anonymous53437 ?

And then there are some avatars so popular it gets confusing. Once upon a time Uruk was the only one with his lich/necromancer avatar from Master of Magic (I think), then 3-4 others showed up with the same one.

Mine's just hard to see, but trust me, its there.

Well, I have personally never took any opinion for anything less when it wasn't accompanied with avatar - however, it's much easier for me to link that particular opinion with a person based on one. It's basically up to you if you wish me or anyone else to make a general picture of you, or rather look at your individual posts.

Even properly educated gentlewomen wearing both, shall I ask ?

I just used a small photo I took myself.

I've never thought much about the subject. As far as I'm concerned to each their own.

I created this avatar using MS Paint when I was bored, it may not be fancy but it's me :P

I have almost default avatar, but I am New User still :D

The avatar that always makes me chuckle because of how subtle it is Keph's.

If you don't count Japanese Dunmer :p