Something struck me subconsciously a long time ago but it wasnt until MYSELF put up a brand new avatar that the something crystallized in to cohesive thought. I hope that I manage to convey what I mean.
Because we only 'see' some of us online as avatars, those avatars have subconsciously become synonymous with the usernames of the ppl who display them, and there is a strong association between the username the avatar and the actual person in my mind. I also imagine that the persons closely resemble in features, the avatars displayed against their names.
Lets start with GGNK, because he is the one who formed the strongest association in my mind and at the same time he is the one who always surprises me. GGNK's avatar suggests to me a simple smiling quiet village lad.
What surprises me no end is that when I read his posts a highly intelligent reflective and articulate person emerges who is in total contrast to the avatar, except that I still feel that he is a quiet person. That is the only commonality that is expressed between him and the avatar. The other thing is that every time I see a different person using the same avatar, I feel a sense of incongruity because of the strong link i formed between the username ggnk and the avatar.
Second in line is Ummita. When I look at her avatar, I am reminded of a girl I used to know. I think it is the pointed nose and the short spiky hair in the avatar. However Ummita is completely different from this other girl. Ummita sounds fierce from her posts, but she is a genuinely friendly person (I found that out on good authority, but I wont reveal my source).
The third is Fateez. Fateez's avatar. Funnily enough, I have never looked closely at Fateez’s avatar. I used to see an innocent looking face of a young girl in patient contemplation. Then when I read her post, I feel this very kind hearted individual coming out of the posts, and yes I have associated her avatar with her username. Yet today I looked at the avatar closely and I find that Fateez is not there!!!
Instead I see a sulky downcast looking female pouting.
Anyway, I have imbibed enough of Fateez’s cyber spirit to know that this pic will not make any difference in the way I imagine her. Only that the association between the posts and the avatar will weaken.
MYSELF is next. MYSELF has two girls in her avatar. The avatar actually reminds me of two girls I used to know in BUK some years back. I have a feeling that it is a real pic of two girls that has been digitally sharpened to make it look like that. The avatar is still new so there is still no concrete attachment between post, name and avatar. But I keep wondering which one of the two girls I will eventually associate MYSELF with? Already the one in the foreground looks like a strong contender, because she looks more like a northerner than the girl on the left.
There is Muda. the NBA league player. The player’s bald head really makes a statement and I keep wondering if it is just a fashion statement or a genuine case of ‘no mohair’! Somehow, I imagine Muda wearing a tazarce all the time. I think it is because the name Muda sounds like what the average dan birnin kano would call himself and I know that upper crust samarin Kano love to wear tazarce made from the most expensive shadda available, or they did anyway.
The last is Dan Borno. Aristocracy to the bone!! Yet I am still to associate his avatar with the name and the posts. I think it is because I don’t look at the avatar directly, I just have a sense of someone on horseback from the avatar. The pic does look like that of a bafaden sarautar Borno looking at it closely. I still haven’t built a strong picture of Dan Borno. He is something of an enigma. He lets others make the statements, yet when he gets going, he is a surprise also.
Other ppl with avatars are infrequent visitors to the forum so there is nothing to say there.
