Comments on: Think Twice Before Changing Your Avatar!

By: aojudy@gmail.com

aojudy@gmail.com — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:16:15 +0000

I would like to propose not to hold off until you earn enough money to order goods! You can just get the business loans or just term loan and feel free

By: nicocoer

nicocoer — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:24:43 +0000

I change mine once a season, but I always let people know before and after. I always seem to get compliments on my new one- but then, I try to keep the content I share around the web in mind when I take/choose a new avatar. the sort of stuff I shared when I had my green perfume ad-like avatar is different from how I’ve become now, and my recent avatar reflects that. I suppose it would be harder if I looked a lot different all at once- If I went from an avatar of me at my current weight to one of me substantially smaller, or if I cut my hair a lot or bleached it.

By: don

don — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:05:22 +0000

I’m sticking with mine, that’s for sure

By: Stupid $h!t I’m Reading: Think Twice About Changing Your Twitter Avatar! « The Reasonably Prudent Law Student

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:35:52 +0000

[...] Today’s Stupid $h!t I’m Reading: Think Twice Before You Change Your Twitter Avatar. [...]

By: Gregory Gunther

Gregory Gunther — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:12:48 +0000

This is very interesting. I will have to look at which pic I have and how it effects my friends and followers.

By: Jennifer K

Jennifer K — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:08:19 +0000

I think this is why black and white photos are better for face shots. Changes in hair color won’t matter as much, and they tend to look less dated. The exception would be something very distinctive like Charlotte’s red hat above, or Misty’s which requires the contrast of color.

By: Hadel

Hadel — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:41:42 +0000

Very true and interesting. If you notice, well for me, my eyes focuses first on the Avatar then I see what the twitter topic is. Good content comes from good people so our eyes focus on the Avatar. For me the change of Avatar was positive. Now what do I change it to next? Love this topic, thanks.

By: juozas cernius

juozas cernius — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 04:12:43 +0000

I’d agree over all, especially about using more individualistic pics. Change isn’t always a bad thing at all. Perhaps the increments of change should be tolerable so as as to avoid drastic changes of interpretation.

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:56:40 +0000

YES I totally understand – It has a LOT to do with your personality branding as by your tweets… you are social media brand. Unless you decide to go in a new direction you might want to rethink – I totally agree with the comment about Pepsi. They have changed their logos several times and frankly I don’t think it was a good decision… at all.

By: Mark Fitzgerald

Mark Fitzgerald — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:02:44 +0000

Great article! I often think about updating my avatar but know the small throng that for whatever reason has decided to follow me might not understand the change from the flaming orange punk & urban hair to the conservitive next contestant on the batchlor look that I rock now! All in all I give them what they want, when it comes time for another book tour, major competetion, or live podcast with Adam Carolla at the Improv I’ll think survey my stalkers and get them involved with the evolution of my brand.

By: Sasha Muradali

Sasha Muradali — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:26:40 +0000

oh dear. I change mine all the time.
Most of the time, I try to change it to something where it still looks like me…I never encountered what you did. That’s terrible!

I would have totally kept the blonde photo if I were you. It’s who you are now, why hold on the past. You are still you, a photo doesn’t change that. Those people being cruel did it for the sake of having something to say. If they really were interested in staying ‘friends’ with you — your photo wouldn’t matter at all.

By: Charlotte

Charlotte — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:16:46 +0000

Fascinating article and comments.

I love changing my avatar though I do so in response to the seasons and now I now feature hats as a trademark. I have to admit I have received only positive comments with each change – maybe because of having only a small following. It reflects me though because I bore easily and always want to make changes.

By: Lindsay Davies

Lindsay Davies — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:25:02 +0000

Great topic and post.
I think that changing an avatar (if it’s a photo) adds variety and creates more of a personality, as people can see what someone really looks like. Rarely does just one picture create a true representation as people change and some photos are better than others. If people were to meet in real-life, they are more likely to know each other if they have seen a variety of pictures. It seems more real to change an avatar rather than just have one look. Clearly some people don’t like it though.

By: Trudy Metzger

Trudy Metzger — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:44:20 +0000

Maybe the best solution is to give your followers a heads up first, describing your new avatar to avoid unnecessary trauma.

By: Dwyndal

Dwyndal — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:13:04 +0000

I agree with this post and hate the fact that personal branding does happen. Usually, we don’t mean for it to happen yet it does. Do you wear the same outfit as your avatar daily? Doubtful, unless you are Mr. Bean or Jeff Goldblum from the fly. The easiest solution would be shameless tweets about the change, but some may see this as a self serving request for RT or comments towards our own egos.

Me personally, i’m a man of changes. I use zany pics of myself to expres my attitude towards life and my surroundings. To have an avatar I used in the snow from last January is not very viable when i’m showing sun outside my window today. I think our biggest set backs is not changing enough and just tossing it out there. Your followers will get to know you by name and should brand you by both. And perhaps it would make them think twice about judging you; a book by it’s cover and not it’s content.

Change on!

By: Your Name

Your Name — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:47:33 +0000

I’m keeping, my cold blue metallic avatar just because so many ppl are use to it. I’d love to change it to my beautiful mug, but I’m stuck.

I’ve branded myself in social media with the name Zaibatsu and my avatar.

It’s working for me, abd I’ve tried to change before with a huge backlash from my followers.

By: Alrady40

Alrady40 — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:10:13 +0000

I think you make a great point however there are ways to do it… make an announcement or have something included in photo that is consistent with new one (a prop).

Change gradually… .I think problem is in drastic changes. I have done drastic with a lot less followers without a problem. I have friends that follow on 2-3 ID’s and they have various avatars and they still like me (I hope). I always adjust in a few days to the drastic changes some of my friends make.

By: Tom Zucker-Scharff (cyberdad)

Tom Zucker-Scharff (cyberdad) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:30:07 +0000

Diana,

I saw this on twitter and thought of our conversation when you changed your avatar. Then I read the article. We talked about changing your brand then and although I’m not totally convinced this is the way it is, it seems to lean that way. I keep wanting to change my avatar and not doing it b/c of this.

As I said originally I like both of your avatars, and would follow you no matter which you used. I think we should be following people not avatars.

By: Your New Logo Is Too » Current News Trends

Your New Logo Is Too » Current News Trends — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:00:17 +0000

[...] Think Twice Before Changing Your Avatar! « Bit Rebels [...]

By: Dennis Jernberg

Dennis Jernberg — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:05:00 +0000

I guess I use my drawing hand as an avatar for a reason. A few, really: 1) I don’t have to change it whenever my hair changes 2) it’s almost logo-like in itself 3) I draw (though I haven’t posted yet; too busy with WriMos and songwriting contests). Even so, I am considering eventually changing switching from my hand to my face. That might change my following some, but it might be worth an experiment…