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have you ever studied the avatars that smile at you from
the pages of sites like Facebook, flickr and Stumbleupon?

i have, and i can't really help it, since the avatar is the
first thing that grabs my attention as the page takes shape
on the screen

i often find my self wondering what an avatar conveys,
why it was chosen and what it may say about the person
who chose it

take, for example, the avatar below -

it reminds me of this line from Love Potion Number 9 :
I was a flop with chicks, I've been this way since 1956





and this next one smells of subterfuge: what is this guy hiding?





some avatars seem to say that the persons who chose them
are intellectually challenged





and there are quite a few avatars that seem to shout out -
I have a small wee-wee!!