How do you view fellow escapists?

[Jonluw]

Hiya escapists.

I'm boooored. Let's have a community-centered thread.

What I want to know is this: When you read the replies to a thread, how do you think of the users who reply?
Do you remember specific users from thread to thread and assign personalities to them? Do you think of them as people or just anonymous, faceless commenters, making no connections between threads?
i.e. When you see the comments do you think of them as a bunch of statements without considering whom they come from, or do you think of them as the opinions of a series of people you know to varying degrees?

Spoiler: Personal opinion stuff: spoilered for neatness.

There are quite a few users whom I recognize, and some I think of as people with personalities (for example, Fred is the guy I always disagree with.); but most users are just faceless people whom I do not see often enough, or whose posts I do not notice enough specific traits or patterns in to think of them as anything other than a bunch of random people.

The exception to this is the Religion and politics subforum, where I have a clear picture of most of the regulars.

Thread prompted by looking through old threads and realizing how many of the people I used to recognize (Aylaine, Furburt, Mackheath, Generic Gamer, that Swede with the colourful ninja spiral gif avatar thing, etc.) have either been banned, stopped posting, or migrated to the forum games section. Sigh.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

I recognise most of the regulars through a combination of their avatars and sort of things they post. Sort of like the regulars at a pub, you are all fundamentally strangers to me, but that doesn't stop us from sharing ideas and opinions.

Also, my scrying device, but shush, it's a secret.

 

[Palademon]

There are some users who I see quite a lot, but I only manage to get a personality out of about half of those I see a lot.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

I know what types of replies to come from certain people, but I hardly rank any opinion or post over another because of who said it. I know nothing of their education or upbringing, so I can't judge them for what I think I know.

 

[staika]

I guess I assign personalities to the users I see the most in threads or people I point out the second I see them to be trouble makers. The people I don't see often or have low post counts are usually the faceless posters who I don't pay much attention to. I guess it just depends on how often I see a person if I give them a personality or not.

I wouldn't expect a lot of people to know me since I am usually in the RP forum and the user groups.

Edit: Almost forgot the Pub Club forum, I also spend some of my time there.

 

[JoJo]

I recognise most avatars and user-names of people who post regularly enough, but as for actually remembering what they write it depends on whether they give out a specific image. For example, I see Seekster on the Religion and Politics forum as the conservative guy because most his posts concern that, another example is Caramel Frappe who I see as a helpful guy as many of his posts give advice or are community based. Also if someone is posting trollish (not just ones I disagree with, but ones actually intended to offend or cause flaming) comments then I'll usually put less regard on their opinions in future. However admittedly the majority of users I either don't see enough of to form a image of their personality or they are simply more typical in the case of users who post a lot. Most people here are pretty decent though.

Recognisability is generally easier when users don't change their avatars too, unless they post enough to be well known regardless, I prefer to be safe than sorry so I only change parts of my avatar but leave the core intact. I hope I'm generally recognised by the regulars for my strong opinions and interests, or my role-playing contributions in that part of the site, but who knows?

 

[Mozza444]

There are a few people who i have seen a sense of personality (Due to number posts). These people are most often the ones who comment first also.

For an example see the 3 first people to reply above ^^^

However most people are anonymous to me which can be seen as good or bad.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

With great suspicion

I view everyone pretty equally. Sure, I'm biased towards those of you who are my close friends but that happens everywhere. I think we're a pretty friendly group though we have our elitist elements, our anarchists, etc. It's a mixed bag but I've always been able to see the best of the community. And if you're not able to speak respectfully and coherently, well there is always the report button

 

[Creator002]

Through their windows at night. >

I recognise some people from their avatar or the way they post, but I don't really have an opinion on them. When I'm on my iPhone, I don't even notice who the post is by as I zoom in far enough to read the text which ends up cutting off the avatars and names.

 

[TheRussian]

I have recently found a user that loves everything I hate, and hates everything I love.
He is my arch-nemesis of the Internet.

As for the rest of you, I recognize some of you, as I often read threads but don't comment much.

 

[GeorgW]

I remember a lot of posters, and have a pretty good idea of how they've acted before. While I wouldn't say that's enough to assign them personalities, I can still get a feel of how they might post and what they like and dislike.
The ones I don't I judge purely on the basis of their post.

On the whole I'd say we have a pretty amazing community.

I wouldn't expect a lot of people to know me since I am usually in the RP forum and the user groups.

I know you!
(I know most people in this thread, but you're the only one that provoked me)

 

[repeating integers]

The forum randoms:

The people I know, meanwhile... well, most of them are pretty cool guys. Thanks to Reveredtour, I can't help but imagine Root of all Evil as a one-armed blind cripple with a spear, a shield, and two babies in the one remaining hand.

 

[ShindoL Shill]

snip

i imagine you as someone with a large dog... perhaps a German Shepherd or yellow lab... or maybe a bear (i'm using you as an example.

so, as you can guess, i base my assumptions of your pictures. unless yours is ponies. or i've somehow seen you, like Staika (i assume the picture is of him...)
i don't think about people unless i know stuff about them.

I wouldn't expect a lot of people to know me since I am usually in the RP forum and the user groups.

thats HOW i know you!

 

[-Dragmire-]

Depends on how much care people put into their posts, I tend to have a negative view of people who don't use any form of punctuation. I have a self imagined view of those people as having a non flattering personality. On the other hand, some people on the site are rather talented writers who's personality jumps off the page just with the wording they give in their posts, sadly it's not very common to come across.

Other than those and the people trying to be funny, I don't attach a personality to people when I read their posts.

Oh and for anyone who's seen Warner Bros Pinky and the Brain, I read all Zero Punctuation posts that say "first" in Pinky's voice.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

snip

i imagine you as someone with a large dog... perhaps a German Shepherd or yellow lab... or maybe a bear (i'm using you as an example.

so, as you can guess, i base my assumptions of your pictures. unless yours is ponies. or i've somehow seen you, like Staika (i assume the picture is of him...)

I have a Weimaraner, which is about the same size as a German Shepard.

Wait a second...

*puts on tin foil hat*

Ah ha!

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

I see quite a few familiar names and avatars around and can generally remember some of their key dispositions on certain topics, or their style of writing, so when stumbling on a thread my powers of clairvoyance will occassionly lead me to accurately assume: 'Oh, I knew *insert name* would post something like that about *insert topic*, that is so them!' I also like to mentally devise my own nicknames for some of the more ubiquitous users based on their avatar's or custom title, which aren't usually particularly creative, but do serve for some amusement to me. :3

 

[smithy_2045]

I assume everyone is an idiot and no one knows or cares about anything anyone else says.

 

[staika]

so, as you can guess, i base my assumptions of your pictures. unless yours is ponies. or i've somehow seen you, like Staika (i assume the picture is of him...)
i don't think about people unless i know stuff about them.

I wouldn't expect a lot of people to know me since I am usually in the RP forum and the user groups.

thats HOW i know you!

Hooray I'm known by someone

My picture in my profile is me, just with glowing blue eyes which I edited on. They are glowing black eyes IRL