Pondering UserNames and Avatars

[strassenbahn (imported)]

My user name "Strassenbahn" means "streetcar" (British "tram") in German. It reflects my hobby fascination with -- actually love of -- this form of transportation, and wish that I had lived in an era when it played the universal role that busses do today. I am not German, but as a former U.S. diplomat had two very happy tours there that totalled six years. My choice of the German term for my beloved streetcars reflects both this happiness and my gratitude for the fact that in Germany streetcars ("Strassenbahnen") have survived better than in many other countries.

As for my avatar, the phrase "woman wannabe" under it says it all. I am a man in late middle age who wishes he were a woman, and naturally a beautiful, sexy young woman. My avatar exactly represents what I would magically turn into if I could. It is from a pastel pinup picture by the great American pinup artist Gil Elvgren (active 1937-1972). I chose it from among the thumbnails on a site dedicated to his work. My choice reflected (a) my fantasy desire to be a brunette woman, and (b) the lack of background, which I thought would be too "busy" in a picture this size.

As for the use of "avatar" in this context, I would note that the Merriam Webster Unabridged Dictionary definition starts with Vishnu but then has "an incarnation or embodyment of another person". Now what are our avatars on the EA other than a visual embodiment of ourselves, chosen by us? Some prefer an actual picture of themselves, others a fantasy image (as I do), others an object that they feel represents their essence; all are an "embodyment" of the EA member, in terms of the definition mentioned above.

Actually, I think this adaptation of the term "avatar" to its present meaning on sites such as this should be regarded as a token of the flexibility of language, and the way new developments (e.g. Internet sites that call for identifying pictures such as these) can give an old word new life. Quite comparable is the way the old symbol @, which in pre-Internet days was used exclusively to mean "at" in commercial correspondence -- "I would like to order 20 widgets @ $50 each = $1000" -- and which almost no one ever used on his or her typewriter, has now become one of the most important keys on the computer keyboard.

[tugon (imported)]

My name Tugon was a nick name given to me by a young Airman. That in itself is quite a story. Of course tugon = two gone. I though about MTSak for empty sac but because of who first called me tugon it stuck. Some folks think it means tug on but I tell them that is past tense. In the past when I had something to tug on.

[Thorne1978 (imported)]

Mine is just my email address. the reason even chose it in the first place has been lost to time.

p.s. slammr, what is that avatar anyways? vinyl model? wrestling figure? I personally like it, just curious because it looks very similar to a wrestling figure or a prototype of a superhero figure.( I am a toy geek.)

[Slammr (imported)]

Mine is just my email address. the reason even chose it in the first place has been lost to time.

p.s. slammr, what is that avatar anyways? vinyl model? wrestling figure? I personally like it, just curious because it looks very similar to a wrestling figure or a prototype of a superhero figure.( I am a toy geek.)

It's a figure I made up using a graphics program called Poser 6, based on a figure called the "Freak," created by "DAZ," a provider of content for Poser and other graphic programs. He's a mean dude that I've used in creating some scenes on my web site.

[Studlover (imported)]

I haven't always had this user name. When I first joined the group here I was using the nickname CT212. That nick didn't hold much of a meaning except for maybe my initials and a group of numbers that were easy to remember. You may still run across some of my old postings with that nick. It wasn't until the Archive crash in the summer of '02 that I had to opportunity to change my name to the one I use now.

And yes, there are some very clever names that people use here. I find most to be descriptive of the person in some way, others make no sense at all. And since the reason I am here is for the reality of castration, I felt that using my real name was the proper thing for me to do.

As for the Avatar, to me they represent a visual presentation of that person. And once again I use a real picture of myself which coincides with how I feel I should present myself to the rest of the group. I've always thought that a real picture of someone is much more satisfying to me because it helps me to connect the written word with the person who wrote it. Even though some people don't use a real picture of themselves, they still seem to identify there self in a unique way. Sadly, too many do not use any such Avatar and they are probably just wanting to remaining anonymous.

I am glad to know someone else uses a real picture of one's self.

I do it so that when Halloween comes around the person can print out my picture and scare people away!

Studlover

[sag111 (imported)]

Well for me I didnt realey think befor chosing SAG111 it was just a group of letters and numbers that I chose randemaly because I was having a hard time getting a pass word someplace.So I chose SAG111 and it has been with me for years and the pic of me was taken a year or so back because i wanted people to know a little more about me.By the way good post

[n3rf (imported)]

Sag and all, How do I insert my picture - again -.?? N3RF

[lilac (imported)]

Well, Im sure ya'll know why I have the name *Lilac*. well, maybe not...but anyway, I picked this name because I love the smell of lilac's and my favorite color is *purple* so, it's purple lilac's. Well, also alot of people say I am a sweet person so that adds to the *sweet smelling lilac*

always a pleasure, Lilac

[JesusA (imported)]

The origin of my Archive name is a long story. It was created to provide a thin layer of “troll-guard” between myself and some of the browsers here. Anyone who reads the Archive regularly could figure out exactly who I am, should they so desire. Enough links to my street identity have been posted. Everyone from the Archive whom I have met in person or over the telephone has my full identification, including address and telephone number.

The creation of “Jesus Azevado” was to add yet more ethnicities for me. I can trace ancestry to nearly all of Europe, including Irish Catholic AND Protestant, Polish Catholic AND Jew, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Greek, Pomeranian, Everyone click here! (http://www.furrycritter.com/resources/d ... ranian.gif) (not the dog, but the people), German, Cornish, Welsh, Scottish, etc. The ONLY part of Europe where I can trace no ancestry is the Iberian Peninsula - Spain, Portugal, the Basque region. I can even trace ancestry outside Europe.

One of the ancestors to arrive in the New World was the daughter of an Ottoman merchant and his Black African slave/concubine. She fled to the wilds of northern part of the colony of New York with a British soldier who had deserted from the embassy in Istanbul with his beloved in the 1660s. She added two more continents to my ancestry.

Azevado is a common Portuguese name, picking up the Iberian Peninsula. Jesus is rather uncommon in the Old World, but is one of the most common names in Mexico (and the American Southwest) today, picking up some New World background.

Jesus also provides an important religious allusion. Since I'm a third generation Buddhist, I delight in being able to write that “Jesus is a Buddhist!”

(My wife is Japanese, and my daughter married a man who is Russian Jew, Finnish, and Australian. My grandson covers nearly all of the world!)

My avatar is a gift of Paolo, who found the statue somewhere and shot the photo. It's a nice Buddhist image, pointing both UP and DOWN. Paolo added the legend “Not to be confused with THAT Jesus!” I had been thinking of using a photo of myself as an avatar - probably enough to scare off trolls from the Archive just by itself - but I like Paolo's version too much to change it right now.

[Paolo]

I had to put that link in, sorry!

Anyway, as far as mine...well, you get the idea.