[HB]

Fodder for discussion.

The question is: what good are profile pictures, really?  Now, there are likely some real honest to goodness valid pics on some
profiles, but the majority are nabbed from the internet somewhere. Either they'd candid shots which have been ripped from a social site ( Facebook, Photobucket, etc) and then posted someplace like bustywebshots or titsintops. So someone sees the picture and it is obvious this isn't the  actual person.

Or, there are cases where an internet pin up model's image AND NAME is used.   I don't mean the 3 or more profiles that have Denise Milani as their profile picture, or the blonde from Wifeysworld.com, there are at least 3 of those, too.

Again...fine. This is all fantasy.  Don't misunderstand. It's great some find ideals in a model's pic...or even in one ripped from elsewhere...and you find a specific identity for your physical self.  However when someone insists "oh this is really me, not some South American pop singer " then it does head to creepy territory.

A popular generalization is that MEN, not women, are visual creatures. However, seeing endless polls based on pictures...makes one wonder.

So, using a photo to represent your cyberself falls in line with the level of pretend we all indluge in.
But it occured to me, as, as someone who's been in, out and around the internet catfight chat scene for 10 years or so; the ladies I have been closest to, the ones who for me are the most exciting, the most sensuous, the ones who are real cats...don't have pictures on their profiles. At  least, not a picture that is supposed to be them. There may be pictures that  
show their interests...but not a photo real or ripped...which represents their physical self.  

To me, they're above and beyond, the epitome of classic catfighting, they both have the mindset, the skills, and the attitude and understanding of what makes a catfight exciting...as opposed to mindless thrashing. To my eyes, I've never seen better fighters. Ever. And neither has profile pictures which are supposed to be them.  Neither one has a photo taken from Southern Charms.

Again ... having the picture isn't an automatic evil. I have met  a few who do have sexy if stolen profile photos and can really spark a fire in chat.

But we've all checked someone's profile and seen a sexy picture...and then been disappointed when they struggle to put down more than three words in a row.

So what do you prefer?  Would you rather see a profile with sizzling hot photos but average chatting or fighting skills, or someone who enages in excellent chat but doesn't have a picture posted?

[HB]

Fascinating as always.

I'll say first of all that while I feel I'm a good looking girl, I'm aware that no modeling agencies are breaking down my door.  I didn't load pics to blow anyone away, but rather to give potential opponents an idea of what a fight with me will be like, particularly since my small size is so much a part of my identity as a fighter.  I've made friends here who have a lot of pictures, friends who have few, and friends who have none but caught my attention either with an interesting profile or quality contributions to threads.  As far as "letdowns," I generally know before the chat even starts if someone's going to be a waste of time, so luckily I've avoided most of those.  I haven't participated in any polls, I don't quite see the point and I'm very competitive.  But I do enjoy reading other ones and speculating.  Perhaps I'm not really going anywhere here, but you've at least given me something to think about

Thanks for your thoughts. I do want to clarify that there's nothing inherently wrong with choosing even a fantasy picture for a profile as an online "identity".   Polls still are a mystery to me however.  They can be funny but, don't get basing a reputation on them.

But that's another topic althogether

[RedEnforcer]

Personally I see the use of pictures as another form of "avatar" for the site.  I'm cultivating a persona online and use the pics not to say "this is me" but more "this is my silly personality" because I don't come online to be serious or 'real'. I come online to kick back and have fun.  That being said HB, as a bigtime fan of noir, I have always loved your pic and I think it sums up how I see you post.

[harpua13]

I've fooled you all, I'm actually a 21 year old blonde sorority girl with breasts the size of grapefruits who oil wrestles on Saturday nights.
 

The few times I've popped my head into chat I've been pretty well ignored and I'm not somebody who really goes out of their way to be social in that context because for all my blabbering here, I'm rather shy as a chatter with people who I don't really "know."
That and for a writer, I'm a shitty typist.
Really though It's a catfight board on the internet, if it's not your picture I'll play along with whatever the fantasy is because in the end it doesn't matter to me as long as you're a fun person to talk to, and if that really is your picture, all the better, because in the end I appreciate your reality and your honesty.

[Wrestlerjunkee]

Personally I see the use of pictures as another form of "avatar" for the site.  I'm cultivating a persona online and use the pics not to say "this is me" but more "this is my silly personality" because I don't come online to be serious or 'real'. I come online to kick back and have fun.  That being said HB, as a bigtime fan of noir, I have always loved your pic and I think it sums up how I see you post.

I agree with ya Red.  Though, I play me on here and so do a lot of other people.  Sure there are a ton of posers but its going to be like that anywhere else.

[HB]

Personally I see the use of pictures as another form of "avatar" for the site.  I'm cultivating a persona online and use the pics not to say "this is me" but more "this is my silly personality" because I don't come online to be serious or 'real'. I come online to kick back and have fun.  That being said HB, as a bigtime fan of noir, I have always loved your pic and I think it sums up how I see you post.

I like your point, clarifying you're here for "fun".  That seems to be a point many miss

[smokedbyu]

i would like to follow  up on that   and  that is  this site is just for fun fantasy so many here seem to forget that

as for the profile pictures  i know they are  a lot of posers  here, but to automatically assume that some one is a poser just because you  you happen to find that picture on a modeling site,or a webcam site
unless you know for  a fact that it is'ent that person is just the wrong thing to do
i have known a few girl's  that have quit the site  with hurt feelings because of  it

[Boundfighter]

Hi all
Profile pics what are good for ?
I use it to awake some interest that someone have a look on my profile where i write down my likes. Also with the attached pics that shown my interests.
For me it is not nessesary if there is real pic or not from my opponent.
After a while and when i now my partner better it is no problem to exchange pics. But not at the first contact. It is the same reason that we (mostly) all uses fantasy nicks . Or does anybody think that my name is Bound Fighter in RL
We are all here to have some fun and live our fantasys. That is the most importent thing and so we can have fun save.
My text in my profile is real. That is what i like so everyone have the choice to contact me or not.

Regards

BF

[LoveSexyJobbers]

I believe the Profile Pics are kind of the same like Profiles who have nothing at all , & these people have been on the site for a while . People using Known People as their Avatars is something that is mildly annoying to me like " OH Yeah " I didn't have to stalk that Penthouse Pet in the 1st place when I can flirt with her here .

As far as Polls go , I do tend to go for the person who is using what seems like a real picture of her rather than a pic of a model who Iv'e known the identity of for 10 - 15 years like Emily Shannon , but it's just an Avatar & this place is about Fantasy .

Lastly , like I do with my Stories , the Pics at least give us some visual of who someone might be although false , but like me , I'm not in a position to reveal who I am but use Pics as to what I like instead & i'm also not really Photogenic at all , I'm not a Hideous Beast or anything but I just don't look good in Pics , if anyone asks , I tell them I look like WrestlerJunkee , except with less mucles , a bigger belly , & puffier face & if people though used at least pics to show what they like , people would know & perhaps Chat might get a few more people chatting in PM more

[RedEnforcer]

Back when Yahoo still had the 360 profiles, I ran a contest in my blog to help me pick a new profile image. It was a tongue and cheek way of noting that most profiles were pics just grabbed from the net. I Googled "Male Abs" and grabbed the first four shots I could find and posted them up and had my contacts vote. I'm grown up to know that there will be people using pics of models online and all. I go with the fantasy myself. I don't try and pretend that I'm not pretending nor that there's a good possibility other folks are pretending. If you can write well and do a good scene with me, I'm all for it. I'm more into the personalities honestly than the pictures. I know, that sounds weird given I'm the Boy Who Cried Boobies around here, but it's true. I come here to escape reality and I value those who help me do that and help create a welcoming environment. 

[BigDevil]

I'm not going to touch the profile pic thing. But I will say that as far as I am concerned those so called poll fights are nothing but popularity contests.

[lumberjack66]

I would definitely rather chat with somebody who is fun to chat with than with somebody with a killer profile pic.  In fact, I would say the profile pic has the opposite effect on me.  If I look at a profile and I see some glamorous super model pic of a woman in her 20's, I don't even bother to say hello.  Chances are they are either a poser who does not want to talk to me or a super model in her 20's who does not want to talk with me.  The same with naked pics, women that are obviously in a photo shoot, women with more silicone than my laptop, etc.   I'll also ignore blank profiles mostly because I don't know how to start the conversation.  At least fill in your profile a little bit.  Who you are, what you are into, maybe where you are at.  Doesn't take a lot to get a conversation going.  Of course if they start chatting with me, I'll chat but I will chat with anybody regardless of what their profile pic is or what their profile says.

I probably respond more to the pics off of social sites.  I have had a lot of people respond very well to my profile pic and it gets a lot of conversations started.  Maybe that would help more... a pic of what you'd like to do or are interested in more than some obvious fake pic.  Just my thoughts.