What do you think about writers who don't put their photo as avatar in Hubpages?

1. 67

   Claudia Telloposted 10 years ago

   What do you think about writers who don't put their photo as avatar in Hubpages?
   
   I have seen many hubbers that have preferred anonymity and don’t use their photo as avatar in their profile. What do you think about this? Do you think it rests credibility to the author? Do you see any other disadvantages?

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2. 60

   Ruth ferrazposted 10 years ago

   Hi Claudia,
   I have thought about this question sometimes and for me some hubbers don't use their photo as avatar because they prefer to have privacy, or they don't like their image. I believe we must accept us as we are because everybody have their own and special beauty. If we don't like us who will!

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   1. 67

      Claudia Telloposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Ruth, thanks for your answer. I totally agree with you, we must feel proud and appreciative of ourselves.

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3. 80

   peachpurpleposted 10 years ago

   i don't put my image on my HP because my hubby disallowed me to. He says we should keep our profile a secret, maybe that's his chinese way of thinking. Anyway, he says no, that means no. All my other sites , facebook and twitter don't have my photos either. I wish i could...

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   1. 67

      Claudia Telloposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      peachpurple, I would have never guessed that! Thanks for your answer. I also like to show my face because I am proud of what I write here and I like to stand by it.

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4. 0

   CJ Sledgehammerposted 10 years ago

   I would rather have readers judge my works...not my looks. Having said that - I also value my privacy deeply. Even belonging to Hubpages is a step way out on the limb for me. This is to say that you will not find me anywhere else in Cyberspace.
   
   At the end of the day, I decided I would allow people to know my heart, but they do not need to know my face. Besides...I'm not that handsome anyway, so you won't miss much. :0)

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   1. 67

      Claudia Telloposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for your answer CJ Sledgehammer, interesting to read your point of view. I was thinking quite the opposite, the world is so big and we are so many people that anonymity is almost a given fact. Who the hell know who Claudia Tello is anyway!!!!

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5. 37

   ChristinSposted 10 years ago

   For most it's a privacy issue and I would think should be a personal choice.  Also, some people write by pseudonym and posting their actual face with a pen name wouldn't work out so well.  Some writers may engage in different writing styles on various sites and perhaps don't want the connection to be made between the different styles - those who write fiction and SEO content for example, may want to keep the two separate and would use an avatar etc.

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   1. 67

      Claudia Telloposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I think having two different writing focuses would be the only reason that would make sense to me. Other reasons I respect but don't agree with. I like having my photo because I am proud of what I do and who I am. Thanks for your input ChristinS!!!

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6. 58

   Psychodeliciousposted 10 years ago

   On my other account which I use much more, I didn't have my real picture for a long time.  At first I didn't see the need for it and then I ended up dating someone who wanted me to hide my online existence.  He warned me all about internet stalkers and convinced me to delete all my blogs and actually stop using this site for a long time.  Since we broke up I have put my real photo up on my other account, I don't see the harm in having it here.  I think there is a comfort in seeing who you are getting your information from.

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   1. 67

      Claudia Telloposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I agree, there certainly is a comfort in seeing who you are getting the information from, anonymity is a bit obscure and not so trustworthy from my point of view. Thanks for your answer.

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7. 81

   Taleb80posted 10 years ago

   I think it is acceptable to choose anonymity. Everyone has a reason behind that & we should accept. At Last we know that there is a human being who passes his/her experience, knowledge, ideas & point of view, and that our concern.

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   1. 67

      Claudia Telloposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for your contribution. Through this question I have learned that the main reason why people don’t use their photo is fear, which is a bit sad.

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   2. 81

      Taleb80posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Maybe that.
      Unfortunately, we as human being fear form each other.

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8. 72

   livewirezposted 10 years ago

   It's a personal choice I guest.. If you try to look at my avatar, it is the picture of my baby boy. It's my own choice using this because everytime I open my hubpages I want to see the face of my baby.

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   1. 67

      Claudia Telloposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I would rather see the face of the writer I am communicating with, but you are right, we are free to choose and that is fantastic.

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9. 88

   Patty Inglish, MSposted 10 years ago

   My photo on an Internet site was lifted and used to forge a few passports and so, I will not be putting one up again for a couple more years yet.

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   1. 67

      Claudia Telloposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      What a terrible incident, I am really sorry to hear that is the reason why you don’t use your photo. Thanks for the input.

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   2. 88

      Patty Inglish, MSposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks very much. Some other people have even worse stories - like being stalked.

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10. 92

    Arghnessposted 10 years ago

    I don't think anything about them.  That's their choice and that's fine for them.  I prefer anonymity as well, but for the sake of being more personal on a place (the internet) that is so impersonal, I have chosen to put up my face.

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    1. 67

       Claudia Telloposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       I like your remark about being personal. I do find it nicer to communicate with a determinate person (even if it is only a photo) rather than a random image.

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11. 88

    Patty Inglish, MSposted 10 years ago

    Is there something wrong with people that will not post their own real photo likenesses on Internet sites? Perhaps not, and perhaps they want to keep it that way. See some interesting cases here... read more

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    1. 0

       CJ Sledgehammerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       An excellent article, Patty, thank you for posting it. :0)

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12. 60

    ib radmastersposted 10 years ago

    I do it because of privacy, Facebook and social media are examples of why you don't want to open the kimono.
    
    Additionally, the writing should be the focus and not the writer. The more judgements that are made of the writer the less effective is the  writing.
    
    Yes, you can also make assumptions about the avatar chosen, but you would be wrong in my case. I change the avatars periodically. There is no message in the picture that I choose for the avatar, or for my hubber name.

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    1. 67

       Claudia Telloposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for your input. I respect your point of view but personally prefer to see the person I am communicating with (same thing that happens in face-to-face every day life, wouldn't like my interlocutor to be hidden behind a random image).

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    2. 88

       Patty Inglish, MSposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Plus, there are individuals that understand a person's speaking better if they can see the facial expressions and movement of lips. I think that videophone is great for that.

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    3. 60

       ib radmastersposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Be honest in the first four seconds of seeing the person you will make a judgement that will cloud your opinion of their writing.

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13. 91

    Theophanesposted 10 years ago

    One of the reasons I don't put my photo up is because I literally got stopped at the airport a few months ago when a staffer thought I was 14 and wanted to know where my parents were. When I told her my actual age she nearly passed out. As a woman looking like a perpetual teenager can be a good thing, as a writer of factual articles it's most certainly not. Besides when I signed up here I wrote a lot of articles that I knew a lot of women wouldn't appreciate so I picked a masculine pen name. It worked. People think I'm male - and in those very same articles tell me I'm a misogynist. I can't help but find this hilarious seeing as I'm actually female and a feminist but that's besides the point. I think anonymity can be a good thing. It releases a reader from expectations.

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    1. 67

       Claudia Telloposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Very interesting point of you, thanks for sharing it. Looking young also has a good side doesn't it? Now I am curious to read some of your hubs!

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14. 62

    LoisRyan13903posted 10 years ago

    I'm fine with that.  I don't look at the profile pictures much.  People have personal reasons why they want to be private and some may not have a camera or phone where they can upload a picture.

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    1. 67

       Claudia Telloposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for sharing. From the answers here, I see the reasons are mostly fear and security reasons, as well as trying to avoid prejudice and being judged by appearance.

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