Pics or no pics?

[Indigo]

There are more and more people on the Dark Side's forums I've noticed who no longer put their picture up..... one of the comments in one of the threads was because they didn't want to be judged on how they look but on what they have to say and how they come across as a person. What are your thoughts about that? Do you feel that you would get taken more seriously if you didn't have a picture up? If you don't have a picture up, why not? What does your avatar/picture say about you?

[restless_native]

I always had a picture on there. But, for not other reason than originally I joined it as a dating site and only discovered the forums subsequently.

I don't think having a picture makes that much difference to regular posters as they tend to be judged by what they say and how they say it rather than by how they look.

[HannaSolo]

Um, no. Not me, in my case. I'm ordinary looking, so people would naturally do the "tennis eye" thing from photo to words, as they do in real life, from face to words, and the universe unfolds as it should. I suppose it could be a consideration for over-the-top attractive people, though. Or people who are very nice and smart but not "attractive" in the traditional sense.

Mind you, because this site was down for a day or so, I went back to the POF forums (ha! addict!), and at least on the forums I didn't notice more non-photo people than I remember from previous days. Are you talking about the dating part of the site?

What does your avatar/picture say about you?

It says nothing about me beyond, this is me holding my big, fat cat (Mr. Ben, short for Benzadrin Puffadder), who's confused and grouchy because I keep picking him up trying to get the auto-timer thing to catch me without me looking like a complete moron.

[apple]

I have pics all over the place. From tats to cleavage- nasty to nice.
This isn't a dating site. If anyone asks I give options of other sites.
Depending on who- they get to see what. I never post or allow nude shots.
That still leaves lots of creative room.

[~Nx~]

There are more and more people on the Dark Side's forums I've noticed who no longer put their picture up..... one of the comments in one of the threads was because they didn't want to be judged on how they look but on what they have to say and how they come across as a person. What are your thoughts about that? Do you feel that you would get taken more seriously if you didn't have a picture up? If you don't have a picture up, why not? What does your avatar/picture say about you?

i dont think you need a pic when you just intend to post in the forums... what use is it...?

i like to know what gender and age a poster is, but i dont need to know what they look like....

reasons for not having a pic are rarely as interesting as some people imply... i dont understand why people regard this as a sinister attempt to hide something, its normally just a case of having no pics or because they dont want to be recognised by the locals...

[Indigo]

Are you talking about the dating part of the site?

No, when I posted the topic I was thinking about the forums. However, I know many people who prefer not to put their pic up, not even for dating purposes... as they prefer to choose who they contact themselves and feel that their picture is an obstacle to someone getting to know them.

i dont think you need a pic when you just intend to post in the forums... what use is it...?

i like to know what gender and age a poster is, but i dont need to know what they look like....

reasons for not having a pic are rarely as interesting as some people imply... i dont understand why people regard this as a sinister attempt to hide something, its normally just a case of having no pics or because they dont want to be recognised by the locals...

I hadn't considered there was anything sinister involved before or an attempt to hide anything....... I'm even more intrigued now! hahaha. I was tempted to hide my pic as I only post on the forums now but I decided against it because I'm a visual person and I like to see whose post I am responding to. When I respond to someone who doesn't have a pic I guess there are less barriers to get in the way than when there is a pic.... unconsciously that is.

Anyway, to me my pic says that I am in a playful mood, relaxed and happy....nothing sinister there either.

[Stress Free]

I did meet someone from the forums who had no picture in there and only showed me a very close up face shot. I also traveled the longest distance away out of any female I had ever gone to meet.( The males I would travel as far as the moon for,but only on a Tuesday evening to be back by midnight )
She was fascinating company and yet she turned from being everyone's cup of tea to an aquired taste during our friendship.
In my humble opinion it is not wise to only judge people by there online persona or hearsay.
The fact that she was a large women was neither here nore there to me.
However,if I am hoping for a relationship to possibly come out of meeting someone then I would expect at least up to date full pics and/or seeing then on webcam.

[Teenwolf]

I feel that pics are important for dating profiles. Why? Lets be honest here, appearance does matter. Enough said!

As for forums, no I don't really see the purpose of pics. We're just here to share thoughts and opinions; not find a date. For most, a date requires a certain level of physical attraction. The same doesn't hold true for the forums.

[~Nx~]

I hadn't considered there was anything sinister involved before or an attempt to hide anything....... I'm even more intrigued now! hahaha. I was tempted to hide my pic as I only post on the forums now but I decided against it because I'm a visual person and I like to see whose post I am responding to. When I respond to someone who doesn't have a pic I guess there are less barriers to get in the way than when there is a pic.... unconsciously that is.

lol no not you brown eyes... im not saying your post implied it was sinister... this is a topic thats been raised over and over, normally on t'other side.. often the implication is that people with no pics are devious in some way...

[ItsMargo]

When I first tried online dating I didn't post a pic thinking I would rather connect verbally and then see what we have here. As some promising conversations were abruptly cut short as soon as we swopped pics LMAO I thought "now Margo, you obviously didn't consider all of the ramifications here and need to rethink this pic thing".

One of my grads noticed my pic and contacted me... no biggie, I always figured if one of my students or grads noticed me I'd just brazen my way through it.

My sweetie didn't post a pic until long, long after we were an item. Our first date was truly a blind date as he refused to send me a pic before hand. bugger. Consistent, that one is.
I told him it would serve him right if, when I clapped eyes on him, I took one look and barfed on his shoes. Apparently he felt that was an acceptable risk.