Do you recognize users by username or by avatar?

For the most part, if you change your avatar, you may as well be a new member...

Edit: It was very confusing when everyone became Ryan...

You're the perfect example. I've never seen this "BeachThunder" cat, but I'd know Purple Square anywhere.

Most of the time it's by avatar (this month has been super confusing with everyone having multiple Ryan based avatars)

No, every time i come here its a new experience

Avatar. I think of it just like faces. I remember faces, but rarely names.

I tend to recognize users by their avatar, but if they change it, I still recognize their name.

D.

Both? I like my avatar, and I like to change my shirt every once in a while so I color it.

Both for me. I notice the avatar first but if someone changes it I can still recognize them.

I remember the names of the ones I care about.

If I know their avatar, I know their name. That said, the avatar tends to be what I look at first, since that's the obvious at-a-glance thing. "Oh, it's so-and-so's avatar, so this is his post."

Generally speaking.

It's mostly the avatar, but I still recognize a lot of usernames.

Username for me, but I can see why people would recognize avatars more.

I am honored that you remember me despite my constant avatar changes.

Also I am more of a username dude myself.

Don't know a single persons username.

Both for me. The only thing that could throw me off is when people change their username.

Avatar at first but I've grown to recognize some people by their username. Everyone using Ryan pictures really confused me for awhile.

Cute girl avatars?

What about a bar of soap sitting on a union jack? ;)

Sometimes I'll see people with 5000+ posts and feel like it's the first time I've ever seen them. I guess that could be because they changed their avatar or something? I used to change mine quite often but I've now made one which I feel sums me up as a human being.

Or just straight up my fucking FACE YA'LL!!! WASSAAAAP!?!?!

Avatar is what catches my eye first but there are many users I notice anyway.

By the avatar and only the ones I see a lot.

I often identify users by their avatar, but on Giant Bomb, probably more than most places for me, the names are equally, if not more, important.

Some people change their avatars often; so, you have to identify solely by the name(or type of avatar pictures. ex. pretty asian women might indicate one commenter). It has been a little confusing during this last month of Ryan pictures on everyone, which is why I prefer having normal avatars but slightly altered. So, like little Ryan faces on mine or when people put on santa hats around Christmas time. As long as the main iconic imagery is still there, it's usually fine.

I am considering changing back to my unedited version, as I feel like it's nearing time. It's just such an odd thing to do, you know? It's like marking a particular point in the coping process.

Avatar mostly.

I remember users by both, although avatars are easier to remember than names.

Both, If I chatted with a person long enough I'll get familiar with their name. Though lots of people probably forgets about me, sense I changed my avatar quite alot on this site.

Avatars are easier to remember. I never remeber people's names also, so there you go.

By avatar..

Mostly avatar but sometimes by names too.

Avatars are good for recognizing someone by peripheral vision, but I pick up on names pretty quick too. People changing avatars doesn't bother me.

Mostly the avatar for me, but generally I know the higher post counts by name and avatar.

It was kinda weird when everyone was Ryan though.

Boy better know.

http://www.giantbomb.com/ryan-davis/3040-93335/forums/fatbomb-follow-your-bliss-1444879/

Changed my Avatar recently and I don't recognize myself.

By smell.

For the longest time it was easy for me to pick out my own posts because it was the one with the green background. Well, there was another person whose avatar had a green background, but it seemed to be use 2, mostly.

Edit: When I had this as my avatar.

Giant Bomb is the only forum I've used where I recognize people by name rather than avatar.

I've been around long enough to recognize names. After that, it's what you write and stuff. People always give themselves away in how the conduct themselves on the forums.

Both. I recognize some peoples names, but mostly avatars.

Avatar for the most part. I'm terrible with names.

It's both for me but I'm actually better at recognizing names than avatars so it wasn't that confusing when everybody changed their avatar (for example due to Dave's birthday or Ryan's passing). This is the only community I'm in some way invested in so that might be part of it.

Recognizing an avatar is easier, but I'm on here enough that I recognize names too. I try to keep my avatar the same so that people don't have trouble recognizing me.

None of the above.

I recognize users by their sex appeal.

I certainly recognize more avatars than I do names, but there are some names I see on here so much that they have become an exception.

Gaf seems to have a pretty ritualized practice where you don't really change your avatar much, aside from photoshoping silly things onto it.

username save for Video_Game_King

Mostly by avatar but there are a few people I remember by name.

Both but mostly I remember usernames that I care about or see often like Animasta,Turboman,Gunslingerpanda,Truthtellah,MrFluke....ect if you're here as much as I am you tend to recognize the people you like and agree with and the people you sort of clash with. Although I really don't dislike anyone here anyways.

Some people on here I even talk to outside of the forums on twitter and stuff like AjayRaz and Aurahack.

Mostly avatars, but I remember using usernames a lot more on the old site.