quiz

[Shi no Tenshi]

[b]I am no longer taking any more responses - thank you to everyone who replied. This topic is still open to discussion of the results or identity tourism.[/b]

(also posted on Sonicanime.net)

I'm doing some research on social stereotypes and decided to do something on internet racial and gender issues.

Anyway, the following questions require your opinions on race and gender. If you have a minute to spare please answer them as truthfully as possible. If you feel that you either don't want to answer a question or would prefer to pm me the answer that's absolutely fine.

One word answers or minimal answers are permissable.

----

1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it? (avatars without characters are neutral or asexual)

2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?

3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?

4. What gender and race are you?

5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? (Answering yes is not racist - this is much more common than you think)

6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).

7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?

8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?

9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?

10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?

11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?

12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?

----

Thanks for your time.

[Stuart]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][B]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it?[/B]
White, 20ish, male.

[B]2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/B]
Could be seen as both, probably, but it's more maculine.

[B]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/B]
Mature attributes. He's holding a gun for heaven's sake. lol.

[B]4. What gender and race are you?[/B]
White male.

[B]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white?[/B]
Yes, I do actually.

[B]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference.[/B]
Sorry, don't roleplay.

[B]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/B]
Not to my knowledge, no.

[B]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times?[/B]
I have. How many times? Maybe just a few.

[B]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/B]
I have numerous online nicknames, and not all of which I came up with.

[B]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/B]
They do.

[B]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/B]
Haha. Not always, sad to say.

[B]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/B]
No... It's not something I worry too much about. If I did, I wouldn't have a myspace :P.[/FONT]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue][B]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it? (avatars without characters are neutral or asexual)
[/B]K-9 - five and a half years old - female

[B]2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/B]
Definately feminine. ^_~

[B]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/B]
Probably doesn't apply since she's a dog. Though by dog standards she's considered grown up.

[B]4. What gender and race are you?[/B]
White female
[B]
5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? (Answering yes is not racist - this is much more common than you think)[/B]
Actually I do, but then where I live I don't see a lot of different races.

[B]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).[/B]
I've joined some RPG's if that's what you mean and usually I pick a white female as that's what I'm most familiar with.

[B]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/B]
No

[B]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?[/B]
Yes, just a few times

[B]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/B]
Mine is really simple, it's the name of my Dog in the avatar and signature. ^_^

[B]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/B]
Yes, since Aaryanna is usually thought of as a female name. People often don't guess my age though since I've been told that I sound much older than what I really am.

[B]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/B]
It's never come up so I don't know.

[B]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/B]
No since its who I am whether or not other people know about it. ^_^
[/COLOR]

[Albert Flasher]

[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=Sienna]
1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it? (avatars without characters are neutral or asexual)[B]
His name is Chef Cookie, he's a man, he's white, and he's 8-bit.[/B]

2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[B]
Masculine. Can't you feel the masculine-ness just flowing off the Chef?[/B]

3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[B]
His name is CHEF COOKIE, what do you think? [/B]

4. What gender and race are you?
[B]White male. Fat.[/B]

5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? (Answering yes is not racist - this is much more common than you think)[B]
Naturally I do assume their white, but that's only because I live in an area which is essentially 100% White Bread, so I just naturally assume...
[/B]
6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).
[B]I havn't roleplayed in a long time...[/B]

7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[B]
Not really. Generally people can feel the whiteness flowing off me from a mile away.[/B]

8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?[B]
Definatly. Everytime I meet somone in game I naturally assume their guys because chicks who game are relativly rare. Once I thought somone was a guy who was a girl for about 5 months before I found out. I don't catch on quick.[/B]

9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[B]
My nickname is Ziggy Stardust, a charcter created by my favourite singer David Bowie. [/B]

10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[B]
No. Most people think I'm older than I am, but gender and race they usually catch.[/B]

11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[B]
Does that include people who go around using '***' as a synonam for 'asshole'?[/B]

12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[B]
Not really... I'm not sure why I would...[/B][/COLOR][/FONT]

[Hanabishi Recca]

[U]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it? [/U]
White, 17 (I think), Male.

2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?
I guess masculine. It has a male, and it doesn't have any feminine feeling.

3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?
I guess it would be in the middle. If I have to pick one, it would be mature.

4. What gender and race are you?
Male, White.

5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white?
I never thought about that... I do.

6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).
I don't.

7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?
No.

8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times?
No. I have never been mastaken for any of those.

9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?
Hanabishi, it is from a manga.

10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?
Yes, my gender, age, and race.

11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?
Yeah.

12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?
I wouldn't.

[Shinjitsu]

[color=dodgerblue][b]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it? (avatars without characters are neutral or asexual)[/b]
Japanese (and yet white), 13, Male

[b]2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/b]
Masculine. Eh, he's in the middle of a fight -_-

[b]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/b]
Bit of both. Mostly childish, though.

[b]4. What gender and race are you?[/b]
Female, Australian/New Zealander

[b]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? (Answering yes is not racist - this is much more common than you think)[/b]
Yes

[b]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).[/b]
Not for years, sorry

[b]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/b]
Yes, all of the above, lol.

[b]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?[/b]
Yes I have, 2-3 times (it's hard around the South Pacific. Due to many Pacific Islands being very similar, it's sometimes hard to tell where someone's from, and Australia & New Zealand and majorly multi-cultural countries).

[b]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/b]
Shinjitsu - 'Truth' in Japanese. Basically my name in real life - Verity - means 'truth', and one of my best friends is Japanese, thus the nickname. (Plus it's cool when you're writing to people in Japan :D )

[b]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/b]
No

[b]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/b]
Lol, sometimes

[b]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/b]
Not at all! (19/F/Aussie-Kiwi/Bi :catgirl: )

Yatta! Finished! Best of luck with the survey.[/color]

[Sara]

[color=#b0000b][size=1]By "avatar," I'm inclined to think you mean the more abstract sense of "online representation of yourself," rather than "the little picture that you have above each of your posts." Correct me if I'm wrong, and I'll edit my post to include the appropriate answers to your survey.[/size][/color]

[Panda]

Here ya go, all you wanted to know about a Panda!

[b]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it? (avatars without characters are neutral or asexual)[/b]
On the OB: It's an energy pill so N/A
Overall: My online image is that of a cute, cuddly female panda bear.

[b]2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/b]
OB: Neither. I don't think the pill has a gender. It is associated with a male character from Bleach but that is about it.
Overall: My online image is definitely female.

[b]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/b]
OB: I think a bit of both. It's a pill that is good for you yet it has a skull which normally is associated with death.
Overall: Childish definitely.

[b]4. What gender and race are you?[/b]
100% Female and 100% Japanese

[b]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? (Answering yes is not racist - this is much more common than you think)[/b]
I honestly don't think about it. Really. For instance it wasn't until a friend pointed it out a couple years into my marriage that I was in an interracial marriage. Until then I didn't even think about it. Race isn't something I think about when meeting someone on or offline.

[b]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).[/b]
Nope.

[b]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/b]
Yes. Not another race but I have been mistaken for being male. At the time my online avatars was a chubby panda bear with angel wings and my profile states "female" yet this person was really surprised that I am female. In fact they questioned me several times to see if I was joking.

[b]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?[/b]
I honestly can't say. I don't think about race, age or gender when reading responses online. Quality of response is what influences my opinions about others. None of those factors determines how well someone replies to a question. Just because you are a certain race, age or gender doesn't exempt you from being smart/stupid.

[b]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/b]
Panda. It the nickname my husband gave to me years ago.

[b]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/b]
I think they usually guess my gender correctly. As for my age and race, I don't think anyone has tried guessing.

[b]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/b]
Yeah. I make it pretty easy since I make reference to my husband all the time.

[b]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/b]
Nope. My life is an open book. I don't care if people know I am a 30 year old Japanese woman who is married to the man of my dreams. I'm pretty happy with my life and don't think there is anything wrong with sharing it.

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=DarkOliveGreen]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it?
[B]Hylian -probably somewhere between 15-20 - male[/B]

2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?
[B]Definitely masculine[/B]

3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?
[B]I would say mature since it's an avatar of Link as an adult.[/B]

4. What gender and race are you?
[B]White female [/B]

5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? (Answering yes is not racist - this is much more common than you think)
[B]Yes, though I know I'm probably wrong, it's just what I'm use to seeing everyday since where I live it's predominately white people. [/B]

6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your role-playing character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).
[B]If you are referring to RPG then yes. I've mostly played female characters though sometimes ones that aren't human. [/B]

7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?
[B]Yes, since I stick with an avatar of Link people often mistake me for a guy, I suppose I should put it in my profile that I'm a female.[/B]

8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?
[B]Online I have, it's hard to tell based on someone's name and such. In real life, only a few times. [/B]

9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?
[B]It's the name of a character from one of my favorite Star Trek books. [/B]

10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?
[B]Probably most of the time, except for the gender part. LOL![/B]

11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?
[B]No one has ever asked so I don't know.[/B]

12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?
[B]Not really, I've never been big on telling how old I am, but that stemmed mostly from being ignored after people realized I was over 20. That's not a problem here at OB, but where I live a lot of adults think if you are over 20 and still like anime then you must be a pervert. >_< It just makes it harder to say anything online since I got use to just keeping my mouth shut. *shrug* other than that I really don't have a problem with others knowing that kind of stuff about me.[/B][/COLOR]

[Shi no Tenshi]

[quote name='Sara][color=#b0000b][size=1]By "avatar," I'm inclined to think you mean the more abstract sense of "online representation of yourself," rather than "the little picture that you have above each of your posts." Correct me if I'm wrong, and I'll edit my post to include the appropriate answers to your survey.[/size'][/color][/quote]

Yep it's to do with the little pictures. I'm researching identity tourism on the internet (there have been some classic examples coming up in this topic - which is brilliant!). Avatars are the only image we have of a person when we go onto a forum or visual chat, and they are often specifically chosen or made to represent the individual. As a result they are a subject of great intrest in internet psychology.

On another note - the responses so far have been amazing. Every single one has been incredibly substancial - thanks everyone!

[Japan]

[COLOR=Indigo][B]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it? (avatars without characters are neutral or asexual)[/B]
My avatar is of Gackt. Whom is a male, JPOP singer. He only likes candlelight and is I think, 28 years old. (Too lazy to check his fanbase)

[B]2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/B]
Masculine

[B]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/B]
Mature, most definately. I've seen several people melt by just looking at him.

[B]4. What gender and race are you?[/B]
I am female and white.

[B]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? (Answering yes is not racist - this is much more common than you think)[/B]
Not always.

[B]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).[/B]
yes...
Hehe, well, typically I mainly stay with female, but as of late, I have a male character on Lusternia. My female characters are almost always straight, but I am not too sure if I want my male character straight yet. I am still new to the whole male roleplay aspect and I am using Koromir (my male character) to get used to it. In Achaea and Lusternia they have different races than you find anywhere else.

Siena- My first character. She is a Mhun which is an off shoot of humans that typically live underground. She is very fast though not very strong. Speed is her main attribute.

History-wise, she started out as a good-aligned novice, being a citizen of the city of the light and part of the guild called Sentaari. Sentaari has the ideals of preserverence, benevolence, and wisdom. Siena got fed up with Shallam, the city of light, and moved to a more nuetral city called Hashan. Sentaari has a thing about hunting innocents and that was just what Siena was doing. People of that guild (now called a house) were being mean to her, so she quit the sentaari, became a rogue, and then joined Ashtan, which is kind of like Amsterdam in real life, sorta. Then she joined the House of Ashura, which is a high combat house. That is all so far. Siena is more evil, but her ties to family and her husband in Shallam keeps her from totally going to the evil side. She's only 46 years old.

Devi- Is a Rajamala, which is like tiger-like human. She is faster/stronger than Siena but has a sipping and herb eating penalty.

History: Nothing too complex compared to Siena. She's only 25. But she is an aide to her father, who is a keeper of the scrolls for the Sentaari. (Like a Librarian) She is a bookworm and loves to learn and quest.

Koromir- I haven't played Lusternia enough to understand his attributes, but he is Aslarin, which is a Lion-like human.

History: Nothing too much except that he is a novice in Celest. The City of Light in Lusternia.

[B]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/B] People always assume I'm Japanese by looking at my screen names and email. I've been thought of as a male once or twice here.

[B]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?[/B] On Achaea, I thought of one as 30 years old when he was actually 16. Another one I thought of as 26 when he's really 42.

[B]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/B] I've had Japan_86 since 1997 starting with a yahoo account, then went to Bolt, Hotmail, and then here. It doesn't really mean anything. Just the country, an underscore, and the last two digits of my birth year.

[B]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/B] Not really

[B]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/B] Yep

[B]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/B] Only if I didn't know them for a long time. Some here I've told. Only because I've known them for a year or more. If I never spoken to the person and they immediately ask me for my gender, age, and picture, I usually just block them and not talk to them again. Personality and thoughts are more important than physical attributes. Why come online at all if it is just going to be like in the real world, you know?[/COLOR]

[r2vq]

[B]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it? (avatars without characters are neutral or asexual)[/B]
er... Filipino, 18, Male.

[B]2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/B]
Masculine. ^^

[B]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/B]
I'd say that pose is pretty childish. :)

[B]4. What gender and race are you?[/B]
That's me up there. ^^

[B]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? (Answering yes is not racist - this is much more common than you think)[/B]
Actually, I think of them as Asian. ~heh. Though, I never realize I do until they tell me otherwise. It might have to do with four years of highschool where most of my friends were Chinese... Though, now that I'm out of school, that perception should change.

[B]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).[/B]
Sometimes. When I do, I'm a small female that is straight but willing to experiment. ;)
I try to be as cute as I can. I guess you can say that I'm always trying to be a "moe" character.

[B]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/B]
Never online. People hardly ever ask me about my race online. They sometimes ask about my gender, but have already assumed that I'm a male.

[B]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?[/B]
Always in person. Often people think I'm Chinese. One person even asked me if I was from somewhere in Guyana. T__T It happens way too often to count.
And age? I'm at the age where you can't tell how old I am. A lot of people at work are surprised I'm only 18. A lot of people at school are surprised I'm already that old. T__T
Not since childhood have I been called a female though. xD (...I had long hair...)

[B]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?
It's derived from my real middle name and my real last name.[/B]
Arvin Q because "RVQ". Since that was in use at Hotmail... I chose R2VQ.
Arvi is just my middle name without the last letter.
I know that a lot of people assume that I like Star Wars because of the similarity between my nickname and the name of that little blue droid. That had nothing to do with my choice though. xD

[B]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/B]
Usually people can tell that I'm male pretty quickly. My age and race doesn't often have a big role in my conversations...
If ever people are not sure, they usually assume correctly.

[B]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/B]
I guess they assume. Nobody's ever asked. ^^

[B]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/B]
Nope. If I did, I wouldn't have answerd this. ^^

[evilcatthing]

[B]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age and gender is it? [/B]
I have a dragon for my avatar.

[B]2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/B]
I think my avatar is both

[B]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/B]
It has both

[B]4. What gender and race are you?[/B]
It i a dragon

[B]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? [/B]
No, not really

[B]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference.[/B]
Yes!White,No history really,Female,Sexual preference none.

[B]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/B]
No

[B]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times?[/B]
No

[B]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/B]
People call me evil,i like cats, and one of my friends called me evilcatthing one day and it stuck.

[B]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/B]
No, not age or race but yes sex

[B]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/B]
yes

[B]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/B]
no not really :catgirl:

[Claire]

[FONT=Arial][B]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it?[/B]
There was actually a woman playing the cello before I cropped it, and she's white and almost forty. (Seriously doesn't look it, though).
[B]
2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/B]
I'd say pretty feminine (I think she was wearing Victorian women's underwear)

[B]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/B]
Mature, from the songs she's written and interviews I've read.

[B]4. What gender and race are you?[/B]
White female.

[B]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white?[/B]
Yeah, unless they might type as if a person of another race might speak in real life.

[B]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference.[/B]
I think there might've been more males than females, but all of them were straight and white.

[B]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/B]
I don't think so.
[B]
8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times?[/B]
Maybe, but I can't remember any time that I might've done so right now.

[B]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/B]
I suppose it's Melli, which is derived from "Mellifluous" (my first name in an RP chatroom, and people shortened it). I guess it could also be taken from "Amelia."

[B]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/B]
No, they don't.

[B]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/B]
I guess so.

[B]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/B]
Nah, I'd rather them know that than just assume (and probably assume wrong) or know all the truly important information, like where I live or what my phone number is.[/FONT]

[DBZgirl88]

[COLOR=#004a6f][B]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it?[/B]
Well, mine is just a smiling cat. I'd say it's a kitten at least, so it's young, but I can't tell whether it's male or female. You can't tell its race either.
[B]
2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/B]
Both.

[B]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/B]
Childish attributes definitely. Isn't it cute?

[B]4. What gender and race are you?[/B]
Arab Female

[B]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white?[/B]
Yes, if their english online is pretty good. I feel bad about this, but I never thought that Retribution was black (and keep forgetting it too). It doesn't have to do with intelligence or anything (because retri's a pretty well spoken person). It really has to do with accent. When I read words, I can't imagine the words spoken in an accent different than mine, so I can't imagine James' words being spoken in an australian accent (because that's how the words sound like in his head), or Retribution's words 's words spoken in what I call the african-american accent, and hence, I forget about the person's nationality.

[B]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference.[/B]
Once, but it wasn't online. I was Vegeta, a male dragonballz character, with a nasty temper and evil tendancies.

[B]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/B]I'm usually mistaken for a guy. As for race, no one would really guess I'm an arab, unless I mention it.
[B]
8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times?[/B]
Yes, and too many times to count. There are so many other female members here I mistook for males. And a few males I mistook for females.

[B]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/B]It's the name mysterious, cool, nifty cat that appears in a certain french children's book.

[B]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/B]
No, they don't.

[B]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/B]
I guess so. I don't really talk about sexual matters.

[B]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/B]
No, I'd rather they did know.[/COLOR]

[Cyriel]

[COLOR=Sienna][SIZE=1][B]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it?[/B]
Japanese (in the picture, but really Chinese); 22?; female.

[B]2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/B]
Feminine, because she's very...womanly?

[B]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/B]
Mature at first glance, but then there could be childish attributes because of the way she is positioned.

[B]4. What gender and race are you?[/B]
Female, Korean.

[B]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white?[/B]
When I meet someone online, usually I already know what race they are... I suppose so?

[B]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).[/B]
Yes; usually the character is female, probably with more Asian features,, with close to no ties or relations, or a brutal past.

[B]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/B]
No; actually...I don't know if I've been mistaken for another race, but I've been asked.

[B]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?[/B]
Yes, once.

[B]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/B]
It doesn't have a meaning; I just thought it sounded pretty in my head, although...I really don't know how I would pronounce it out loud. It originated from a book I read.

[B]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/B]
I would say they could probably guess my gender...but I have no idea about the others.

[B]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/B]
Yes.

[B]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/B]
Not really...but I've never had any bad experiences online as a result of people knowing those...[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Guest Metal Dragon]

[B]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it? (avatars without characters are neutral or asexual)[/B]
He's a blue,15yr old hedgehog

[B]2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/B]
It's possible for him to be both...but I'd say he's masculine

[B]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/B]
He has mature attributes,duh.He saved the world [U]a lot[/U] of times

[B]4. What gender and race are you?[/B]
I'm a hispanic male

[B]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? (Answering yes is not racist - this is much more common than you think)[/B]
now that I think about it..yeah I do

[B]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).[/B]
No I don't

[B]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/B]
My age gets mistaken a lot cuz I look older

[B]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?[/B]
I once mistaked a guy for a girl, and vise versa, but other than that,no

[B]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/B]
I came up with it cuz it sounded cool

[B]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/B]
Nope, they usually never do

[B]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/B]
:laugh: nope...they never do

[B]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/B]
No,of course not

[Delta]

[COLOR=#656446]Shi no Tenshi always posts the most interesting stuff! Yep, yep!

[b]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age and gender is it?[/b] That's Faye Valentine. Female, 23 years of age in the animation series and single.

[b]2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/b] It's exuding femininity with a hint of manliness, IMO. Note that it's more of "tough chick" than "tomboy".

[b]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/b] Methinks the smoking bit and the retro feel give it a more mature look.

[b]4. What gender and race are you?[/b] Proudly Filipino and female. Rawr.

[b]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white?)[/b] Yep, yep! Happens to me all the time. It's the language the member uses (English), I think, that makes me think that the member's white. It's the same with Nippongo=Japanese, etcetera, etcetera.

[b]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference.[/b]
[i]Gender[/i]: Hrmm, I've roleplayed both female and male characters before but my male characters tend to be uninterested in women.
[i]History[/i]: I go for a military background whenever it's permitted 'cause it's a lot easier to cook up and not a lot of players opt for it. Otherwise, background stories for my characters will have a prodigal son/daughter flavor added into them.
[i]Race:[/i] Don't think about it unless it's a matter of human/vampire/elf/lizardman.

[b]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/b] See #10-11

[b]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times?[/b] Yes. I thought Dagger was my age or even older. Also, see #5.

[b]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/b] The "delta" I had in mind was a fan-shaped collection of sediments at the mouth of a river, not a Greek letter. ^_^

[b]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/b] Not all the time. I've been mistaken for someone from Greece, Australia, India, Japan and Indonesia (close, but no cigar!). It's usually my nicknames and the way I talk (or write, wth) that make them think so.

[b]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/b] If I remember correctly, I have been mistaken for a straight male in OB a year ago. Probably 'cause I sound like it if I'm not talking about shoes and makeovers.

[b]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/b] Nah. It's trivial info so I wouldn't mind giving it out. [/COLOR]

[Ellerby]

[color=#555555][FONT=Tahoma][B]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it?[/B]
It is a picture of Las Vegas. Nothing genderistic about that.

[B]2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/B]
I guess I would say it is masculine, mainly because it has bolder and deeper colours.

[B]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/B]
Mainly mature attributes.

[B]4. What gender and race are you?[/B]
A White male.

[B]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white?[/B]
Yes, I do.

[B]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).[/B]
Yes. I am always a Straight Human Male and never usually choose other races (although I sometimes choose characters like Orcs and Goblins).

[B]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/B]
The only time I have been mistaken for a female was in an MMORPG, where the person couldn't see me and just assumed I was a female by my characters name.

[B]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?[/B]
Too many times to count, I guess.

[B]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/B]
I came up with White after seeing Red's. So, I thought it was a cool name and thought and I decided I disliked my old username and I loved white.

[B]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/B]
They normally guess my race and gender correctly, but I am often mistaken for a 17 or 18 year old.

[B]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/B]
Yes.

[B]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/B]
No, I definately would not, and do not. [/FONT] [/COLOR]

[bellpickle]

[SIZE=1][B]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it? (avatars without characters are neutral or asexual)[/B]

Both Japanese, around 18, and male.

[B]2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/B]

Masculine. It doesn't seem to have any feminine attributes to it, especially with the stark color scheme.

[B]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/B]

Mature, though that opinion is probably influenced more by the nature of Death Note rather than the icon itself.

[B]4. What gender and race are you?[/B]

Female, Filipino.

[B]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? (Answering yes is not racist - this is much more common than you think)[/B]

Usually, yes.

[B]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).[/B]

No, though if I ever were to roleplay, my character would probably be a European male.

[B]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/B]

A couple of online friends of mine assumed I'm Caucasian, but nothing other than that.

[B]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?[/B]

As stated above, I normally assume my online friends are Caucasian, and to my knowledge, I've been wrong in my assumption a maximum of five times.

[B]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/B]

It's a combination of two nicknames some friends gave me.

[B]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/B]

Gender yes, but race and age no.

[B]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/B]

Yes. (I'm straight, I think, so there's not much to guess.)

[B]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/B]

Nope.[/SIZE]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=Indigo][B]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it? [/B]
Male approximately 17-20

[B]2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/B]
Seeing that it's a guy I would definitely say masculine.

[B]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/B]
Mature.

[B]4. What gender and race are you?[/B]
White Female.

[B]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? (Answering yes is not racist - this is much more common than you think)[/B]
For the most part I do. It depends on their writing skills. Some people based on the way they structure their sentences I tend to assume that they aren't necessarily white. In that case most of the time they end up being foreign. Well foreign to where I live that is.

[B]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).[/B]
If you are referring to RPG then yes I do. Usually I play a male character. I like creating dark, sadistic characters and tend to play the bad guy. I'm a psychology major and I find it interesting to base characters off of what I have studied in school.

[B]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/B]
Although it is not mentioned in my profile here, it is at myOtaku page that I am female. And yet I am still mistaken for a guy on a regular basis. Maybe it's because I tend to be more serious and don't act very girly online.

[B]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?[/B]
Yes, it's hard to tell what someone is based on their user name. It doesn't happen very often, but I do it in real life as well.

[B]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/B]
My online nickname means exactly what the word stands for. [I]The state or quality of being indifferent.[/I] When I first started joining different forums online I was flamed for liking anime that are considered yaoi and yuri. When I moved to OB I decided to change my user name. To me I was saying that if someone had a problem with my liking yaoi or yuri anime, then I was indifferent to their opinion as I saw no reason to change my opinion to fit what I felt was narrow-minded views on their part. I have not had that problem here at OB, but I like the change and decided to keep it.

[B]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/B]
No, since almost every time I've been asked people get it wrong. They usually get the race part right, but rarely get my age or gender correct.

[B]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/B]
Seeing that no one has ever mentioned it to me I honestly couldn't say if they actually got it right or not.

[B]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/B]
Not really. I'm a 25 year old white female who is straight. Can't say that people knowing that really changes anything. Now if you were to ask for my address, that's another matter, I'd just laugh and move on.[/COLOR]

[Sara]

[quote name='Shi no Tenshi']Yep it's to do with the little pictures. I'm researching identity tourism on the internet (there have been some classic examples coming up in this topic - which is brilliant!). Avatars are the only image we have of a person when we go onto a forum or visual chat, and they are often specifically chosen or made to represent the individual. As a result they are a subject of great intrest in internet psychology.[/quote][color=#b0000b][size=1]...Upon closer examination, I do not actually have an avatar right now.

[size=1][b]4. What gender and race are you?[/b]

Female, Caucasian.

[b]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? (Answering yes is not racist - this is much more common than you think)[/b]

I would say so.

[b]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).[/b]

My characters have been consistantly female. Sexual preference has rarely come up, but I would assume that most of them have been straight. With two exceptions (an aging schoolteacher, and a younger businesswoman), they have been my age (at the time of playing) or younger. Most are caucasian; one was dark-skinned (particular race unavailable, as it was a fantasy setting); one is fair-skinned with "african" features.

[b]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/b]

Before my username was a variation of "Sara," people often assumed that I was male.

[b]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?[/b]
Certainly. I tend to assume that everyone is either a.) my age or b.) thirteen, so I've been wrong about that a lot.

[b]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/b]

Sara is my name. It seemed silly to have some people refer to me by my screenname, and other people refer to me by my real name. I changed my username to my real name for this reason.

[b]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/b]

I don't think anyone has mistaken my gender for several years, but people sometimes confess to me that they assumed my age incorrectly.

[b]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/b]

Probably.

[b]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/b]

I admit that it is a little awkward when people I have not spoken to before IM me and address me by my name. [/size][/size][/color]

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray][SIZE=1][color=Darkslategray]Well for obvious reasons I am just going to skip the first three.

[b]4. What gender and race are you?[/b]
Male, African

[b]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? [/b]
Yes

[b]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).[/b]
All of my characters are male, for me personaly I just feel slightly different if I play as a female. Mostly because I feel that I will get the female character wrong. The history really depends on the kind of roleplay it is. Most are mainly white while I have one who is japanease and another who has some slight african in him.

[b]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/b]
So many times you would explode.

[b]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?[/b]
Same as above, however I think if I was to guess a percent. I am right maybe 45% of the time

[b]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/b]
I have many..many nicknames to tell the truth. I mostly get them from either Greek, Latin, Or from eastern
[b]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/b]
No

[b]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/b]
Pretty much

[b]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/b]
Not one single bit.

[/color][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Cora Jane 2]

[font=garmond][size=2][color=navy][b]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it? (avatars without characters are neutral or asexual)[/b]
I guess mine is just neutral... I love my little dragon.

[b]2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/b]
Masculine... well it is a dragon

[b]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/b]
I think it is mature... I don't know

[b]4. What gender and race are you?[/b]
I am female, and South Korean

[b]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? (Answering yes is not racist - this is much more common than you think)[/b]
well it depends... but normally yeah I would have to assume they are white....

[b]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).[/b]
not usually

[b]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/b]
Well yes, yes and yes. I have been mistaken for white, and hispanic. I am South Korean, and I am proud of it. I have been mistaken for a boy, currently it is due to my short hair cut. I have been asked many a time... due to lack of details.

[b]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?[/b]
Yeah... I would have to say that I have a couple of times... we had this boy named Billy who worked my job for a very short time and well he looked like a girl. He had boobs and everything... Age is a hard one to tell with some older black people, some asian people and some hispanic people. like not trying to be racist, cuz believe me i'm not... but sometimes it is just hard to tell. Race.... I get asked so many times if I am Chinese or Japanese, for some odd reason they never ask me if I am Korean.

[b]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/b]
CoraJane2- Well this one came from my alias when I write poetry or things like that. I love the name Cora, and well another nickname is CJ.
TheGothicFrog- This one came from some of my friends, since I love frogs, and I always wore black. I had this black t-shirt that had a green tree frog on it.

[b]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/b]
No. Not many people guess an almost 21 year old South Korean female... oh well what can you do.

[b]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/b]
normally... I would have to say yes.

[b]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/b]
nope.

[/font][/color][/size]

[Pumpkin]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=3][b]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it? (avatars without characters are neutral or asexual)[/b]
Japanese, 16/17, female

[b]2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/b]
Feminine probably because it has a romantic setting and Doumyoji doesn't appear to be very masculine in this particular picture.

[b]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/b]
Most likely Childish.

[b]4. What gender and race are you?[/b]
White female

[b]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? (Answering yes is not racist - this is much more common than you think)[/b]
Sadly, like many others yes. But I also tend to think Asian or Mexican. I never really think of other races such as African Americans, Arabics, etc. This probably is due to the fact that most of the people I have talked too are from the US, Australia or England. When I think of England, for some reason I think of really pasty white people. No offense. It really is a bad stereotype that needs to be broken.

[b]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).[/b]
I only really roleplay on MMO's or here. If its here, I'll roleplay anyone that fits whatever RPG I'm in, as far as MMO's I'm usually Yavela Dubrin.

[b]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/b]
I've been asked but I doubt it's due to the lack of detail in my profile. I've never been mistaken for another race before. I guess that means I sound white online.

[b]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?[/b]
Sometimes if someone here has a name or signature that is of a female or a girlish name, I just assume that it is a woman. However, a lot of times I'm mistaken. I have to admit, I've thought Desbreko was a girl for the longest time, and I reminds myself that she is actually a he (sorry about that!) for some strange reason. It really shocks me how you can label something feminine and just assume its a female.

[b]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/b]
Pumpkin is just something I made when I came here to OB, as for Dee that is my actual nickname IRL. I got pumpkin by pure thought one day, and yes I had it before pumkin came on Flavor of Love (I really resent her) if any of you have seen it. To be honest I was hoping New York would win, eh. But back on topic, I think it's just something that stuck to me and lately people at my work have been calling me pumpkin. Talk about coincidence.

[b]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/b]
MOST of the time...they can guess my age or they believe I'm younger. Because I talk about school, most people assume that I mean high school when I mean college. I get a lot of teenagers talking to me, which I don't know is a good or bad thing. People can definately tell that I'm a female and that I'm white. That's pretty much a given.

[b]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/b]
Yes. I think I make myself pretty clear with that one.

[b]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/b]
No. I can't say that I'm an open book, it's not like I like to hand out my phone number. But I don't mind telling people the basics, I'm 18 years old, I'm white, straight and 1/2 hungarian (in other words, I'm white). I think thats pretty much self-explanitory.[/FONT][/SIZE]