I'm starting to use Instant Messaging for work, since it's the cheapest way to communicate real-time with the folks in India. One of the capabilities of most instant messengers is associating a "buddy icon" with your account. This is just a small image that represents you when you are chatting with someone.
Of course, I had to make my own:
Now it may appear to be egotistical to have your own floating head as a buddy icon, but it seemed to me to be the only sensible option. Since I'll be using this for work to chat with people I rarely get to meet, it seems like it would be easiest on them to see who they are chatting with.
And yet, nowhere on the internet have I seen a buddy icon that is an image of the chatter. Perhaps that is because all the buddy icon sites provide icons that would be of use to more than one person. Perhaps it is because people don't bother (or don't have the means) to make one themselves. Or perhaps people feel uncomfortable providing a picture of themselves to everyone they chat with. The buddy icons of my boss, and two other managers I'm working with on my project are an angel, the Texas A&M logo, and an American flag.
Am I the only one who has an image of their head as their buddy icon?
Posted by Rob Reid at February 12, 2004 02:54 PM