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===Internet forums=== Despite the widespread use of avatars, it is unknown which [[Internet forums]] were the first to use them; the earliest forums did not include avatars as a default feature, and they were included in unofficial "hacks" before eventually being made standard. Avatars on Internet forums serve the purpose of representing users and their actions, personalizing their contributions to the forum, and may represent different parts of their [[persona]], beliefs, interests or social status in the forum. [[File:Orion forum post.jpg|left|thumb|Example of an avatar image on an internet forum]] The traditional avatar system used on most Internet forums is a small (80x80 to 100x100 [[pixel]]s, for example) square-shaped area close to the user's forum post, where the avatar is placed in order for other users to easily identify who has written the post without having to read their username. Some forums allow the user to [[upload]] an avatar image that may have been designed by the user or acquired from elsewhere. Other forums allow the user to select an avatar from a preset list or use an auto-discovery algorithm to extract one from the user's homepage. Some avatars are [[Animation|animated]], consisting of a [[sequence]] of multiple images played repeatedly. In such animated avatars, the number of images as well as the time in which they are replayed vary considerably.<ref name="Designing Isometric Avatars">[http://herbert.gandraxa.com/herbert/dia.asp Designing Isometric Avatars<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Other avatar systems exist, such as on [[Gaia Online]], [[WeeWorld]], Frenzoo or [[Meez]], where a pixelized representation of a person or creature is used, which can then be customized to the user's wishes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-05-15 |title=Virtual World Games Like OurWorld - Find Me Similar |url=https://socialnewsdaily.com/findmesimilar/2014/05/games-like-ourworld.html/ |access-date=2023-09-05 |language=en-US}}</ref> There are also avatar systems (e.g. Trutoon) where a representation is created using a person's face with customized characters and backgrounds. Another avatar-based system is one wherein an image is automatically generated based on the identity of the poster. [[Identicon]]s are formed as visually distinct geometric images derived from a digest hash of the poster's [[IP address]] or user ID. These serve as a means to associate a particular user with a particular geometric representation. When used with an IP address, a particular anonymous user can be visually identified without the need for registration or authentication. If an account is compromised, a dissimilar identicon will be formed as the attacker is posting from an unfamiliar IP address.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://github.blog/2013-08-14-identicons/|title=Identicons!|date=15 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2007/01/18/visual-security-9-block-ip-identification |author=Don Park |title=Visual Security: 9-block IP Identification |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703155519/http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2007/01/18/visual-security-9-block-ip-identification |archivedate=2008-07-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
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