Are people from states with less distinctive outlines...

[TN al]

...less likely to use the state outline as their avatar? And does their states indistinctiveness cause them jealousy? And is that Wyoming or Colorado?

[Droopy]

1. Ohio is a pretty distinct outline

But I don't use it. I like my peace symbol better. I don't particularly like the state avatars. They don't really say much about a person.

[TN al]

2. I disagree...

...I think that it is important to know where a person is from to help evaluate what it is they are saying. As Al Gore said to Bill Bradley during the primaries: My votes on gun control took a lot more courage to cast then your votes did. (paraphrasing)

[Droopy]

3. I can see the Al Gore quote

But we're just talking about regular people on a web site. I'm from Ohio. That says absolutely nothing about me except that I live in what was a red state the last time around. I guess it can be useful if somebody sees your avatar and is from your home state and wants to talk local issues, but I like an avatar that makes more of a statement besides, "I'm from Ohio."

I guess if you are proud of where you are from, go with it. It doesn't matter much to me where people are from unless it's outside of the country. We're all in the same boat here no matter what state you are from. And the internet tears down those kind of boundries. Look, we're 300 miles apart and we're having a conversation for free.