An avatar is an Internet user's representation of himself or herself, whether in
the form of a three-dimensional model used in computer games, a two-dimensional
icon (picture) used on Internet forums and other communities, or a text construct
found on early systems such as MUDs. Avatar system used on most Internet forums
is a small (96x96 to 100x100 pixels, for example) square-shaped area close to the
user's forum post, where the avatar is placed. 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 animated, consisting
of a sequence of multiple images played repeatedly.