I read this post at Sphinn.com, a social news site for online marketers, that encouraged people who posted news to use avatars wisely. Not just as a courtesy (i.e. cleaning up avatars to they load better, etc.) but to reject the spam applications. “Request #1: Customize your avatar so you don’t look like all those spammers we keep zapping,” MattMcGee, the article author, wrote.

Commenter Lyndon wrote: “There are a number of psychological factors why an avatar and the right type of avatar is important. If you are in online marketing and you cannot market yourself online, what does that say?”

He brings up a good point, which raises the question: Does this mean no more anonymity on the Internet?

It could just be because I’m paying more attention to what fellow marketing professionals are doing online and I’ve learned in this world, but if you don’t have an online profile, it could mean you’re old and outdated and therefore, your skills and practices might be old and outdated as well.

This wouldn’t be a problem really (being onymous, or bearing one’s name for all to see). In fact, it’s actually quite good. Especially now with the search industry booming, credibility is becoming more and more important. And if you, online-marketer-who-I-know-nothing-about, can’t tell me who you are and why you think I should listen to you, then maybe you’re not trustworthy.