11 July 2008

Felix

Using a common image as your online icon (IM, Twitter, etc.) always holds the risk of being non-personal and non-unique. You may associate with "Brian the dog," but so might thousands of others and so thousands of others might pick the exact same icon. Bugger!

So, I was reading an hi-LARIOUS story about yet another Republican (known for his attacks on gays) getting outed as a ... well, you can guess the rest of the story. Looking at the comments in the story, I was stunned that I had already commented on it! What the fuck?!? Right there, waving to me, was my Felix the Cat icon:

felix

Apparently, a user known as wonderfulwonderful had not only chosen Felix as their icon but had chosen the exact same pose.

I don't know when I first picked up Felix, but it's been at least four or five years. I needed something and he was the first thing that popped into my head because he had a bag of tricks. I thought that was a good metaphor for what programmers do: tough coding problem? Just reach into your bag o' tricks for the solution! I've used it for so long, it was an odd feeling of identity theft when I saw it next to someone other than sstrader. Alas, it's my own fault for nicking a (relatively) well-known cartoon character.

[ posted by sstrader on 11 July 2008 at 11:00:20 AM in Personal ]