Some are shy, and some are concerned with identity theft. Having taught on-line for a number of years, I am uncomfortable when strange come up and say I was in your class.

In the early days, search engines were largely text-based: they could not "read" images on websites. But, technology can now scan a person's face—much as a QR code reader—and find other images of that person online (what with pranksters, there may even be "images" of ourselves out there we do not know exist.) Since most people use a picture of their faces on their "profile", it is becoming ever simpler to gather information about them; more worryingly, facial recognition can (in the wrong hands) expose identities to security threats. "Shyness" may have something to do with people not posting pictures of themselves on social media; still, I wager that fear about identity security probably explains diffidence. Be this as it may, because an empty-looking grey box (or circle) is not particularly inspiring, social media might more usefully cater to the security conscious (and those struggling to finds a good, youthful picture) by offering a selection of stock images or "pic art" to use instead. (And, lest we forget, there are many avatar-improving apps out there.)

Sometimes there are fake or faked images included for different reasons. This kind of hiding may happen even for cultural, political, business or religious reasons. Anyway, I also have reserves with regards to images on RG, Li, or other social websites.

Dear Researcher

Your question can be a good research question to research on.  

Yes, I agree, practically all of the above statements can be used as research hypotheses.

What an interesting question...at first I thought it might be a software thing, but posting it is really quite easy.  Carl Mueller's answer was especially thought provoking, especially to those of us who do not teach online. 

Fascinating question and answers, is there an emerging need for personal photos that can be preregistered,identified and authenticated to belong to one person by some open source non profit non governmental organization? Can we use blockchain technology for this use case? Imagine photos with a mark that directs to an independent authenticating website, then we will look for that mark and to be doubly sure, we click the mark.

Keith, that is a great idea!

Yes, I agree - the grey circle does not only seem anonymous tod me, but I also tend to think that 'grey' persons either have difficulties with the system, are afraid of standing up for their view points, use the platform to peek on others without being ' seen' e.g by faking their identity. Some of the shy persons I know use nature, animal or art pics on the Facebook profile - I haven't seen this here. Really an interesting question you rise. 

Keith's suggestion sounds like trademarking one's image. Can one do that?

Hi Margaret,

That is an interesting question...I viewed it as the check mark on a twitter handle, indicating that you are really you, and not someone who has decided to use your name...and since I am not a tweeter my information is second hand.  Does that sound right?

Dear Richard:

I don't know. I'm not a twitter user either!

Dear Christopher

I suppose the members are true. It is a private subject of a member and depends on the members character only.

As a sociologist my proposal to answer that question would consist of asking them directly: "Why did you choose not to put your picture on your profile?" For me those are the initial data that is required to obtain to have a statistics of personal reasons.

It is very important to take into account that one can make many mistakes by pretending that one can explain the reasons of the action of another person without having analyzed the explanations that said person have for to explain his own action.

What is involved in this case is to investigate the knowledge of the subject of the action through methods of empirical observation, and in this case, the method of observation consists in asking people the reasons that explain their own action.

Until such a survey is not conducted, the researcher may be making many mistakes on assuming that he knows something about the other person without actually knowing the knowledge of him or her, and thus their own reasons.

Best whishes.

It depends on his privately situation.

 It is the personal choice of users/members.

I agree that it is a personal choice. However a simple solution for those who are camera shy is simply post a figure, picture of work etc as Margaret Ann Cusack above just show us, instead of a grey image. Sometimes we met some people in congress and really dont remember their names and once they approach us again with photograph then our brain makes the trick and we reconnect to that person easily.

i agree it is odd to interact with someone without showing their faces

Rachel's point is well taken. You can't develop a good discussion in class if students have their backs to each other.

I think it is a personal decision which is related to many different reasons. However, I don't encourage it here in RG because it limits the mutual communication.

Regards

SM Najim

Because most of the pictures I take, look like mug shots.