Steam Profiles & Personality

Since I first taught myself how to use basic HTML tags so I could customise my Myspace profile, I've been super interested in the conventions of online profiles and how we express ourselves creatively within their confines. I could spend hours looking through those Myspace 'graphics' pages set up with codes for cool glitter graphics and pixel art and flashy scrolling text. This expanded to admiring artistic and beautiful LiveJournal icons and making my first gifs to use on Bebo. I was enamoured ever since with the specifics of creative expression in all these different kinds of personal profiles.

This all applies to Steam profiles, a current strong interest of mine. Steam is interesting in that the level of customisation you can access is dependent on your Steam level. Even the level number itself looks different depending on what number you have. The main thing I like is that as you gain access to profile modules you can pick and choose different things to showcase. This is where most of the creativity comes in, and some people use elaborate configurations of emotes and ascii art to make their profiles colourful and interesting.

                           ,:''"':,　　　　　　,,::''"':,
　　　　　 ,:':　,::, ':,　　　 　,:':　;,.　';
　　　　　;':　:'::::';　'; 　　　;'　,':::::.　';
　　　　　;:　:::::::::;　'; 　　 ;'　;':::::::　;'
　　　　　';:　::::::::;　 ;　　 ;:　;'::::::;　;'
　　　　　 ;:　':::::::;　 ;　　;:　;'::::::　;'
　　　　　　';:　':;::: 　;,　 ;:.　;'::''　;'
　　　　　　 ,,'::　'' 　 :,.,.;':　'' 　,;'
　　　　　,:´::　　　　　　　　 　 ｀'':,
　 　 　 ;':::: 　 　 　 　 　 　　　　　':,
　　 　 ;::::　　　　　　　　　　　　　';
　　 　 ';::::　　　O　　　　　　O　　;'       
　　 　　';:::＊:. 　 　 　　 　　　　　;      
　　　　　'':､::::::.　　　ーー　　,.,::'´ 

I mean, who can resist ascii art like this?

There are so many interesting uses of colours, modules, artwork, emoticons, and special text. Goerming's art pieces made up of emoticons (as you can see below) are fascinating. I just want to make weird Steam art (I already have my snail-based Steam poetry group, after all) and make my profile look cute forever.

I spent a while making this visual Steam emoticon wishlist (because, y'know, I just had to figure out which hearts were the best), from which we can conclude that I have a deep need to express myself via small cats and snails.