I judge people by their avatars more in games than on forums. It's easier to judge people when they have an opinion stated straight out or something, but generally I just use it to recognize them.
Forums are usually more like a conversation, whereas when I 'm immersed in games, their avatar sort of becomes them in my mind, so it's harder to picture them as an actual person in front of a screen.
Worgen said:
Your avatar is probably my favorite. XD
And it probably affects my view of you more than it does with others, since "The Road to El Dorado" continues to be one of my favorite movies.
So I guess sometimes it depends on the situation.