That squarish picture of yourself that you put on web sites like 4Chan is an avatar. Avatars are useful personal and iconic photographs or illustrations that can be distributed across the web, whether on Facebook, Twitter, or through comments you make on I Can Has Cheezburger. It’s often what people associate with your online identity. But increasingly, important big firm lawyers have raised an alarm about avatars gone wild, saying that “the number of businesses that will have employee avatar behavior guidelines and dress codes will grow to 70 percent by the end of 2013.”

Whoa. That’s a concern. No one wants to be in the thirty percent of law firms without an avatar dress code! Worse, an avatar can get you that coveted job, keep you in the know, or get you laid– but only if it follows certain guidelines and wears the right clothing and accessories. Not sure what to do? Here are five key things to remember. [Read more...]