Avatars are member photos. The term “member photos” came from way back when WebProWorld first started. We were trying to make things a little more personal, so that's why they are called member photos and not avatars. I will update the rules to be more specific.

The reason for using pictures of our members, instead of characters/graphics, is to better give a since of community. It makes things easier when you can actually relate a face to a username. I know this is a problem for some, but the majority seem to like it.

I hope this helps clear things up for you.