Should posters not displaying an avatar get banned?

[angus]

No, and this is just petty.  

Not having an avatar is petty

They have avatars.  A username and on-line persona constitutes an avatar.  Look up the word sometime.  What they don't have is a colorful shield, and there's nothing wrong with that.  Many of our most enlightened posters post without them.  I went through periods--because I've moved quite a bit and haven't always registered to vote right away--when I didn't wear one.  I suspect many don't wear their allegiances on their sleeves.  This isn't pettiness.  

[angus]

This thread is hyperbolic, yeah, but I wish posters without avatars change their devious ways. Having party affiliation and state for each poster is cool, some people are ruining the fun (BSB, Politico, CaDan).

Seriously?  Sometimes humor doesn't come across well in type, so I can't quite be certain, but does this really bother you?

[angus]

the state usually helps me remember who the hell they are....   I just lump them together.

It's the opposite for me.  Without the shield I take a glance at the name.  Not intentionally, I suppose, but I guess I really see who it is when all I see is a username.  But with the state-shaped icons I get confused often.  Especially Blue Pennsylvania Guy.  I'd see discussions between Supersoulty, Keystone Phil, JJ, Bullmoose88, etc., and I'd wonder why that guy is arguing with himself.  Blue Florida Guy is also a little bit confusing.  And Red Minnesota Guy.

I remember when I first started posting there were only US states, and only three colors:  red, blue, and light green.  Do you remember that?  So foreign posters had to pick one.  Realpolitik was Red West Virginia, and Trondheim was green Oregon.  That caused a little confusion as well.  I was all like, "Dude, I live in the SF Bay area, where in Oregon do you live?  Maybe it's not far from here."   "Um, well actually I live in Frankfurt, which is not in Oregon, but I picked an Oregon shield because yada yada yada..."  At least now they have some foreign country icons for the foreign posters.