Master the Matrix

The Mystery of Identicons: Turning Data into Unique Visual Avatars Introduction If you’ve ever signed up for a new website and seen a colorful, pixelated avatar appear next to your name — without uploading a profile picture — you’ve probably met an Identicon . Identicons are unique, algorithmically generated images based on a piece of text, usually a username, email, or IP address. They are used for visual identification and uniqueness without revealing personal information. Where Do We See Identicons? GitHub: User avatars when no profile picture is uploaded. WordPress: Default avatars for comments. StackOverflow: Generated icons for users without a custom profile picture. How Do Identicons Work? Hashing the Input – The text (e.g., "kiyotaka ayanokōji") is passed through a hash function like SHA1 or MD5, producing a fixed-length hexadecimal value. Mapping Bits to a Grid – The hash is split into smaller parts, each controlling ...