For a while now, I've been bothered about how SI stories should be 
criticized.  How personal does it get?  

  Hopefully not too personal. 

Is criticism of an author's avatar automatically a criticism of the 
author?  

  I personally don't think so. But that's just me. YMMV. 

Should avatars be 
judged by the same standards as other characters, or should they be 
treated differently?

  This is a tricky question. What I mainly have problems is with how 
godlike/sagelike/superintelligent the SI character is, especially the 
ones that go around and solve every other person's problems. I also have 
a problem with SI characters who have no apparent flaws, or have 
meaningless flaws in relation to the course of the so-called story. I 
also can't stand the blatentness of the author's feelings when put into 
a SI (then again, that might rule out SIs in general as my reading 
material). 
  Of course, it also depends on the purpose the SI character serves in 
the story as well (revengefics, etc.). 
  So maybe I'd prefer to judge the character on the same standards as 
the characters around him. I'd LIKE not to treat them differently; they 
are, after all, one step removed from the introduced new character 
(which ALSO can be abused, but can turn out pretty good in their own 
rights, if the author is careful, and that goes the same for 
avatars/whatever), but I've found it extremely hard to do so. 

"Decepticons FOREVER!!" --Ravage, former Decepticon
"You've gotten tricker since last time. I LIKE THAT!!"--Rampage
"If you go to Z'ha'dum, you will die." --Kosh, Babylon 5
"Master! You mustn't! People are watching!!"--Cherry, Saber Marionette J

--Razorclaw X
Author: "Wheel of Fire" and "The World's Worst Ranma Fanfic!"

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