Profile pictures/avatars/icons should either be facing forward or toward the content of the page (right side for most forums/profiles).

Humph. You want the pic to be right facing? Like I'm saying the words? I don't typically say what I type, my thoughts come from my brain, not my mouth. I'm facing the correct direction.

It can be whatever its owner wants it to be.
The whole point of having a picture is to allow people to express themselves a bit. Why restrict it like that?

Why do you hate freedom, picky person? :P

P.S. I believe an earlier claim established that a majority of people have left-facing avatars. That's consistent with the compositional aesthetics of the Western world -- our eyes naturally travel left to right, since that's how our languages are read. Therefore, a face or object directing our gaze backwards (left) keeps our attention on the picture rather than allowing our eye to travel on to the next thing. At least, that's what they claim in Art History. You may already know this. Anyways, my point is that we're pretty well-programmed to think faces should face left, so your quest is likely in vain.

Fuck off lefties. You will be ground into the dust and MADE to have your picture facing RIGHT!

(although I'm not sure dust can face left)

Down boy, now Chief you need to relax. Remember "live and let live" is our motto.

Sure, fine. Buy me a digital camera and I'll make some new pics that I can use that face differently.

S'alright Mayor. Patrick.

It's just my little joke [sits back down, strokes white cat]

Holy cow! I leave for lunch and come back to this.... Who knew we all had such strong opinions on what direction our pictures face. Good thing my picture is looking left and not right... (yes, it bothers me, but oh well)

There's some graphic design belief I acquired somewhere along the way that if you're putting pictures of faces in your magazine, they should always be facing the text, never out to the edge of the page. The reasoning goes that the reader's attention will be directed to where the face is looking, and you want that attention on your content, not drawn away from it.

This has at times led to the horizontal flipping of photos when used in publications. While I suppose it's probably O.K. to flip stock photos over like that, I believe it is a Bad Thing to do that to actual people you're trying to portray. We are not completely symmetrical; reversed images are lies.

This is going to cost me...

Nic, them's fightin' words ... and ironic coming from a LEFT FACING person! Ha HA!