Online, however, behaviors generated by a software program can create the same impression of trustworthiness or friendliness, but without a grounding connection to an underlying cognitive process or other causative element. As behavioral software becomes more sophisticated, are we creating avatars that will be increasingly attractive and seemingly friendly but are in fact the ideal mask behind which a dishonest or manipulative person can operate? Once an interface includes humanlike avatars, the issue of user interpretation of character traits from ungrounded avatar behaviors is inevitable, for even nonaction is an interpretable behavior; it conveys an impression of social ineptness and distance.