An article (as always, originally shared by RPS) on the difference between implementations of the PC in different RPGs:
http://aethersnap.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/player-characters-vs-player-avatars/
A topic I always find interesting. It sets out for me why I personally enjoy the middle ground most in his spectrum, and am never wholly comfortable at either extreme.
An interesting article! Thanks for posting it Hartford. (Welcome to Grogheads, btw!)
Personally, I've long tended toward the avatar end of the spectrum, although I don't mind playing a character in the middle. True "player characters", however, generally don't grab me -- I feel like I'm essentially just steering them around, which holds little appeal for me.