Avatar Plea
 

Alright. I know I'm playing with a knife that's already been dipped in the mustard (i'm trying out self-proclaimed analogies), I think it's time. It will spice up the board (FOR THOSE WHO WANT IT.) For those who wish not to, you turn them off. Grr...

They're so interesting, it shows alot about a user. I recognize people at OOTP simply because of their avatars.

Skyfella, Ryno, it's time to get down with avies.

You do realize about half of us will use your photo from the "What do you look like" thread, right?

good!

I agree! It's time for us to be able to use avatars

I never understood the reasoning for not having avatars... turn them off by default so unregistered people/visitors won't see them and those of us who want to use them/see them can do so at our option.

I 5th the desire for avatars. I certainly will never get easily recognised for my name or post-quality, at least give me a chance at a visual aide!

Can we use naked chicks for our avatars? ;) :D

things like that make skydog a nay-sayer

but of course people can be on av-watch for the profane. highly doubftful that that would happen, though.

I would volunteer to be the Offical Avatar Nazi :D

bump

This will die a horrible, death. Or it will just be ignored.

I don't really care about the issue, but since people are looking for objections to Avatars--here is mine.

Avatars make the board more inwardly focused. People spend a lot of time and energy looking for the perfect avatar. And spend time commenting on each others avatars. And change avatars to fit current situations and/or make comments about other users. (How many avatars with a variation of "cocky & funny" would have been on this board a few months ago)? I think the board is less interesting when it engages in such self-reflective activities.

But, as I said, I don't really care about the issue. I just wanted to throw out that "you can choose to turn them off" does not make all of the potential problems with avatars go away.

"I know I'm playing with a knife that's already been dipped in the mustard (i'm trying out self-proclaimed analogies)"

I think you may need to work some more on your analogies.

Just like the QotM. A good percentage of the folks do not want to see any of them and guests should not see them by default. Because they are still there, too much time and energy had been spent on this 'inwardly focused' nonsense. Avatars will just be more of that same set of problems, imo. I vote not to cheapen this board with silly avatars and not to give the moderators (and their designees) more headaches.

People already care way to much about post count and titles. The strength of this board has always been its discussion. It parallels our love for text based games that rely on content and gameplay rather than graphics.

I honestly would not care if we had avatars, and I might have one if we do, but I don't see it as a need.

I fail to see why guests don't need to see avatars. It's just another way to distinguish yourself as an individual. Idiots would likely have idiotic avatars. It's like a signature, only more visual.

I can see the moderator's headache argument, but that's really the only valid one I can think of.

Awww come on. What about my comparison to text-based sims? I'm proud of that one. :D

Most text sims have SOME graphics. Even if it is just that ever-present football-stadium-on-a-desk of TCY. :)

Is it possible to only allow avatars that have been previously approved? We could have some sort of avatar review board, where the proposed avatar is presented at the top of a thread, and there is a yea/nay poll for approval. A bit of censoring might occur, but certainly less than not having avatars at all.

If I recall correctly, there may also be a way to limit avatars to those who have a certain number of posts.

certain posts would be good (not too high, like 10 posts), avoid all the troublemakers just signing up to show a profane image.

I suggest 10,000 posts.

Hey, we'll have them just in time for QuikSand.

What about a trial period? Say, like a weekend and we can see if we can behave ourselves.

TLK

You know, I'm not sure that I like the idea of total avatar madness, but, I think we can compromise so it's not a headache to the mods.


How about Avatars of Professional and college team logos and mascots only? That would eliminate the people that want to put up pics that might cause issues.

bump

I have no objection to avatars per se, as long as Draft Dodger doesn't use that butt-ugly pic of Christina Aguilera he uses on the .400 boards. :p

dude, it's freaking SHAKIRA

Relax, I'm just yanking your chain anyway.

Re. Shakira, I knew that...don't know why I spaced on the name. :)

oops - forgot my smiley.
actually, I don't use them because I'm a macho tough guy

I've always liked boards where you cannot set your own avatar...other people on the board set it for you.

Oh, now that would be great. I'd actually go for that. Of course, imagine the aliases popping up to get themselves the avatar they want.

the way that usually works is it just corelates with your post count/title

And given the amount of posts you uncovered from the idiotic threadkill thread, you think *that* is a good idea?

shutup you

Actually, I don't like that idea of forum post assigned avies. Just let us pick.

Hmm, this is getting me thinking......a game where we make up avatars, and try to guess from the image which member we're trying to represent.....

Dola - such as:

Double dola -

THIS may be even better:

ummmm..... Skydog

Just an easy example (the "Dog is my co-pilot" works on so many levels....and it's CD art)

I can't believe this discussion has 40 fucking responses.

To the people that want avatars: What is your problem? Why do you have to post an annoying picture at the end of every one of your posts? Aren't the stupid quotes and plugs for shitty sports teams enough?

To the people who don't want them: You are really that offended by them to take the time out of your day to argue against them? Scrolling down an extra 5 lines is going to be so casistrophic that it will destroy the board? You really think that some regular user is going to use a huge picture of female genatalia? Couldn't they do this already if they wanted to?

The pictures don't go at the bottom of the posts... they go over to the side under your name in the area that is usually empty space for all but the smallest posts. Of course, since the people who don't want to mess with them can easily turn them off (and I'd suggest they be off by default to even save them that small amount of work), I don't even see how that is a big deal.

pmuB

Bump - I'll save Shorty the work this time :)

if you need to keep bumping this, doesn't that mean that no one really cares about this?

yes, no one must care. This is not like I posted the thread, no one responded, and then bumped it, ass. I'm just bumping for SkyDog/Ryan S to see.

you're aware of the private message system, right?

And if not, he should be aware of this thread. And if not, then he should DEFINITELY be aware of this thread, since he posted in it twice himself. In the latter thread I stated my reason. It hasn't changed.

...and the odds of someone continuing to rehash the same argument on avatars will be....?

Ok, that settles that. I guess we can lobby SkyDog on our next issue then, the permitting of tasteful female nudity on the board! Definitely not faggoty ™ and not....oh, nevermind. :D