Avatars

[david_carnell]

What are people's thoughts on avatars?

Could we have them here? Would that be nice or does it get unwieldy?

People have them on other forums and it allows a degree of personality to show through.

Is it even possible, Mr Admin?

[Keef]

Personally I like the idea.

[mockney piers]

I do like the clean look of the forum, avatars can get pretty garish, especially when people start using flashing ones and all.

Plus I rather like that personality comes across from the writing, rather than selecting an image to represent you.

I would of course be Zoltar (from battle of the planets) MWAH HAH HAH HAH

[SeanMacGabhann]

every so often some of the functionality lacking with this forum software bugs me... then I go to other forums where my eyes bleed

I love the clean look on here - plus it makes it less obvious to employers that it's a message board

BUt we could start an avatar thread no?.. in Fact...

[Brendan]

Guys, nice as the idea may be they will be a dead giveaway if someone looks over your shoulder at work.

The clean look is less conspicuous.

[Moos]

Not sure the forum really looks like work anyway - at least in my case, where 'work' looks like either an email, a spreadsheet or a slide deck!

I think avatars are a bit naff, but probably because my experience of them is only from a website where they are used appallingly: the BBC parenting board. It's a classic example of really awful over-personalising where most of the contributors seem to have glitter tags, enormous photos, flashing count-down lists and the like. It's quite difficult to get to the messages in between the huge signatures.

[david_carnell]

.

[david_carnell]

I think you could add a picture to your signature as standard. I'm trying here.

[david_carnell]

Yeah...not quite the same though. Would get very image heavy. In retrospect, I probably say "non" to my own idea.

[Moos]

dc, that is hilarious.. are you inwardly a pipe-smoking, hard-assed world-weary private eye?

(bustles off to find picture of Monica Bellucci as 'portrait' of Moos)

[Mark]

Personally I've never been a fan of avatars, they only tend to be used by a few and they get abused and people put in funny animated gifs which are rather naff and irritating when you're trying to read around them. The safest bet and admittedly the most boring option is to not have them at all.

[OutOfFocus]

I am dyslexic so find processing of large amounts of text difficult. I also tend to think visually so having a picture (either photo or image) helps to identify who is is writing what. I find reading email on Facebook easier because you have a visual reminder of who is writing.

But I hate animated images with a vengance - they detract me from what I am really trying to read.

So I am moderately in favour of them, provided there are static and limited in size. And people who don't like to see them to swithch them off when they read the forum.

[edited for typos - there are probably more :-)]

[Weegee]

I think avatars are a great idea. I post on another website forum which has avatars and photos...and I can immediately identify with a lot of fellow users.

I guess that this site is written in the same language mysql/php ?

[indiepanda]

Yes, I like having avatars, makes it much easier to remember people. Though it does wind me up when some folk change theirs every 5 minutes! Defeats the object of remembering people

[Bellenden Belle]

Oooooh no no no! I agree that it is much easier to sneak a peak at work without avatars.However my main reason is that I rather like forming my own mental image of what people are like - and enjoy the surprise/ confirmation when I get to meet them at a gathering. I don't think I have ever met Snorky, Dulwich Mum, or Louisa - but I have wonderful images for each.

[bignumber5]

Perhaps when you click on someones user name, and see their limited info, avatars could be there (if people want them - I can live without). That way the forum maintains it's nice clean/innocent at work look, but they're there if you want to see them. Just a thought.

[SeanMacGabhann]

A good compromise there BN5 - Piers and I have been introduced on another thread already

http://avatar.xboxlive.com/avatar/Brunceling/avatar-body.png

http://avatar.xboxlive.com/avatar/ED%20mockers/avatar-body.png