I really don’t understand the avatar hate. Is it just another “back in the olden times!!” thing?
I guess I can sort of understand the resistance to inline pictures (I disagree, but I can follow the arguments), but avatars are tiny, harmless and ubiquitous, at this stage of the internet. They’re also great for identification at a glance. I’m more likely to remember a face than a name, and the same holds true for avatars over user names.
Yeah. I really don’t get the objections to avatars that I seem to only see on this board. Is there anything more to it than “This is how we’ve done it since the beginning, so this is how it should be forever?”
I think avatars and inline photos & videos would be a positive enhancement for the SDMS, at least in Cafe Society, IMHO, MPSIMS and the BBQ Pit. I believe the majority of Dopers feel the same way. The powers that be should put it to democratic vote via a poll.
I respect the view of Dopers who wish to remain static and live in the past. Nostalgia is a powerful force. But it also stifles natural evolution. The question comes down to: what type of Doper society do you want to live in?: One populated by single-celled prokaryotic Dopers with VHS VCRs who drive horse and buggies, OR, one populated by Type III Kardashev civilization Dopers, with Betamax VCRs, driving McLaren 720Ss?
Maybe you could cut up sticky notes into little squares and move them as you scroll.
The vast majority of Dopers now have an avatar. I think the issue is settled.
Even Ye Olde Borde had avatars. Welcome to the 21st century! 
See, this is why we needs likes.
At least we have “thumbs up” here now.
True. 
If you have an adblocker, you can block two different urls:
sjc1.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar will take care of all the custom avatars.
avatars.discourse.org will take care of the stock ones.
And for the “What is this thing/critter?” threads in GQ.
That’s a good solution. Unfortunately the whiny little crybabies who don’t like avatars for other people even when they can’t see them won’t like having to do the work. They actually swore that they would quit the boards if other people got avatars but we still have to suffer them.
Moderator Note
Let’s not refer to other posters as “whiny little crybabies” or other disparaging terms in ATMB. No warning issued, but keep the discussion civil.
Aw, you’re no fun… 
That’s what I do now, but I’m running out of sticky notes.
In seriousness, did you try Johnny_Bravo’s suggestions in Post 48?
Am looking into it.
It was actually post #49. UY_Scuti wrote post #48. The number on the scroller does not increment until almost the very last sliver of the post at the top is out of view. It can get a little confusing.
On the old site, I used the adblocker idea to block the big STRAIGHT DOPE banner at the top of the page, so people at work wouldn’t think I was reading about dope
I put the STRAIGHT DOPE banner on my porn sites so work thinks I’m just reading newsgroup posts. 