# I turned on avatars today. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 8, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255 "2018-08-08T00:29:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/261 "2018-08-10T04:58:25Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Considering people use copyrighted images as avatars all over the internet, I think it’s safe to say it falls under “fair use”. > [@Crazyhorse](#): > > This question has come up since the [early days of avatars](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=674036) on the SDMB. (At that time accomplished by use of a 3rd party script.) > > With hundreds of millions of online avatars in use around the world, even now six years later I still can’t find one example of a lawsuit or even a cease and desist letter regarding a copyright claim about someone’s online avatar. Thank you both. I am not very adventurous on the internet so I didn’t know how widespread they are. I will say that the part of the linked discussion that I read seemed to take the possibility of possible legal issues more seriously. I was considering changing the one I started with to one that is very closely guarded by my former employer, but I think I’ll keep the one I have. It’s more personal. ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/262 "2018-08-10T05:35:04Z")
Testing ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/263 "2018-08-10T05:37:33Z")
Avatars turned on? Cecil must be turning in his grave. ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/264 "2018-08-10T08:49:23Z")
Testing. Edit to add: Yay, it worked. Thanks, Tuba. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/265 "2018-08-10T13:00:32Z")
Damn, people, next thing you know we’ll have inline images, like buttons, and a rating system for posts. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/266 "2018-08-10T13:26:48Z")
'Splain to me how the weekly “Friends of Cecil” thing is supposed to work? What’s the thinking there? I have a big fear of FOMO. If something’s cool, I want to be in on it, but sometimes I’m utterly clueless… ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/267 "2018-08-10T13:32:44Z")
Woof! Thanks, **Tuba**! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/268 "2018-08-10T13:36:11Z")
Testing, 1, 2, 3 ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/269 "2018-08-10T14:07:13Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > So, with the retirement/removal/wandering off of Little Ed, the Board very quickly is changing to that which it spent years trying very hard not to be. I figured it was too good to last. ☹ Yes, I just went back and re-read some old posts, and now everything sounds 27% stupider! 😃 Not. Avatars just lend the board some whimsical color, both figuratively and literally. I think most of us appreciate it. > [@SmartAleq](#): > > Are you guys using the new skin or the old classic one? I’m suspecting the new one isn’t playing well with new board features. As I think someone already said, virtually any UI problem is invariably due to the new skin. It’s been a pain right from the start, and the best thing Ed did, at the urging of many posters, was re-enable the old one as an option. Unfortunately it seems that once that happened, all efforts to fix the problems with the new one were abandoned. The only useful thing it does IMHO is allegedly raise the site’s Google ranking because of the mobile features, but I never use it, and I think it’s unfortunate that this is how non-registered readers see the site. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/270 "2018-08-10T14:08:44Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > 'Splain to me how the weekly “Friends of Cecil” thing is supposed to work? What’s the thinking there? I have a big fear of FOMO. If something’s cool, I want to be in on it, but sometimes I’m utterly clueless… It’s just a way to donate money. I think like donating to NPR, Tuba plans on giving little thank you gifts like coffee mugs or tote bags for becoming a “Friend”. And it’s not weekly. It’s whenever you want, once per day max. [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=860107](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=860107) ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/271 "2018-08-10T14:09:18Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Who else is eagerly awaiting/fearing **Dung Beetle’s** avatar? > [@Sherrerd](#): > > Turned out it’s very unobjectionable–attractive, even: > > [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=21136741#post21136741](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=21136741#post21136741) Well, thank you very much! I admit I was tempted to do something crass with it. Maybe later. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/272 "2018-08-10T15:48:22Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > PNG also works. (If you do it as a gif, you have to change the number of colors – I can’t remember what it is) PNG has the advantage over JPEG that you can have a transparent background, like in my avatar. You can in a GIF as well, but they’re more of a pain to work with in Photoshop. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/273 "2018-08-10T15:56:56Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > And yes, I know they’re really really tiny right now – that’s the system default. Want to see how this affects the server load before I make things any bigger. Yes, I know it shouldn’t … and hopefully, it won’t … but careful goes it here. I like the small size – they’re like little logos for each user. If the majority want them bigger, who am I to object, but I do think much bigger avatars would make the site look cluttered. I’m fine with 50x50. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/274 "2018-08-10T18:50:32Z")
You’ve done it, you maniacs! You’ve only gone and done it! ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/275 "2018-08-10T19:45:06Z")
> [@Atomic\_Alex](#): > > You’ve done it, you maniacs! You’ve only gone and done it! You forgot to damn them to hell. ---
**Author:** ![Sandra\_Battye](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sandra_battye/32/552_2.png) [@Sandra\_Battye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sandra_Battye)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/276 "2018-08-10T21:18:33Z")
Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/277 "2018-08-10T21:30:28Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Damn, people, next thing you know we’ll have inline images, like buttons, and a rating system for posts. 😛 I’d like to help you, son, but you’re too young to vote. (Judging by your picture.) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/278 "2018-08-10T21:39:44Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > PNG has the advantage over JPEG that you can have a transparent background, like in my avatar. You can in a GIF as well, but they’re more of a pain to work with in Photoshop. That and GIF only has two choices: transparent or opaque. PNG allows translucency, so you can get some nice antialiasing (no stairstep patterns on the edges). One issue is that the default 32-bit PNG is larger than a GIF. But, if you can save them as an 8-bit image, they almost always smaller. (Except when the image is really small, like 16x16 pixels.) ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/279 "2018-08-10T22:38:40Z")
Yay… ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/280 "2018-08-10T22:51:45Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Turned out it’s very unobjectionable–attractive, even: > > [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=21136741#post21136741](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=21136741#post21136741) I was expecting more of a ball, weren’t you? 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255.md?page=15)