# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/81 "2018-08-08T07:42:18Z")
How did I get lumped in with all that? I didn’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/82 "2018-08-08T07:52:43Z")
> [@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. ☹ > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > It was a good run. Yes, I feel your pain. Having to click 4 things to unsee the horrible plague. That’s worse than ebola. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/83 "2018-08-08T09:05:06Z")
Lets have a looksee ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/84 "2018-08-08T10:38:50Z")
James Cameron is gonna be pissed. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/85 "2018-08-08T11:14:37Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Those wanting to resize their image can use IrfanView. > > File -\> Batch Conversion/Rename -\> Select image file -\> Click Add -\> Output Format: Check Use Advanced options -\> Click advanced -\> Check Resize -\> Choose 50 width 50 Height pixels -\> Also choose resampling for high quality -\> ok -\> options -\> 100% quality bwahahahaha just be sure it ends up the proper size -\> Output directory: Make it diffferent from where the file is -\> Start Batch when you’re done tinkering. It can be much easier than that, in Windows. Make a copy of your pic Right click on the copy, Open with… Paint. (Working on the copy preserves the original, in case of mistakes.) Resize, and select to resize by pixels. Keep the same aspect ratio, and change the largest of the two dimensions to 50 pixels. Save. That’s how I did mine, which was originally something like 4,000 x 3,000 pixels. Mine, BTW, was a pic I took 3 days ago on a drive through the Santa Cruz Mountains. That’s the Lexington Reservoir in the background. Neither my wife nor I wanted to be in the picture. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/86 "2018-08-08T11:23:32Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Test, only a test. Do not reset the horizontal, do not reset the vertical. > > Says upload failed, we’ll see. Did it say why? I failed at first because my file size was too large. If you give us the error message, someone might be able to help. ---
**Author:** ![And\_his\_buzzer\_goes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/and_his_buzzer_goes/32/377_2.png) [@And\_his\_buzzer\_goes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/And_his_buzzer_goes)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/87 "2018-08-08T11:24:17Z")
A quick image google and [Lunapic](https://www269.lunapic.com/editor/) edit later and we’re good to go for now. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/88 "2018-08-08T11:41:44Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Did it say why? I failed at first because my file size was too large. If you give us the error message, someone might be able to help. It seems to say “upload failed” no matter what. Even when your avatar is working. ---
**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 8, 2018, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/89 "2018-08-08T12:20:14Z")
Avatars? In the Straight Dope? I’m against! It isn’t natural, and trouble will come of it! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/90 "2018-08-08T12:30:33Z")
Wow, some of you’uns look a lot different than I expected. For what it’s worth, mine didn’t give any error message at all, but then, being a GIF with few colors, it’s tiny. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/91 "2018-08-08T12:34:56Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > Avatars? In the Straight Dope? I’m against! > It isn’t natural, and trouble will come of it! Time will tell. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/92 "2018-08-08T12:51:51Z")
I thought the default for was going to be Off for viewing. Since I’m nearly never viewing the board logged in, I have avatars on and the new, crappy skin. So, it’s avatar (boo), then a fair amount of space, then the poster’s name. My ideal situation would be to have the old skin be the default and avatars off as the default, so that’s what I’ll see when I’m viewing the board without being logged in. I also want a pony. However, we were told that no avatars was going to be the default, regardless of my wish for a pony. If nothing else, fix the new skin so there’s not so much space between the avatar and the user name, because it’s really annoying. (“Why don’t you view the board logged in?” Because, when you’re logged in, it marks threads as read even if you haven’t opened them. Basically, if there are no new posts since last time you opened a thread, other threads that you haven’t opened end up showing as read. If you’re not logged in, it does a much better job of tracking which threads you’ve actually opened.) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/93 "2018-08-08T12:53:06Z")
> [@Kiwi\_Fruit](#): > > I’ll dip my toe, but may pull out again. I heard that doesn’t count, if it’s only the tip. ---
**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 8, 2018, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/94 "2018-08-08T13:03:37Z")
It’s like waking up and being in technicolor land Over the Rainbow. > [@RitterSport](#): > > …(“Why don’t you view the board logged in?” Because, when you’re logged in, it marks threads as read even if you haven’t opened them. Basically, if there are no new posts since last time you opened a thread, other threads that you haven’t opened end up showing as read. If you’re not logged in, it does a much better job of tracking which threads you’ve actually opened.) Subscribe to the threads you’re interested in. Find them under “quick links.” They will not be marked read until you read them. Took me YEARS to discover this. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/95 "2018-08-08T13:20:33Z")
Testing. And yay! ---
**Author:** ![Panther\_Modern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@Panther\_Modern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panther_Modern)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/96 "2018-08-08T13:59:09Z")
> [@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. ☹ Because allowing users to enable or disable avatars are the worst thing to happen to a message board. Lighten up. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/97 "2018-08-08T14:55:28Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Is there a way to turn off the viewing of avatars? [Geeks to the rescue!](http://www.877geeksonsite.com/computer-repair-blog/computer-repair/how-to-turn-off-a-computer-the-right-way/) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/98 "2018-08-08T15:00:02Z")
> [@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. ☹ Just turn it off, no need to complain of ever see them again. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/99 "2018-08-08T15:33:44Z")
Never thought I’d see the day! Thanks, Tuba! ---
**Author:** ![Fiveroptic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiveroptic/32/8257_2.png) [@Fiveroptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveroptic)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255/100 "2018-08-08T15:42:43Z")
Ahhhh… It’s like putting on a pair of well-worn slippers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-turned-on-avatars-today/819255.md?page=6)