# No Avatars Here? Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 19, 2012, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626 "2012-06-19T09:55:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/41 "2012-06-19T14:47:42Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Yes, and with the exception of the OP, no member of this board posts sans typos consistently. > > Oh, wait, that’s not true at all and many boards that allow avatars have just as high standards regarding communication. Sure, that was just my response to a newbie who, on his first day, whines about no avatars because they’d be like kewl and can’t put together a sentence without an error. It was a “consider the source” reply. Other posters, like you, I pay attention to. I may not agree with you, but I pay attention to you. ---
**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:** [June 19, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/42 "2012-06-19T14:47:55Z")
No avatars please. ---
**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:** [June 19, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/43 "2012-06-19T14:48:58Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > If the administration did want to allow avatars to reduce confusion, I’d suggest offering an assortment of monotone images of historical figures or small objects. Tasteful, and could be copyright free. Maybe one or two hundred. With one or two hundred images available, how many posters would have the exact same image as I, _assuming that the images were distributed evenly throughout the board_? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/44 "2012-06-19T14:58:49Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > It seems to me that much of the appeal of avatars is picking out the perfect image --obscure, ironic, damnclever, whatever-- and while it’s fun for a week or two, familiarity breeds contempt and most avatars look tired and precious soon thereafter. You have to turn avatars on in your CP in order to use them. If you find they look far too twee, you can just turn them off and the people who want them and like them are happy and the people who don’t care for them are happy. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/45 "2012-06-19T14:58:54Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > More’s the pity because I do find that avatars make it easier to keep mental track of who said what. Except that many of the places that have them, people are changing their avatar on a weekly, or even daily basis, rendering them useless for that purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/46 "2012-06-19T15:10:44Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > Except that many of the places that have them, people are changing their avatar on a weekly, or even daily basis, rendering them useless for that purpose. Actually I just meant within a thread. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/47 "2012-06-19T15:20:29Z")
> [@Gezmo](#): > > Forumotion is free, more modern, and more customizable. here is an example of a forumotion forum. > > [http://urbaniteforums.halofight.com/](http://urbaniteforums.halofight.com/) Damn, that’s ugly. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/48 "2012-06-19T15:23:04Z")
I vote we add a section to the FAQ detailing the fact that we’ve discussed this ad nauseam and initiate a policy that any discussion of avatars is immediately locked and the OP directed to read the FAQ. I confident this suggestion will be met with complete aproval. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/49 "2012-06-19T15:26:07Z")
I do not care for them and would likely wander off should they arrive. I think, a lot of people, who don’t really want to argue over it, feel the same way. Just my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Gezmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Gezmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gezmo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/50 "2012-06-19T15:27:04Z")
Here is an example of a forum with avatars, and also, a well built community. > **[SpaceBattles](https://forums.spacebattles.com/)** > > A popular forum celebrating geek culture and creativity. Home to all genres of original and fan fiction, plus lively discussions about everything nerdy. ---
**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:** [June 19, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/51 "2012-06-19T15:28:19Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > Damn, that’s ugly. From the bottom of their page: > [@](#): > > Our users have posted a total of 176 messages > We have 16 registered viewers Yeah-I could see why they might need avatars to tell each other apart. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/52 "2012-06-19T15:33:14Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > I do not care for them and would likely wander off should they arrive. I think, a lot of people, who don’t really want to argue over it, feel the same way. Just my opinion. You wouldn’t know because they’re off by default and you’d have to physically change your personal board settings in order to see them. ---
**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:** [June 19, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/53 "2012-06-19T15:44:50Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > I vote we add a section to the FAQ detailing the fact that we’ve discussed this ad nauseam and initiate a policy that any discussion of avatars is immediately locked and the OP directed to read the FAQ. > > I confident this suggestion will be met with complete aproval. > 😛 Yes, we obviously need to do that. We’ll get to work on it. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/54 "2012-06-19T16:34:11Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > It’s because these forums prefer proper capitalisation, punctuation and spelling over pretty pictures of kittens. Blasphemer. ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/55 "2012-06-19T16:35:17Z")
it is really very simple We don’t like change. **EVER!** ---
**Author:** ![Gezmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Gezmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gezmo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/56 "2012-06-19T16:36:57Z")
> **[SpaceBattles](https://forums.spacebattles.com/)** > > A popular forum celebrating geek culture and creativity. Home to all genres of original and fan fiction, plus lively discussions about everything nerdy. A very good forum with a well built community like this one, but it has avatars along with legitimate comments. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/57 "2012-06-19T16:46:14Z")
I think we’ve all seen boards with Avatars. It’s not like we are talking cutting edge new technology here. 😛 What you have to ask yourself is…why do we need them? What do they add to the board that we are missing? -XT ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/58 "2012-06-19T16:51:02Z")
Forget avatars, someone needs to start a web forum to discuss space battles. Such a site is long overdue. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/59 "2012-06-19T16:52:07Z")
> [@Hbns](#): > > it is really very simple > We don’t like change. > > **EVER!** No? We let you join, didn’t we? There went the neighborhood. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/60 "2012-06-19T16:54:06Z")
> [@Gezmo](#): > > [http://forums.spacebattles.com/](http://forums.spacebattles.com/) > > A very good forum with a well built community like this one, but it has avatars along with legitimate comments. Ugly times 2. > [@Gezmo](#): > > Here is an example of a forum with avatars, and also, a well built community. > > [http://forums.spacebattles.com/](http://forums.spacebattles.com/) Still ugly. It won’t get any prettier if you post the same link again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626.md?page=4)