# 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:** 8
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/141 "2012-06-19T20:50:24Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Ugly times 2. > > Still ugly. It won’t get any prettier if you post the same link again. I disagree. I think the [spacebattles.com](http://spacebattles.com) site has a nice clean layout, and for the audience (sci fi fans) the color scheme/fonts/styling etc. look good. But, they should move the post info (date time etc.) underneath the avatar, like the [freeratio.com](http://freeratio.com) site. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/142 "2012-06-19T21:03:21Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > And that is a lousy argument because once a poster has picked an avatar he can still change it. That is an aspect I didn’t mention, but is valid as well. However, even though I think the recognizability reason is “lousy” (or “silly”), it is still better than the stupid arguments from the anti-avatar crowd. ETA—missed this part: > [@](#): > > If avatars were enabled could members with slow connections turn them off? Would they default to invisible when people happen upon the board so their experience is not slowed? They would be off by default. That is why the anti arguments are stupid. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/143 "2012-06-19T21:05:57Z")
Could avatars be unchangeable unless the mods allowed it? Kinda like username changes. Allowed but not very often perhaps? ---
**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:** [June 19, 2012, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/144 "2012-06-19T21:16:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Could avatars be unchangeable unless the mods allowed it? Not realistically. The board would just be storing a link to the image, not the image itself. A person could easily make their avatar point to [www.picturehostingsite.com/username/avatar.jpg](http://www.picturehostingsite.com/username/avatar.jpg), and then without changing anything on the message board, change what image they store under that filename. The only way around this would be to limit the choices of avatars from a list of files available from a list of sources, which would be more work for the Powers that Be and would restrict the creativity of the members. EDIT: Not a real link ---
**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, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/145 "2012-06-19T21:16:35Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > That said, Charter members, SDSAB members, mods and admins have avatars regardless. > > And that pretty much sums it up. Avatars allow the teeming millions to differentiate themselves. This is a privilege paid that should be paid for. What baffles me, is that with the obvious demand (the issue comes up over and over), Ed hasn’t tried to offer this as another revenue generator? Then again, TPTB would just screw it up by charging way too much so why bother. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/146 "2012-06-19T21:25:07Z")
> [@Hbns](#): > > Avatars allow the teeming millions to differentiate themselves. This is a privilege paid that should be paid for. > > What baffles me, is that with the obvious demand (the issue comes up over and over), Ed hasn’t tried to offer this as another revenue generator? Then again, TPTB would just screw it up by charging way too much so why bother. Just like hiding post counts of guests so paying members have no idea who they are talking to without opening up their profile, while allowing guests to see the post counts of paying members, in the case of avatars the paying members would stand more to gain by differentiating between guests but you would be allowing guests to have that benefit when viewing posts of paying members. It would be reasonable to require membership if not for that small detail, but like I said these are all irrelevant details if the owner of the board personally despises avatars and their very mention makes his skin crawl. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/147 "2012-06-19T21:26:06Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > 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_? I won’t do the math but obviously some people would have the same avatar. I don’t know how many “multiple posts per day” posters there are presently, but I’d guess no more than a couple hundred and probably less. For two frequent posters to have the same avatar would have a small bonding effect, like having the same birthday or coming from the same medium size town. I’ve posted at a sports board that offered a limited selection of administration approved avatars. Most people chose to use one, even though they weren’t unique to each poster. I slightly prefer having no avatars, but have trouble justifying that if the software can make them not appear to people who don’t want to see them. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/148 "2012-06-19T21:35:08Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Not realistically. The board would just be storing a link to the image, not the image itself. A person could easily make their avatar point to [www.picturehostingsite.com/username/avatar.jpg](http://www.picturehostingsite.com/username/avatar.jpg), and then without changing anything on the message board, change what image they store under that filename. The only way around this would be to limit the choices of avatars from a list of files available from a list of sources, which would be more work for the Powers that Be and would restrict the creativity of the members. > > EDIT: Not a real link Ahhh. Makes sense. I don’t give a rats ass one way or another about avatars but if they were allowed and could easily and constantly be changed I don’t really see the point and would argue they would cause more harm than good because it would be like posters that could constantly change their username. But I guess I’d just turn the things off so I couldn’t see em. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/149 "2012-06-19T21:44:52Z")
I guess it is worth pointing out at this juncture that we have a way, right now, within our own power, to enable a SDMB avatar system if we want one that does not rely on permission from TPTB. \*\*Polerius \*\*was kind enough to create a greasemonkey script and \*\*ntucker \*\*generously wrote and hosted a CGI that, if combined with a small line in any SDMB user’s profile, would display an avatar of their choosing to other Dopers using the script. It was a great solution, but surprisingly underwhelming demand after so many vocally requested avatars caused the project to sort of fizzle out. (note that I still have my SDMB avatar faithfully posted in my profile, just in case the idea ever takes off again). [Here is the thread with the details.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=626125) ---
**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, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/150 "2012-06-19T21:48:09Z")
> [@srzss05](#): > > You don’t see the potential flaw in your reasoning, I do. I’m not going to keep repeating myself. But I will concede my choice of “silly” as a description may be a bit harsh. Look, I can see you are trying to play devil’s advocate or be the intermediary or whatever in this thread, but no, there was no reasoning error on my part here. I simply said, that in my opinion, avatars aid in keeping mental track of who said what in a thread. Your supposed retort, which to you renders this silly (or now “lousy”), is that you don’t think that many people will post avatars. Well, I can certainly see the error in _your_ reasoning: you don’t get to add a contentious premise and then use that to pronounce that what I said is silly. ---
**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, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/151 "2012-06-19T21:52:25Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > I don’t give a rats ass one way or another about avatars but if they were allowed and could easily and constantly be changed I don’t really see the point and would argue they would cause more harm than good because it would be like posters that could constantly change their username. But I guess I’d just turn the things off so I couldn’t see em. Be able to change is kind of the point. Your username is your identity. Your avatar is simply a visual expression. Kind of like wearing a button, or putting a bumper sticker on your car. Some will change it often, some rarely, and some never. Through it all the username remains. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/152 "2012-06-19T22:01:49Z")
Ok, how about we have avatars, but everyone has to use the same one. The admins can change it as they like. We might even have that now and they’ve chosen a small shaded circle that changes color when users are logged in. ---
**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, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/153 "2012-06-19T22:05:00Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Ok, how about we have avatars, but everyone has to use the same one. The admins can change it as they like. We might even have that now and they’ve chosen a small shaded circle that changes color when users are logged in. But if it’s changing color whether one is logged in or not means the image is constantly changing which means I can’t keep track of who is who so therefore it is completely worthless. I suggest TPTB get rid of this rediculous avatar doo-hickey. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/154 "2012-06-19T22:08:10Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Ok, how about we have avatars, but everyone has to use the same one. The admins can change it as they like. We might even have that now and they’ve chosen a small shaded circle that changes color when users are logged in. How about random Capchas (sp?) instead 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/155 "2012-06-19T22:13:28Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Well, I can certainly see the error in _your_ reasoning: you don’t get to add a contentious premise and then use that to pronounce that what I said is silly. I said I won’t repeat myself, but here goes anyway: Based on experience from other boards, and what other people on this board have stated, there are those that won’t use avatars, so the recognizabilty reasoning is flawed. If it only works sometimes, then logically its use is limited and so not a very viable reason. If you can’t see that, then I’m just wasting my time even stating it in the first place, let alone repeating it. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/156 "2012-06-19T22:23:52Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > I guess it is worth pointing out at this juncture that we have a way, right now, within our own power, to enable a SDMB avatar system if we want one that does not rely on permission from TPTB. > > \*\*Polerius \*\*was kind enough to create a greasemonkey script and \*\*ntucker \*\*generously wrote and hosted a CGI that, if combined with a small line in any SDMB user’s profile, would display an avatar of their choosing to other Dopers using the script. > > It was a great solution, but surprisingly underwhelming demand after so many vocally requested avatars caused the project to sort of fizzle out. (note that I still have my SDMB avatar faithfully posted in my profile, just in case the idea ever takes off again). > > [Here is the thread with the details.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=626125) I see avatars here with a different script. But I am using your desired image for you now. ---
**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, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/157 "2012-06-19T22:27:00Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > I guess it is worth pointing out at this juncture that we have a way, right now, within our own power, to enable a SDMB avatar system if we want one that does not rely on permission from TPTB. > > \*\*Polerius \*\*was kind enough to create a greasemonkey script and \*\*ntucker \*\*generously wrote and hosted a CGI that, if combined with a small line in any SDMB user’s profile, would display an avatar of their choosing to other Dopers using the script. > > It was a great solution, but surprisingly underwhelming demand after so many vocally requested avatars caused the project to sort of fizzle out. (note that I still have my SDMB avatar faithfully posted in my profile, just in case the idea ever takes off again). > > [Here is the thread with the details.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=626125) Look-problem solved! Everyone o.k. with closing this thread? ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/158 "2012-06-19T22:29:19Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Look-problem solved! > Everyone o.k. with closing this thread? Yes Czarcasm, you can go ahead and close it now. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/159 "2012-06-19T22:36:26Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > I see avatars here with a different script. But I am using your desired image for you now. The nice thing about the script/cgi/profile solution is that it would never require anyone to update their own copy of a script with avatar URLs. Every other script I know of requires each individual to keep their own list of avatars in their own copy of the script, but this system would automatically grab an avatar from the user profile and required no script editing or greasemonkey knowledge on the user’s part. Which script are you using and is there such a mechanism in it? ---
**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, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626/160 "2012-06-19T22:37:21Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > Yes Czarcasm, you can go ahead and close it now. Let me guess-this is an oh so subtle way of accusing me of junior modding, isn’t it? How quaint. Is there a reason **Crazyhorse’s** answer to the problem isn’t satisfactory? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-avatars-here-why/625626.md?page=9)