No Avatars Here? Why?

[PlainJain]

@billfish678

Can. You. People. Not. Read. ?

It the fact that someone uses a fracking (I’m going make it clear here right now)

**A

V

A

T

A

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**

to be a jerk. And Ed does not like A V A T A R S

Yeah I can read just fine. The description for this forum reads:

“For all questions, comments, and complaints about the SDMB.”

The question is why no avatars. I have added my comments. Some want to complain about it. They are doing it in the right forum… a for created for such discussions. I have no idea what you are on about or why you feel Ed needs your backing but really this conversation is tootling along just fine.

Take a deep breath, step back from computer.

[Measure_for_Measure]

@Measure_for_Measure

Avatars arguably assist in the fight against ignorance…

@billfish678

While I liked the rest of your post I don’t see (heh) this part. I’m not saying they certainly do NOT, but on the other hand to me its not obvious they argueable DO.

A graphic image aids in distinguishing between posters, especially those with similar user names. That’s all. IMHO, this is small beer insofar as fighting ignorance is concerned, but nonetheless is worth a mention.

[RaftPeople]

@Measure_for_Measure

A graphic image aids in distinguishing between posters, especially those with similar user names. That’s all. IMHO, this is small beer insofar as fighting ignorance is concerned, but nonetheless is worth a mention.

I think the primary way avatars fight ignorance is that they show you which avatar that poster would have chosen.

For example:

The Entire Internet: Hmm, wonder what avatar RaftPeople would have. A raft? Some people? A mime juggling puppies?
If we had avatars, this piece of ignorance would be substantially fought. As it is, you (The Entire Internet) are kept in the dark, oppressed, never to experience the enlightenment that would shine forth upon the revelation of RaftPeople’s avatar.

[spinky]

Heh, I didn’t even know this thread was going on, but I started seeing bunches of hits to my little avatar service, so I came looking. Coolness. Where’s the current copy of the greasemonkey script being kept? Is someone maintaining it?

[Crazyhorse]

@ntucker

Heh, I didn’t even know this thread was going on, but I started seeing bunches of hits to my little avatar service, so I came looking. Coolness. Where’s the current copy of the greasemonkey script being kept? Is someone maintaining it?

So far I’ve only been sending it to people that requested it by PM and I will PM you a copy immediately, sir.

I hope the sudden spike in hits to the CGI didn’t cause any problem. I was surprised it was still up after almost a year but now the idea seems to be getting a little more interest.

[spinky]

No problem at all; I just check my logs occasionally to see if there’s anything I need to worry about. The load should be negligible. If my server couldn’t handle the additional load of serving avatars, it would be time to dig around in the couch cushions for upgrade money. cough

[Polerius]

@Crazyhorse

So far I’ve only been sending it to people that requested it by PM

Crazyhorse, FYI, since there are people complaining that they don’t know how to use Greasemonkey scripts, there is a website that turns them into Firefox add-ons. So you could, if you wanted, compile your finished script into an add-on and make it easy for the non-technical folks to use it.

ETA: I haven’t used this Greasemonkey compiler myself, so not sure how well it works, but have found websites claiming it works well. Also, there may be a similar service for Chrome

[Polerius]

@Polerius

Crazyhorse, FYI, since there are people complaining that they don’t know how to use Greasemonkey scripts, there is a website that turns them into Firefox add-ons. So you could, if you wanted, compile your finished script into an add-on and make it easy for the non-technical folks to use it.

Alternatively, if you upload the script to userscripts.org, Firefox and Chrome users can install it with the click of a button.

[Crazyhorse]

@Polerius

Alternatively, if you upload the script to userscripts.org, Firefox and Chrome users can install it with the click of a button.

That is a great idea. I’ve really still just been trying to get my attempt at a script a little better optimized and tested before too many people got a version they might need to update 30 minutes later. **ntucker **just fixed a problem I had been stewing over for 2 days in about 20 seconds. You wrote the original GM script and he wrote and hosts the CGI so I defer to entirely to you both on any calls about how to maintain and serve the code. I was planning to just post the final script and instructions here, and update it as necessary, but making an installer or compiling to a plug-in are both better ideas.

[spinky]

I’ll leave it up to you guys. I’m happy to help out, but I don’t want to own it.

[Crazyhorse]

@ntucker

I’ll leave it up to you guys. I’m happy to help out, but I don’t want to own it.

I was sort of the Steve Jobs of this project. All I knew is it was a good idea whose time had come. In your absence I managed to hack together a little shred of code to connect the two things you had previously written. I’d be glad to continue maintaining the code though and accepting any kudos while ignoring all complaints.

[cmyk]

Back in 2009, or whenever ntucker was building that GreaseMonkey script for adding generic identity/descriptor ID badges for posters, I mocked up these graphically consistant icons in my freetime.

I still have the original layered PSDs, and I had also sliced up each badge into 32x32 pixel .gifs. If anyone still tooling with the script would still like to implement these, just PM me.

[cmyk]

Excuse me, apparently weirdaaron wrote that script. :smack:

[Sleeps_With_Butterflies]

I thought that Greasemonkey script was going to be hard to install but it was easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

I’m loving it so far, thanks for those of you responsible for it!

[cmyk]

It’s a no brainer if you know how to copy & paste. Crazyhorse also provided great step-by-step instructions.

OMG, avatars! It’s the end of the fucking world!

[Loach]

@Czarcasm

I never said I was, and if you actually feel that I am presenting myself in such a way why don’t you quit whining about it and report me?

You know its not against the rules, its just annoying.

@Czarcasm

My personal position is that:

1. It would be more work for the moderators, and
2. It’s the house rules that I agreed to, and I don’t find this rule to be anywhere near unbearable or oppressive.

Thanks for finally putting in your personal opinion.

1. In the last thread about the arbitrarynaughty language in the Pit thread increased work for the mods was brought up. Miller jokingly sacastically complained about the couple of minutes of extra work it takes for him to write notes to violators. This argument is either true for both rules or neither. I suspect it may* on occasion *increase the work load of the mods by a few minutes just like the language rule does.

2. One of the house rules here is that there is a forum in which we are able to discuss our problems with the board, its rules and it moderation. Ed could easily outlaw dissent and ban anyone who questions his authority. He does not. The threshold for complaints or discussion should not be If its not unbearable or oppresive you should shut your mouth. If there were any rules here that were unbearable or oppresive I would leave. As I’m sure many others will. For the most part I find this board to my liking. When an issue comes up and I don’t agree with how it is handled I give my opinion. Because thats what the purpose of this forum and those threads are for. It gets annoying and only prolongs the threads when someone comes in and says “Those are the rules, shut up and take it or get out.”

@billfish678

I’m just waiting for a variation of this scenario to emerge:

Avatars start getting used. Either legitimately or the Greasemonkey way. Then one day a racially charge thing that gets discussed/debated comes up. Let’s say Rodney King the 2013 version. Discussion get heated and finally one of pro-police (or pro racist depending on your point of view I guess) posters gets pissed and changes their avatar to something like a crying white baby in black face.

Oh boy, the shit starts flying and its off to the pit about this racist avatar.

Either Ed’s head explodes or I predict a very strict don’t ask don’t tell or you are insta banned for mentioning anything about someone’s avatar get implemented shortly there after.

Which is any different then what is going on about hate speech how? We recently had a lively ATMB and Pit threads going on at the same time about the same poster due to hate speech.

@Crazyhorse

It’s funny that a lot of the arguments against anyone enjoying avatars here are things like “We’re way too sophisticated for that kid stuff. We are content based, and topic oriented, and our words are the way we express ourselves here as mature adults.”

But then when we talk about the perceived difficulty in having to mod avatars it’s “ARE YOU CRAZY?! Do you have any idea of the kind of obscene stunts that Dopers would pull if given any opportunity to do so?”

Anyway some mods have said it would be no more of a challenge than modding posts. If an image breaks a rule they note/warn/ban as per board rules now. This would eliminate the often cited prediction of users constantly changing avatars. The avatars may come and go, but the warnings would remain, and anyone who made themselves an avatar problem would quickly go the way of all those who are banned for disorderly conduct of any kind.

All good points.

[Loach]

@cmyk

It’s a no brainer if you know how to copy & paste. Crazyhorse also provided great step-by-step instructions.

OMG, avatars! It’s the end of the fucking world!

Damn I was wrong. That changes the entire board. Dogs and Cats living together!

[cmyk]

@Loach

Damn I was wrong. That changes the entire board. Dogs and Cats living together!

It could tear a hole in space-time and T-rexes could come spilling into our modern world.

But, hey, I’m a risk-taker.

[CarnalK]

@Sleeps_With_Butterflies

I’m loving it so far, thanks for those of you responsible for it!

Indeed. They are the SDMB equivalent of Martin Luther King.

On the other hand, Fenris’ advocacy for avatars comes across as the SDMB equivalent of Al Sharpton.

[Hbns]

@Heffalump_and_Roo

I don’t care for the ways that avatars can be used to identify those people who are in a certain group or who read a certain themed thread because the people who are self-identifying can seem cliquish without necessarily meaning to be, and it also can seem exclusionary to some. It can look less inviting from the outside or to new people. It’s possible to create an environment where new people are less likely to join, perhaps inadvertently. I appreciate, based on the comments from the mods in these threads, that the SDMB is a place where new people are welcomed and that the environment being a welcoming one is valued.

LOL so hard my eyes are watering!