No Avatars Here? Why?

[Azeotrope]

I’m guessing there’s not much overlap in posters between here and the Snopes.com messageboards, what with animated avatars allowed (albiet small ones), animated smilies, and loud tiled graphics backgrounds…

[Peremensoe]

@DrFidelius

@Gezmo

there’s no polls here either.

Sure there are. In the forums where polls might be useful.

Useful? Polls can’t ever be useful. They’re a piss-poor method to gauge boardwide opinions on any subject.

[Candyman74]

@Gezmo

http://forums.spacebattles.com/

A very good forum with a well built community like this one, but it has avatars along with legitimate comments.

We know what forums with avatars look like. They’re not exactly uncommon.

[DrFidelius]

@Peremensoe

Useful? Polls can’t ever be useful. They’re a piss-poor method to gauge boardwide opinions on any subject.

They keep the kids happy and out from under the feet of the grownups.

[furryman]

Aang is sad he can’t post here:

[bucketybuck]

Hey, why don’t we have a poll about whether people want to allow avatars or not?

[Sister_Vigilante]

@ugly ripe tomato

I’m guessing there’s not much overlap in posters between here and the Snopes.com messageboards, what with animated avatars allowed (albiet small ones), animated smilies, and loud tiled graphics backgrounds…

Snopes is the tackiest thing there is. But I still read it, every day.

[Covered_In_Bees]

Another vote against the God awful prospect of the visual clutter called avatars.

[Patty_O_Furniture]

@XT

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

How do you feel about the custom titles that were added some time ago? They’re essentially avatars in text form.

[Inner_Stickler]

@Covered_In_Bees

Another vote against the God awful prospect of the visual clutter called avatars.

What visual clutter would my having an avatar do to you?

[cochrane]

@Gezmo

How come none of us can have picture avatars at this forum?

Who here wiches they had an avatar?
i do

I wiches I had a sandwitch rite now.

[CarnalK]

@bucketybuck

Hey, why don’t we have a poll about whether people want to allow avatars or not?

Impossible. The forum that allows polls doesn’t allow discussion of the board and the forum that allows discussion of the board doesn’t allow polls. Not many options left, I’m afraid. Hands tied and all that.

[Patty_O_Furniture]

@Covered_In_Bees

Another vote against the God awful prospect of the visual clutter called avatars.

This is like complaining about the poor quality of the infomercials on a tv channel that isn’t included with your cable tv package. Stop it already. They would be OFF BY DEFAULT.

[Deeg]

@Mijin

It’s quite an irrational position IMO, but unfortunately it is held by several of the mods, so it is not likely to change any time soon.

“Irrational”? Really?

I find avatars fun for a while but then they clutter up the board. I wouldn’t be against them if they can be turned off but otherwise I prefer the very simple effect of the SDMB. I can imagine how avatars would be a head-ache for mods, though, with copyright and decency issues. They just aren’t worth the hassle.

[Czarcasm]

@Inner_Stickler

What visual clutter would my having an avatar do to you?

Are you proposing that only you would be allowed to have one?

[antonio107]

@Gezmo

Here is an example of a forum with avatars, and also, a well built community.
http://forums.spacebattles.com/

Any forum that believes Battlestar Galactica is the best sci-fi franchise is not a well built community, IMO.

[XT]

[QUOTE=Patty O’Furniture]
How do you feel about the custom titles that were added some time ago? They’re essentially avatars in text form.
[/QUOTE]

That it was unnecessary from the perspective of making the board a better place or community, but that it probably generated needed revenue…which is why I bought one.

-XT

[Fear_Itself]

I don’t want avatars, because I do not want to give the entertainment provided by the debates over avatars.

[Guinastasia]

Aaaand once again the ludites win! (And yes, as explained, they could be turned off, other boards do NOT have problems with “inappropriate avatars” and copyright issues, or constant talk about avatars.)
Christ. You should have seen the uproar when they added a Facebook share button.

[Drunky_Smurf]

@Deeg

“Irrational”? Really?

I find avatars fun for a while but then they clutter up the board. I wouldn’t be against them if they can be turned off but otherwise I prefer the very simple effect of the SDMB. I can imagine how avatars would be a head-ache for mods, though, with copyright and decency issues. They just aren’t worth the hassle.

Bolding mine.

I like avatars and I like the simple effect of the SDMB. So I haven’t made up my mind one way or the other.

How many sites have been sued or shut down because of copyrighted avatars?