I can’t see how avatars are any different than sigs.
Avatars: for the people that want them, pay, like on Something Awful.
For those that don’t want to see them, User CP > Edit Options > uncheck Show Avatars, It’s not like you have to install a browser plugin or edit your HOSTS file to block them. Sheesh!
On my site, users gan get an avatar after 25 posts. Avatars must not be larger than 80 pixels in any direction (enforced by vBulletin admin settings), 3K in size (again, enforced by vBulletin config), non-animated (it’s difficult to get any animation in 3K), and tasteful; not offensive or inflammatory. As for copyright … well, fair use. No, avatars have NOT been a slippery slope to giant signature images. Few have signature iamges at all, and if they do, the rules regarding them are rather strict; again, small, non-animated, and tasteful.
Smileys: on Something Awful, users pay to add new smileys. The SDMB could also do this. They can impose rules about size and lack of animation, of course. Hate them? User CP > Edit Options > uncheck Show Images.
For the old-timers that hate all frills beyond the written word, maybe there should be a theme where the SDMB resembles a 1980s BBS. OF course, they can use it if they pay … 
Not intending to advertise my site, but FWIW, here’s a typical off-topic thread from the forum I run, where avatars are displayed. Doesn’t look bad, does it?
Yes–as a replacement for the SDMB, that is. I just like the atmosphere that we have here, and the light in which the configuration of this board encourages me to think about my fellow members. The lack of graphical representation is a huge part of that, for me. I feel like the atmosphere of the board would lose something.
To get back to the original topic of this thread for a moment, like Tuckerfan, Waverly, and Dead Badger, my spidey sense is still tingling, but I appreciate The Powers That Be taking a moment from their busy schedules to give us any information at all, since this board has historically taken the attitude towards our questions of “If you don’t like it, leave. We’re not telling you anything.” Cudos for (possibly) realizing that the customer/management relationship is a symbiotic one.
As for the avatars discussion, if I can turn them off, I don’t care if we have them. Your board isn’t bad, elmwood, but I do find them quite distracting. As for attracting/keeping new members, I don’t think we need to pander to get the type of new members that would be interested in joining. People who fit here will stay, and people who don’t will leave. I think that is one of the beautifully self-governing aspects of this place.
Honestly, while I have seen worse*, it looks far more cluttered than the SDMB. Even small posts take up a lot more space. Does the little left margin stat card go away with the avatars? Does it at least get smaller? I would hate to see the SDMB go to that format.
Jim
- Disney Forums my wife likes to read. These are the worst I have ever seen.
I warn you don’t click these links if you hate animations and junk.
Ye gods, What Exit?, you weren’t kidding.
I wish to express the fact that I am now laughing loudly at your reaction with using a smilie like :D.
My wife loves going to Disney World and has got some great tips on bargains and what to do and everything Disney related, but I need blinders if I am near her and she is surfing.
Jim
That makes me feel a little better about my friends who just got married at 18 (or 19, I can’t keep them young’uns straight anymore 
) and went to Disney World on their honeymoon. When they get dressed up for a party they look like the two punkest kids straight out of the front row of a Misfits concert, so it’s rather strange to hear them go on and on and on and on about the latest Disney thing.
I only mentioned it because you objected to avatars squandering bandwidth. I understand you have other objections though.
FWIW, put me in the pro-avatar camp. I’m sure I’d associate more posts with particular individuals that way. As much as we’d like to think that we’re wonderfully literate people who don’t need such fripperies, they do still help.
And please stop saying ‘oh, you can just go to Something Awful for that’. That place is crap for many reasons, we’d like to stay here, in case you hadn’t noticed.
And…thanks to the work done by the mods and others in recent days 
That’s just the choice of using what’s known as the “legacy” format of having the poster’s info situated to the left of the post. I expect, because the powers that be here don’t seem to like any kind of adaptation of the boards for fear of breaking its warranty (which they really should have no fear of, as they clearly don’t care about upgrading the software - it’s several years out of date, and therefore seriously insecure), they’ll probably keep with the format of info above each post.
…and would be substituted with regular text smilies, from which they originated. Unless you ban those
Well, sure, but how about :smack: and :rolleyes: ?
The latter, plus :dubious: , probably both originally were O_o ? :smack: is a bit tricker, I’ll admit.
Seriously. I don’t care one way or another about the avatars…I might use one if they were implemented, I might not. Don’t have a beef with them. I do like smilies…sometimes, especially if you are a poster who tends to get involved in “serious” discussions or get overly passionate about your opinions, it’s handy to have a quick way to let people know when you’re kidding around.
But if people want to think I’m immature and better off somewhere else, I’m happy to, in turn, think they are bitter curmudgeons who are better off somewhere else.
Nah, people would just do like they do now:
:::waves arms:::
::: pounds head on table:::
:::smacks forehead:::
I’ve seen them described as “stage directions” which is a good term, IMHO.
I loathe that “:::smacks forehead:::” shit, personally, which is why I want to keep the smileys. YMMV.
There is no “warranty” to be voided. vB even has its own official modifications forum, I have never, ever see them say that *modding *your board will void anything. It’s all “install at your own risk” though.
And yes, they seriously need to consider upgrading to the latest version. There are no more security patches coming out for this one.
I don’t have much to add, but I wanted to add another very late “Thanks” to Ed for removing the banners and for such an uncharacteristic look behind the curtain.