# Want to see avatars on the SDMB? Here's a script. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 8, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636 "2012-07-08T21:44:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![BDBoop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@BDBoop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BDBoop)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/241 "2014-06-11T04:25:23Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > This thread is for information on how to use a Greasemonkey script to allow users to experience the SDMB with avatars. I’m starting this thread at the suggestion of **MsWhatsit** , **Irishman** and others [in this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=655746). > > This thread IS NOT for debating whether the SDMB should or should not enable the avatar feature. I’m hoping posters will respect this request and keep the focus of this thread on the Greasemonkey script. > > Crazyhorse posted a link to the script here:[Link to Greasemonkey script](http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/136815). > > Directions on how to upload an avatar link to your SDMB profile can be found here: > You can upload an avatar (online) to an image site such as [photobucket](http://photobucket.com/) or [tinypic](http://tinypic.com/) for free. > > Here is a [screen capture of what the board looks like](http://i47.tinypic.com/xp3g9l.png) with the avatar script. > > I’m starting this thread as a way to bring attention to this cool feature. But this should not be construed as me knowing much about the technical aspect of it nor did I have anything to do with bringing it here. I strongly suggest anyone interested in joining us avatar viewers to start reading the above mentioned thread at about [page 9 - 11](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=655746&page=9) to bring themselves up to speed with the developments and the developers. Please direct any questions you may have to them - I assure you I’ll be of no help at all in that regard. I got an error message when I tried to go to the “link to greasemonkey script.” ---
**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 11, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/242 "2014-06-11T04:31:30Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Regardless of what you choose to do or not do, I know I appreciate the time and effort you and spinky have spent making and managing and troubleshooting the script for us. Thanks for that. > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Yeah, same here. > [@Guinastasia](#): > > Yeah, good luck, **Crazyhorse**. Chrome is being ridiculous. ☹ You’re welcome, but it’s not a purely selfless act. I enjoy having avatars so it is all about me! 🙂 I’m also glad to do what I can to find a workaround to Google’s ever tightening grip over how we use the internet for not entirely selfless reasons. > [@spinky](#): > > So the script is working ok these days? At one point, back when the board had that hacker trouble, there were some problems with it due to the fact that the avatar server actually uses my browser cookie to fetch info from profiles. I had changed my password and then forgotten and then I ended up getting my account locked out temporarily due to insistently entering my old password too many times. You know, because I’m so smart. Anyway, I half-thought that was still an issue and that avatars weren’t actually being updated anymore, and I was feeling guilty about not looking into it yet. So if it’s working … great! 🙂 > > I guess what I’m trying to say is, any “thanks for all the hard work” messages should be addressed mostly to **crazyhorse**. 🙂 Yeah, I updated a script that Polerius thought of and all spinky did was write an entire web app, host it for us at his cost, improve it frequently, and then help me rewrite 3/4 of my own script… lazy bum! As far as I know though the password snafu described above only interrupted things until the account was restored. Avatars were updating as recently as yesterday. > [@Guinastasia](#): > > And I like Chrome better than Firefox, I’m not going to switch for one website, so I’ll wait until there’s a solution. > > Fuck Chrome. Google seems to have made an entire business model out of this philosophy. “Yeah, we suck, but people will still prefer to do things our way for various reasons. (and if they don’t we’ll make sure they have to.”) ---
**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 11, 2014, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/243 "2014-06-11T04:33:11Z")
> [@BDBoop](#): > > I got an error message when I tried to go to the “link to greasemonkey script.” Yes along with Google woes, the original site the script was hosted at, [userscripts.org](http://userscripts.org), has gone belly up and seems to be a ghost ship at the moment with no administrator. Try using the new link to install the script - [SDMB Avatars](https://greasyfork.org/scripts/2027-sdmb-avatars) ---
**Author:** ![BDBoop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@BDBoop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BDBoop)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/244 "2014-06-11T05:01:36Z")
YAY!!! Good lord, if I’m not easy. Thank you, sir. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/245 "2014-06-11T07:16:05Z")
I got the message saying “extensions cannot be added from this website.” :mad: ---
**Author:** ![BDBoop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@BDBoop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BDBoop)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/246 "2014-06-11T07:24:00Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I got the message saying “extensions cannot be added from this website.” :mad: Which browser? ---
**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 11, 2014, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/247 "2014-06-11T08:43:29Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I got the message saying “extensions cannot be added from this website.” :mad: If that’s happening in Chrome it’s because extensions need to be installed by dropping them directly into the Chrome Extensions window when you’re installing them from anywhere other than the Google store. That started [back in 2012](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15329174&postcount=138) and is simple enough to do. Any extension can be installed that way, but apparently Google still may or may not disable it despite your wishes. That hasn’t happened (yet) in my installation of Chrome for reasons I don’t know. If it happens in yours, for the moment at least the only way to have any extension that you didn’t get from Google is by using their [development build](http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/canary.html)which they don’t limit in this way. So you either support their app store and only their app store, or you beta test for them if you refuse and still want to use third party extensions. "This don’t be evil mantra: It’s bullshit.” – [Steve Jobs](http://gawker.com/5460811/steve-jobs-at-apple-employee-q--a-googles-evil-tagline-bullshit-and-flash-is-lazy) ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/248 "2014-06-12T19:02:36Z")
Yeah, [this](http://s28.postimg.org/45pntv3cd/Chrome1.png) is what the extensions page looks like to me (note the box to enable the avatar extension is grayed out). The Chrome developer build has issues of its own for me. [This](http://s29.postimg.org/3xna1v10n/Chrome2.png) is how the board looks to me through the dev build (interestingly it still shows an empty login box even though I’d logged in with the dev build not five seconds before taking that screenshot). I can still view individual threads but it’s a mess (in other news - wow those ads are annoying - autoplaying video ads on a message board? I’m glad I run adblock). There’s always Firefox. ---
**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 13, 2014, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/249 "2014-06-13T08:37:26Z")
For Chrome users affected by Google’s recent shenanigans I found an interim solution to use the avatar script without needing to use the Google app store. I investigated what would be required to save it as a Chrome extension and upload it to the app store. Besides being overly complicated for such a simple user script, they also want me to pay them a one time developer’s fee for the honor. It’s only 5 bucks but they can kiss my ass. Instead I’ll just distribute the raw package that I would need to compile for their app store, and whoever wants to can enable that in the release version of Chrome with a few simple steps. Chrome has a built-in way for developers to test their raw source files before compiling them into an extension and uploading it to the app store. So you can assume the role of the developer and “test” the avatar script without limitations. 1. [Download the zip file containing the source files here](http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=00566855484793337354) and extract it. It will create a single folder named “SDMB Avatars Chrome” wherever you choose to extract it. 2. Open Chrome, and in the Chrome Extensions window check the box for “Developer Mode” and then click “Load unpacked extension” [as shown here](http://s23.postimg.org/4uzej5ppn/chrome_extensions_window.jpg). 3. Choose the folder that you extracted in step 1 and press OK. The SDMB Avatar script will be installed and enabled. ---
**Author:** ![mrfyzv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@mrfyzv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrfyzv)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/250 "2014-06-13T12:19:17Z")
Thanks for this useful information ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/251 "2014-06-13T22:40:45Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > For Chrome users affected by Google’s recent shenanigans I found an interim solution to use the avatar script without needing to use the Google app store. > > I investigated what would be required to save it as a Chrome extension and upload it to the app store. Besides being overly complicated for such a simple user script, they also want me to pay them a one time developer’s fee for the honor. It’s only 5 bucks but they can kiss my ass. > > Instead I’ll just distribute the raw package that I would need to compile for their app store, and whoever wants to can enable that in the release version of Chrome with a few simple steps. > > Chrome has a built-in way for developers to test their raw source files before compiling them into an extension and uploading it to the app store. So you can assume the role of the developer and “test” the avatar script without limitations. > > 1. [Download the zip file containing the source files here](http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=00566855484793337354) and extract it. It will create a single folder named “SDMB Avatars Chrome” wherever you choose to extract it. > > 2. Open Chrome, and in the Chrome Extensions window check the box for “Developer Mode” and then click “Load unpacked extension” [as shown here](http://s23.postimg.org/4uzej5ppn/chrome_extensions_window.jpg). > > 3. Choose the folder that you extracted in step 1 and press OK. > > The SDMB Avatar script will be installed and enabled. Thanks for your continued efforts. And that $5 is nothing but a shakedown. “Oh, there are a bunch of people distributing their own scripts for Chrome without paying the developer fee? Not anymore!” Unfortunately now whenever I open Chrome with the extension enabled the browser gives me a popup telling me it doesn’t recommend running developer scripts. Thanks, Obama! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/252 "2014-06-14T17:15:38Z")
Yes, it’s working again! (Seriously, Chrome charges you? No wonder they disallowed all non-Chrome store extensions) Thanks for the work-around! ---
**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 14, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/253 "2014-06-14T20:22:51Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Yes, it’s working again! (Seriously, Chrome charges you? No wonder they disallowed all non-Chrome store extensions) > > Thanks for the work-around! You’re welcome. One thing I noticed earlier and mentioned is something weird seems to be going on with avatars hosted on photobucket. I couldn’t see your avatar, nor AClockworkMelon’s and both are hosted at photobucket. I did a little searching and found a lot of people complaining about this, like at [this thread.](http://support.ourboard.org/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=1849) So apparently Photobucket wants out of the direct linking business. When you direct link to a photobucket photo, they try to redirect the user to an html page with ads on it instead of directly to the image. Once someone has gone to a direct image this way one time, from then on they can see the image directly until I guess a cookie expires or some other means and then they won’t work again until they have loaded the ad page again. The avatar script gets an empty image back when they do that so no avatar displays for most users most of the time if you have it hosted at photobucket. My suggestion is [postimg.org](http://postimg.org) or another free site dedicated to hosting for direct image links. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/254 "2014-06-14T20:45:14Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > I did a little searching and found a lot of people complaining about this, like at [this thread.](http://support.ourboard.org/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=1849) So apparently Photobucket wants out of the direct linking business. When you direct link to a photobucket photo, they try to redirect the user to an html page with ads on it instead of directly to the image. Yeah, I’ve noticed this before. It never interrupted image links on forums and such before, though. I’ve actually already switched over to postimg for most of my image hosting needs but I’ll go ahead and switch over my avatar, too. Changing the url in the biography section of my profile is all I need to do, right? ---
**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 14, 2014, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/255 "2014-06-14T20:56:52Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Yeah, I’ve noticed this before. It never interrupted image links on forums and such before, though. I’ve actually already switched over to postimg for most of my image hosting needs but I’ll go ahead and switch over my avatar, too. Changing the url in the biography section of my profile is all I need to do, right? Yes and once the new URL is entered into your profile it can take up to an hour for the change to get picked up by the avatar system. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/256 "2014-06-14T22:51:48Z")
Okay, now I’m getting a message that Developer Mode is somehow harmful to my computer. What gives? (IS it harmful to my computer?) ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/257 "2014-06-14T22:55:52Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Okay, now I’m getting a message that Developer Mode is somehow harmful to my computer. What gives? (IS it harmful to my computer?) See [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17460778&postcount=251) of mine. It’s just warning you against using unapproved scripts that you didn’t get through the store. It looks like this is as good as it’s gonna get if we want to use the script with Chrome. ---
**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 14, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/258 "2014-06-14T23:06:57Z")
Yeah. Every time you launch Chrome it will show you[this reminder](http://s29.postimg.org/curn7vu87/chrome_dev_mode_warning.jpg) that you have an extension loaded in developer mode. As long as SDMB Avatars is the only extension you have loaded in developer mode you can safely click cancel. It’s not an elegant solution but as Clockwork said, it’s as good as it’s going to get for Chrome. This new policy blocked a lot more than the avatar script. Many third party. large and well known companies who distribute their own browser add-ons directly are totally screwed by this. As far as I can tell many or most of them are refusing to give Google their source code which is the only way they can get it up on the Google store. Several very popular anti-virus programs have been broken by this and a host of others and several have advised customers not to use Chrome as they won’t be modifying their distribution channels to appease Google. If everyone refuses to play by Google’s rules they will be sitting alone in their walled garden pretty soon and someone else will be king of the interwebs. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/259 "2014-06-15T00:14:14Z")
So it won’t hurt my computer? (Sorry, I’m very paranoid after what happened to my old laptop!) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/260 "2014-06-15T00:20:06Z")
It’s literally the same script you’ve been running except it’s been flagged as one you’re “testing.” Chrome is warning that “testing” scripts might be dangerous. Just be careful what extensions you install, as usual. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636.md?page=14)