# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/41 "2012-07-24T23:53:28Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > I think here: > > ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Extensions > > I don’t have a Mac OS machine here to verify but that is where it will be, and I’m pretty sure it will be named by Chrome as an ID number as described for Windows in an earlier post. Nailed it. Thanks so much. Also, thanks for the whole script thing. You’re a peach. (Or a beach, as it turns out.) ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/42 "2012-07-25T00:29:25Z")
Like I said before, it’s amazing how a simple image can totally change how much more aware you become of that poster, and begin to start seeing it as their “face”. It’s like I had face-blindness this whole time, and can now recognize posters as distinct people, without having to make a conscious effort to look at usernames. Not only that, but it makes it much easier to speed scroll through a thread to find someone else’s post, or yours if you need to go back for a quote or something. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/43 "2012-07-25T01:08:10Z")
Me too-I’ve always been a visual person, and that goes double for that final line-“Lessee, where Shiny 4-Quandrant Bathing Cap Guy’s post again…” 😃 ---
**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:** [July 25, 2012, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/44 "2012-07-25T04:16:41Z")
Me too! Now that I know **John DiFool** is a bird it puts it all into context. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/45 "2012-07-25T12:11:44Z")
🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Tilt_Boogie)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/46 "2012-07-25T23:32:37Z")
This is bizarre - instead of the having to get involved in using coded script, why not just enable the vBulletin feature in the UserCP which allows users to place an avatar against their profile? This is the first forum I’ve joined where the profile doesn’t give you the option to upload an avatar - why is that? Which genius thought it would an attractive feature? ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/47 "2012-07-25T23:37:13Z")
Because, per the anti-avatar types, _even though viewing avatars would be turned off by default_ so you have to make the effort to see avatars; y’see, allowing avatars–even avatars that the anti-avatar crowd would never see–would in some vague, nebulous way that no-one can quite describe irrevocably change the tone of the board. ☹ Plus one person who’s argument had changed to “The board’s owner doesn’t want it so it’s super-ultra uncool to argue about it or even discuss the issue. You should shut up NOW! :mad:” The fun part is this: if they’d just turned on avatars back when, they’d have had some control–control of the contents, control of the size of the avatars, etc. Because they forced the pro-avatar crowd to use a browser-side greasemonkey script _there’s nothing they can do to stop or change anything_. So if I choose (and I don’t, by the way) to have an avatar that says “Anti-avatards are teh stoopid” or “Come to [www.giraffeboards.com](http://www.giraffeboards.com) --we have more fun”, there’s nothing the SDMB can do. (Again, I wouldn’t, but it’s fun how their unwillingness to be rational completely removed their ability to regulate it at all.) ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Tilt_Boogie)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/48 "2012-07-25T23:48:04Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > Because, per the anti-avatar types, _even though viewing avatars would be turned off by default_ so you have to make the effort to see avatars; y’see, allowing avatars–even avatars that the anti-avatar crowd would never see–would in some vague, nebulous way that no-one can quite describe irrevocably change the tone of the board. ☹ > > Plus one rocket scientist who’s argument had changed to “The board’s owner doesn’t want it so it’s super-ultra uncool to argue about it or even discuss the issue. :mad:” > > The fun part is this: if they’d just turned on avatars back when, they’d have had some control–control of the contents, control of the size of the avatars, etc. > > Because they forced the pro-avatar crowd to use a browser-side greasemonkey script _there’s nothing they can do to stop or change anything_. So if I choose (and I don’t, by the way) to have an avatar that says “Anti-avatards are teh stoopid” or “Come to [www.giraffeboards.com–we](http://www.giraffeboards.com--we) have more fun”, there’s nothing the SDMB can do. (Again, I wouldn’t, but it’s fun how their unwillingness to be rational completely removed their ability to regulate it at all.) Ah, so the board’s owners are a clique - why didn’t you just say? 😉 :rolleyes: Bizarre. Utterly Bizzare. “We want people to join and debate, but have no aspect of personal expression other than what they write here…” Bizarre. And the smilies and emoticons here are so out-of-date it’s comical. The inability to choose a different ‘skin’ is strange too. As a rule of thumb, when you open a board like this, the usual (i.e. user-friendly) thing to do is open a bunch of options to the user when it comes to thei ability in editing their profile - _not limit it._ Bizarre. And what’s this voodoo about signatures not being visible - I’m guessing you need to post something like 20,000 posts before that feature kicks-in, right? Just to prove that you’re !a committed user…" Bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Tilt_Boogie)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/49 "2012-07-25T23:52:28Z")
vBulletin allows a ton of UserCP options which appear to be verboten here - for reasons I still don’t get. Which ever clown thought it would be a crowd-pleaser has drastically misjudged his audience. When compared to other boards, this place looks like BetaMax to other boards’ BlueRay. ---
**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:** [July 26, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/50 "2012-07-26T00:07:23Z")
> [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](#): > > vBulletin allows a ton of UserCP options which appear to be verboten here - for reasons I still don’t get. Which ever clown thought it would be a crowd-pleaser has drastically misjudged his audience. > > When compared to other boards, this place looks like BetaMax to other boards’ BlueRay. The debate thread is 2 aisles over. Did you have a question about the SDMB Avatar script itself? If not there are a lot of other threads for general venting about which board features are or should be enabled. > [@PlainJain](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Tilt_Boogie)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/51 "2012-07-26T00:10:08Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > The debate thread is 2 aisles over. Did you have a question about the SDMB Avatar script itself? If not there are a lot of other threads for general venting about which board features are or should be enabled. Ah, so quell debate so it doesn’t happen? :rolleyes: An original, if somewhat despotic, approach. Oh, and you’ve missed the point entirely. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/52 "2012-07-26T00:32:29Z")
> [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](#): > > Ah, so quell debate so it doesn’t happen? :rolleyes: > > An original, if somewhat despotic, approach. > > Oh, and you’ve missed the point entirely. (Psst: he’s on “our” side 😉 ) He’s right though…this is the “How to” thread. I’d have directed you to the [“Why can’t we have avatars and other nice things” thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=655746) and replied there if I didn’t have so many tabs open and wasn’t easily confused. Not that I’m a mod here, so these comments are merely to inform and have no force or authority whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Tilt_Boogie)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/53 "2012-07-26T01:26:19Z")
My apologies if I’ve misread/misunderstood Crazyhorse -thanks for the steer, Fenris. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/54 "2012-07-26T03:03:59Z")
YAY! ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/55 "2012-07-26T03:55:55Z")
**HOW TO INSTALL SDMB AVATARS FOR [COLOR=“Blue”]SAFARI USERS:[/COLOR]** There’s no official Greasemonkey extension for Safari, but I found a GM clone called [Ninjakit,](http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Internet-Utilities/NinjaKit-for-Safari.shtml) that seems to work beautifully with Safari so far (I’m using OSX Mountain Lion so it works with the latest version of Safari as well). Click that link, download the extension, then just drag it into a Safari browser window. It’ll ask you if you’re sure you want to install it, click yes. It’s free and developed by MIT. Once installed, a little ninja star icon shows up in your browser toolbar. Click that, Click on the “Scripts” tab, then click “search from user [scripts.org](http://scripts.org)”. It’ll bring you to that site, simple search for “sdmb” and install “sdmb avatars”. You should be gold! ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/56 "2012-07-26T04:02:10Z")
Sorry, not developed by MIT, it’s an MIT License. :smack: ---
**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:** [July 26, 2012, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/57 "2012-07-26T07:58:13Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Sorry, not developed by MIT, it’s an MIT License. :smack: Very cool. That covers pretty much every platform except IE and the Commodore-64. MIT or no, it has a ninja star so it’s got to be good. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/58 "2012-07-26T10:06:01Z")
It’s using my user profile picture for an avatar, is that the way it works for everyone? If so there’s no need to host a picture and place a link in your profile, just upload a picture straight to the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/59 "2012-07-26T10:08:18Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > It’s using my user profile picture for an avatar, is that the way it works for everyone? If so there’s no need to host a picture and place a link in your profile, just upload a picture straight to the SDMB. Only paying members are allowed to upload avatars to their profiles, so that’s the way it works for _them_. We plain ol’ folk have to do it the off-board way. ---
**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:** [July 26, 2012, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636/60 "2012-07-26T10:23:07Z")
Members, mods and admins can just upload an avatar directly and the script will display that with no other hosting or profile editing required. But you can still optionally add “SDMB Avatar: \” to your profile and display a different image in posts if desired. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-see-avatars-on-the-sdmb-heres-a-script/627636.md?page=4)