A silly little request re: avatars...

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:04 pm

Never had one so a small, non-animated avatar with the option to opt out would be nice. It can show a bit of personality behind the poster, sort of like the sig at the end of someone's post.

CSL · Post by **CSL** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:16 pm

I would say a 50 * 50 pixel avater would be a nice, with the option for 56k users to leave it off. Also....

Non-Animated
Under a certain KB size
Safe for Work

Gromit · Post by **Gromit** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:17 pm

Works for me...

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:33 pm

Just for a point of reference:

85x85:

65x65, which is the standard size for most forums:

50x50:

Personally, I think 85x85 is too much, but 50x50 is so small that it kills a lot of options. All of them are between 5-9kb each.

/edit and in case someone isn't sure exactly what we are talking about, here is an example of what it would look like. I used the 65x65 in this image.

Little Raven · Post by **Little Raven** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:48 pm

I think 65 x 65 is the best option. There's a reason it's the standard.

CSL · Post by **CSL** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:53 pm

I agree lets go with 65 x 65 avatars

setaside · Post by **setaside** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:22 pm

I'm all for it.

As long as we eventually code in the hack to turn them off on an individual basis at some point in the near future.

Gedd · Post by **Gedd** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:27 pm

setaside wrote:As long as we eventually code in the hack to turn them off on an individual basis at some point in the near future.

Define "near".

Seriously, a few notes:

1) We can limit avatar size and dimensions from the CP.

2) Limiting to certain type of file (say jpg) to prevent animation requires some modification.

3) A switch to turn off avatars on a user-by-user basis also requires a hack, but I'd be will to bet a donut there's something already out there, just got to find it.

setaside · Post by **setaside** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:43 pm

Gedd wrote:3) A switch to turn off avatars on a user-by-user basis also requires a hack, but I'd be will to bet a donut there's something already out there, just got to find it.

http://www.phpbbhacks.com/download/1804

Well how about that.

Gedd · Post by **Gedd** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 10:45 pm

setaside wrote:
Gedd wrote:3) A switch to turn off avatars on a user-by-user basis also requires a hack, but I'd be will to bet a donut there's something already out there, just got to find it.
http://www.phpbbhacks.com/download/1804

Well how about that.

A little old, but I'll certainly take a look at it.

I usually prefer to use mods over at phpBB.com, but phpBBhacks is my second go-to site.

adumir · Post by **adumir** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 12:09 am

I'm a big fan of the 65x65 non-animated avatar option.

At the risk of repeating the sentiments of others, avatars are a great way to quickly associate members with posts as well as allow a little instant creativity and expression - without going overboard.

I've all confidence that you mod guys/gal would keep them appropriate.

dmd · Post by **dmd** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:38 am

Against animated gifs. Against those humongo images in people's sigs. For some kind of opt out of seeing avatars if they are implemented. I could live with static ones underneath username. I come here to read, though, not look at eye candy. Unless it's Elisha Cutbait or someone like that.

SuperHiro · Post by **SuperHiro** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 1:15 pm

I like avatars. I like tags too. Esspecially since the GG went down when I was a mere 200 away from 3,000... I got totally cock-blocked.

TAGS AND AVATARS

Mr. Fed · Post by **Mr. Fed** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 3:14 pm

Here's a dumb question -- how are avatars like the one Blackhawk demonstrates above hosted? Do we host them on our own webspace? Or are they uploaded to OO somehow?

snoleopard · Post by **snoleopard** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 3:24 pm

Not a dumb question Mr. Fed, I wondered the same thing. I don't have a place to host my avatar, and don't know how to get it from my pictures folder onto here. If it's got to be somewhere with an url on the internet, does anyone have any sites to recommend for hosting pictures you can use to link urls?

Austin · Post by **Austin** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 3:36 pm

I support the 65x65 idea.

I do not like pictures in sig's.

If people need a place to host an avatar, I would be happy to host some as I am sure others would host also.

Little Raven · Post by **Little Raven** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 3:37 pm

Generally they are uploaded to the forum. You don't need to provide your own space. You just click the "Upload" button in your profile next to the avatar space and point to an appropriate file. Easy as pie.

snoleopard · Post by **snoleopard** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 4:17 pm

Thanks for the offer Austin, and the information Little Raven.

Peacedog · Post by **Peacedog** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 5:02 pm

By the way. these are going to be in it look slike. 65x65 dimensions max, we have not yet determined a size max.

Dirt · Post by **Dirt** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 5:02 pm

Peacedog wrote:By the way. these are going to be in it look slike. 65x65 dimensions max, we have not yet determined a size max.

Have you guys figured out a way for some people to block it?

Peacedog · Post by **Peacedog** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 5:21 pm

No, so they're not enabled just yet (but they will be). We have a mod, but it isn't installed yet. It was written for 2.0.6, and we're 2.0.10, so we will need to check it, and if it doesn't work, they probably go bakc off until we get it to work.

It's not at the very top of the list, though.

And I want to add that the blockability on the user end is something we consider a huge deal.

ChrisGrenard · Post by **ChrisGrenard** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 6:05 pm

Peacedog wrote:No, so they're not enabled just yet (but they will be). We have a mod, but it isn't installed yet. It was written for 2.0.6, and we're 2.0.10, so we will need to check it, and if it doesn't work, they probably go bakc off until we get it to work.

It's not at the very top of the list, though.

And I want to add that the blockability on the user end is something we consider a huge deal.

Not the same... but if you use Firefox with Ablock, you could very easily block all the avatars. Hell, I'd write the filter for it. It'd take me all of 45 seconds.

But that does require that people use Firefox, which I don't think many people do.

Peacedog · Post by **Peacedog** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 6:09 pm

We don't want to lock someone into a browser (but that's a fine feature). People could also achieve the same thing by turning off images I think. However, I don't think they should have to go all or nothing (maybe they have a smilie fetish).

RookieCAF · Post by **RookieCAF** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 8:34 pm

Images in Sigs = Bad
Small (6k-ish) Avatars = Good

Eel Snave · Post by **Eel Snave** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 11:05 pm

I am very heavily in favor of being able to turn avatars OFF. The reason is this: I am going to have to go from my high-speed internet down to DIALUP. Not that I am VERY VERY UPSET.
Not in the least.

RookieCAF · Post by **RookieCAF** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 11:09 pm

Agreed, Should be something you can choose to view or not..

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:39 am

triggercut wrote:
You clearly haven't seen the animated .gifs of Mike Martz doing his happy dance (he really *does* look like Mrs. Doubtfire) or the one of Dodger pitcher Jose Lima's wife and her, um, assets, um, "moving".

Pure demented genius.

God, I saw Martz do that last week against the Seahawks. What a nob.

More importantly, I could use a link to that Mrs. Lima .gif.

EDIT: I don't like sig pics since they disrupt the flow of reading a thread for me. Avatars of any shape or size are fine with me. Actually, I think they'd be cool.

Steron · Post by **Steron** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 2:43 pm

I'd like the ability to add a small avatar on the left part of the screen under my name and post count. It took me a year to get a couple hundred posts on GG, if we do a ranking here, I'm sure to end up last. I would prefer to not have pictures in the signatures.

EngineNo9 · Post by **EngineNo9** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 4:21 pm

The problem with all this avatar business is that it means I will have to decide on one for myself and then create it. What sort of tiny picture would conjure up the image I want to present in all situations? Oh bother...

ChrisGrenard · Post by **ChrisGrenard** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 4:31 pm

Here ya go, avatar sized already for your convience

Debris · Post by **Debris** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 11:55 am

I'm all for 65x65 avatars. It gives me something to use my years of artistic training on.

EngineNo9 · Post by **EngineNo9** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 9:14 pm

ChrisGrenard wrote:Here ya go, avatar sized already for your convience

What are you trying to say about me exactly?

ChrisGrenard · Post by **ChrisGrenard** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 10:30 pm

Honestly, I don't know because I don't know you that well, but I just happened to have made that avatar recently anyway, and I thought it would be funny to post

I love making avatars, tis good simple fun.

CSL · Post by **CSL** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 4:46 pm

/me wants his avatars to be ready soon

Dirt · Post by **Dirt** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 7:08 pm

CSL wrote:/me wants his avatars to be ready soon

/me wants ability to turn it off first.

setaside · Post by **setaside** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 7:44 pm

Debris wrote:I'm all for 65x65 avatars. It gives me something to use my years of artistic training on.

Here is something else you can use your years of artistic training for too.

Gedd · Post by **Gedd** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:37 pm

Dirt wrote:/me wants ability to turn it off first.

No promises, but if the hack I'm looking at works, it won't be a problem. Let me reiterate, no promises though.

Gromit · Post by **Gromit** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:43 pm

Any word on when avatars might be implemented?

Gedd · Post by **Gedd** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:51 pm

Gromit wrote:Any word on when avatars might be implemented?

My plan is to test out the hack I'm looking at on my super-secret test site and then do some testing with avatars to make sure there's nothing that's needs cleaning up (the report mod needed a good bit of custom tweaking to get it where it is today). I'll also be doing a little testing to make sure the file size, image size, and format limitations we're looking at are satisfactory or whether we need to revise those.

If all works well, I can then migrate the hack to the main forums and enable the avatar option in the control panel.

Since I'm doing this stuff in my spare time, I can't give you an exact day, but if things go as planned we'll probably be able to turn them on in the next week, *possibly* sooner. I'm cranking on a deadline at the moment so that and one other thing I'm working on get first (and second) priority.

Gromit · Post by **Gromit** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 9:01 pm

I believe you meant to say my super-secret underwater lair test site...

Thanks for the quick answer.