GUIDE/FAQ: Hay guys, how do I get an avatar?

[dXTC]

I know this is quite an old thread but I felt it was better than creating a whole new thread again just for one, related question. Why is there a file size/dimensional limit on new avatars? Is it to stop people choosing stupidly sized avatars that take up space on threads? Or is to do with server space? Just wondering.

My hunch, and it's only a hunch, is that it's to prevent use of obnoxiously-sized avatars. I once visited a forum that had lax avatar rules, and users had gotten ridiculous. One user had a 300x200 anigif of Penn Jillette saying "Shut... The... [F-word]... Up!" in a loop.

 

[Doctor Q]

^ Yes that's correct. Avatars, like forum signatures, add a little identity and flavor but shouldn't be allowed to dominate the real estate on the page.

The bytesize limit isn't to preserve disk space but to limit the amount of data that must be downloaded by every user who views a forum page. Large image files could consume more than their share of the bandwidth and make page-loading slower for everyone.

 

[R94N]

^ Yes that's correct. Avatars, like forum signatures, add a little identity and flavor but shouldn't be allowed to dominate the real estate on the page.

The bytesize limit isn't to preserve disk space but to limit the amount of data that must be downloaded by every user who views a forum page. Large image files could consume more than their share of the bandwidth and make page-loading slower for everyone.

Makes sense. Thanks a lot!

 

[JetBlack7]

I reached 500 posts, but still no "Edit Avatar" option. How am I suppose to change it?

 

[r.j.s]

I reached 500 posts, but still no "Edit Avatar" option. How am I suppose to change it?

Give it some time. The system can take a little bit to update permissions for that.

 

[floral]

What's the difference between an "Avatar" and "Profile Picture"? Which one appears above my name (the one with the blue flowers)?

 

[Weaselboy]

What's the difference between an "Avatar" and "Profile Picture"? Which one appears above my name (the one with the blue flowers)?

The profile banner allows you to select an image to fill most of the whitespace in your profile backgriund.

The blue flowers shown by your name in forum posts is your avatar.



You can see an example here.

 

[floral]

The profile banner allows you to select an image to fill most of the whitespace in your profile backgriund.

The blue flowers shown by your name in forum posts is your avatar.

View attachment 2289409

You can see an example here in @B S Magnet's profile.

Oh, okay. Thanks !

 

[icanhazmac]

Oh, okay. Thanks !

Just a question, not a dig.

Did you give a second thought to performing a resurrection ritual on a thread that was peacefully dead for over 12 years? Some find that a breach of forum etiquette exacerbated by the amount of time that has passed.

YMMV but I have always felt that, while topic and context can bend the rules a bit, anything that has been dead for more than a couple of years deserves to rest and a new thread is the better way to go.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Just a question, not a dig.

Did you give a second thought to performing a resurrection ritual on a thread that was peacefully dead for over 12 years? Some find that a breach of forum etiquette exacerbated by the amount of time that has passed.

YMMV but I have always felt that, while topic and context can bend the rules a bit, anything that has been dead for more than a couple of years deserves to rest and a new thread is the better way to go.

I'm broadly in agreement with you, as necro thread resurrections can be somewhat peculiar, not least in that the online universe may have changed dramatically since the thread was last used, rendering what was under discussion somewhat obsolete.

However, I don't think that this is the case, here.

Moreover, sometimes, when someone wishes to pose, or post, a question, (especially, if they have joined the forum for this specific purpose) we may observe members (an entirely unnecessary action, in my view), scolding some who start a new thread with the comment "did you perform a search to see whether this thread already exists before starting a brand new thread on this topic?..."

 

[icanhazmac]

However, I don't think that this is the case, here.

Agreed, this is not like the recent resurrection of a Pic Of Your Car thread from years past when there was clearly a Pic Of Your Car 2023 thread.

Moreover, sometimes, when someone wishes to pose, or post, a question, (especially, if they have joined the forum for this specific purpose) we may observe members (an entirely unnecessary action, in my view), scolding some who start a new thread with the comment "did you perform a search to see whether this thread already exists before starting annew thread?..."

Also true, I have seen many such scoldings.

 

[floral]

Just a question, not a dig.

Did you give a second thought to performing a resurrection ritual on a thread that was peacefully dead for over 12 years? Some find that a breach of forum etiquette exacerbated by the amount of time that has passed.

YMMV but I have always felt that, while topic and context can bend the rules a bit, anything that has been dead for more than a couple of years deserves to rest and a new thread is the better way to go.

Sometimes I browse the most replied/popular threads of a forum for fun. And I found this one and was confused since I never heard of an avatar before...