Lead Adventure Forum
General => Announcements and forum stuff => About Forum => Topic started by: Hammers on 27 November 2009, 08:59:08 AM
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What with the Avatar database and a rather sizeable member corps there are quite a lot of folks using the same Avatar ( as I am sure you have noticed). Take a look at 'Members' in the sections bar and click on 'Avatars'. I think these are close to fifteen members using this fella:
(http://leadadventureforum.com/avatars/Propaganda_Posters/you_buy_em_we_fly_em.jpg)
...and that's just an example. I never completely managed the transition from picture books to lettered ones so to me that's a bit confusing. We have mentioned this before and I understand the forum software doesn't allow for automatic checking of an avatars uniqueness. Being quite a liberal fellow I of course think people should use whatever avatar they find cool but perhaps one could add a blurb in 'Forum Profile Information' saying something like this:
'Feel free to use any avatar from the forum database you like. if you want a unique one, first take a look at the 'Members' table.
Rob_Jedi: I am not one for flash animated avatars but yours a corker.
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Wow! There's a lot of Henry Morton Stanleys. At the very least we should have no trouble finding Livingstone. :)
I must have a very visual brain, too. I get easily confused, and cannot tell members apart who have the same avatar. My mind just doesn't register the writing in comparison with the visuals. I keep thinking former user is the Prof, as he uses an old cast-off pic of his.
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This is a link where you can make your own avatars:
http://www.shrinkpictures.com/create-avatar/
Choose a photo from your computer. Set Avatar size 80 for LAF. Press Rezise button. Download the re-scaled picture and upload it in the Profile - Profile information page. :)
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I must admit that sometimes I'm also a little bit confused!
but since there are presentantion threads we can warn the users about their current avatar already being used!
or make a painting competition to get first dibs for avatars :D
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I'll admit I look at pics before names too. I changed my avatar when someone else started using it and uploaded my own individual one. I'd skim a thread looking for my post and kept finding someone else, very annoying so I changed :)
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I guess it's easier to remember a picture than a name. That's why I always stick with the same avatar in LAF, La Armada and TMP (or is it "stick to"?)
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Though I change them periodically, I always use a figure that I have painted. And often different ones in each forum. :)
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I must admit I find it confusing now. There are several people using the gorilla in the pickelhaube - at one point I think there were three of them all contributing to the same thread! (Traveller, The jammedgatling and someone else)
I must admit I thought the whole idea of avatars was to give an immediate visual clue to the identity of the poster...
It does seem a bit pointless if lots of people are all using the same visual identifier :(
Honestly, my personal preference would be that avatars are unique.
Once someone has grabbed a given avatar for use on the forum, that's it - it's gone.
It's not a big deal, of course, but it would stop me getting confused between people!
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I tend to change to something which reflects what I am working on ATM. Not a good strategy, I admit, since i am most often working on nothing.
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I always pick some unique piece of art that I have commissioned for a book or something else to use as an avatar. I tend not to look at who has posted until after I read the post, though there are some people who's icons immediately provoke, the "must read" response in me.
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I must admit I thought the whole idea of avatars was to give an immediate visual clue to the identity of the poster...
It does seem a bit pointless if lots of people are all using the same visual identifier :(
Honestly, my personal preference would be that avatars are unique.
Once someone has grabbed a given avatar for use on the forum, that's it - it's gone.
Surely that is the only way to go.
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Surely that is the only way to go.
Yep, I agree with Guanty Bago (for once) :)
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I agree,
"MAKE AVATERS UNIQUE"
"JOBS FOR UNUSED AVATARS"
"UNIQUE AVATARS FOR ALL"
And other such lefty placard slogans :P
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Surely that is the only way to go.
I basically agree but Alex's said SMF doesn't allow for that type of control. One way to encourage unique avatars is to omit the forum avatar db, but that be a pity, IMO. Lots of cool images in there.
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Or, you could go get your unique personal avatar outside the forum like I did! Link above to create one from your favorite adventure pic
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I look at a post once (at the beginning of my LAF membership) and tell myself "when did I write that?" I just then realise that it wasn’t me who write the post but rather someone using the same avatar (back then it was the White Russian Officer). I decide to change my avatar picture then and stick with it ever since. I also have a more visual brain and I find it confusing when people keep changing their avatars.
BTW I really like the one I have now and I think it’s easily recognisable… plus I like the WWI period ;D
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I tend to use an avatar that says something about me / my interests.
It's quite easy to make an avatar in MS Paint (which every windows pc will have).
Simply select an image (of your own, etc), change the image parameters to pixels, do some math to work out how much it needs to be reduced in size to, to end up as 80x80*, then reduce the image to the calculated percentage using the 'stretch & skew' function. Upload to LAF via the profile page and job done.
* eg, an original image of 800 x 800 pixels needs to be reduced to 10% to be 80x80 (ie, 80 / 800 x 100 = 10 )
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I look at a post once (at the beginning of my LAF membership) and tell myself "when did I write that?" I just then realise that it wasn’t me who write the post but rather someone using the same avatar (back then it was the White Russian Officer). I decide to change my avatar picture then and stick with it ever since. I also have a more visual brain and I find it confusing when people keep changing their avatars.
BTW I really like the one I have now and I think it’s easily recognisable… plus I like the WWI period ;D
It's a good avatar.
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I only go for bearded avatars.
After all, this is an Adventure Forum... you all! >:(
;)
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I tend to use an avatar that says something about me / my interests.
Amen to that!
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And just to confuse further Hammers changes his to La Marque Jaune mid discussion ;D o_o ;D o_o
The avatar library is a very nice touch but does create the problem. I would have thought most members would want a personal unique avatar?
The worst ones are where someone uses someone elses from another forum. I have seen painted figures as avatars and known full well where the file was saved from. Extremely confusing.
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I keep thinking former user is the Prof, as he uses an old cast-off pic of his.
sorry to cause confusion
I used to change my avatar every now and then
but called for a change of habits I modified a pic of one of my minis now
hope it's not too ugly ;)
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Oh, no problem, old fella. It was not meant as a complaint. The confusion is mild, and does no harm. Change it back by all means if you like that avatar. Nobody else seems to be using it at the moment.
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well, the topic has a point...
my habit was to change avatars now and then, for diversity
but now it is unique
Change it back by all means if you like that avatar.
or maybe You don't like the new one? ;)
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My avatar is a keeper! :)
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Well, that's that then. I've made a point of using one of my cartoon heroes on every other forum I participate in & I think I'll recommit to that plan.
I have yet to meet another Mr. Peabody out amongst the interwebs, although I know that one must be out there somewhere... So here at least I shall remain 'unique'.
Thomas
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I have seen painted figures as avatars and known full well where the file was saved from. Extremely confusing.
I don´t do that...
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Thank you for the link Mattias - I've been wanting an avatar for ages, Svenn very kindly resized a picture for me a while ago but I couldn't work out how to upload it as an avatar.
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well, the topic has a point...
my habit was to change avatars now and then, for diversity
but now it is unique
or maybe You don't like the new one? ;)
Oh, *do* unclench, why don't you!? :) ;)
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I like my avatar (from the avatar library), so much so that I've tried to export it (so far without success) to other forums. I's the only time I've had an avatar that's both a) red and b) orky looking. I would post a pic of one of my own red orcs but I'm rubbish with a camera.
On the other hand, I'm probably in the enviable position of having an avatar that no-one else wants to use (maybe not all that enviable then...)
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Under normal circumstances I use an animated 'alien static' avatar, however when I went here I found that animated ones weren't really popular. Whether or not this was due to being polite for those with slow internet, or just simply a trend I do not know. Eventually though, I have used this Bolshevik avatar on other forums; those being: Work In Progress, Project Perfect Mod, the Forum of Doom, and even an itty-bitty version for my user on Frothers.
As far as this forum goes though, I believe there is one other fellow using the same avatar, but I know when it's either myself or he.
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I created my own avatar, starting with a photo of one of my own miniatures, but I guess I do have more facility with photo editing and computer-based graphics stuff than the average bear.
I've also been lucky enough to happen across a nickname (Wirelizard) that appears to be unique - no other wired lizards out there that I've ever found!
Within LAF's excellent avatar library, it would be cool if the library tracked who used which avatars, and just stuck a number beside each so people would know that a given avatar was in use by, say, 3 other forum users. That might help spread the load out and reduce avatar duplication!
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Using and making an unique avatar ain't that hard (but whether you use your own ugly mug like I did is a matter of personal taste lol )
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I like my avatar (from the avatar library), so much so that I've tried to export it (so far without success) to other forums. I's the only time I've had an avatar that's both a) red and b) orky looking. I would post a pic of one of my own red orcs but I'm rubbish with a camera.
On the other hand, I'm probably in the enviable position of having an avatar that no-one else wants to use (maybe not all that enviable then...)
Have you tried copying (ie, print screening) the monitor image (obviously with the avatar in it!) to MS Paint and then cutting out all the bit you need and saving it as a jpeg?
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You don't even need to go to those lengths. Just right-click (assuming you're on Windows) on it and save it.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/pulp_50.jpg)
That's what I just did! :)
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lol lol lol lol
Who says I make things too complicated?
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Thanks guys, I appreciate the input, but, yes I have. The details of my computer problems are beyond the scope of this forum (or indeed any rational analysis).
I do like my avatar though.
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I like making and using my own avatars. And every now and then, it's fun to suddenly switch to a new one (although that sort of defeats the purpose of avatars). The problem is that this forum was having some trouble with downloading avatars a few months ago. Had that been fixed?
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I've had way too many avatars over the years...I have 2 computers and various picture hosting sites full of the things.
:?
While I do love some of the ones from the site library I just feel that if I can I must use one of my own...if only so I can find myself easily while scrolling.
:)
On a kind of related note, I have no problem with the site setting that only lets a signature picture be posted once per page. While I like having the sig after every post on other sites it is a fine compromise between having walls of unrelated pictures larger than the text boxes sometimes and banning signature images entirely.
8)
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I don't think your avatar is that important...
;)
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Don't see the problem myself.
:D
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I never completely managed the transition from picture books to lettered ones so to me that's a bit confusing.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?action=dlattach;attach=601;type=avatar)
I must agree - I very often lose track of who on earth is posting. Perhaps if use of an avatar is contested we could organise some kind of fight to the death?
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(http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?action=dlattach;attach=601;type=avatar)
I must agree - I very often lose track of who on earth is posting. Perhaps if use of an avatar is contested we could organise some kind of fight to the death?
Only if said contest is held inside 'Kitchen Stadium'! The original one, not the sequel.
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Of course one problem I often have is I change avatar a lot...as I have done justnow to try this one out.
::)
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Well, avatars tend to confuse me as well these days. While I really love the avatar list provided by the Prof I have finally found my very own one on a friend's camera. This EXTREMELY hot-looking gentleman depicts very acurately what or who I am.
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This EXTREMELY hot-looking gentleman depicts very acurately what or who I am.
I thought it was a wookiee ;)
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Perhaps if use of an avatar is contested we could organise some kind of fight to the death?
With small plastic spoons still in their wrappers.
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I basically agree but Alex's said SMF doesn't allow for that type of control. One way to encourage unique avatars is to omit the forum avatar db, but that be a pity, IMO. Lots of cool images in there.
Yes, unfortunately, its' not possible to make the avatars unique. From time to time I will put new avatar collections to LAF and hope that will help to keep it within limits.
So currently I can only suggest either you create an own avatar or just let me know and I would upload an avatar to your account and delete it from the library.
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Want help to come up with a Avatar? I found these WWI 'Allied Army Leaders' Cigarette Cards which can be resized. Pretty cool, thinks I.
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and forgot to post the link? ;)
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and forgot to post the link? ;)
Schucks...
Here it is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunnybrook100/2495184461/in/set-72157605076576261/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunnybrook100/2495184461/in/set-72157605076576261/)
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these would be indeed cool avatars o_o
how about the copyright?
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Gosh, this looks a lot more like me than the old one. lol
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these would be indeed cool avatars o_o
how about the copyright?
I'll leave that to your own capable mind to figure out. :)