Avatars - Yay or Nay?

[groovinkim]

this poll is to discuss avatars and whether nwtekno should use them.
if you don't know what they are, read the initial suggestion and view the example (http://www.nwtekno.org/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=42767).

[HexRei]

I like the idea of avatars but they would need to be kept small IMHO... very small. like less than 120x90 or so.
And i think that they need to be hidden as if they are part of the post if that person is on your Ignore list. Otherwise it could be abused.
Are the avatars going to be server-side or would we have to host them ourselves?

[Jizosh]

No, and not because they are slow and will lower bandwidth, because they are tacky and hideous...and if it's anything like that sample someone posted, I want nothing to do with it. I suppose if their is an option to turn them off, however, then it really doesnt bother me.

[Daz]

avatars are pretty cool.. but as hex said.. there would be some massive abusing of them.. so maybe you should make a few rules for the whole scope of things


Jeff

[DJ Rawkus]

I'm with Josh on this one. No avatars unless there is an 'off' feature.

[*badmouse*]

completely unnecessary,
i'd rather give up nwtekno than have to look at a bunch of crap that reminds me of why i hate aim buddy icons so much.

[Kosmicdog]

Originally posted by Jizosh
No, and not because they are slow and will lower bandwidth, because they are tacky and hideous...and if it's anything like that sample someone posted, I want nothing to do with it.

I don't really want them, but I hope you aren't picking on me... I built my LJ logo in illustrator and im sorta proud of it :(

[Kaaaty]

No...

I like nwtekno as it is....I think avatars are tacky.

[Nicole80]

We don't need pics! I def dont want slower load time.

[originalravesta]

I'm withholding my vote for the time being....

If they were *fairly* small files and all of the same size (normalized) - then yes.

Most people have 56k modems by now.. if not... heh..heh....heheheheh....

(90% of people's internet explore programs Cache frequently used files..so it is probably a cool idea)

"He who cannot control the internet controls nothing."
--anonymous

[sothis]

considering this board is so full of flamers and shit, i dont think its a good idea.. itll only cause drama, and i dont think itll be easy to enforce what avatars people use.

plus load time for low bandwidths will suck

[EV]

Question: Is this an official vote? That is to say, if the poll amounts to a 'yes,' will you implement avatars?

Comment: In theory, they're not a bad idea...In practice, however, I think it will compromise a fair amount of the remaining integrity of NWTekno...In addition, I have a slow ass modem - as I'm sure many others do - and it would really piss me off to have to wait for these things to load...

Suggestion: If avatars are implemented, could you please make sure there is an option to turn these off?


EV

[Jizosh]

Originally posted by Kosmicdog


I don't really want them, but I hope you aren't picking on me... I built my LJ logo in illustrator and im sorta proud of it :(

never even seen your LJ. i was referring to the ugly as hell gif animation of the comic book guy dropping trow.

[KatSauce]

i fear change

[R_I_0]

It works well on our southern oregon board. www.a2krecords.com
But there are just so many users on Nwtekno, it would really slow things down i think.....

[sawzy]

if youve ever been on another board you would know this. so that isnt the issue... why are we even debating an optional feature? its like saying "do you want ppl's AIM name in the profiles?"

[Justin]

I voted yes but I changed my mind, so no.

(<----- typical Buchannan voter)

[TrippyZippy]

tell them to use that please.
as for the abuse issue. Do the moderators really wanna police one more thing on the board? I mean, most of the stupid users on this board that post shit like. "in before the lock", or.. " postcount++" etc. would find no qualms making their avatars something equally obnoxious I'm sure. I use avatars on some of the tech boards I frequent, but the abuse problem is not prevalent there as it is here. just my opinon. L8a.

[sothis]

zippy: that is exactly what i see the main problem will be... not space, but abuse of them. and you can easily tell based on certain peoples actions here that avatars would just be one more way of flaming. or, peopel would make theirs a gross porn thing, i dunno. the possibilities are endless... and we as mods already have enough shit to wade through, i dont want to be an avatar policeman as well

[rayman]

And special ones(icons) for those who were on the the older boards.

[miss two-oh-six]

we use them on 206. On the new board I changed from hosting them ourselves to allow users to remotely link to them.

I think they are a great addition to any board, but yes, they do slow down load times (IMHO...anyone on dialup can just suffer until they are willing to spring for some cable or dsl)......however....I have never had one complaint from people on load times. I think that they are usually being cached by the browser.

And in the two years we have been running, only one person has abused the avatars for the use of flaming. Needless to say, we dont take any negativity towards other members of the community, and that person has now lost their right to display avatars.

/me always has a finger over the ban button....so far so good. Most people listen after a few warnings and shape up or ship out.


So, as a webmaster with avatars on a board, I say go for it if you have the bandwidth.

They really do help add a little personality and flavor to the board. :p

/ me hides from the flames that are bound to follow for no real reason

Rhiannon

[BBKahuna]

hellllll no.

Later,
Jesse

[*badmouse*]

what i don't really understand is why people want them so much.
if you can't express yourself enough through the given means (profile options, name, what you choose to post about) than maybe you need to get away from your computer for a while and give the outside world a try.

[Ashlee]

I'd rather not, people already make threads to post pictures. I have a 56K modem (no cable available in my area) and it would just be too slow if avatars were part of everyones post. I just see that the board has glitches every couple months (give or take). This would probably only add to the problems of running a large forum.

[nate]

Um, HELL NO!!! We've already got morons with page-long sigs, we don't need stupid 200K animated GIFs (which I'm sure a few idiots would use). We've also got a problem with a few individuals who like to deliberately be jackasses. Though, I suppose if there's an off option (like there is for sigs), then I guess I could live with it.

Peace.

[sawzy]

Originally posted by *badmouse*
what i don't really understand is why people want them so much.
if you can't express yourself enough through the given means (profile options, name, what you choose to post about) than maybe you need to get away from your computer for a while and give the outside world a try.

it adds personality to a post. humans dont remember text as well as a picture. with 8000+ people on this board, its hard to keep track of who is cool/stupid. you can have actual webcam pictures of yourself so people can recognize you at events.

to all you with dialup, grow up and get cable/dsl. you can switch avatars off (like signatures) so what does it matter to you? i say again, the fact that you can toggle avatars makes this discussion pointless. are you trying to decide if you wanna hassle with recompiling it or something?

[sawzy]

Originally posted by nate
Um, HELL NO!!! We've already got morons with page-long sigs, we don't need stupid 200K animated GIFs (which I'm sure a few idiots would use). We've also got a problem with a few individuals who like to deliberately be jackasses. Though, I suppose if there's an off option (like there is for sigs), then I guess I could live with it.

Peace.

theres a size limit. is it so hard to "report this post to a moderator" if someone has an obscene picture? i say one warning and then you get the functionality switched off.

[Justin]

The potential for flaming with them and lame drama is so huge, it becomes an inevitability. Look at the whole STOP PERSECUTRING ME SOTHIS!!!11!!!!! conflagaration we have in OT and Q&C at the moment. Do you think people like EK, Abe, ect are going to use them for any purpose but getting a cheap shot at their real and imagined persecutors? Just as you point out, text is much easier to avoid than a picture. It's already too easy to ruin a good thread. Will any thread even remain readable with drama encoded into the graphics? Avatars will be useless, as no one will leave them on.

[A.J.]

If the pics are under 10k, it is fine with me.

[Just Jim]

Its about time!

[sothis]

are going to use them for any purpose but getting a cheap shot at their real and imagined persecutors?

i agree. and i think this is going to be tricky to "moderate", per say. since kim is the only one to do anything related to the avatars, who's to say someone wont make an offensive avatar, then change it in 10 minutes, to piss someone off? then, theres no evidence... and what rules will have to be put in place anyways? i think way more people will abuse this than its worth.

[Layla]

no... waiting for stuff to load sucks....

L

[HexRei]

Originally posted by sothis


i agree. and i think this is going to be tricky to "moderate", per say. since kim is the only one to do anything related to the avatars, who's to say someone wont make an offensive avatar, then change it in 10 minutes, to piss someone off? then, theres no evidence... and what rules will have to be put in place anyways? i think way more people will abuse this than its worth.

solution: a checkbox that turns avatars on and off.
And of course make it so that you can't see an Ignored person's avatar.

[sothis]

nah i understand that, but does that mean we will be condoning offensive avatars? i would say the solution would be that those types of avatars shouldnt be allowed in the first place.. but then how easy will that be to police? not very.

[HexRei]

Originally posted by sothis
nah i understand that, but does that mean we will be condoning offensive avatars? i would say the solution would be that those types of avatars shouldnt be allowed in the first place.. but then how easy will that be to police? not very.

It seems to me that if you can turn them on and off and ignore individual ones at will, whether they are offensive or not is moot. No one would have to see anyone's unless they choose to. Sounds perfect to me.

[djowns]

Set it so you need so many posts or something... You should also have it so moderators can block some ones avatar, so if some one does abuse it they lose out quickly.

I voted yes, but I hope it is controlable.

[balloon kitten]

Originally posted by Katsiss
i fear change
So do I. That's why I only spend ones, and I run like a little girl when I see a Coinstar machine. :eek:

[EV]

Man this is really coming down to the wire...at what point do we cut off the voting?


EV
ps - notice use of "we," as if I have any administrative capability AT ALL...

[dj metro]

most avatars on the forums are 64x64 pixels, so there isn't too much of an issue of it really lagging the message boards. the average avatar of this size hardly ever go beyond 1kb in size and i know the boards have a way to filter out images for avatars that exceed a certain filesize or dimension in their width and height. and YES, you can turn them off in your preferences.

the average avatar size would be the size of a basic windows icon and it is pretty hard to use that space for something offensive because it doesn't allow too much detail due their small size. something extremely detailed would like hell.

http://www.gyorke.com/x/nick/md.gif

that is 50x50 pixels and only 3kb server side... so about half of an inch big. that is all we are allowed to use on deviantart.com for our avatars in the forums and comment sections. also, take into consideration that the image will be stored in a temporary folder for internet explorer or netscape so you won't have to reload it upon each visit until you clear the cache... but you can also turn off avatars in your preferences as explained above.

[xerro]

why the hell not...

I think a slightly larger size (80x80) would be better than 50x

and with vbulletin being heralded as the worlds best forum. I'm sure is has all the option of other forums, such as disallowing certain users or usergroups the usage of avatars, as well as an option to view them or signatures at all.

not like I'm super active here... :/


:)

[Nukegrrrl]

I'm not down with avatars, but I would just turn them off. It's not that I care about loading time (it's all about starving oneself for cable), I just like to involve myself in the board in a literary fashion.

Also, there's plenty of T and A on the board already and avatars would only lead to animated gifs of cumshots or jiggling breasts.

[endquote]

I vote no, which is why there currently not enabled. It would be a bandwidth issue (although I think you can set it so people have to host it themselves, which wouldn't make it less of a bandwidth issue, but wouldn't make it nwtekno/dh's problem), but more than that they're just kind of ugly and more than kind of distracting.

One idea might be you only get to have an avatar if you donate some cash (like $5 for life or something) or are a mod. Or maybe have someone come up with a selection of slick ones that complement the design and community of the site, don't animate, and generally don't look like ass, and let people choose from them. (Good luck though, considering how much t-shirt art people have contributed. That's none at all for those keeping score.)

[sawzy]

Originally posted by HexRei


It seems to me that if you can turn them on and off and ignore individual ones at will, whether they are offensive or not is moot. No one would have to see anyone's unless they choose to. Sounds perfect to me.


finally some goddamn common sense. everyone is STILL bitching about "load times". gawd... just shutup! :)

[Youngen]

I do think that it would be a cool thing to have...but you have to keep the size of them down......

[Rainbow Brite]

i like the board just the way it is....i think we can do without the "cute" pics next to our posts n such...it wont hurt anything to not use them....i see so many other message boards that have them, and i dont really like the idea, it makes it to easy to find ppl :) i like searching thru the posts myself, the good ole' fashion way!:cool: :cool:

~~> Rainbow Brite

[skoiboy]

I'd say only if you can add the On/Off feature......otherwise people are gonna bitch, and bitch, and bitch......

They're coo, but yeah, load time would be kinda crazy......On/Off fo sho.

[Roddimus]

or, peopel would make theirs a gross porn thing, i dunno. the possibilities are endless...
If you think about it tho, people already have that option with their sigs.
If someone wanted to post a cumshot or watersports pic in their sig line, they've always had the option of doing so.
I can go either way with avatars. Personally I'd probably never utilize them, but if others want to, I don't see the harm. I can always just turn them off in my preferences.

[Headquarters]

ooOoOoOooo the drama... who will win!! 47 to 47! it's florida all over again

[sothis]

If you think about it tho, people already have that option with their sigs.


im fairly certain that josh turned off the option for pictures in signatures a long, long time ago.

[Soular]

I dunno about that idea. I kinda like it plain the way it is. My 2 pennies...

[Dj_FourKourse]

Definitely should just be an "option" on the side. Not a "must". there's 2 more cents!

[Youngen]

I think the on/off thing would be good...yeah, people would do the sick porn thing, but hey, if you knowa bout it, then turn them off!

[Transmission]

Avatars...

funny that you mention them. Those pesky lil hooligan's ! gotta love them

Yeah... I like the idea.. go

[skoiboy]

How long are you running the poll for Kim? And does the poll actually decide the fate of the answer?

[XeviouS]

but not everybody does so, is it possible to have the option to turn them off

[sentriK]

I'm not concerned with the slowing of bandwidth much, I have cable. But I like nwtekno's no bullshit layout. It's information and coversation that I think we as a community care about, or at least I do, not what cute avatar someone decided to use to represent them, imo that's what nicks are for.

I will admit, that an avatar would give an earier way to know who's replies you are reading. However, I don't think there would be much added value to the board itself. I'm voting no.

[XianAZ]

If you want a comparison for a site that uses them, go to www.plur2k.com

That's the site I am on in Arizona and I like the avatars. It actually creates a more lively environment in my opinion.

[skoiboy]

Originally posted by XianAZ
If you want a comparison for a site that uses them, go to www.plur2k.com

That's the site I am on in Arizona and I like the avatars. It actually creates a more lively environment in my opinion.

DOOD. Thank you SOOOO much......I have been looking for a Board for my friend in AZ for soooo fuckin' long, and I just now finally found one thanks to you!!

Thank you!

[Vixie]

I think it's a goodah idea...and no matter how much we debate over this, there will still be those people scoffing and bitching about them when the avatars are finally decided on. I think that the decision stays with Kim and the mods now that they have the user's opinions. Go you guys!

[j3ss3]

Avatars only add to the cheesiness that is RaveMessageBoards.

Plus, you get 945195 emails a day from AOL users asking what a "gif" is...

[XianAZ]

No problem man. We're a close knit family here in AZ (the plur2k kids) and I think your friend will like the environment.



Originally posted by skoiboy


DOOD. Thank you SOOOO much......I have been looking for a Board for my friend in AZ for soooo fuckin' long, and I just now finally found one thanks to you!!

Thank you!

[platinum]

Originally posted by endquote
One idea might be you only get to have an avatar if you donate some cash (like $5 for life or something)

I think that's a good idea. It would show who actually gives a crap. I personally wouldn't mind Paypal-ing $5 to get an avatar if that was the rule. I'm sure it wouldn't be necessary to cover any costs so the money could go to improving the board in other ways possibly. ;)

-Jonathan

[sothis]

id agree to that sentiment

my biggest concern about avatars would be people abusing them (especially, people make up troll names and also make up an avatar to go along with them)

im betting most people wont pay 5 dollars for each troll name they have just to abuse avatars... while, for the regulars on the board, 5 dollars is not a huge amount, youd still be contributing to the board, and then coudl use an avatar of your choice.

[EV]

Man this is a close one...


EV
ps - ^^^^Insightful Post of the Day^^^^

[FnkyChnkyMnky]

i say yay!

i'm on a board that has 20,000+ users and they have avatars with no problems...

[invis]

Soooooo.....where do we send our five n when do we get our avatars Kim?:D

[sawzy]

where are the avatars. fair is fair

[platinum]

The evidence is there: Avatars for all!

[sothis]

what evidence? the poll is essentially split in half

[skoiboy]

Originally posted by sothis
what evidence? the poll is essentially split in half

I don't really give a shit either way, but how is a poll that is at 94-84 split in half? I'd call it a very close call over anything......

[sothis]

notice the "essentially". that implies not completely.

10 votes is really not a lot... hence why i say it is "essentially" split in half.

[sawzy]

FAIR IS FAIR!!

[sawzy]

well if you followed this poll you know how pumped i was to get avatars but with all the server problems and such... pushin all those gifs will be rilly stressin yr bandwidth. so screw it...

[starzahappa20]

Coming from someone who frequents the utrave.org page and also a newbie to nwtekno page I would have to say that whatchoo got going on here is much more sleek then utah's page. Keep your layout how it is, it's killer :)

[skoiboy]

Originally posted by sawzy
well if you followed this poll you know how pumped i was to get avatars but with all the server problems and such... pushin all those gifs will be rilly stressin yr bandwidth. so screw it...

Yeah......speakin' of......what is the deal with the severs? Too crowded nowadays? Not enough space?

Just curious......

Sawzy - nice to finally meet you dawg!

[platinum]

Originally posted by skoiboy
Yeah......speakin' of......what is the deal with the severs? Too crowded nowadays? Not enough space?


I'm also curious.. I had to try five times to get through to this thread because of some sort of server error. Maybe revenue from the $5 each for avatars could go to getting more bandwidth. NWtekno is a real important source of information for a bunch of people and I personally recall it being down when I needed it a couple of times. (granted I should've been more prepared with other venues of information)

just another thought/thought addendum

[groovinkim]

i realized i didn't reply to this until now...

unfortunately, i think avatars aren't a good idea right now.. both due to the vote being close and due to the bandwidth issues...

[prog-lover]

No, people would abuse them just like they do there f**kin signatures!

:mad:

[djLefty]

Originally posted by groovinkim
unfortunately, i think avatars aren't a good idea right now.. both due to the vote being close and due to the bandwidth issues...

I don't see any big issue with avatars...and as far as bandwidth goes, just make it so they have to be linked from offsite and can't be stored on nwtekno.org...just like how the profile picture works currently.

[HexRei]

Originally posted by djLefty


I don't see any big issue with avatars...and as far as bandwidth goes, just make it so they have to be linked from offsite and can't be stored on nwtekno.org...just like how the profile picture works currently.

yup, that would alleviate the issue entirely. I think it's ridiculous that kim isn't even going to enable the option to view avatars for those who want to participate.

[platinum]

I voted, I talked, and now I reaffirm my support for Avatars. there.

[sothis]

i still think if the option is on, that there is some rule about what can be shown (namely, nothing horribly offensive)

[Soular]

Don't forget about size as well.

[sothis]

yea, for example, the ones on 206 are WAY too big

[Soular]

Not only that, but they don't have a limiter on them.