Personal Development for Smart People^TM Forums

Steve Pavlina · 11-17-2009, 05:03 AM

We're currently doing a little experiment with enabling forum avatars. The avatar is the little pic next to my handle. For now they're available for mods and admins, and if it looks good, we'll open it to senior members next, and if that works, then to regular members.

If used intelligently avatars can add a more personal touch to the forums, but they can also create more of a moderation burden if abused, so we're not committing fully to this yet -- just testing the idea for now to see how this affects the community.

Avatars can only be static pics -- no animated stuff.

Melchior · 11-17-2009, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Avatars can only be static pics -- no animated stuff.

Yes! (and indeed, that is the only way to go

)

Just a thought/suggestion: with the layout of the board (username and stats up top), it looks kinda funny, breaking up the text and all... Most of the other places I've been with avatars have a left side column next to the text where the avatar and other user stats are, with some post information acting as the separator 'only'. This effectively prevented big 'gaps' between the text. This is somewhat similar to how the topic review looks on this site when you're replying to a topic. Not sure if this is what you intend for the site, as it's been the username separator all this time I'm guessing, but this would also allow for slightly bigger avatar sizes as well without intruding too much on the text. Anyway, hope you take this into consideration/already have.

Andrew Brunelle · 11-17-2009, 12:56 PM

Sounds like a good idea. You're always talking about our "avatars" in your blog posts, so hopefully this turns out to be a good idea. Either way, I'm not going anywhere.

aelle · 11-17-2009, 01:06 PM

At last! With so many people on the board it's become hard to remember some posters sometimes, and avatars will definitely help with that. Thanks!

marinik · 11-17-2009, 01:07 PM

Love the idea!

seeker5 · 11-17-2009, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melchior

Just a thought/suggestion: with the layout of the board (username and stats up top), it looks kinda funny, breaking up the text and all... Most of the other places I've been with avatars have a left side column next to the text where the avatar and other user stats are, with some post information acting as the separator 'only'.

I actually like that idea, to try. I know with the avatars as they are now increases the white space between posts. I had suggested making the avatars smaller, but perhaps this might work too?

James81 · 11-17-2009, 01:37 PM

Definately a step in the right direction. I'm so crappy with names, but I'll remember a "face" forever. Having avs helps me remember people.

Angela · 11-17-2009, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James81

Definately a step in the right direction. I'm so crappy with names, but I'll remember a "face" forever. Having avs helps me remember people.

What about when it's an abstract avatar, like seeker5's?

jamestl2 · 11-17-2009, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melchior

Just a thought/suggestion: with the layout of the board (username and stats up top), it looks kinda funny, breaking up the text and all... Most of the other places I've been with avatars have a left side column next to the text where the avatar and other user stats are, with some post information acting as the separator 'only'. This effectively prevented big 'gaps' between the text. This is somewhat similar to how the topic review looks on this site when you're replying to a topic. Not sure if this is what you intend for the site, as it's been the username separator all this time I'm guessing, but this would also allow for slightly bigger avatar sizes as well without intruding too much on the text. Anyway, hope you take this into consideration/already have.

That called the postbit legacy template. It's the other alternative option for vB to implement a different layout. Sometimes Forum Admins can create custom fields for it to, like "real Name" or "Latest Blog Post".

James81 · 11-17-2009, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angela

What about when it's an abstract avatar, like seeker5's?

Yeah, any picture works for me. As long as I have a visual image in my mind that reminds me of my interactions with someone, I'll remember them. Might not remember their name at all, but I'll remember the visual.

Steve Pavlina · 11-17-2009, 02:03 PM

Once we get a certain number of people using avatars, we can test the alternate layout with the handle, avatar pic, and stats on the left instead of above each post. I agree that might be the best option.

cacheborn · 11-17-2009, 03:47 PM

Great idea!
I am already thinking if I want to be someone from LOTR

Moving the pic to the right side might be worth trying!

Vanessa · 11-17-2009, 05:43 PM

Sweet! I've wondered when the mod avatars started.

From this experiment, it will create some more forum activity, will be curious to see how it grows.

Adrienne · 11-18-2009, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanessa

Sweet! I've wondered when the mod avatars started.

From this experiment, it will create some more forum activity, will be curious to see how it grows.

It just happened within the past 24 hours. don’t worry you didn’t miss anything

Anna Conlan · 11-18-2009, 10:10 AM

Ooh. I want one.

Steve Pavlina · 11-18-2009, 01:50 PM

Avatars are now enabled for almost all members. Any member in good standing with at least 5 posts can now add an avatar to their account.

In the menu bar at the top of your screen, click User CP, then click "Edit Avatar" in the sidebar on the left. You can then enter a URL or upload an image from your computer. Images larger than 160x160 will be automatically resized.

I also changed the post layout to put the handle, avatar, and other info on the left instead of on top. This is a test to see how people like it, so give yourself a little time to get used to it.

If you see anyone asking about avatars, please refer them to this thread.

Please consider this a test/trial of this feature. If avatars work out well and they seem to improve the quality and cohesiveness of this community, we'll obviously keep using them. If they end up being abused and the moderation burden becomes unreasonably high (people posting image ads, porn pics, etc), then we'll simply disable them and return to avatar-free forums.

You don't have to use a real pic of yourself, but I highly recommend that you do if possible. It will help people connect with you, and a real pic is probably more likely to be taken seriously when people reply to you than a cartoon or celeb image.

So please choose your avatar consciously.

aelle · 11-18-2009, 02:51 PM

Oh hey there! We have faces now!

I assume hand drawn portraits are acceptable? :P

James81 · 11-18-2009, 03:36 PM

Thanks, Steve. I love the avs and the layout is much easier to follow in my opinion. Much easier to see who is posting what. Even if avs end up going away, I hope you keep the layout the same.

Daffy Duck · 11-18-2009, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

and a real pic is probably more likely to be taken seriously when people reply to you than a cartoon.

Well the absolutely last thing I want is for people to take me seriously.

Nice to see this feature. I think (for some) it's a good reminder that the person you're talking to online has a face!

Angela · 11-18-2009, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daffy Duck

Nice to see this feature. I think (for some) it's a good reminder that the person you're talking to online has a face!

I don't know. Now that I've seen your face, I'm going to be worried about you every time it rains, in case you look up.

Michael Chui · 11-18-2009, 03:58 PM

My face is full of stars! And fire!

Angela · 11-18-2009, 03:58 PM

That's exactly what I always imagined looking like, Michael.

Daffy Duck · 11-18-2009, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angela

I don't know. Now that I've seen your face, I'm going to be worried about you every time it rains, in case you look up.

Crap. I'm sorry to say I don't get the joke. Explain please.

Angela · 11-18-2009, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daffy Duck

Crap. I'm sorry to say I don't get the joke. Explain please.

Ducks. Because they're nostrils are right there on the front of their face, if they look up in the rain, they'll drown. Or so the old story goes.

Daffy Duck · 11-18-2009, 04:03 PM

Oh, that's nonsense propaganda spread by Bugs Bunny.

He's a Republican.

Angela · 11-18-2009, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daffy Duck

Oh, that's nonsense propaganda spread by Bugs Bunny.

He's a Republican.

Are you kidding me?!? Bugs Bunny is unaligned with the 2-party system! That's part of what makes him so sexually irresistible.

Daffy Duck · 11-18-2009, 04:18 PM

Well, okay. He has some Republican tendencies, but I'll admit he's not a gun-toting Sarah Palin lovin' Republican like Elmer Fudd.

James81 · 11-18-2009, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daffy Duck

Well, okay. He has some Republican tendencies, but I'll admit he's not a gun-toting Sarah Palin lovin' Republican like Elmer Fudd.

Have you not seen the movie "Shoot 'em up"?

Bradshaw · 11-18-2009, 05:43 PM

Hmm.

jamestl2 · 11-18-2009, 06:23 PM

I definitely prefer the postbit legacy template, but since the forum's not full width, it does kinda leave our post text width much narrower.

Maybe place the sidebar info somewhere in the header?

11-17-2009, 05:03 AM	#1 (permalink)
Steve Pavlina Master Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Summerlin, Las Vegas, NV Posts: 4,242	Enabling forum avatars We're currently doing a little experiment with enabling forum avatars. The avatar is the little pic next to my handle. For now they're available for mods and admins, and if it looks good, we'll open it to senior members next, and if that works, then to regular members. If used intelligently avatars can add a more personal touch to the forums, but they can also create more of a moderation burden if abused, so we're not committing fully to this yet -- just testing the idea for now to see how this affects the community. Avatars can only be static pics -- no animated stuff. __________________ Steve Pavlina www.StevePavlina.com (Twitter page, Facebook page) Get my book Personal Development for Smart People I'm a human alarm clock. I awaken people who are sleeping through life. Then I duck.

11-17-2009, 12:56 PM	#3 (permalink)
Andrew Brunelle Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Home Posts: 1,456	Sounds like a good idea. You're always talking about our "avatars" in your blog posts, so hopefully this turns out to be a good idea. Either way, I'm not going anywhere. __________________ AndrewBrunelle.com--Getting back in touch with the Earth and being human, one blog post at a time. Facebook\|Myspace

11-17-2009, 01:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
aelle Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: France - Japan - Korea Posts: 1,187	At last! With so many people on the board it's become hard to remember some posters sometimes, and avatars will definitely help with that. Thanks! __________________ read, look and listen to aelle around the world my notebooks and paper stuff

11-17-2009, 01:07 PM	#5 (permalink)
marinik Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Where Living and Loving and Laughing are written into the Constitution Posts: 5,849	Love the idea! __________________ Life shrinks and grows proportionally to the courage of the one who lives it.

11-17-2009, 01:37 PM	#7 (permalink)
James81 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,637	Definately a step in the right direction. I'm so crappy with names, but I'll remember a "face" forever. Having avs helps me remember people. __________________ http://www.soulsasylum.org

11-17-2009, 02:03 PM	#11 (permalink)
Steve Pavlina Master Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Summerlin, Las Vegas, NV Posts: 4,242	Once we get a certain number of people using avatars, we can test the alternate layout with the handle, avatar pic, and stats on the left instead of above each post. I agree that might be the best option. __________________ Steve Pavlina www.StevePavlina.com (Twitter page, Facebook page) Get my book Personal Development for Smart People I'm a human alarm clock. I awaken people who are sleeping through life. Then I duck.

11-17-2009, 03:47 PM	#12 (permalink)
cacheborn Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 2,563	Great idea! I am already thinking if I want to be someone from LOTR Moving the pic to the right side might be worth trying! __________________ When you fail, you become smarter. ~ Steve Pavlina Last edited by cacheborn; 11-18-2009 at 03:32 AM.

11-17-2009, 05:43 PM	#13 (permalink)
Vanessa Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Sunny Florida Posts: 180	Sweet! I've wondered when the mod avatars started. From this experiment, it will create some more forum activity, will be curious to see how it grows. __________________ Phantom CTO Helping Small Businesses Use Technology to Grow

11-18-2009, 10:10 AM	#15 (permalink)
Anna Conlan Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 289	Ooh. I want one. __________________ "I highly recommend getting a reading with Anna as a way to accelerate your personal growth." Steve Pavlina Spirit Guide Coaching & Extra-Sensory Perception blog

11-18-2009, 01:50 PM	#16 (permalink)
Steve Pavlina Master Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Summerlin, Las Vegas, NV Posts: 4,242	Avatars are now enabled for almost all members. Any member in good standing with at least 5 posts can now add an avatar to their account. In the menu bar at the top of your screen, click User CP, then click "Edit Avatar" in the sidebar on the left. You can then enter a URL or upload an image from your computer. Images larger than 160x160 will be automatically resized. I also changed the post layout to put the handle, avatar, and other info on the left instead of on top. This is a test to see how people like it, so give yourself a little time to get used to it. If you see anyone asking about avatars, please refer them to this thread. Please consider this a test/trial of this feature. If avatars work out well and they seem to improve the quality and cohesiveness of this community, we'll obviously keep using them. If they end up being abused and the moderation burden becomes unreasonably high (people posting image ads, porn pics, etc), then we'll simply disable them and return to avatar-free forums. You don't have to use a real pic of yourself, but I highly recommend that you do if possible. It will help people connect with you, and a real pic is probably more likely to be taken seriously when people reply to you than a cartoon or celeb image. So please choose your avatar consciously. __________________ Steve Pavlina www.StevePavlina.com (Twitter page, Facebook page) Get my book Personal Development for Smart People I'm a human alarm clock. I awaken people who are sleeping through life. Then I duck.

11-18-2009, 02:51 PM	#17 (permalink)
aelle Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: France - Japan - Korea Posts: 1,187	Oh hey there! We have faces now! I assume hand drawn portraits are acceptable? :P __________________ read, look and listen to aelle around the world my notebooks and paper stuff

11-18-2009, 03:36 PM	#18 (permalink)
James81 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,637	Thanks, Steve. I love the avs and the layout is much easier to follow in my opinion. Much easier to see who is posting what. Even if avs end up going away, I hope you keep the layout the same. __________________ http://www.soulsasylum.org

11-18-2009, 03:58 PM	#21 (permalink)
Michael Chui Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Seattle, Washington, USA Posts: 2,770	My face is full of stars! And fire! __________________ Current: Talking with Strangers Done: My Name is Asher Lev "I have never looked upon ease and happiness as ends in themselves--this critical basis I call the ideal of a pigsty." - A.E.

11-18-2009, 03:58 PM	#22 (permalink)
Angela Legendary Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 13,153	That's exactly what I always imagined looking like, Michael. __________________ Are you ready to Feel Good on Purpose? Angela Lord Blog

11-18-2009, 04:03 PM	#25 (permalink)
Daffy Duck Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 2,655	Oh, that's nonsense propaganda spread by Bugs Bunny. He's a Republican. __________________ Godspeed!

11-18-2009, 04:18 PM	#27 (permalink)
Daffy Duck Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 2,655	Well, okay. He has some Republican tendencies, but I'll admit he's not a gun-toting Sarah Palin lovin' Republican like Elmer Fudd. __________________ Godspeed!

11-18-2009, 05:43 PM	#29 (permalink)
Bradshaw Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Portugal Posts: 236	Hmm.

11-18-2009, 06:23 PM	#30 (permalink)
jamestl2 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: What of it? Posts: 724	I definitely prefer the postbit legacy template, but since the forum's not full width, it does kinda leave our post text width much narrower. Maybe place the sidebar info somewhere in the header? __________________ Hire me for Wordpress Projects \| Wordpress Forums Lightning Shock - My Website

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