Avatars

Post by **Pandabean** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:29 pm

I have done a search on here for this and could find no explanation as to why avatars are not allowed except at parties. So why is this?

Post by **Liz Turner** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:32 pm

I have a vague feeling that this is something to do with size and space available on the server?? I think I saw that in a post somewhere, but I'm sure someone will come along soon and tell us the reason ...

Thrall · Post by **Thrall** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:39 pm

Without wishing to tread on any toes, I must confess to being a killjoy, and preferring not to have any avators - except for very special occasions. Those on some other genealogy sites are, I feel, not always a benefit to say the least.............

but beauty is, of course, very often in the eye of the beholder................

Guid hunting,

Thrall

Post by **paddyscar** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 12:52 am

Liz is correct in saying that this had been discussed. It was on the Moderator's discussion board in August, 2006.

AndrewP wrote on August 24, 2006:

So far in TalkingScot, we have only used avatars for the parties to add to the fun. We have never considered using them in a regular basis.

The forum configuration allows for three options for allowing avatars.
(1) gallery avatars - the type that we have used, where avatars are uploaded by Admin into the TS forum webspace, and are opened for use by all.
(2) external avatars - the type where the avatar is elsewhere on the web and is called up into the forum by a web link.
(3) members to upload - where the members can upload their own avatars into TS's forum webspace.

Additional reasons included the bandwith/storage cost; approvals and monitoring workloads; copyright issues of non-original artwork; appears as clutter to some and last, but certainly not least - not everyone is on highspeed connections, and additional visuals would cause connection delays.

Frances

Post by **AndrewP** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 1:42 am

Hi Frances,

The subject of avatars has been raised with the Admin Group on more than one occasion, and was declined for regular use for the reasons given in the replies above.

When you see some of the avatars used on other forums, would you really want that on TalkingScot?

All the best,

AndrewP

Post by **emanday** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 2:35 am

AndrewP wrote:Hi Frances,

The subject of avatars has been raised with the Admin Group on more than one occasion, and was declined for regular use for the reasons given in the replies above.

When you see some of the avatars used on other forums, would you really want that on TalkingScot?

All the best,

AndrewP

I belong to forums where avatars are allowed and I do have my own that I always use. However, Andrew has a very valid point. Some of the avatars on these other forums can be quite unpleasant. Why people would want to use some of them escapes me. TS is fine with just having "library" ones we can use for parties.

I think it adds to the "festive spirit" just having them for special occasions.