19 replies to this topic

[Langley]

I can't promise that I'll go with the most popular option, nor can I promise that I'm not just asking for your input for my own personal amusement.

The company that makes the software we use wants to slowly turn their forum software into a Facebook clone. They have removed 'avatars' from the next version of the software in favor of placing a thumbnail of your profile photo next to all of your posts. We could just roll with it and see what happens, we could make the profile photos more avatar-like and force everyone to start over from scratch--uploading their own custom avatars, I could try and customize the forums and replicate the current system of selecting an avatar from a limited admin-approved pool, or I could just turn off the profile photo feature all together, removing the thumbnails/avatars from the forums completely.

[Greydon]

So Langley let me get this straight. They are changing the complete software package? Or, is it more of a skin option for the boards as a whole? If it is the latter, we just need to choose the skin we want. If it is the former, then hopefully we will not have the timeline. That thing sucks!

[cmeej]

I'm curious Langley, It seems upfront that resetting all of the avatars is alot of work on your part,

But would monitoring the avatars that people fuck up be harder in the longrun?

I'd love to have custom avatars,

But not at the detriment of your administration team

[KaptainKrazy]

You could just allow custom avatars, but add some thing to the COC about what is not acceptable in your picture.

[sublimedom777]

My real vote goes for whatever option is easiest for you, so long as The Lorax stays.

[DX-Robert]

I've wanted to see custom avatars for a long time now. If a person honestly can't figure out what's appropriate or not in an avatar, they won't last long. Other users will just ignore them and life will go on, I doubt that needs its own COC section.

@Greydon: IPB is probably releasing a new version soon. It's the same board, with different features. The skin isn't what would change necessarily, it's the functionality.

[Ambience 327]

As with any freedom you allow, some people will abuse it, but that just gives Vacc more reasons to exercise his ban-hammer arm, and we all know how much enjoyment he gets from that, so why deny him the pleasure?

In all seriousness, I greatly prefer when everyone has unique avatars, as it makes it easier for my addled mind to keep up with who is talking without all that necessary "reading the name of the poster" malarkey, so I am all for custom avatars as that makes it easier for everyone to be a unique snowflake.

[evilbunnyo]

I don't use either so I don't really care. I think whatevere makes langely and vacc happy is fine with me

[dizzyduck]

I'm with DX on this issue. I think most of the regulars here can handle uploading their own avatar without things getting out of hand. If need be, you could just restrict the ability to upload avatars to non-FNG members.

[Ice Nine]

I'm with DX on this issue. I think most of the regulars here can handle uploading their own avatar without things getting out of hand. If need be, you could just restrict the ability to upload avatars to non-FNG members.

Huge surprise, Mr. I Only Contribute So I Can Get A Custom Avatar.

Custom avatars are only for the administrators and the gays, and sometimes both!

[Daniel Beaver]

Custom avatars are only for the administrators and the gays, and sometimes both!

Sweeet, so I get a custom gay avatar?

[hamoidar]

Would I be able to keep the avatar I have now? That is, if the switch to custom avatars is made.

[BOSS9]

I feel like there should be some sort of higher level for experienced members, like how in the current system only the top get custom avatars/ titles. If everyone had custom avatars, then another distinction should be made for the elite.

[Langley]

So Langley let me get this straight. They are changing the complete software package? Or, is it more of a skin option for the boards as a whole? If it is the latter, we just need to choose the skin we want. If it is the former, then hopefully we will not have the timeline. That thing sucks!

I....don't even know what to make of this. They are releasing a new version of the forum software soon, and I sort of have to keep up, because they aren't going to continue support for the version we're using now, and I'm not sure they would release a security patch if there were known exploits. Because they're taking their cues from social networking sites like Facebook, not all of the changes in future versions will be good for old school forums like us. One such example is that they're getting rid of the Avatar Gallery feature that lets you pick an avatar from a pre-approved pool. You can already see the influence of Facebook in the comments and status update features on user profiles, and you might remember the friends list feature I turned off shortly after the hack last year.

The good news is that they are also including features that will be useful in the future. Many of them are more geared towards moderators and admins, but some of them will be evident to members, like the new tagging feature. In the next version of the software, you'll be able to tag a post in the modifications forum with "writeup, longshot, brass, stock darts" to help people find similar threads.

Sweeet, so I get a custom gay avatar?

I think we both know you already have one.

Would I be able to keep the avatar I have now? That is, if the switch to custom avatars is made.

I'm sure if we were going to go that route, that I could make the current avatars easy to download so you can upload them as your avatar here or anywhere else. Speaking of which, you are always welcome to 'right click and save as' on the NH avatars and upload them as your avatar on other forums and websites, as long as you're uploading them to that site and not remotely linking to the file on NerfHaven.

Edited by Langley, 14 February 2012 - 01:30 PM.

[NerfMonkey]

Seeing this place turn into facebook would be pretty gay. I do love my Crono avatar, but if you'd just want to remove avatars altogether I wouldn't care. I voted for option 3, but it was a close call between that and 4. The profile comments business is lame enough.

[taerKitty]

I'm all for "whatever makes the M/A team's lives easier". I like avatars in that it makes it easier to see who is saying what, though I do have to be careful two or more people aren't using the same avatar from the same pool.

[Daniel Beaver]

I like avatars in that it makes it easier to see who is saying what, though I do have to be careful two or more people aren't using the same avatar from the same pool.

That's my main gripe with the current system. There are far too many people using duplicate avatars, and so they aren't a reliable identifier (which is the whole point of having avatars).

[Ice Nine]

That's my main gripe with the current system. There are far too many people using duplicate avatars, and so they aren't a reliable identifier (which is the whole point of having avatars).

There are at least one hundred avatars in the current catalogue that are unused. You're not complaining about the current system, you're complaining about lazy members.

[taerKitty]

There are at least one hundred avatars in the current catalogue that are unused. You're not complaining about the current system, you're complaining about lazy members.

Not necessarily lazy - they could all be fans of the same source material. Or, they could be new and not realize once was used already. I made that mistake a while ago, using a cat avatar someone else already was using.

Still, the end result is the same - someone gets misattributed for someone else's words.

[shardbearer]

I think we should be able to upload our own, or just turn em off. Make people read names for once. I have had too many experiences of seeing my avatar on someone else's post and having to change it, and just disabled mine.