Avatars
I love seeing everybody's avatars!
Community Fun with Avatars
In addition to identifying yourself, you can share information via your avatar. Some IB members indicate the number of tokens and/or stamps they have within their avatar. There is also a trend started by The Pirates to include certain elements in your avatar to declare yourself a member of a certain group. [guild annoucements and standings]
Watch for avatars that make use of Icon Buffet icons, or avatars built upon the default avatar — Faceless gray aliens attack!
Enjoy and cherish avatars not currently in use at the Avatar Retirement Home.
If you see profiles with that generic gray guy hanging around, please leave them a link (code to copy & paste is right below the example) to this post.
You need an avatar!
<a href="http://www.iconbuffet.com/people/mik/blogs/avatars">You need an avatar!</a>
New to the IB?
I want to encourage new IB arrivals to use an avatar, even if it's a temporary one while you figure out what you really want. Somebody asked for help in how to add an avatar so here are the basics:
- In you own profile page, which you can get to with the 'My Icons' tab or by going to http://www.iconbuffet.com/people/[yournamehere], to the right of you name near the top there's a link to 'Edit Profile'.
- The first item in the profile editing form is 'Upload your avatar (48x48px image)' with a button to browse your computer for the file you want.
- You can change it, as well as the rest of the info in your profile, whenever you want. If you use a consistent avatar or theme, people will recognize you by it.
You will earn a badge for using an avatar. If your cheese wedge (the avatar badge) doesn't appear, log out and back in. (This is necessary for a few of the badges and some are worth points, so some IB members will log out & in periodically to make sure they're not missing something).
Preparing your avatar image
Typical web image formats — .gif .jpg .png — in any size should* work and will be resized automatically if you uploaded since ~late April '07. It is better to upload an image that is already 48x48 pixels if you can.
Animated GIFs were allowed initially, then disabled when the automatic resizing was implemented, for technical reasons (Ref: iconmaster on Apr 13, 2007 and Apr 27, 2007), and re-established eventually. I.e. animations in suitable web formats should work. Please use responsibly.
JPGs may produce the double dot bug - the upload will seem to be fine but your avatar won't show up because the link to the image is broken by the ..png extension.
GIFs may produce an error during upload - you will know from the error message that something went wrong. Try a solid (no transparency or animation) GIF or switch to PNG.
TIFFs and other image formats not intended for the web may upload but will not appear in all web browsers.
Having problems?
A few things you can try...
- switch to a different file format; *PNGs are the most problem free here.
Please Note: Renaming your file with a different extension, e.g. .png insteag of .jpg, does not change the file format. You need to save your image in the new format from a graphics editing or converting application.
- rename your file with no odd characters, punctuation, or spaces
- try a different web browser
- do not use animation
- eliminate transparency (use a white background to blend with the current design)
- use your graphics program's 'save for web' function if available
josh: if you have trouble uploading, check if you have JavaScript enabled or try a more current web browser.
josh on Apr 20 2007: GIFs with animation or transparency tend to be bombing ... try a solid GIF or JPG.
iqon: Several members with broken avatar image links have a double dot: "_large..png"
Double Dot Fix conny2007 had the double dot, experimented, and shared the results - replace JPGs with a GIF. "...saved for web again - this time as a gif-file - the problem finally was solved!"
Jahnoth: use a different filename when replacing your avatar.
justG: a different filename may not be necessary, try clearing your browser cache.
---
If you want help, or can offer help to others, with creating or preparing an avatar image, please post a comment here. And if you just want show us your avatar or link to someone else's you love, post a comment here about that too!
Get updates with RSS
Be the first to know about new products and free stuff from IconBuffet. Subscribe to our RSS feed:
Find work or post a listing at Authentic Jobs.
justG
on Mar 30, 2007
Nice post, mik. Love the shoes. =)
Grusella on Mar 30, 2007
Also you will gain a badge for having an avatar.
dyar on Mar 30, 2007
I'm loving all the new avatars, there are some very creative people here. On the old IB site people very rarely used avatars but here it's the exception not to have one.
Perhaps we can have some type of avatar contest down the road a bit. With the best in numerous general categories receiving Points or Stamps.
@ mik - your avatar has shoes? - nice legs (it's a guy thing)
dishg on Mar 30, 2007
Very informative, Mik. Your shoes are great! Where did you buy those? (that would be another blog) :)
mik on Mar 30, 2007
@Grusella Thanks for adding about the badge, I'd totally forgotten!
@dyar <<grin>>
@dishg Hm, the pencil was inexpensive but when you add in the scanner, working on the graphic image in one app on my old computer and then working on it some more with a different app on my new (relatively speaking) computer, I think these just may be the most expensive pair of shoes I own!
mcd on Mar 30, 2007
It's weird. So many people in my friends list all look alike. And apparently they are all suffering from some sort of condition that makes them look very gray and lacking facial features. ;)
Seriously people, you get a badge for having an avatar. It's too easy. Do it!
And if you think about it, there's really no excuse for not having one. This is an icon site, FULL of free icons that can also be used as avatars. If you can't make your own custom avatar, just use an icon from the Free Delivery.
justG
on Mar 30, 2007
Yep, my current one is from Helsinki HI-Fi. =)
kmfnj on Mar 30, 2007
@mcd - fo' reals. i use the "logical" iconf from Taipei Buddies 1 on just about every community I join.
It's too easy.
Well said.
Jahnoth
on Mar 30, 2007
Just one tip, when you change your avatar picture, make sure you've named it something different than what you currently have up. At least, I have to do this. For some reason, if I don't, even if I'm uploading a different pic, it won't take. (ie, avatar.jpg, then for a new one, say avatar_k9.jpg).
Anyway, hope it helps.
tamashii on Mar 30, 2007
Avatars can say a lot about a person, too. Like mine - I hide behind my logo, not revealing my true identity because I fight crime on the internet!
But you can get a little hint at someone's style by looking at whatever they use for an avatar, sometimes.
quicksilver on Mar 30, 2007
yeah, I'm going to change mine eventually, once I figure out something better to use. At this point though, I figured it's a silver Q (from Modena Cool), so it fits :P
justG
on Mar 30, 2007
@ Jahnoth: That might depend on browser/cache stuff. I replace my avatar with an image of the same name and see the change immediately.
tamashii on Mar 30, 2007
Just finished my wife’s avatar - the petals represent the number of tokens she has left. Used Oslo for the style of it.
justG
on Mar 30, 2007
@ tamashii: Hehe, that's really cute!
Xpresso on Mar 30, 2007
I would love to have an avatar but for some reason it won't let me upload one. I have posted and asked about it twice already but I still haven't gotten a response.
josh
on Mar 30, 2007
Xpresso - It's most likely a javascript error. If you're using an older browser, you might try the latest version of Firefox or IE7.
taario on Mar 30, 2007
^ (most preferably Firefox, better yet, Flock)
=D
gswd on Mar 30, 2007
What? No Opera fans?
mhayes on Mar 30, 2007
I love Safari
taario on Mar 30, 2007
Never tried Opera myself. Might give it a whirl sometime.
gswd on Mar 30, 2007
Safari is ok, but like IE, it is too embedded into the OS. I have had a hacker say that I had to use IE or Safari to "read his security memo about the database on my site".
Oh, and I don't have a database on my site.
WebSiteGuru on Apr 05, 2007
NicE! That's a lot of info. ;) I love FireFox.
dustybunny on Apr 09, 2007
I have redone my avatar about 5 times trying to make it work. It is a 48x48 jpeg image which I saved out of Photoshop.
What makes it worse is that I can see the avatar as working so I do not know when people cannot see the avatar.
Any help making this work will be appreciated.
cry187
on Apr 09, 2007
@dustybunny
Your avatar doesn't show up. I could only see a 788551_large on top of your avatar box.
btw, do you like suicidal bunnies too?
mik on Apr 09, 2007
@dustbunny: I can see your avatar in Safari but not with Mozilla browsers. So it's there, but Firefox thinks it's a broken link for some reason. I'm looking at the image paths, and yours looks just like the others. Yours isn't the only .jpeg (as opposed to .jpg) avatar. Very odd. Have you tried a .gif version? Which web browser are you using?
Those who don't get db's avatar image, what browsers are you using? Have you noticed anyone else who seems to have the same problem?
There are a couple things you could try, but I think it's time to ask a chef.
iqon on Apr 09, 2007
@dustybunny:
Like the others I cannot see your JPEG avatar. This is just a guess but I suspect when you save out of Photoshop it is defaulting to a particular JPEG flavor that requires a plug-in/codec to view it (perhaps JPEG2000?). You obviously have the required software and we don't. Since I can't get to your image I can't check the header info.
WebSiteGuru is using a JPEG format and I can view that one. Try saving your avatar as a PNG file.
justG
on Apr 09, 2007
I can see dustybunny's avatar with no problem. I haven't got any plugins installed, except for the presumed defaults like Flash/Shockwave. I use OmniWeb, which makes sense after what mik said, since both it and Safari use WebKit.
Mozilla browsers report that "The image 'http://www.iconbuffet.com/avatars/78551_large.jpeg?1176100188' cannot be displayed, because it contains errors."
dustybunny, iqon's suggestion is a good one: try saving it as PNG instead of JPG. Maybe you're saving it as a progressive JPG or something that's not playing nicely.
angelamaria on Apr 09, 2007
I have no real input to the discussion other than not being able to see db's avatar. :D
stacye on Apr 10, 2007
I guess this is a new thing now.. but you can no longer upload JPG images. It says there was a problem, but doesn't specify..
tamashii on Apr 10, 2007
At the small size of 48x48, a GIF is more than adequate for the format.
Also, unless your image is a photograph (one bigger than 48x48 pixels, at that), you shouldn’t really be saving it as a JPG. The biggest reason, I believe, is that the file size is smaller as a GIF by the very nature of GIF vs JPG.
richmond on Apr 19, 2007
Grusella's moving avatar is really cool - it makes my eyes go funny and my stomach churn: way to go!
grilix on Apr 25, 2007
thanksssssssss !!!!
mik on Apr 27, 2007
updated to quote iconmaster on resizing
iqon on May 01, 2007
I don't see the Double dot Avatar Bug listed here.
mik on May 01, 2007
Thanks iqon, updated & linked.
mik on May 01, 2007
If your .jpg doesn't work, try .png.
Xpresso on May 01, 2007
My jpg wasn't working so I tried a png and it worked fine.
mik on May 16, 2007
updated to add info and reorganize
conny2007 on May 21, 2007
Additional info in my box ... I wonder if my avatar is visible to everyone since I can read here some see/some don't.
mik on May 22, 2007
updated - double dot invisible avatars associated with JPGs, fixed by using PNG or GIF
@conny2007: Once the avatar is fixed it appears with all past comments so what you're seeing now is the avatars currently in place.
It's good to see that so many blanks are now filled in!
conny2007 on May 22, 2007
Glad I could be of help, anyway ;o)
mik on May 25, 2007
updated - upload errors with GIFs
nefetiti on May 30, 2007
i upload my avatar already! cool!
nathie on Jun 01, 2007
@cry187
I like your suicidal bunny can you send one?
prophetessjanet on Jun 19, 2007
thanx for the info...took me a minute to get mine to work. had to go to site to have them put to correct size...looks fine now...blessings
dawmail333 on Sep 20, 2007
PNG's rule. Try Paint.Net to convert images. It works best. It's also free. Also resizes images well.
mik on Sep 25, 2007
update: added note that changing a file's extension does not change the file format.
Should I add a section of links to free online image tools? Please post your specific suggestions in the comments.
iqon on Sep 25, 2007
You can convert and/or resize an image at FixPicture.org
It's so simple, select your picture file, choose some process to apply, click on OK, and you'll be able to save the picture on your computer.
Support all popular picture file formats (jpeg, tiff, png, gif, bmp, tga, ...) and camera RAW formats (crw, nef, raf, cr2, dng, ...). More than 400 formats supported.
You can convert online at PictureResize.org
Here you can convert most commonly used graphic image formats - BMP, JPG, PNG, GIF or ICO.
tamashii on Oct 09, 2007
heehee…
daveamun on Oct 09, 2007
Ok, that is SO kewl, Tamashii!
mik on Mar 24, 2008
Overdue update to reflect that animated avatars work again.
(But just because you can doesn't mean you should!)
sloan on Mar 24, 2008
true that...
elnitido52 on Mar 24, 2008
The most beautiful red shoes I've ever seen around...wow!