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Hi everyone,
Thus far, avatars on the board have been disabled. I always thought I'd leave them disabled until someone asked if we could have them switched on, or at least asked why they were off.
I was recently asked if avatars could be enabled. Here's my thoughts:
They were disabled because I was always a bit worried that, on a forum of this sensitive nature, avatars could be used to place pictures up that may not be suitable. If unsuitable pictures are placed in a post, I usually see them pretty quickly and can take them down fast. I receive a copy of all posts in my email so I check what's been posted regularly anyway (this is why spam never lasts very long on here!). Avatars, on the other hand, appear against all posts ever made by that user, from the moment they upload them, and I receive no notification that they have been changed. Thus, keeping tabs on avatars is a much more difficult job than keeping tabs on posts.
I was mainly worried that someone with malicious intent could deliberately post some seemingly good replies which would not attract my watchful eye, but also upload some image that is likely to cause adverse reactions in some posters, e.g. depictions of rape in progress or even some simple symbols that carry strong significance.
Maybe I'm just being paranoid, maybe I have a point - I don't really know. This is why I'm asking you for your thoughts.
On the flip side, avatars do provide an extra bit of individuality, especially on a forum such as this where people post under anonymous usernames and disguise their identity. It may make some people feel more welcome, and more a part of the community - it may at least make them feel happier about joining in to see their little picture up and those of some of their friends. It also makes searching for replies by certain users a lot easier to spot.
Thus: Over to you: Am I being paranoid? Should I feel very silly, wonder what I was worried about, switch them on and find a load of fun library avatars for general usage?
Or am I right to be worried, and they should stay disabled?
Please let me know what you think and/or vote in the poll.
PS, for those who haven't got a clue what an avatar is:
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_(computing)
An avatar site: http://www.avatarist.com/
Thanks!
Thus far, avatars on the board have been disabled. I always thought I'd leave them disabled until someone asked if we could have them switched on, or at least asked why they were off.
I was recently asked if avatars could be enabled. Here's my thoughts:
They were disabled because I was always a bit worried that, on a forum of this sensitive nature, avatars could be used to place pictures up that may not be suitable. If unsuitable pictures are placed in a post, I usually see them pretty quickly and can take them down fast. I receive a copy of all posts in my email so I check what's been posted regularly anyway (this is why spam never lasts very long on here!). Avatars, on the other hand, appear against all posts ever made by that user, from the moment they upload them, and I receive no notification that they have been changed. Thus, keeping tabs on avatars is a much more difficult job than keeping tabs on posts.
I was mainly worried that someone with malicious intent could deliberately post some seemingly good replies which would not attract my watchful eye, but also upload some image that is likely to cause adverse reactions in some posters, e.g. depictions of rape in progress or even some simple symbols that carry strong significance.
Maybe I'm just being paranoid, maybe I have a point - I don't really know. This is why I'm asking you for your thoughts.
On the flip side, avatars do provide an extra bit of individuality, especially on a forum such as this where people post under anonymous usernames and disguise their identity. It may make some people feel more welcome, and more a part of the community - it may at least make them feel happier about joining in to see their little picture up and those of some of their friends. It also makes searching for replies by certain users a lot easier to spot.
Thus: Over to you: Am I being paranoid? Should I feel very silly, wonder what I was worried about, switch them on and find a load of fun library avatars for general usage?
Or am I right to be worried, and they should stay disabled?
Please let me know what you think and/or vote in the poll.
PS, for those who haven't got a clue what an avatar is:
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_(computing)
An avatar site: http://www.avatarist.com/
Thanks!
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