Can avatars be made optional?

Please do not confuse me with JB in Rhinebeck. I came on here to see how you were all doing with solving your problem with the avitars since I too have eye problems and I see all this JB conversation and had no idea what I said wrong. I was getting very upset with the conversation until I realized you were not talking to this JB. I just want you to know it is not me or my thoughts being printed here. JB OF JBS PLANTS FROM NEW JERSEY is an old , one eyed lady whose good eye is beginning to have problems so I can relate to any and all people's eye problems. I do think it would be difficult for people with no problems to understand our problems and how frustrated we get just trying to get through a day. I think it is very sad that this type thing needs to be discussed on the internet and feelings get hurt in doing so. A walk in our shoes for a day would be quite an experience for someone with good eyesight. Hugs to all of you and be kind to each other. JBerger aka JB.

Very sorry for any possible confusion, JBerger. Frustrating is a good description. I doubt anyone wants to even try to walk in the shoes of anyone with an eye problem. Take care.

You too Arlene...today I am a bit cranky because not only is my good eye giving me some allergy problems, but my vertigo that I am also carrying around for years is acting up. The barometric pressure has a lot to do with that.......crazy people, crazy weather. Love it. Have a good day. JB (NJ)

Throwing in my 2 cents.

I was happy pre avatar. Was the avatar feature a much requested add on by the members here or an Admin initiative? It does slow my dial up load time. Would anyone leave the site if avatars were not a feature? Or no longer a feature?

I do find them distracting. At first they were 'cute' but many to me are now annoying and not something I want to see 40 times a thread or even once a day. The only use I have found for them is when I have wanted to scroll thru a long thread to a particular post by "cute pet" avatar or "bright green bug"poster. And I remind myself that avatars can and do change...but that has nothing to do with me or does it mean something is happening with a member of this on line community that I should make note of? So, distracting visually and confusing 'socially' to me. Since 'avatar' I do spend more time on site but that is due to my eyes naturally stopping at each avatar post instead of flowing thru a thread.

I was particularly annoyed to find that pre avatar threads and post all have avatars now, too. I can look at the 'bloom of the day' once, but not on every thread or every forum. I have no choice but to see avatars again and again and again. Yes, at some point I will probably become numb to them but so far, not.

Though an avatar 'stands for that person' there are very few avatars of site users I have come to know and recognize that represent who that person is to me. It's like reading a good book and then going to see the movie of that book and not fully enjoying or getting the movie because of the deviations from the story and characters as they exist in my mind's eye!

I wonder if the entire left side column of ID poster info could be decreased in width /height and font size? Say to the 8 point size or 21/2 inches to 91/2 inch ratio? Something that makes it prominent but less distracting or all the same visually? Maybe in our 'Preferences' we could pick one font size for left column and another font size for right hand?

Also, it would be less distracting to me if all avatar pis were the same size and smaller than our thumbnail pics.. I like the size of Juhur7's avatar pic for instance which is smaller than most. And the date/time info is way out of scale too large relative to other font size there

These changes of uniform avatar size and decrease in date/time font size and decreasing the size of left column would go a long way to minimizing the visual distraction/ busyness in my opinion.

Thanks for listening!

Thanks for posting!

"Cute" does go to annoying/maddening in short order. My memory is good and after 30 or 40 posts I have memorized who is a red rose and who is a bird, etc.

I am here on DG much less frequently though I still enjoy the clematis forum but have deleted many others. Now I probably spend more time with Dmails.

I do appreciate your post, coleup, and hope IB recognizes that not all of us are fans of avatars.

I think DG wants to stay current and when comparing them with the other garden or social networks if they want to keep up with the competition they go with the avatars. I agree they could be smaller but I am not sure that is technically possible. Facebook and ATP, Cubits most of them have avatars, so I am not sure there is a real solution. I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens in the future of all of these sites we enjoy so much.

Doesn't that remind you of the old, "But mom, everybody is doing it". Mom replies, "If everyone were jumping off a bridge would you jump?".

Just because other sites show avatars doesn't mean everyone has to be forced to view them.

This was a feature that was requested by several members over the span of many years. Most sites do have them but this isn't a case of adding them in order to "do what everyone else is doing."

Conversely, refusing to update or change the site in any way is just as misguided as trying to chase the latest fad (and avatars are definitely not a new fad :-).

Throughout our history, we've built a reputation for trying to accommodate as many member requests and needs as much as possible, but like any public venue (virtual or real), we know we can't please all the people all the time, and we ask our members to be wiling to be flexible when compromise is called for.

Thanks for answering my query about how we got avatars. I do appreciate the responsiveness you all Admins show towards us users in big and small ways each and every day. And that we can ask questions and bring up 'problems' openly and without going through lots of levels to do so! Sure helps maintain the friendly feeling here.

Do hope that there is something that can be done to accommodate the very real visual concerns of a portion of our membership. I'm sure the range of options to do this is limited and that you all will do your best.

Hopefully some of us who have posted their concerns here will be able to test some proposals before going site wide to see if any changes actually do make a difference.

Again, thanks for listening.

Judy

As always Judy, your comments are very well stated. By the same token, it was a
poor choice of words on my part. I was just making a statement that it seems to be the way most of the groups are going, not that DG is trying to keep up .....actually I was defending DG ... sorry Terry.

Having said that, I am out of here before my foot goes in my mouth again. Hope it works out for all of you who have a problem.

I certainly hope I never have those problems either! Not agreeing does not necessarily mean a lack of compassion.
I tried something yesterday that I'll throw out there for your consideration:
I just cut a piece of white cardboard (from the cardboard inside a new shirt) to the size needed to cover the left-hand side of the monitor, up to where the avatars end.
Then I "hinged" it at the top with tape.
It hides the avatars perfectly and can easily be flipped up when you need to see the entire page.
I'm betting something more "permanent" could be made using velcro strips for hinges.

JB_in_Rhinebeck - Nice idea but then I'd have no idea of the person who posted and would have to lift up the cardboard (and see the avatars) to respond.

Dave never wanted them.

Just a temporary fix, but could you slightly minimize the size of your browser window, and scroll to the far right, so you see the posts, but not the far left column? You could still scroll back to see who had posted when necessary, but wouldn't have the constant visual distraction of all the avatars while you read the text.

Not the fix you're hoping for, I know, but it could alleviate the visual "mess" as you scroll through a forum.

"Visual mess" is precisely the issue. How would I minimize the size of my browser window? Thanks for the positive idea.

I still think the avatars should be optional. I would rather see photos when someone posts them. Just my 2 cents.

pirl, on the upper right of your screen do you see the icon that lookz like 2 squarez roughly on top of each other? Click that & your browzer will get smaller, and then you can drag the sidez or cornerz to the size you want.

I don't have that feature.

Thank you for trying, summerkid. This is what my screen looks like:

Hmmmmm .... OK, looks as if you're using Chrome? Right-click in the black area next to the "new tab" icon (slanty rectangle to the right of your open tabz) and see what options it gives you. Click on the 'W' below that, see what it does. Also, click on the 3 stacked lines in that area & it will give you display options. Somehow you've dispensed with the "minimize," "restore" and "close program" options that should be the last thingz you see in the upper-right corner. They're standard in every browser. Are you in some sort of modified F11 mode?

That's how I've learned to do everything in different browserz, by clicking & right-clicking on anything conceivable.

Well, it did work! It went full screen when I left clicked the stacked bars. I have no idea if I'm in a modified F11 mode. This new Toshiba touch screen is a major pain for me. Thanks for your help. It's my bedtime now!

You will learn to like the touch screen, trust me. I just got home from 2 weeks at my b'friend's and kept jabbing his poor monitor to no effect. Very relieved to be home where I can use both mice (one for each hand) and all 10 fingerz. Not to mention the ergonomic keyboard with a gazillion dedicated buttonz. (Another good option for zooming, get a good Logitech keyboard with the lever button for that.)

I've had this one since early November and just don't like it.

I also dislike the avatars, especially when a member post a picture of themselves. Why would anyone do that? A person determind to use an avatar could use a photo of something in their garden, a flower. hummingbird, or any other interesting things in their garden. A photo of a pet could be used also. But why a mugshot?

I agree, Rocco!

Resin - a pine cone is a far better choice than many I've seen. I don't have that advantage of using 'Adblock: block image', but wish I did.

I don't really like the avatars either. I would think a programer could create a choice.

I agree, Beth, but I do think the technicians are overloaded with work right now.

Well, then, maybe later. I think techs are always pretty busy.

Ahh! It is by downloading AdBlock that you have this ability! I recommend that you do download AdBlock or AdBlock Plus for many reasons, but this is also a neat feature of it. I have it in Chrome and I love that I don't see ads on any of the sites and on YouTube I do not have to hear those ads either. ☺☺

Great. Thanks, JuneyBug. I'll investigate right away!

I tried to download it twice, thought I had it but still see avatars.

As soon as I left this page and went to my photo program I saw the signs for completing the download and followed all instructions. It told me it was installed but I still see the avatars so I will shut down, restart and report back here.

They're still here.

If you've downloaded it, you can right-click on an avatar and look for "Adblock images"

How I wish it worked for me, Terry, but here are my choices when I right clicked your avatar.

Now this is the third time tonight I can't post a photo! Must be a glitch that a good night of sleep will help. I tried to attach photos on two Dmails and it wouldn't allow it so this is the third time.

My choices are:

Save image as ...

Copy image URL

Copy image

Open image in new tab

Webroot

Inspect element

If you click on Tools in your browser's menu, then click on Ad Block, and Extensions, what are the choices you see? it should read Options, Disable, Remove. If you don't see those choices, you may have not installed it completely.

Thanks for trying to help, Terry. I couldn't accomplish it but my computer guy can expect a call from me. I really do appreciate your help.

Ha, I disabled avatar pics and now NO photos are displaying throughout this entire website.

What are the steps to reverse the disable using Firefox?

Oh, no! I should be happy I couldn't get it to work for me.

Hope you can reverse it.

I still can't post photos and have rebooted three times.