Show us your avatars!

[Dan Szwarc]

This forum has the ability to do avatars, or small pics beneath one's username.

Other forums use them. I was thinking of offering them on this site with SEVERE restrictions.

One is size (80x80 pixels), two is type.
I may consider allowing them if the avatars consist exclusively of Lincolns, either those one desires or those that one owns.

No other type of avatar would be allowed. I will not allow remote linking and will delete any avatar that does not meet the above criteria.

What do you think?

[jsanford]

Why limit the avatars when we can put a higher resolution picture of anything we like in our signature? Seems a little crazy that you would let us put a picture of a car we do not even own as our avatar, but not a picture of our own face.

Jeremy

[Dan Szwarc]

Why limit the avatars when we can put a higher resolution picture of anything we like in our signature? Seems a little crazy that you would let us put a picture of a car we do not even own as our avatar, but not a picture of our own face.

Jeremy

Because very soon I will be issuing rules about the size of the picture in your signature. And some people will have to seriously cut back.

Plus, I can more easily control the avatars used whereas I cannot do so with pics in sigs.

The reason is to prevent abuse and excessiveness.

[mbhoag]

Is there a current Abuse and excessiveness problem?

While there is a place for moderators to monitor inappropriate content, limiting our choice of what to post or use for an avatar sounds a bit like censorship....

but maybe that is acceptable here since this is a 'Lincoln' forum..

[SN3]

While there is a place for moderators to monitor inappropriate content, limiting our choice of what to post or use for an avatar sounds a bit like censorship....

It is bad for dial up users when people have huge avatars and signature images.

[Dan Szwarc]

Having rules is not censorship. Believe me, some forums out there in the net look like crap because there are no rules regarding signature sizes or the size of inline pictures, etc.

And it is murder on the dial-up users.

Right now, I am only polling. I may or may not implement them. And what the Admin giveth, he can also taketh away!

[SN3]

Right now, I am only polling. I may or may not implement them. And what the Admin giveth, he can also taketh away!

Thank you Dan for creating this forum. Dan has put hours into the forum; he should choose what do do.

[mbhoag]

I was not questioning whether there should be rules or restrictions on sizes, my only question was on the mentioned 'severe content restriction' alowing only Lincolns

Dan has put hours into the forum; he should choose what do do.

I appreciate the countless hours that Dan has put into this forum. He has maintained and updated this forum for years for the beneft of all of us auto enthusiest.

That being said this is called 'the lincoln forum' which to me sounds like a place for people that enjoy cars, especially Lincolns. Isnt this forum funded by all of us who belong to LCOC as well as those of us who sent in extra $$$ to upgrade it? My thought is that restricting the type of car I might use in an avatar feels like censorship. I would love to have a 1935 Auburn, but if these restrictions are put in place I couldn't use it in my avatar.

If the forum is to be strictly content controlled by any one person, then it becomes not a group forum but a private forum. I have visited other forums, owned by 1 person. They are subject to the whims of the owner and that is fine, because it is made clear that is not a public forum but a private forum.

[jsanford]

As a webmaster myself I am very conscious of the dial-up users, that is why there is no picture in my signature, just links to lots of pictures. When I do post a picture in a reply it is to help the original poster, and it conforms to the old size rule (which is missing from the new FAQs). It dos not seem that the rules regarding large or frivioulous posting of pictures in threads is being enforced.

Avatars are so small, and of such low quality that a picture of your car will be hard to see any detail. I think avatars were designed to be a head shot, like your diver license picture. This makes the most sense since it gives a face to go along with the post, makes this whole thing a little more human.

Jeremy

[DB]

I think avatar size should be limited. Some people's pictures are 3x as big as there posts. I don't have a problem with load-time but it's a pain to scroll through pages of oversized pictures.
As for content, I think people should be able to use any picture they want, as long as it's not offensive. If the issue of “what’s offensive or not” comes up, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

[Dan Szwarc]

Allow me to elaborate.

The forum is supported by its visitors. I thank all who have donated.

Other than SN3, I have had no outside help in running the forum. Some have offered and I haven't consulted them. Being miles apart doesn't make it any easier.

As far as regulating use, there are those here who have seen how I run this place. I am not a dictator. I think I have done a fair and balanced job.

I pose the avatar question in a democratic fashion. I want to get the members votes on this. Ultimately, everything is a compromise.
Some may wish only Lincolns, others their own faces or pets.

I think this forum is one of the more dignified and civilized forums on the net because the ages of our members is a little higher than those of, say, a Honda forum, or PT Cruiser forum.

Obviously, if I don't want to implement it, it probably isn't gonna happen. If we can build the forum into a team of leaders and programmers, then it becomes a team effort.

And Mark, I could easily make an exception for long-time visitors like yourself, but you know I would rather see your Lincoln than an Auburn.

[Barry Wolk]

I personally am getting a little tired of people like Bob Hubbard and Barry Wolk who constantly insert large pictures of their cars in their replys to posts that have nothing to do with their cars.

Jeremy

Gee Jeremy,

Sorry I upset you. Please point out where I've used pictures of my car that didn't pertain to the post. What's your problem?

In fact, any picture grabbed from anywhere on the web will post at the size it was on the host web site.

[Bob Hubbard]

Jeremy, I had no idea that you or anyone else on this board was "getting tired" of seeing pictures of our cars posted with our messages.
I think I detect a bit of jealousy here.
Perhaps you don't care as much for your vehicles and feel as proud of them as Barry and I do.
I am sorry you feel so irritated at having to look at such fine specimens of the Lincoln/ Continental heritage.
To keep peace in the family, I will refrain from posting any more pictures .
As for Barry, that is strictly up to him.

[Dan Szwarc]

Don't take offense, guys.

Bob I was going to check and verify that your pic was within the limits and inform you if it wasn't (was it?).

Barry, you use lots of inline pics and the forum is better for it.

We all have to get along here.

[DavidB]

Prior contributions to thelincolnforum.net have been removed by the author.