Avatar dimensions update

[Rich Z]

When I set up the KingSnakes.com forum site, I set up the avatars there to be much larger than I had originally allowed for this site. This site was limited to 50x50 pixels. KingSnakes.com was set up for 160x160 pixels. To be honest, the 50x50 pixels are just too small to see any real detail in them. So I decided to bump up the dimensions on this site to also allow the 160x160 avatars here. The file size is still limited to 20K bytes, so bear that in mind.

[dovetailthis]

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Thanks Rich.

Aaron

[CornCrazy]

Rich...is it possible to use a larger file if the avatar is not hosted on your server?

[Rich Z]

Sorry, but you can imagine how it would get carried away if I allowed unlimited sizes. Even though the image is hosted on another server, people reading pages with that avatar on it would still have to wait for it to be downloaded to their browser.

I will be watching it closely, even with what I am allowing now to make sure it doesn't become a real problem for those people still using dialup connections.

Matter of fact, after seeing that animated graphic you just put up, I would have to say that I find it way too distracting. Imagine a page where you have ALL of those images jumping around like that. Which reminds me, I need to get rid of those animated banners I have here as well.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.......

[Edmund]

I'm not too Photoshop-literate, so how do you keep the size the same but have the picture larger? My avatar is still as small as before at 20K.

Thanks!

[CornCrazy]

Well, I guess I'll just post a single picture, then, since the animated one is distracting. Thanks for the input!

[CornCrazy]

Originally posted by Edmund
I'm not too Photoshop-literate, so how do you keep the size the same but have the picture larger? My avatar is still as small as before at 20K.

Thanks!

You have to enlarge the picture using the "Image Size" option. That may mean that you have to decrease the resolution of your picture, though. I think my "single picture" avatar is only around 9 KB.

[Edmund]

Got it! I think just lowering the quality did it.

Thanks

[Simon]

I really like this idea of having the avatar being bigger. I always thought that the images were small (but at least it was great for loading) but right now with the bigger avatar, things are much more clear and better~~

I like it very much~~

I will change mine soon~~

[Taceas]

Heh, I was wondering what happened all of a sudden with the larger avatars. It just seemed like overnight an explosion of them around. =P

Speaking from the point of view of someone cursed with dialup, I haven't had any problems from the larger avatars at all. They load up pretty fast for me on every reload. That and having Earthlink Accelerator which stores stuff I view everyday helps too. ;)

Whats really bogged me down is the banners that move. They take quite a while for me to load.

I really like the larger avatars. I can actually "see" what the picture is supposed to be, rather than guessing "what the hell is that?".

:cheers: to you Rich!

[Rich Z]

Well, I'll make a deal with everyone. If everyone will refrain from animated avatars, I will removed those animated banner ads.

Deal?