WANTED – What say You ?

[Alan SHARP]

Uniquely TalkingScot, avatar graphics, to add to the now ho-hum universal smilies.

Now that’s a new year challenge worthy of a Scot, with artistic talent and flare, to turn a few fine graphic lines, into a less giving more avatar ! Keeping alive tradition that rolled out of the highlands, and spread around the globe, of men and women being original and innovative, not afraid of a challenge, taking and making the future with their hands.

I’m sure poster’s have searched in vane amongst the smilies to find a HOLMES or BURNS to graphically express their delight, at the speed and depth of some detective work volunteered on their behalf, or their pleasure and delight at being able to read a posting on Hearthside.

If the idea was to take off, we the contributing members may even be able to convince the already hard working admin team, to annually award a selected few Honorary TalkingScot Order of BURNS; of HOLMES; or whatever, special avatars, to whomever they consider has volunteered the best posting, in that field, to their forum in the year past. Encouraging and rewarding those who’s contributions are deemed, to add real value to the forum. (This is not a personal plug, because my ramblings would never qualify.)

In my opinion there is nothing wrong with a canny Scott using a generic forum format, but your TS festive occasions avatars, give us members a hint of what might be possible, to both uniquely personalize the graphics on the site, and also bestow official acknowledgement on the contributions of merit.

What say ye all ?

Here’s to 2011,

Alan SHARP.

PS Ye can possibly tell that it's approaching mid-day January 1st 2011 here in NZ and I'm home alone. Promised myself I'd do a few hours chipping Scotch thistles, while I await my daughter's return from spending 10 hours making sure FONTERRA meets it's markets, but instead have amused myself at the computer. Thanks for the company.

[Currie]

I don’t mind avatars, even home made ones, as long as they are small and don’t move, or even twinkle. I don’t mind signatures either, the bit at the bottom, as long as they are plain text and blend into the background. To my mind there’s nothing worse than someone’s idea of cuteness, in huge garish text, or whatever, in constant motion, being displayed over and over all the way down the page. That’s something suitable perhaps for a Disney Forum but not for a serious genealogy one. In other words I don’t like graphics for the sake of graphics, especially cute ones.

It’s a bit like those flash advertisements that try to attract attention by being in constant motion. They don’t trouble me because I use Firefox and block them all using a plugin. Firefox plugins can do the same sort of job on forum graphics as well.

As to being given grades based on number of postings, such as Marquisette or whatever, that doesn’t particularly appeal to me as it gives no indication of quality of posting. You’ll see plenty of Forums here and there where people have posted huge numbers in a relatively short time but their average number of words per posting would be minute.

As to people being awarded some sort of title for quality of posting or whatever, that also doesn’t really appeal to me, not unless I can be a Generalissimo. I don’t think there would be too many volunteers to be on the committee that had to make that sort of choice, and, of course, in all fairness, there would have to be a process of appeal.

Smilies I don’t use, but I don’t mind them as they’re not much of a distraction.

All the best,
Alan

[Ina]

I totally agree with you Alan.

Ina

[speleobat2]

Hi all,

Here's my two cents worth:

1. I visit this site for information and help with my research.
2. I visit this site to help others with their research because I enjoy the researching.

I like to occasionally use a smiley, but that's my limit. Engaging in artistic endeavors to create or find an avatar--not going to happen here! My online time and energy are going to be spent on--well--research.

Carol

[Hugo]

I like the idea of a Holmes and a Burns avatar. Good thinking Alan.

However, not so keen about the awards, on practical grounds although I like the idea.

[Montrose Budie]

I like the idea of a Holmes and a Burns avatar. Good thinking Alan.

However, not so keen about the awards, on practical grounds although I like the idea.

I just can't see the point of such awards, since, how do you distinguish between a simple piece of info, easily obtained from the point of view of the [expert] poster, but absolutely invaluable to the original poster; and an answer based on extensive research ?

mb

[Montrose Budie]

.....snipped........

I like to occasionally use a smiley, but that's my limit. Engaging in artistic endeavors to create or find an avatar--not going to happen here! My online time and energy are going to be spent on--well--research.

Carol

Fully agreed !

mb