Paul, I understand and appreciate the reasoning. However, I simply think that it is a very intrusive way of publicizing something. I would much prefer a one-time screen upon accessing FT when there is a new community event/promotion that I could acknowledge and then not see again.

However those ( the majority ? ) who have NO interest in silly games being played by one forum are being intrusively having this pushed on them. If someone has chosen not to want to see images , I feel that their settings should be honoured

That those involved in it apparantly like it seems irrelevent

This is someones private christmas game and nothing to do with FT itself

Also, if such things are going to be foisted on members , there should be imo a proper procedure for it and not just based on who someone knows

....... is specific , iirc, to a particular browser and not ( afaik ) a general tool that works on all browsers

I totally disagree, Flyertalk Santa has been a tradition on Flyertalk for over a decade. It has everything to do with Flyertalk and building community.

I am sorry that you find it so offensive, but just having the icon has gotten out to several people and they have joined the event for the first time in the past week.

Do you also hate the "I voted" icon or the "Company Representative" or "Moderator" that occurs under member names? Or how about Announcements that appear on every page?

There are ways to "ad-block" what you do not want to see.

I think the avatar is a cute idea. Secret Santa is an FT traditi:cool:n. It's a part of the community. Does it really matter who runs it? It's not like there are dozens of these things all over the site. I see no problem with it.

How on earth is a tiny icon up for a couple of weeks "intrusive"?!

It doesn't matter that some people want to play secret santa and it may have taken place in the past.

In the past these stupid images were not being forced upon others to have to see despite having explictly requested not to see then

What matters is that those who don't like it are being forced to see such crap and that this is being done in a way that conflicts with users' settings

Actually I do dislike those icons for "I voted" but is irrelevent

Compamy Representative / Moderator is text , not an image so is very different. If it was just text, then wouldn't have raised the issue

Name
Moderator: <forum/fora>

There shouldn't be a need to use a 3rd party tool to avoid seeing images/avatars when this is something where there is a facility to disable

To me, regardless of whether a small cabal thought it was a good idea, there is a technical issue in that the forum is failing to honour the user settings

It also in my mind sets a bad precedent in that , if one stupid game gets an icon, then there will be more requests for such things. If no proper approval process was there for this change to happen, then why did it?

It's neither very civil nor accurate to use the word "cabal" nor to assign responsibility to one person for what has indeed been a FlyerTalk annual event and community wide opportunity to participate in FT community building. It is OBVIOUSLY supported by FlyerTalk, or IB would not have added a community event participation icon (such as the Santa or I voted icons).

You can choose, and apparently have chosen, not to participate. Goodonya. You have registered your opposition here, it has been noted and is under consideration by Admin. Any more and it will certainly feel to me dead equines are being flogged mercilessly and unnecessarily.

(I, for one, find it hard to believe anyone who is regularly on FT reads every profile block, is incensed by one measly icon many feel proud of - while apparently managing to get by without being affected by the many advertisements that pay for the platform that gives us this free forum BBS.)

Back to the topic: I haven't seen the "Faces of FT" icon for anyone in a while. Was a decision made to delete them?

Possibly the I Voted icon is interfering with them at the moment...