Images / Avatars?
 

I have my settings such that I have requested not to see avatars ( nor signatures nor images ) however I am now seeing a picture for at least one user ( http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/members/redhead.html ) . Given the settings to neither see images nor avatars , could the fact that I am seeing an image where an avatar would be, can this be fixed

I believe occasionally in the past I've had to re-check the box to not see signatures, perhaps something happens behind the scenes that "flips the switch" every now and again.

I verified my settings before starting this thread

Thats the image shown if the member is participating in the FT secret santa. Like the talkboard vote, FTA vote and 'faces of FT', these images don't come via the avatar function and as such cannot be switched off by the user. You could ....... the image though @:-)

I didn't think we had avatars, except for the special IB endorsed avatars?

Thankfully, they are turned off here. But they are visible on the iPhone app, though, unfortunately.

They are just turned 'off' to display beside posts, but show up when you go into the profile.

Can either , these be added as avatars that are already able to be disabled or as images which are able to be disabled ot have an option to disable these awful things too .

If someone has specified that they do not want to see images, then surely images should not be seen

It is easier than having to block people who have these types of images

Like Talkboard elections and Flyertalk awards icons, these are temporary and can't be turned off selectively. They'll be up for a few weeks maximum.

I cannot see why this has an icon at all anyway. If I have to block posters , I will have to just do so, but this particular one is particularly awful and intrusive, but do feel that if the site is going to start using images for people involved in such personal activities ( this is not an official flyertalk acivity but someones own idea of something that they think is good ) that it shouldn't be imposed on others

This is quite different to those actually part of FT imo

What process approves the inclusion of these icons for things like secret "santa"

An informal one. The moderator who has been running the Secret Santa for many years (10) in the FT community requested it. This is the only complaint I've seen yet about the icons, and those participating seem to really like it. If there's a groundswell of opposition we can certainly revisit it; do you feel there's a lot of community sentiment against it?

I know that I am against it , I have not been polling others

If it is directly related to FT , I can understand it, but for anyone's own personal activities , I do not see any justification to forcing everyone to see icons all over the place about it when they have requested not to see such things that they may find annoying especially about things that they may think are puerile in their preferences

I would have hoped that a more appropriate procedure would be in place for approving such things too

Anything like this not directly related to FT should be able to be disabled by those that do not want to see them . If it was able to be disabled, there would be no issue

The current images don't bother me, although I am in favor of otherwise keeping FT avatar free.

+1 I have never, ever understood in an informational forum what possible information value seeing the same "avatar" or the same "signature" on every single post is. Maybe if there were a way to see an "avatar" or a signature the first time you viewed a changed one.... but after that it's just a waste of screen space.

And another +1.

Fortunately the software add-on mentioned by a Senior Moderator upstream took care of this with two clicks.

The 3 or 4 icons we use during limited spans of time all serve the same purpose, which is to publicize a FT event in order to drive participation and awareness among the community.

In this case, you can click on the santa and be taken to the thread where you will find out about the event and be able to participate if you so desire.

Paul