Fewer custom avatars on Xenforo.com?

[The Sandman]

Is it my imagination or are there fewer custom avatars (as evidenced by more and more of the default single letter avatars) on XenForo.com since they moved the site to XF 2?

I suppose it's not surprising - people register and are immediately given a serviceable, somewhat special avatar so why bother uploading a custom one.

 

[Deleted member 105855]

Is it my imagination or are there fewer custom avatars (as evidenced by more and more of the default single letter avatars) on XenForo.com since they moved the site to XF 2?

I suppose it's not surprising - people register and are immediately given a serviceable, somewhat special avatar so why bother uploading a custom one.

The same is true for Invision Power Services' support forum https://invisioncommunity.com/forums/

 

[Deleted member 105855]

I suspect we will see the same once it is fully implemented on WoltLab as well. https://community.woltlab.com/threa...iger-hintergrundfarbe-statt-standard-avatare/ Is it one of the features I am looking forward too in 3.1 of their framework

dtdesign

 

[The Sandman]

I think I'd classify this as an unintended consequence of what seemed like a good idea. I think it's fine for things like comments on news sites or blog sites for example but not so much for forum communities, where avatars are (to me at least) an important part of the community feel.

The letter avatars are better than default avatars but not near as desirable as custom ones.

I'll be looking for an add-on that gives encouragement to members to upload custom avatars rather than stick with the lettered ones, and/or adds features to make each "default avatar" more unique.

 

[Deleted member 105855]

I think I'd classify this as an unintended consequence of what seemed like a good idea. I think it's fine for things like comments on news sites or blog sites for example but not so much for forum communities, where avatars are (to me at least) an important part of the community feel.

The letter avatars are better than default avatars but not near as desirable as custom ones.

I'll be looking for an add-on that gives encouragement to members to upload custom avatars rather than stick with the lettered ones, and/or adds features to make each "default avatar" more unique.

On my community, I noticed a small jump in forum interaction once we adopted this system. I believe it is because it provides a more personal and unique feeling to the member, especially if they by chance are using their real name. For this reason, it has become desirable, at least to each individual who is using it as the default.

 

[The Sandman]

On my community, I noticed a small jump in forum interaction once we adopted this system. I believe it is because it provides a more personal and unique feeling to the member, especially if they by chance are using their real name. For this reason, it has become desirable, at least to each individual who is using it as the default.

So... you're a fan then?

 

[MarkFL]

I much prefer when users upload a custom avatar. But, that requires a dozen or so seconds of effort, and is likely above and beyond what we can expect from a significant portion of users now.

 

[Deleted member 105855]

So... you're a fan then?

Spoiler

I see what you did there.

I am a fan of the new avatar system in general, yes. Thankfully both IPB and WoltLab have seen the value in this new system and have implemented it.

 

[The Sandman]

I installed an add-on that was supposed to simulate the XF2 system for default avatars. It didn't work correctly and showed everyone with the letter avatars (in that case all the same color but with 2 letter avatars). It was awful. So my fear is that at first, the letter avatars will be okay but as they increase in use on a forum they'll reach a point where they aren't okay anymore.

 

[dtdesign]

The letter avatars are better than default avatars but not near as desirable as custom ones.

True, but isn't this the point of having a choice? Not everyone uploads a custom avatar, for whatever reason, and giving them a somewhat meaningful avatar is a decent move.

It also increases the usability for others by assigning distinguishable avatars for those, who chose not to upload a custom one. Nothing is worse than having a long thread with pretty much all participants showing a default avatar, at least for me, who more often than not just uses the avatars to draw the connection between posts.

It doesn't mean that anybody plans to strip away custom avatars, instead it is all about providing sane defaults for everyone. The current development version supports the "Initials"-, "Gravatar"- (multiple types) and the "one image fits all"-avatar as default value, selectable by the site administrator.

 

[The Sandman]

True, but isn't this the point of having a choice? Not everyone uploads a custom avatar, for whatever reason, and giving them a somewhat meaningful avatar is a decent move.

It also increases the usability for others by assigning distinguishable avatars for those, who chose not to upload a custom one. Nothing is worse than having a long thread with pretty much all participants showing a default avatar, at least for me, who more often than not just uses the avatars to draw the connection between posts.

It doesn't mean that anybody plans to strip away custom avatars, instead it is all about providing sane defaults for everyone. The current development version supports the "Initials"-, "Gravatar"- (multiple types) and the "one image fits all"-avatar as default value, selectable by the site administrator.

Yes, I understand this is the intention, and it sounds good in theory. But what I think we're seeing is that without the plain, same for everyone default avatars acting as a motivating factor for people to upload a custom avatar, people are just keeping the letter avatars. And it this trend continues I think it will have a negative impact on forums.

It's too early to tell net effect of this - we might end up with forums where most members have the letter avatars or at some point people may decide they don't like all those letters and move back to uploading custom avatars.

If members stick with the default letter avatars perhaps the best thing to do would be to increase the uniqueness of the default avatars with 2 or 3 letters, background patterns, other symbols, colors, etc. - perhaps even a default avatar customizer that each member can use to chose their own letters, symbols, backgrounds, and/or colors.

 

[Kevin]

Guess I'm in the minority of folks who use Robohash for a bit of fun.

 

[R0binHood]

Exactly, I just have a picture of Tracy Perry as the default for all new users. Doesn't take long for new members to find something else to put there

 

[R0binHood]

Quit posting selfies Tracy, we get it, you look cool in sunglasses!

 

[haqzore]

I think you're looking at it the wrong way.

My personal opinion is that the new defaults have very little impact on the "urge" members have to set an avatar.

I also think the new defaults improve the look of communities.

So I sort of hear this as saying "lets keep a worse look for the community overall in the hope a few more people set an avatar"...

I love the way IPC 4.x has the built-in profile completion walk through functionality. We should create other positive forms of encouragement like that, not make things look worse as a method of encouragement.

 

[R0binHood]

I love the way IPC 4.x has the built-in profile completion walk through functionality

This was made for XF1 by a dev years ago, it was a bit buggy though and then he went off the radar.

So many good add ons have come on and gone or just never been maintained. Such obvious features and yet nothing like it yet in the core for years.

 

[haqzore]

This was made for XF1 by a dev years ago, it was a bit buggy though and then he went off the radar.

So many good add ons have come on and gone or just never been maintained. Such obvious features and yet nothing like it yet in the core for years.

It's been a mod for a few platforms for a long time now.

Not to derail the thread, but it's so nice having so many features built-in to the software (IPS 4.x) and not having to rely on mods.

 

[R0binHood]

https://xenforo.com/community/threads/profile-completion-steps-paid-deleted.33653/

2012 - over 5 years ago now it was released. Seems like a pretty important feature to put in the core to encourage users to submit accurate info, customise their profile, get involved and start using the forum. Kind of goes hand in hand with the whole onboarding issue of getting new users to figure how to use the website as a whole I guess too. Showing off different features of the site, completing your profile, uploading an avatar, creating a thread, sending a private message, populate some custom user field relevant to that forum, upload a profile cover photo (not even possible in the core), update your status etc.

 

[Paul M]

The letter avatars are better than default avatars but not near as desirable as custom ones.

I'll be looking for an add-on that gives encouragement to members to upload custom avatars rather than stick with the lettered ones, and/or adds features to make each "default avatar" more unique.

I much prefer the use of custom avatars.
Like (probably) many people I tend to quickly identify posts from the posters avatar - more than the actual name of the poster.
I think lots of similar looking avatars (i.e. just colour and a letter or two ) would start to become quite confusing (at least to me).

 

[haqzore]

I much prefer the use of custom avatars.
Like (probably) many people I tend to quickly identify posts from the posters avatar - more than the actual name of the poster.
I think lots of similar looking avatars (i.e. just colour and a letter or two ) would start to become quite confusing (at least to me).

I'd assume everyone prefers custom avatars.

And these "new style" of default avatars are less similar than the old. But maybe that's part of the issue some here (not me) have. They aren't similar enough to be as easily distinguished?