Avatar Questions

[rjfvillarosa]

Is there a way that when somebody signs up as a member of the forum, before they can proceed to the boards and post messages they must read and agree to the forum rules. I know they can just scroll to the bottom and click agree, but what if you had a precís of each rule and a check box with all boxes having to be checked before agreeing.
Yet again another new member is aking the "avatar" question and yet again another member is being chastised for being a tad abrupt.

[Stryker]

Great idea!
I think people should know up front that this isn't one of their little chatty forums where than can waste people's time and mess around (which is why I enjoy it here so much). People should be aware that this forum is purely about helping and inquiring and the people here are serious about helping out.

Not only that, but as rjfvillarosa said, there are a few questions that come up constantly and should be made a little more prominent.

Thanks,
Stryker

[Kov-Ice]

You know that someone in a hurry to join would just check each box in order as quickly as possible. The only way to have a chance of eliminating that question from being asked is to make it a test question that must be answered correctly before joining.

Welcome to PCMech! Now as the final step to joining our forums, you must answer this question correctly. Can you have a private avatar before your 1024th post? Check Yes or No. If you answer correctly, you will be emailed a password to enter the forums. If incorrect, your computer will explode.

As a teacher, I know from experience that even then people will continue asking!

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by Kov-Ice ...even then people will continue asking!

Unfortunately, you are right Kov-Ice. There really isn't a way around it, but it could be a little more obvious. Does anyone know the JavaScript code to make a big hand fly out of the monitor and slap someone?

[rjfvillarosa]

I totally agree with you KOV, but anything to stop the avatar question. New members are on the point of getting flamed by current members fed up with the question and current members are almost getting their wrists slapped for being abrupt with their replies. I really don't understand why people feel that a custom avatar is so important, it's just a little picture for goodness sake.

[glc]

There are two sticky threads in the General Discussion forum - one is "A love note to newcomers" and the other is "Proper posting etiquette" - folks might want to read them. I've just addressed the avatar issue in one of them.

[Kov-Ice]

Or we could all use THIS as an avatar...

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by Kov-Ice Or we could all use THIS as an avatar...

I LOVE IT!!!

[WhatsThisBoxFor?]

I have a idea (thanks to Kov-Ice), why not add the "Cutom Avatar? 1024 Posts Needed" picture to the stock avatars. This means that everytime someone who tries to add a custom avatar, yet does not know the 1024 post rule, they see the picture, and should know.

[Kov-Ice]

I hereby relinquish all rights to my artwork. PCMech may use it at their discretion.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by WhatsThisBoxFor? I have a idea (thanks to Kov-Ice), why not add the "Cutom Avatar? 1024 Posts Needed" picture to the stock avatars. This means that everytime someone who tries to add a custom avatar, yet does not know the 1024 post rule, they see the picture, and should know.

Hey WTBF,
I think you just figured out "what that box is for"!
This is a great idea, because I'm sure that most people are intelligent enough to go to their profile to see if they can upload a custom avatar. When they get there and see that image, they will know they can't do it.

Great idea,
Stryker

[GIR_!]

UHHH, howabouts this, is there anyway to either sticky a thread that answers the avatar question, or another option is to just plain disable the avatar option. I myself am new here and am having some time finding out how to manipulate the controls, but I'll get there, sooner or later...

[Kov-Ice]

Welcome to PCMech! It won't take long to get used to the navigation of the site. Pretty much everything you need for your personal account is under the User CP link on the bar at the top of each forum or thread.

It's up to one of the moderators as to how the question is to be handled (if any further at all). As glc stated, it's been addressed in one of the stickied threads in the General Discussion forum already. I thought I read somewhere that the stock avatars were currently being looked at in order to possibly add a few more choices. I'm all for adding the 1024 one there!

[cuog]

I got a kinda cool idea for the avatars which would be that starting out you get the 2 basic ones then as your post count gets higher you get more preset ones and then finally at the big.....drumroll please......1024 you can get your own custom avatar

just a thought but it could be pretty cool

[Punked Out Comp]

Its great that the avatar question is in a stickied thread. But people tend not to read a sticky. However if the title of the sticky was "why you dont have a custom avatar" or something to that effect, then people with that question would be more likely to click on it because they know that it will answer thier question.

[glc]

People don't even read stickys when the title answers their question exactly. Case in point is the sticky in the Drives and Storage forum (another peeve - it's "Drives", not "Drivers", folks) addressing why your drive doesn't show full capacity, we still have many new threads asking the exact question (My new 200gb drive is only showing 186gb, why am I being ripped off.....yada yada.....). The polite and preferred way to answer the question is a simple link to the existing thread without chewing out the poster for not reading or searching first. Same goes in the Security forum - people post HijackThis logs without reading the VERY PROMINENT sticky thread first - and ALL security forums that I know of have specific rules and guidelines when it comes to posting HJT logs, it's not just us.