Changing Avatar

[Daryl and Daryl]

I've tried changing my avatar about a dozen times. It has only worked correctly once and it took a few days to show the new one.

One time I changed it and it changed, only to revert back to the original avatar a few days later.

The 10 or so other times I went through the same steps and it said the change had been saved. Nothing ever changed however.

Any clues as to what the problem might be?

[Bob Gross]

"Any clues as to what the problem might be?"

I have no idea. I've never had any problem with my avatar. Oh, wait, I don't have an avatar! I don't feel that they accomplish anything constructive.

You might want to look at the nature of the new avatar file that you are trying to use. It might be a format that the BPL server can't recognize, or the size might be weird. There might be embedded attributes in the image file that make it invalid to the server. When you thought you changed it, you might double-check to see if the confirmation is really there like you thought.

If the server thought that it got the new one, and then something odd showed up in the image file that invalidated it, the server might go to one of its day-old backups to retrieve the old valid file.

–B.G.–

[Greg Mihalik]

WAG – Clear your cache.

[Daryl and Daryl]

Bob and Greg,

I cleared my cache and the avatar I wanted now displays.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Daryl and Daryl]

Turns out that things are different depending on how I access BPL.

If I access BPL through the desktop I get the correct avatar.

If I access it from the START page (Windows 8) then I get the old avatar.

I cleared the cache in both.

[Daryl and Daryl]

When I was working I'd ask the following of our computer fixit guy:
"Do you know what's wrong with my computer?"

He would say:
"Do you want to know what's wrong or do you want it fixed?"

Well I fixed the avatar problem but I don't know what was wrong. I restored everything to the original settings and things now work correctly.

[Bean]

"Oh, wait, I don't have an avatar! I don't feel that they accomplish anything constructive."

Are you saying that forcing people to look at my dog is not constructive?

[Daryl and Daryl]

Brandon,

Looking at your dog may not be constructive but it sure is fun. Makes me laugh.

Avatars sometimes also give a hint as to what the poster might be like and makes the post more interesting to read……at least for me. May not for others.

[Travis Leanna]

I think that avatars are postage stamp sized windows into a person's character.

[doug thomas]

You can only get one eye up to a window that small. You don't see much and plus that huge eyeball is kinda creepy if your on the inside

[Daryl and Daryl]

Doug,

I like your comment. Reminds me of the Farside cartoon with a huge eye showing in the car's passenger side mirror with a notation warning that the actual object is much larger than the reflection.

[Daniel Fish]

…

[Daryl and Daryl]

Daniel,

I did a bit of experimenting. Here's what's happened so far.

"1) After updating your profile pic, go back to your forum profile page, then press F5. Your profile pic should now be up to date on your screen. This is how to test that the file upload worked and to make sure that the picture meets the forums technical requirements."

This worked perfectly, just as you described.

"2) Even if you have updated the profile picture correctly, old threads with your previous posts will likely initially display your previous profile picture be default. Press F5 if you see this, and your picture should update."

Yes, old avatar still shows but pressing F5 doesn't change it.

I'll wait a couple of days and see what happens.

Thanks for the ideas.

[Daryl and Daryl]

Daniel,

"3) Other folks reading your posts should see the most current profile picture by default. I'm not sure why it's different when you go to re-read your own old posts. But I think it's different. I know I've gone back and re-read some old threads and noticed… "hey, nice new avatar" and such"

I went back in as my wife. Still see old avatar.

I've heard from others that it usually takes a few days for changes to show (to avatar that is….not to wife) so I'll wait and see.

Thanks again.

[Daniel Fish]

…

[BlackHatGuy]

"For what it's worth, I can't think of a commonly used web age authoring technique that would maintain your old avatars."

I don't think this is a commonly used authoring package…..

I do know that sometimes, for me, the avatar changes nearly right away, sometimes not for a day, and once when I chose a new avatar it first displayed one of my avatars twice removed for a bit before then showing my new one.

[Daryl and Daryl]

Dougass (sp?)

I recall your avatar changing within one of your threads and changing back after I commented on it changing. I was impressed with how good you were at changing avatars.

I said to myself, boy that Doug sure knows how to shake his avatars.

[BlackHatGuy]

"I said to myself, boy that Doug sure knows how to shake his avatars."

It's what I do, my friend, it's what I do….

[Daryl and Daryl]

How's this for confusing?

(1) If I visit this site as me I get the old avatar.

(2) If I visit this site as a guest I get the new avatar.

(3) I think everyone else is looking at the new avatar.

[Daryl and Daryl]

Today f5 updated my avatar if I pressed it while the old avatar was visible in the post. Had to do it for each forum.

[Author]

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