To “Av” or to “Av” not

by

Admin

What a fickle lot we are.

WordPress allows for the use of avatars on peoples’ replies to posts. The default is for them to be enabled and, clearly, when Fifteensquared was set up (or when avatars first appeared in WordPress) the decision was taken to disable them. I wasn’t involved in any decision making. I decided to enable avatars on this site, something I’ve been meaning to do for ages and I was going to prepare this post earlier but site access problems, understandably, took priority.

Chambers describes avatar (amongst other things) as:
A movable image used to represent someone in cyberspace (computing)

Whereas Merriam-Webster goes with:
an electronic image (as in a video game) that represents and may be manipulated by a computer user

Any reference to Hindu gods is, therefore, irrelevant in this context.

Avatars are used in many on-line forums (fora) and are, for some, an integral part of their on-line presence. For me it’s easier to scroll forward looking for my avatar, rather than looking for my userid.

Below, I have addressed some of your concerns and, as always, comments are welcome.

Avatars take up too much space

Compare the following screenshots:
They look the same size to me.

Avatars rely on Gravatar and it’s not safe

It appears to be true that there was a data breach at Gravatar but what did they take? Simply a list of email addresses. Clearly those email addresses can be used by spammers but how does that affect Fifteensquared users? Your email addresses are not published on this site.

as far as I can see, Gravatar does not use passwords

The only real security concern is that your password may be compromised and if you use the same password on more than one site, then you are simply inviting trouble.

Only registered users on Fifteensquared use passwords and they are most definitely encouraged to have unique, secure passwords.

The default avatars are dreadful

Couldn’t agree more. While I was setting this up and while the “objections” were flooding in, I experimented with several different options, which are as follows:

Passwords and security concerns

This is a little off-topic but well worth taking appropriate action.

Password hacking is a lucrative business for some and it’s up to us as users to make things as difficult as we possibly can. One recommendation that all experts agree on is that you should never use the same password for more than one site. Furthermore, simply adding different numbers, for example: monkey01 (for banking), monkey02 (for Tesco), monkey03 (for Amazon), etc. is extremely insecure.

Most experts agree that the best way to stay safe on-line is to use a password manager. There are several available on-line. My personal preference is Bitwarden: https://bitwarden.com but there are many available.

Now, the only password I know is my Bitwarden password. All my other passwords are “random” strings such as: raCcEnNdbEF!3fcctQsgZBET3PEb6WsV5dT#79hYcWhV, which I have no chance of remembering.

You can check the likelihood of your password being hacked on several sites, including: https://www.passwordmonster.com.

For example:

n01w1llGu355th1s (no-one will guess this):

Generated password (from above:

113 comments on “To “Av” or to “Av” not”

  1. Hmm. You know I am a big appreciator of the work you do to support the site, Ken, (and thanks for the additional advice which is always worth having repeated) but I really don’t find your arguments in favour of avatars particularly compelling. Indeed, other than you finding it easier to spot an image rather than your username when scrolling, I’m not sure I am actually seeing an argument in favour.

    I reiterate my comment from earlier in this discussion: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Pages on the site have always looked elegant, the comments have been clear, the posters’ monikers have always been clear and, on the odd occasion I have needed to scroll through looking for a particular name, it has not been difficult. And the convention of referring to post numbers in comments facilitates the process. I certainly cannot imagine myself scrolling through looking for a particular picture – I can remember a poster’s name – and some of them have become real characters inside my head – but I am not going to remember a tiny image.

    The fact that avatars appear on other sites does not seem to me to be a strong argument for them appearing on this one. I’d far rather go back to where we were a few days ago. But if your mind is made up then at least leave it on an opt-in basis so those of us who have no interest in images don’t have to get involved.

  3. I agree totally with MrPostMark . I cannot imagine any reason for having these or when I would ever want to look for my own post .
    Other sites have them , more fool them , what is wrong with being a bit different ?
    As for passwords , if any of the four things I visit need a password I will simply stop .

  4. Roz, I think we all know that you represent a small minority in the modern on-line world. Thus, with greatest respect, your views on all things internet don’t really count for much.

  5. The comments under the Guardian puzzles have used avatars for a long time and have never bothered me. In fact they are rather useful when looking to see what a particular commentator has had to say.
    I’ve just set up this avatar so it’s unique to me on 225 and nowhere else (I may change it, but that’s easy to do).
    Then again I don’t post every day so I defer to those that do.
    Why not give them a trial period and see how it goes?

  8. KenMac perhaps the views of one goat are as valid as a whole flock of sheep , the goat has not been brainwashed , but you are right that my views do not count along with everyone else . It is your decision , you do all the work so that is fair enough and I will accept it but I will complain .

  9. When I first started blogging Geoff allowed us bloggers to have avatars and this is probably what folks are seeing. The site started having terrible performance issues and cost problems and as part of that the avatars were turned off and it certainly seemed to help. Perhaps these days it’s less of an issue

  10. Reading through the comments on site feedback, it looks like the vast majority have said they don’t want avatars. Despite that, you’re going to persist with them? Nice to know we’re being listened to.

  11. If you want to look to see if anyone has replied to a comment of yours then an avatar won’t help. And similarly I use the “find in page” facility in Chrome if I want to look for a particular commenter.

  12. The posts may not have changed size but the avatars being more than two lines deep gives the impression of a size that is out of scale with the rest of the site graphics.
    From reading the posts here and on Site Feedback, the practical objections answered above seem trivial in comparison with the main complaint, which is that people don’t like them.
    I don’t like them here, though I don’t mind them on sites where they have always been present. Why not? Apart from the distracting clutter, I think it is because the visual prompt interferes with my mental pictures of site users which have been constructed over years. That is an unwelcome imposition. It’s like being forced to picture Keira Knightley when you’re reading Pride and Prejudice, when any fool should know Lizzie Bennett looks like Jennifer Ehle.

  13. Why are we “a fickle lot?” I don’t recall ever being asked whether I would like an avatar (though admittedly I haven’t been around as long as some people), so I haven’t suddenly changed my mind. I dislike the idea of having to set it up on an external site which may have security issues and may decide to use it to identify me on other message boards. I do use an avatar picture on the Guardian site, but that is their in-house system: avatars are unavoidable so I might as well have a picture. I will not be doing so here via gravatar, if avatars are imposed on us.

  14. Allan C and Widdersbel expressed similar comments on the Site Feedback thread, so I’m just testing…

  15. Anyone who uses timesforthetimes and/or bigdave, which carry blogs for other crosswords will be used to seeing commenters’ avatars.

    Here’s the the deal:
    Persuade them to stop using avatars and I will back down gracefully.

    Over to you, naysayers

  18. Me @ 14
    ….using two different Gravatar accounts, but without needing two email addresses. Most email providers allow you use “+something” within an email address to create a unique address for a specific purpose. So if your email address was…
    this @ madeupdomain . com
    You could create a specific Gravatar account using, say
    this+that @ madeupdomain . com
    …and use the latter as your posting email address (ticking “remember me”), to only use a specific avatar here. You don’t need to specifically create the “this+that” email address, and any emails sent to it would end up in your usual “this” inbox. (If you want to know if your email provider allows this, just send yourself an email to your version of this+that @ madeupdomain . com
    and see if it turns up in your inbox.)

    I know most people won’t find this relevant, but it’s one option for a specific use case. Hopefully someone might find it useful.

  22. Speaking as the leader of another crossword blog site, I would say that I don’t think avatars fit your style. At TftT, we allow up to 10 levels of comment replies, with indentation, and the avatar make it easy to follow the conversation. Since 15SQD does not have this, your commenters have to use @ for replies, and you have to scroll back and find the original comment. Knowing the avatar of the replier doesn’t help with this – what is the avatar of the original poster?

  23. @22

    I ran a poll a while back and nested comments were rejected hands down. Maybe I should change that too.

  24. Well, while it’s optional, one could simply count the number of posters who use and who don’t use avatars, and then decide which are the majority.

    I personally don’t, and never have seen any need for them.

    Seeing them, or the anonymous outline doesn’t offend me on the other hand.

  25. I don’t post much, but I don’t like the avatars.

    I am used to seeing them on another site as they’ve always been there, and the comment about it being easy to pick out a picture is one I agree with BUT if you get used to the picture being the way you recognise the person, then when someone changes their avatar you no longer recognise who it is. amhik.

  26. Given that there can be no compelling case for having avatars, why do you wish to impose them on us in the face of considerable opposition from users of this site, some of whom have been contributing here since its inception? This looks very much like leading by diktat.

  27. I quite like the avatars as an expression giving more flesh to the personalities that we have come to know through their comments. I don’t really mind one way or another, but i would like to see the same method of signalling approval/ disapproval/ manic laughter/ shock/ sadness that one has in What’s app or FB. I often feel the need to agree or disagree or just comment on a post and i think it gives a valuable feedback on questions like the current discussion about avatars.
    This may provoke a flood of angry responses, in which case apologies in advance
    👍

  28. I agree totally with PostMark @1. Why is it so difficult to scroll through to find a particular post when the usernames are clearly highlighted in blue? Most of us are fortunate not to be dyslexic or we would probably find crosswords a step too far. We don’t need silly pictures to help us.

    It is clear that most users don’t want avatars on the site and they seem to be serving to create two warring classes of contributors.

    Either they go, or I go. Empty gesture perhaps, but I don’t like to be steamrollered.

  30. Don’t see the need for avatars. Don’t think they add anything useful. Not much fussed if you add them – but I won’t have one.

  31. I really hope you can be persuaded to think again Ken. I echo the comments of PM@1 and others.

  32. What is your investment is in avatars, Ken. You say it makes one’s own comments easier to spot – arguably – but honestly, how often do you revisit a discussion thread in order to pick out and review your own contributions? This is not the Philip Pullman universe in which we all have spirit animals, and I really do not need a spirit avatar. And as for Panthes @27 looking for a closer alignment with the commenting facilities on FB and What’s App, well, Heaven forfend …

  33. Gervase @ 28 I have said this to PDM elsewhere , there is no need to leave over this . I think I can safely claim that I am more IT averse than anybody on this site and I will soon learn to ignore them .

  34. Personally, I am finding it hard to understand the number of objections to the avatars. The ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ notion would be a vote against any changes. I’ve always gone with ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t break it’. The avatars use very little space and it’s not like you are paying for the space. Just like some of the blogs use pictures as an enhancement, the avatars add a bit of colour to an otherwise drab display.
    I decided to use a picture of my 2 kittens, which didn’t display very well, so I updated it to just one of them. I’m sure many posters, more than likely the majority, will never use one and that’s fine. The new default is fine by me (hated the original).

  35. Ken, I have no strong feelings about avatars either way.

    However, I’m puzzled as to why an avatar is appearing next to my name when I have never so much as visited Gravatar. That doesn’t feel right to me. My fifteensquared account is not linked to any other accounts I use as far as I know. It does feel like an invasion of privacy.

    Maybe there is an innocuous explanation.

  37. Mev – yes, that’s probably it, although my fifteensquared account is entirely separate to any other WordPress accounts I use so it shouldn’t connect them in this way. It’s a bit irritating.

    I suppose it’s possible I signed up to Gravatar a long time ago and had forgotten about it.

  38. It is supposed to connect them – that is the whole idea of Gravatar. Once it has your details, it will use them for any WordPress site you are on – even years later on what you thought was an unconnected site. I’m not going to be signing up to Gravatar if it remains optional – which I hope it does.

  40. I don’t see the need for them and I dislike them, if it’s honest opinions you’re after. You’re within your rights to insist they be introduced but in that case it isn’t clear why you’re canvassing opinions about them in the first place.

  42. I’m not clear how I opt out of having my email address (weakly hashed) sent to Gravatar’s servers every time anyone views this or one of my previous posts (going back years).
    I don’t see a checkbox on this form for that.

  44. Irrelevant comment, but Hall & Woodhouse’s Badger Best Bitter, from the brewery in Blandford Forum, Dorset as an avatar? Interesting choice.

  46. I’m sorry, Ken, but I don’t like your attitude. This will be my last post for the time being. And regarding your remark @29 that there is no need to announce my departure, to break correspondence suddenly, without warning or explanation, is tantamount to ‘ghosting’, which is considered very bad mannered.

    Arrivederci all

  47. Ken, you’ve been doing a great thing in keeping us all going, enjoying our passion for cryptics.
    Are you ok? There is an edge in your posts. I hope that you are enveloped with love, from us as well.

  48. I can read so don’t see any benefit in having avatars, and I have neither the time nor the interest to read through a discussion of the costs/risks (or lack thereof).

    I am very appreciative of the hard work of others and will not lose sleep over whatever they decide, but if you’re asking for comments, you have mine.

  49. I’m very surprised that the introduction of a space where users can, if they want, put a picture, has caused so much animosity. No one is forcing anyone to use this space. And yet people are leaving the site because of it.

    Very sad.

  50. @47

    I’m OK. I just think that (some of) the people who use this site forget that I am human too.

    I merely introduced a feature that is prevalent on many websites and the backlash has been extraordinary vitriolic.

    I don’t care whether any individual chooses not to contribute any more – why should I?

    Perhaps my comment, which was intended to be a touch ironic, was a little misguided but at the same time, I was being accused of steam-rollering and at no point have I even hinted that avatars will become compulsory. Why (and how) would I?

  51. KenMac I am sure you are a bit miffed when you introduce something and get such a negative reaction . I know nothing about the security issue but imagine this has caused you a lot of hassle as well . You do seem a bit frazzled and for once it is not my fault , try and have a little break if you can , let someome else hold the fort for a bit , sit in the sun and do Azed , always works for me . This picture thing will soon blow over , I have already learned to tune it out .

  52. Thanks for all your work on keeping this great site going, Ken.

    For anyone wanting to show their appreciation, don’t forget you can make a donation here:

    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/kenmac

    (This site is also linked to elsewhere on this page if you want to check its authenticity.)

    @kenmac As I’ve already said, I’m fine with optional avatars and I think the way you have them displaying now is also fine and unobtrusive.

    My one concern, which others have also raised is the privacy issues behind the use of Gravatar. Anyone who posts on fifteensquared now has an id that uniquely identifies their email address shared with Gravatar, and Gravatar can use this to track their usage across other sites and can presumably also sell this for use for in advertising. No user of fifteensquared can opt out of this whether they choose to have an avatar or not. This is a subtle but significant change to the way fifteensquared handles user data and it isn’t mentioned in the privacy policy.

  53. I think this site is brilliant. I’m in awe of the admin team and the bloggers and all the hard work they do. It’s improved my understanding of crosswords enormously (my ability to complete the beggars remains my own problem). It’s also taught me a host of interesting facts and introduced me to a crowd of clever individuals from all over the world. I know them all only by their online monikers – but even on days when I haven’t enjoyed the crossword and don’t feel like posting I still glance through the comments to glean the views of Roz, mrpenney, Dr Whats On, sheffield hatter, PostMark, Valentine, AlanC, muffin, Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer….
    With regard to avatars, I’m with PostMark @1.
    This is a site that, axiomatically, focusses on language. Its users are erudite and articulate – and many of their site-names reflect this. In this context, avatars strike me as superfluous.
    They are also, however, supremely irrelevant.
    Since the matter remains optional, I shall decline.

  54. Max @52 – it’s not actually a change in how fifteensquared handles your personal data, only in how your posts appear on the site. WordPress stores the email address associated with your post whether you have an avatar or not.

    I’ve looked into the Gravatar account settings and it is possible to switch off sharing your avatar and profile with other sites.

  55. It looks like more and more users are adding avatars so maybe we should wait and see what the take up is like? As with many things online it can be easy to mistake a noisy minority for a majority

    Gervase I hope you’ll reconsider – I always enjoy your contributions

    Cheers

  56. I have no strong feelings on this either way. I was the one who proposed the nested comments change a while ago, but it was roundly objected to and that’s fine. However I don’t see that enabling avatars is to anyone’s disadvantage if they refer not to have one.

    Turning to the question of passwords: I worked for years in computer security, both as a teacher and administrator, so I applaud the call to use a password manager (PM). As a Bitwarden user myself, I also recommend not using the PM that comes with your browser. They aren’t insecure per se, but they are very restrictive. I use more than one browser and sometimes need quick access to security credentials or other sensitive data when not actually browsing. Using a browser extension for your PM is of course another matter. Apologies if this is off-topic.

  58. The Icemaiden Thaweth!

    **humour/irony/satire alert:
    it’s meant to be a play on The Iceman Cometh and a nod to some peoples’ perception of Roz as an “Iron Lady.”

    No offence intended

  60. kenmac@59: Thanks. I hadn’t actually appreciated that Gravatar and WordPress are part of the same company, Automattic. Their privacy policy is here: https://automattic.com/privacy/

    Having skimmed through the above policies, I see no immediate cause for concern, but I’m certainly no expert.

  61. Thanks for your hard work Ken, I very much value fifteensquared as a newer and almost daily user (of less than three years). It brings me (and many) much education and enjoyment. In my view, I think any changes that don’t impair the functionality of the free site are entirely up to you as the admin. I don’t have an avatar and don’t plan to as I value my privacy and prefer to limit what the internet knows about me, but it’s of no matter to me regarding anyone else, and tbh it’s quite intriguing seeing what people have chosen to represent themselves.

  62. I’m completely neutral to the avatars Ken. I’ve no great interest in using one but have no problem with them being enabled (unless of course they cause a security issue). Thanks for your work running this site.

  63. 15SQ is a wonderful site, I love everything about it.
    It has taken me on a trip, from being a numpty solver, to being a semi-numpty solver.
    I am fascinated by the many regular “personalities” who contribute….setters, bloggers, and posters, alike.
    If they choose to use an Avatar, I personally think it adds a bit to the fun. To (mis)quote Admin, from a previous “heated exchange”: nobody is being forced to do it.
    Ken – it’s a thumbs up from me.

  65. I completely agree with Sheffield Hatter @49. I can’t see why there are all these objections to avatars when they aren’t compulsory. I won’t use one, though.

  68. KenMac@58 , you are worse than my parents , they are very “sixties” still and always say I am too intense and argumentative and stubborn , none of which is remotely true . To show this I have changed my mind on the silly little picture things , I have scouted a few blogs and it is clear that they are an evolutionary marker . I eagerly await the first football team badge and my money is on Boeotia FC .

  70. Roz @68: I shall be invoicing you for the physiotherapist’s bill, having just fallen off my chair. Not due to the, frankly incomprehensible, suggestion on the part of your parents who clearly do not know you at all. Or even due to your willingness to change your mind and accept the avatars. But you ‘scouted out a few blogs’ … ??? I think I need to sit back down 😉

  71. Any Chrome users who passionately dislike the avatars might want to have a look at the Stylebot extension

    This allows you to override the styling of any HTML element so you can hide the avatars if that’s what floats your boat. Just set the image.avatar layout to hidden
    You can also use this to hide ads on the Guardian site 🙂

  72. MrPostMark , I only meant the last few days Guardian and FT , “they” have appeared retrospectively . Also belated thanks for the PI puzzle reminder , I should get it tomorrow .

  74. I have no problems with the visual appearance of avatars, just some worries about possible privacy and security issues with Gravatar – so I will not be signing up with them for a WordPress account. This doesn’t mean that I don’t love this site and appreciate all the hard work that Ken puts in to look after it.

  78. Visit https://gravatar.com.

    Click “Login” (top-right)

    Enter your email address and click “Continue”

    Enter authentication code, which will arrive in your email inbox

    Now, choose “Avatars” on the left-hand-side (you can pretty much ignore everything else) and upload your picture(s)

    Pick your desired picture and you’re good to go.

  79. I have to say I (marginally) prefer the look and feel without avatars but their presence is not going to stop me from enjoying this site and all the excellent posters on it. I also appreciate that the site is run by voluntary effort and it’s kenmac’s to do with as he pleases. You can’t please everyone all of the time, and would go mad trying. Nevertheless, this remains one of the nicest corners of the internet for me.

    I will say, though, that this tempest in a cannikin of cha has reminded everyone of just how much work goes into running a site like this, keeping it secure and not requiring anything of us. Perhaps we need to stop and consider that a little more often, rather than taking it for granted?

  80. I am thankful for Ken’s efforts (in general), in agreement with PM and intrigued by anything Roz says.

    I think the arguments against avatars outweigh those for, but it never crossed my mind that it’s an issue worth leaving over. Everyone, please stay!

    I could be persuaded they are beneficial if they enabled some useful function otherwise unavailable.

  81. I’m happy now the ”big blue blob” (Gravatar avatar) has gone. I found it too bright a contrast against the text, and thought I was going to have to leave due to my poor eyesight. Wasn’t aware at the time that that was just one of the things that Ken was testing.

    Ken, you must have been burning the midnight oil doing all of this. Hope you’ve managed to have a bit of a breather.

    And I love the St Patrick’s Day green. My Dad was a Patrick, of Irish origins. The anniversary of his death is close too. Thank you.

  83. Oh, Tim C @82. I was holding back a complaint about the date and time stamp not being very legible, not wanting to get into another debate and realising (now) it might be temporary . It’s the orange and the green?!

    While I’m here, I’m a bit OCD about blue. Have no clothing that colour, or pens, or anything else.

  84. Ken, I see there’s a lot more orange on the main page. Did I read somewhere that you are Irish or living there now.?
    Sláinte!

  85. @84

    I’m Scottish, born in Edinburgh but with an “army brat”, mongrel accent. I have no Irish roots but I’ve lived in Donegal for more than 20 years.

    Today’s site colours are indeed in honour of the man who drove away the snakes and are (or at least should be) the exact colours as the official Irish flag. 🇮🇪

  87. @86

    🤣

    I hadn’t seen it that way but now I can’t “unsee” it. It’s meant to be head and shoulders. White head on grey background

  88. Kenmac@78: Once things are settled. I suggest adding how to set up an avatar to the FAQ page.

    Not a complaint, but I would have thought the process you describe is creating a wordpress account. Do they make any distinction between WordPress and Gravatar accounts given it’s the same company? Don’t worry too much about answering this – it’s not a concern.

  89. Im not very good at seeing colours but it all looks very peculiar today. It’s supposed to be for StP’s day, is it? How childish.
    Avatars. Despite the definitions given by the Boss, I’m still not quite clear what they are. As long as we aren’t forced to have one, all well and good. Otherwise largely support what Roz and Paddymelon and Gervase have said.
    You’ll be pleased to know that I have been taking lessons from the world-acclaimed Trump School of Diplomacy. So you can either agree with me or sod off.

  90. Oh, just an addition to me @ 89.
    If I have to have a picture, can it please be a GOANNA. Go-Anna, geddit geddit … ?

  91. Oh and while I’m in moaning mood, why do we have to have the St P D ‘colour’ foisted upon us? What about St Andrew? What about St David? St George? I can’t remember the site honouring them in any way. (Although I admit I’m going barmy, so I may have just forgotten).

  96. James@12 makes an interesting point in his post’s latter half that concurs with my view and, on its own, seems a stronger argument against than the solitary justification for.
    Vinyl1@22 says it all in their very first sentence
    Comment @29 is unnecessarily discourteous
    I am very concerned by the point made by Max @52 which makes me wonder whether I should think twice about my security before ever commenting again!
    I can’t praise Kenmac’s generosity and expertise too highly but can’t for the life of me understand why he would wish to disrespect the views of so many of our worthy number….

  98. Anna @91 …and St Andrew! So unmarked was/is it in this parish that the blogger of the Prize puzzle that appeared last St A’s day was perplexed by what appeared to be a random scattering of seemingly motiveless Scottish references. I took him to task in comment #1.

  102. Perhaps St. Patrick can serve for all four nations. Glamorgan, Cumbria and Kilpatrick, Scotland are all posited as possible places of birth for him. His ministry was in Ireland, but not his birth.

  103. One final thought on the changes we’re seeing, where “final” means last – until the next one comes along.

    We get themes in the puzzles on an ongoing basis, thanks to our ingenious setters. Some of our intrepid bloggers like to use colour-coding, whether in the grid or explanations or both, and I think we can all agree that effort is very helpful. If 225 is celebrating the day visually on the same day we have a colour-coded blog, it might be a terrible messy confusion. Just something to think about.

  104. Anna@91: I took it that kenmac had decided to start playing with colour themes now. He can hardly go back retrospectively and make amends for St David’s day or St Andrews day last year so perhaps best to hold off complaining until we’re past Shakespeare’s birthday at least.

    Fair point Dr. WhatsOn @103 – for people with visual processing difficulties this could get messy.

  105. I am very glad that the English seem to virtually ignore St George’s Day despite the efforts of the Daily Heil , even the supermarkets have stopped trying to sell us tat .

  108. Snakes are druids, if you don’t already know. Vandalistic Paddy came along uninvited to Tara and buggered up the ceremony intended to install the new king, and all that lovely pagan culture went down the tumulus in one fell swoop. Shame on you (no pun intended).

    The old Mogh Ruith had but one job — what a pity he didn’t feel like a bit of a warm-up.

  110. @71

    This may not be what people want to use as they will also lose the commenter’s name. But – that’s up to them.

  112. I have no problem with avatars. But I have never understood how using a password manager is better than having just one password. Once my login pw is known, surely all pws are accessible.

  113. Interesting take, but I think avatars actually do add a useful visual layer to the conversation. It’s not just about aesthetics—avatars can make it easier to track threads and build a sense of identity and community, especially in longer discussions. Sure, names matter, but small images can reinforce recognition quicker than text sometimes. Maybe the key is giving users real control—opt-in, as you said, or customizable visibility settings.

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