Avatar (mis)use

[Patient Zero]

So what's the rule on using someone else's avatar?

i was going to "steal" someone's avatar, temporarily, to be a wise guy.

i decided against it though, felt it may be walking an unwritten, fine line.

[Ashotep]

Well if you took mine and used it on here I would be miffed about it. If you used it on another site it wouldn't bother me.

[acute]

With over 122 thousand members, I bet there are hundreds of duplicated avatars on UM alone.

[+and-then]

Np prob for me! The MORE Beagle Pups, the better

[Oxo1]

If you steal this one I will be watching you closely.

[scorpiosonic]

Not a good idea...usually something a stalker would do.

[Whisperer]

I got my eye on you *squints*

[Space Commander Travis]

I've seen some duplicated avatars, I don't think that copyright applies unless of course someone's made their own avatar themselves.

[spartan max2]

Mine is only an apple so go ahead

[acute]

I've seen some duplicated avatars, I don't think that copyright applies unless of course someone's made their own avatar themselves.

Exactly!

Most people 'borrow' their avatar off the internet, so it's a bit rich to start claiming ownership!

[seaturtlehorsesnake]

i have seen someone copy another person's avatar in a negative way on a different forum. but the circumstances were that they started a new account with a name almost identical to the other person (used a lower case l instead of a capital i, or something similar), and were posting nasty things under that name in order to try to get the other guy in trouble. that's obviously not your intent, so i don't think it's nescessarily a bad thing here.

[+OverSword]

Some newb used mine once, I said something to the effect of "Die die die die ide" and then they changed it.

[Still Waters]

We have seen members use the same avatar, but it doesn't happen often and is frowned upon if done with the intention to mock the other member. In fact we have a rule which covers that .

With so many members it's not surprising if a few duplicate pics are floating around. I don't see the point of using a duplicate myself and it wouldn't feel right to me to do that.

The drawback of duplicates is it can also cause confusion. Sometimes the avatars can draw more attention on the forums than the member's username and it's not unusual to recognise a member by their avatar first. Overall it's not a good idea to use an avatar when you know another member is using the same one.

[Q-C]

I'm a visual person so I go by avatars to identify posters rarely focusing on user names. Although it is hard to completely ignore their name. For posters I'm familiar with, when skimming posts or threads, I get an immediate sense who the poster is just by their avatar pic. Name unnecessary. I'm not recalling at the moment any examples of avatars shared by those who post regularly in UM forums I usually read.

(So, when someone I'm familiar with changes their avatar I get all cornfuuuzed...even more than usual)

I can't bring myself to change mine. For me, that's QC. Any other would be someone else. But I've had the same hairstyle for most of my life too, so, go figure.

Ooops! I see I sort of repeated Still Waters. I was composing as she posted. Always, loved the yellow seahorse, btw. They are such delicate and unusual creatures.

Edited October 11, 2014 by QuiteContrary

[Patient Zero]

Thank you all for your feedback.

[+Noteverythingisaconspiracy]

If anybody uses my avatar, Grandpa Simpson is comming after you with incoherent stories about how much better everything was in "the good old days".

Don't say I didn't warn you !

[Ashotep]

If its the avatar of a member that never posts anymore no one would probably know. I would never use the avatar of someone that is active. Like others have said that is how I recognize people.

If someone does use your avatar before I got upset I would let them know they are using it and see if they would change it voluntarily. It could be a honest mistake.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Ashotep