User Icon changes

[wide_worlds_joy]

Title:
User Icon changes

Area:
Styles

Summary:
Paid feature where the user can change the person icon next to their username.

Description:
Recently LJ implemented the ability to change the little icon next to a username site-wide. I'd like to see the same here, but with a few improvements.

First, free to paid accounts. It might just prompt people to buy a paid account.

Second, the image has to be hosted on another site, so it is not clogging up the servers of DW. Or an icon slot can be "sacrificed" to host it here.

Third, only small icons, 17x17 will be allowed.

This will be just a little thing to give some more color to DW. May pull some of LJ's customers over as well.

In execution it will look like this:

<a href='http://daven.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='http://www.rosequoll.com/lj/bdragon.gif' alt='userinfo' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align:bottom;border:0;'></a><a href='http://daven.dreamwidth.org'><b>daven</b></a>

I got this from a lady who had this on LJ, and I think it's a cool idea.

Poll #5991 User Icon changes

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 85

View Respondents

This suggestion:

View Answers

Should be implemented as-is.
11 (12.9%)

Should be implemented with changes. (please comment)
13 (15.3%)

Shouldn't be implemented.
47 (55.3%)

(I have no opinion)
14 (16.5%)

(Other: please comment)
0 (0.0%)

Comments

[melannen]

I have to admit, my initial reaction to this is "OMG NO" because seeing one on LJ always makes my heart die a little - but then I remember that's because the implementation at LJ had some pretty horrible stuff going, including ethnic stereotypes.

So, uh, it might be cool to have a personalizable userhead? I would vote for something like an avatar-maker that let you pick from standard options (skin color, shirt color, hair, hats, glasses) than a standard set, or letting people upload their own, though.

Also, you probably already know this, but it is possible to set custom userheads in your own style by getting creative with styles. (I don't know how, but I see people do it. And, honestly, hate it, because the custom ones usually don't look at all like userheads - if this happened, I would want them to be at least as similar to standard-model userheads as the lj ones.)

[matgb]

So, uh, it might be cool to have a personalizable userhead? I would vote for something like an avatar-maker that let you pick from standard options (skin color, shirt color, hair, hats, glasses)

Oh, I like that idea. You're right that the LJ ones were problematic, especially the initial set, but if they were all custom built per person using a generator then that problem goes away (assuming the options are wide enough).

So yeah, changing my vote to 'with changes' and this is my change.

it is possible to set custom userheads in your own style by getting creative with styles. (I don't know how, but I see people do it

One of the most popular archive posts on my journal tells people how if they're interested.

And, honestly, hate it, because the custom ones usually don't look at all like userheads

I got most of mine from other sources, and all were designed, by various people, for use on LJ, so they are at least little heads &c. I do get why people dislike them, but I do like them and, well, my journal. I do have a link in the footer of each post to a plain layout with no personalisations for people, and there's always style mine/light/site.

[fyreharper]

Something like the avatar-maker (instead of upload-your-own) would also help prevent the problem of people using custom icons that make them look like staff/etc.