Why doesn't my custom Avatar work?

[sneezles]

I think I followed the rules and chose a custom Avatar that was within the guidelines (it's only 32X32, and max is 50X50) but it showed up as a red X in a white box? I have seen others with custom ones (gabbyh and her little Aussie one), any ideas? I tried to do the "save the image/picture as" and the url, neither worked.

[kwormann]

Last I checked, there was a problem with the custom ones...at least those who were trying after yesterday morning.....

[KValley]

mine seems to be working fine, but I have no magic words of wisdom!! I'm just glad you are back, avatar or no :)

[sneezles]

Thank you very much!
But if you figure something out, let me know!

[kwormann]

I know SUe had one, but when she tried to change yesterday, it wasnt working anymore....Julie, dont get rid of yours unless you're really sure!;)

[KValley]

Kim,
I think I'm going to keep my little guy around for awhile- it makes me smile to see that bouncy thing clapping away with such glee and abandon :D

But I've also lost my signature- it was working off and on today. What's the deal? :(

[kwormann]

Mine has disappeared too......

[funnybone]

I wanted to put a custom on in, but it can't be off your hard drive. It can be from a website though. Did you try putting one in from your hard drive? I've seen a lot of 'x's", so there are a few who can't put their own in as well.

[Maelynn Cheung]

http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/announcement.php?s=&forumid=15

A custom avatar will only work if it's on a web server somewhere and you link to it directly from the web site with a web address. We haven't enabled the ability to upload from your computer yet.

Thanks! :)

[Laura B]

Maelynn, many of us are having problems with custom avatars even though we ARE linking to another webpage, not trying to link to our hard drives. For instance, the url for my avatar is http://www.geocities.com/laurahboyd/blackcat.gif . Typing that address into IE works fine - the picture shows up on the screen. However, I cannot get it to show up as an avatar. Help!


OK. Something is wierd here. Following the link to my picture doesn't work. However, pasting the URL into the address line of Internet Explorer does work. Could Geocities have some block on linking to their server?? If so, who has managed to link successfully to their own webpage and what server do you use??

[Maelynn Cheung]

Originally posted by Laura B
Maelynn, many of us are having problems with custom avatars even though we ARE linking to another webpage, not trying to link to our hard drives. For instance, the url for my avatar is http://www.geocities.com/laurahboyd/blackcat.gif . Typing that address into IE works fine - the picture shows up on the screen. However, I cannot get it to show up as an avatar. Help!


OK. Something is wierd here. Following the link to my picture doesn't work. However, pasting the URL into the address line of Internet Explorer does work. Could Geocities have some block on linking to their server??

I'm looking into this. Thanks for being specific. That will help me diagnose...:)

[Laura B]

Well, I went to the geocities help page, and it turns out that linking to images or files stored on your own webpage is not allowed. So, that is my problem. Now, I just need to find out where I can store my image that will allow linking to it. Maelynn, do you know of sites that allow this?

Would it be impossible to allow each member who wants an avatar to store ONE image somewhere on CL? I'm not sure of the logistics of that kind of thing. Might be impossible. Just a thought.

[Maelynn Cheung]

Originally posted by Laura B
Would it be impossible to allow each member who wants an avatar to store ONE image somewhere on CL? I'm not sure of the logistics of that kind of thing. Might be impossible. Just a thought.

Actually, that's kind of what we do. Once you link to your graphic, it's automatically uploaded to our server so we aren't constantly hitting other site's web servers. I think I may have a solution but I'll need to wait until tomorrow at work to make sure it will work. I'll let you know.

[Laura B]

Great! Thanks, Maelynn. Meanwhile, I am looking into a temporary site to put a few graphics.

[Mamasue]

Maelynn,

I guess I am lost because I have been trying to upload a graphic within the size rules at my website which is free from Homestead. The url does have Homestead within and it still doesn't work. :(

[Laura B]

Mamasue, Homestead might not allow linking directly to files. I discovered that Geocities doesn't allow it, and that is why I was having so much trouble.

[RobinC]

I tried a custom Avatar from by linking to an image on the web server that is run out of my home. Yup, my DB and I have a server in our house. I can link to any thing I wish. I was trying to use the following image
http://www.pjrc.com/jta/dancingsmile.gif


This happy lil guy is at http://www.pjrc.com/jta/dancingsmile.gif

[Maelynn Cheung]

If you would like to send the url to your graphic to me in a personal message, I'll post it on my personal site temporarily until we get this worked out and I'll send you the url to use to link to it.

[Maelynn Cheung]

Originally posted by Laura B
Mamasue, Homestead might not allow linking directly to files. I discovered that Geocities doesn't allow it, and that is why I was having so much trouble.

Laura- you can use this as the url to your graphic for now...

http://www.maelynncheung.com/images/blackcat.gif

[Laura B]

Oh my goodness! That is very sweet of you, Maelynn. Unfortunately, that didn't work either. Now I REALLY don't understand what the problem could be! :confused:

[Maelynn Cheung]

OK. I've done some testing, and as you can tell from my "X" avatar - this is something I'll have to do more digging on tomorrow. I removed my avatar and then put the exact url in that I used before frommy website and it's not working. I'll let you know what I come up with.

Maelynn

[cjm]

sneezles - so good to see you are back!

With all the talk about Avatars I NEED one too! Am I understanding right that there will be more to choose from shortly-other than the ones shown under user cp?

[cjm]

just wanted to test & see if I have an Avatar???

NOTHING-guess someone will have to give me a tip as to what a URL is/how to get one-sorry to be so ****.

[catharine]

Let's see if this works. Below should be the avatar I am trying to use. I typed it in but I still have an 'X' Thanks, Maelynn.

http://www.mpz.co.uk/cwm/otn/happy/yltype.gif

[Jewel]

Well let's see if my custom one works here... I wanted to be this guy!

www.contraband.ent.com/pez/otn/other/popworm.gif