Introducing Personalized Avatars - POLICY on creation and use

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JHZR2

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BITOG has moved to a new forum software, which has the capability to employ personal avatars. For those who do not know what these are, they are a small, 400x400 pixel square image, which optionally replaces the colored square with your initials. Avatars are used to introduce some personalized flair, and better represent you, the user, on the forum. With the software now fully operational and stable, it is the intention of BITOG management to enable this function to users in good status. We believe this will be a fun capability to make available to everyone, assuming that users can adhere to standards set forth related to the creation and use of avatars.

It is recommended that users refresh themselves on agreed to site terms: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forum-rules/

And to the standards of conduct for the site: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/bitog-standard-of-conduct.319568/

Avatar policy:

- BITOG keeps a “family friendly” site, which is free of religion, sex and politics. Avatars will be held to this same standard, and held to strict scrutiny.

- An avatar shall be at least 400x400 pixels, square, and be a non-animated, still image. The Xenforo software will resize as necessary.

- An avatar will notionally reflect you, the user, and why you’re here. This generally means automotive or other mechanical equipment lubrication and maintenance. Thus avatars may include non-copyrighted images and self-made graphics associated with items including but not limited to the following: cars, trucks, boats, aircraft, and manufacturers and emblems of same; oils, lubricants, and manufacturers and emblems of same; engines, mechanical components, or items similar in nature; personally-taken images that reflect any of the aforementioned elements.

- Other images of a non inflammatory nature, adhering to the existing standards and policies, including non-copyrightted logos of sports teams; Universities; National, State and Local flags displayed in a correct and respectful manner; Military component insignia; personal facial images; personal images of scenery may be used.

- While automotive and oil-associated emblems are permitted, BITOG tries to minimize advertising, and limits the number of site sponsors. Thus other corporate logos and emblems are considered advertising, and will not be permitted.

- In order to ensure that BITOG remains family friendly, free of inflammatory topics, and clear of religion/sex/politics, the following list, including but not limited to the items therein, or elements similar in nature are forbidden from avatars: Anything considered ”Not Safe For Work” (NSFW); anything displaying a graphic intrinsically sexual, religious, or political in nature; political or religious figures or likenesses; likenesses of people not yourself; images of women in bathing suits or other clothing that does not provide full coverage, or is suggestive in nature; images of women or men in compromising positions, including portions thereof (e.g., breast photos); images or symbols of political movements or ideologies; images or symbols of racial movements or ideologies; images or symbols of sexual or sexual orientation movements or ideologies; Avatars that have any sort of coloration or flag overlay indicating support for a country, group, ideology, or other faction; Images of guns, knives or swords, except for those present in an insignia of a Military component or officially recognized jurisdiction’s flag; Images of bullet holes or other indications of shooting; images that display destruction or damage of property or items; Confederate flags; logos associated with activities promoting change or control of the population or advocating legal change; logos associated with political candidates or their campaigns; colored looped ribbons of any type. Avatars which feature representations/interpretations of the US flag must be individually approved by Administrative staff before use. As with all forum content Administrators/Moderators have sole discretion as to what is or isn't acceptable.


The management of this site emphasizes the desire to see creative, personal avatars, which can remain clean and family friendly, and better express the users’ personalities.
 
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Not that I care, and definitely not arguing, but it struck me as odd and others may ask... why non-animated? What if one of us is an avid anime artist? No typical target practice images of a sport shooter's best day? And no breast cancer awareness ribbons?

"...any sort of coloration or flag overlay indicating support for a country" - Isn't that the very definition of the military avatars? If someone has a Canadian military avatar, couldn't that be considered "inflammatory" to a U.S. military member?

I get the general idea and have no issues with it, I just see holes that staff or other members may want patched. Just offering a different perspective. Thanks for all of your hard work!

Edit: Wouldn't OVERKILL's & Reddy's avatars above be considered animated? Just trying to get a better idea of the information presented, not trying to nark.
 
Edit: Wouldn't OVERKILL's & Reddy's avatars above be considered animated? Just trying to get a better idea of the information presented, not trying to nark.

I think they mean animated as like what moving .gif file would do. Not not sure if the avatar function would allow it, but apparently so.
 
Edit: Wouldn't OVERKILL's & Reddy's avatars above be considered animated? Just trying to get a better idea of the information presented, not trying to nark.
Animated as in video - multiple images played in sequence.

banana.gif
 
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Not that I care, and definitely not arguing, but it struck me as odd and others may ask... why non-animated? What if one of us is an avid anime artist? No typical target practice images of a sport shooter's best day? And no breast cancer awareness ribbons?

"...any sort of coloration or flag overlay indicating support for a country" - Isn't that the very definition of the military avatars? If someone has a Canadian military avatar, couldn't that be considered "inflammatory" to a U.S. military member?

I get the general idea and have no issues with it, I just see holes that staff or other members may want patched. Just offering a different perspective. Thanks for all of your hard work!

Edit: Wouldn't OVERKILL's & Reddy's avatars above be considered animated? Just trying to get a better idea of the information presented, not trying to nark.

Animated, as in something moving, or frames changing. Not a picture of an animated item, as QP indicated. This is to avoid hidden or subliminal messages or inappropriate images from being embedded.

I don’t think your attempt to pick apart the policy are useful at this time. A military insignia is a military insignia. Nothing more, nothing less. A military insignia if one country is not inflammatory to another, assuming that we aren’t at war; Canada is an ally. The other elements are restricted to avoid members from pushing agendas or underlying messages that go against the rest of the policy.

The intent is to give an opportunity to use a personal avatar. Not another way to sneak a statement,position, etc. into the forum. The capability to do this can be turned off as easily as it can be turned on, if it is abused. I trust the member base to take the rules seriously.
 
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