One of the more interesting new additions is the GRAVATAR or “Globally Recognized Avatar”, which is a picture or symbol of the commenter. The first question which pops up is “How the heck do I add a GRAVATAR for myself?”
Well, here is the explanation:
- Simply go to your USER PROFILE here on Rugby-Talk, where you will see a Gravatar Section was added or alternatively go to the Gravatar website at http://www.gravatar.com
- Simply click on Create Your Own Gravatar, fill in the E-Mail Address you used here on Rugby-Talk to register (or your other E-Mail Address – in which case you would also have to add your E-Mail Address here on Rugby-Talk afterwards, for the Gravatar to appear). If your E-Mail Address to register at Rugby-Talk is no longer valid, change your E-Mail Address in your Profile first and Save your Profile settings.
- Follow the prompts on how to add a picture from your computer or some generic symbol. It will take you through the process to crop the image and to add it.
- It will also send you a Mail containing a link where you have to go verify creation of the Gravatar.
- Make sure to add Rugby-Talk’s URL (web address) as one of the web pages where your gravatar will be used. In case you do not know, which is highly unlikely, Rugby-Talk’s URL is: http://www.rugby-talk.com
- Finish off the processes and wham-bam, by magic you will then have your own Gravatar.
The Second question is whether you need to even bother changing or creating a Gravatar for yourself? Well no, you do not HAVE TO, but it is a nice addition to have your own personalised Gravatar, so we encourage you to create one.
If any problems are experienced in creating a GRAVATAR, feel free to contact me at: webmaster@rugby-talk.com.
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Regarding which approach to use for an Avatar / Gravatar… the following:
- Using Gravatar makes sense, as any other Avatar Plugin we could use, which does not run through Gravatar, will impact on site perfrmance and CPU load time, due to the fact that added queries then have to run, whereas Gravatar’s use is already built into the WordPress Platform backbone, requiring a simple click in my Admin Panel to activate using Gravatars or not.
- Regarding prescriptive use – like in the Disqus or LiveFyre commenting systems… applying Gravatar it is not nearly going that route, as Gravatar use is and has been part of the WordPress Platform itself for yonks.
- All that Gravatar registration does, is that it issues / allows a “Picture” or “image” to be used with a certain E-Mail Account – to be used as a Gravatar – apart from that there is no hook-up to Gravatar and certainly no privacy or security issues involved and neither does any part of our Database move over to any Third Party, integrity fully in tact.
To sum up folks, using Gravatar takes nothing away from Rugby-Talk, all propriety matter stays resident and neither does it compromise you, the reader, at all in any privacy or security stakes… it just gives you a usable “image” to use as an Avatar or in this case a Gravatar!
It has always been and will continue to be Rugby-Talk’s policy to protect personal integrity and privacy and this move to use Gravatar stays perfectly within those bounds.
There are no risks involved, in relation to the added benefits we get by using Gravatar, none at all!