[HowTo] How to use avatars on a self hosted forum

[Deleted User] · October 2013

How to use avatars on a self hosted forum? vanillaforums.com hosting will provide avatars, I think Advanced or above, so if anyone sees I am wrong, please let me know. Anyway, here's how to use avatars on a self hosted forum

1: Download Vanillicon here
2: Upload the folder to your web host by FTP
3: Enable the Vanillicon plugin from your plugins page in your Administrative Panel
4: Congratulations! You now have the official Vanillicon plugin installed on your forum just like the real vanillicon service that vanillaforums.com offers! Each user is assigned a specific vanillicon by their email or name

vrijvlinder · October 2013

What about other Avatars , what if I want Gravatar ? or Identicon? Or to make my own Avatar or default Avatar? What if I don't want an Avatar at all is there a way to not have one? Can I have both Vanillicon and Gravatar? What if I want to change my Vanillicon ? How do I change it? How can I make a custom Avatar?

Is this thread about Avatars in General or is it only about Vanillicons? If it about Vanillicons alone, then the title is misleading.

[Deleted User] · October 2013

The simplest way ever...

[Deleted User] · October 2013

I'm gonna research more, so I can add more, but for now, that's where's it at, but we will add more in a comment

vrijvlinder · October 2013

There are already probably other tutorials for other avatar plugins

Oh? please point me to them so I can research the topic further. You did look for them to gather intel on the matter right?

The simplest way I know of is Vanillicon.

The truth is they all work the same way. Your email is linked to an image you carry around with you when you register somewhere with that email. You need to do more research about a topic before posting a "How To" . Remember you are being a teacher to others and need to be responsible for the information you teach them.

I guess I made a tiny mistake in the title

I can tell you are eager to help and share what you learn. That is a good thing.

But you also need to put some real effort into it. You need to dig for more complete information to make your posts valuable .

You need to ask yourself before you post, " Is this enough information for my students?" Remember that people who read these threads are looking for complete helpful information.

I am sure what you posted would not cut it in grade school english class, it would be insufficient. Please try to put more effort and more information by doing research on whatever you plan to post.

This is for your benefit and that of the people who read the posts here to gain some insight into the software.

hbf · October 2013

what it learnt in 15 minutes can be learnt by all with the same effort.

hbf · October 2013

to elaborate - you do not add value to the situation by rehashing how to do something that is clearly documented elsewhere, such as the instructions for installing a plugin.

value is added when you aggregate information from multiple sources and provide analysis and understanding.

so you could certainly add value by researching all of the available avatar functionalities, then comparing and contrasting them, or describing how they each function and their differences. something along those lines is very useful.

im not trying to harp on you. really, im not. but these posts are clutter. they only serve to create a duplication of a portion of existing documentation, making searches more confusing and watering down the information pool, and another source of potential outdated or incorrect info.

[Deleted User] · October 2013

@hbf I'm trying to help as much as I can. My tutorials are trying to be helpful. You saying that they are clutter does not help me any further in my posts. I'm not trying to be hard on you either, but really, you saying that my posts are clutter is not helping me, it's insulting me

hbf · October 2013

sorry for that, i know it's frustrating. i'm not questioning your intent. bad advice given with the best of intentions in still bad advice. and while the stakes are relatively low here, i also frequent forums where bad advice could easily get someone killed (motorcycle repair for instance). I apply the same standards to all of my interactions.

im often blunt, because language barriers make it difficult for subtle context to be communicated, so i find it best to just be clear.

im trying to give you a clear framework for accomplishing your goal of creating high value content. do a lot of research. don't regurgitate information but instead aggregate the information from multiple sources and provide some sort of analysis or extension.

If you go down the path of providing something like instructions for doing some activity that has already been documented, but you chose to provide an alternate take on the instructions, you need to explain why. what is the reasoning and basis for recommending a new path? You will find resistance here, especially being new, since you may not have the background to justify straying from the tried and true path.

that's my two cents on the subject. i wont belabor this point any further. If you have questions related to my suggestion, i'll be happy the give advice. But beyond that I think my point has been made.

vrijvlinder · October 2013

Definition of Tutorial:

An instructional lesson that leads the user through key features and functions of things such as software applications, hardware devices, processes, system designs, and programming languages.

The tutorial typically is set up as a series of steps that progress through levels of difficulty and understanding. For this reason, the tutorial is best followed in its logical sequence in order to understand all of the elements of what the user is trying to learn.

A Self-paced instructional program that provides step by step information in presenting a concept or learning unit. Computer based tutorials use interactive methods such as hyperlinks, and audio and visual presentation of the subject matter, and provide feedback through question-answer exercises.

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Tutorial
http://jerodmoore.com/how-to-write-killer-tutorials
http://www.niu.edu/writingtutorial/
http://thesaurus.com/browse/tutorial
http://thesaurus.com/browse/instructive

hbf · October 2013

ok so, at the risk of beating a horse that has passed away long ago, here is an example of the issue i'm raising.

in the wiki page created you stated;

Using Gravatar

I'm not sure how, so if any editors could help, that could be a big improvement

A 2 minute investigation could have yielded the following information:
The Gravitar plugin is included in the current production release of Vanilla 2 core. Just go to the dashboard and enable it.

Do a little more research on these topics before creating content. please. You'll learn something, and everyone can benefit.

And BTW - putting on the wiki that Gravitar is installed by default really isn't note worthy, since anyone who has a vanilla installation should be able to determine that. Something noteworthy would be to describe the differences between the three avatar methods.

[HowTo] How to use avatars on a self hosted forum

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