Troubleshooting avatars, signatures, profiles, etc.

[EricG1793]

I've decided to start this topic for a place to troubleshoot avatars, signatures, and profiles that members (new and old) may be having issues with. If the question you have isn't in any FAQ list (the best place to look is the Board FAQ; newbies, see my signature for a link Edit: As of right now, they're not in my signature. When I fully return [it'll be a lot longer this time], my normal signature will be back) or other existing method of explanation, or if it's not explained clearly enough to easily understand, ask about it here. It may be faster to have your question asked by posting in this thread where all other members can see it, rather than relying on one admin to help you.

So anyway, the cause of me starting such a topic: I'm having a problem with an avatar.

After much fuss on my part, I finally got the site to link to one of the YW LJ icons that I loaded in to my public web album. I edited a message I posted here, and saved the message.

Now, for signatures, if I change the signature and edit a message, it will get the new signature to appear on all my posts. In other words, it applies, or activates, my new signature. I'm trying the same method for an avatar; however, what this accomplishes is that a little line appears under my name that says: "Picture of EricG1793". How do I get my actual avatar to appear, and not that line of text?

In a few other members' cases (I don't remember any names right now), I see this same situation.

Oh, this may help too: When I look at my profile page here in my Personal Zone, my avatar doesn't appear there, either.

Since my signature has no YW books-related stuff in it, I thought it may be nice to have a YW-related avatar.

[spyells]

It might depend on what type of picture you're using. Like the size or the pixels or it could be what site you are using to upload it on. I use photobucket and it works great.
http://photobucket.com/
Imageshack is also good too from what I've heard.
http://imageshack.us/
When you upload the avatar use the 'direct link'. You might be using the 'img code' or another link. But if you are using the 'direct link' and it still isn't working I don't know what to tell you. It could also be the Young Wizard's site itself that is the problem, but if no one else is having the same problem then it is most likely on your end. I hope I helped you out in some way.

[Kathy Li]

Check that your URL is correct. Try loading that URL directly into the browser, and see if your graphic displays in the browser. If it doesn't, then the link won't work for your avatar.

[EricG1793]

OK, I did exactly as you advised. I copied that URL, and then a box pops up asking what to do with the file (open with... or save to disk). So there's my problem.

What I did to access that URL was to view the image in my public Picasa Web Album. I tried to link to that page. That didn't work, probably because it wasn't a page completely devoted to the picture (meaning, it has a bunch of other links, buttons, etc. in with the picture). The way I got that URL was I right-clicked the picture, and selected <STRIKE>"Copy Image Location".</STRIKE> Edit: For some reason, I randomly stopped typing there... I guess I had something else on my mind except "Copy Image Locatoin".

I guess I need to find a way to display the image independently, by itself in one page, in order for this to work. But that's an issue I'll have to straighten out with Picasa Web Albums....

*Goes off to my web album to see if I can do such a thing* I can't figure it out. I started a topic about it in the Web Albums support group.... If you see an avatar some time soon, it means I got a good answer that worked, otherwise, I'll be posting in here again.

[Kathy Li]

Ok, I tried uploading a photo to Picasa, and I'll tellya Eric, I think it's on the Google server side that they've done something to keep you from doing exactly what you're trying to do (we're apparently not the only ones looking after our bandwidth. )

I'd suggest getting a Flickr account. If you've already got a My Yahoo! account, then you can use that to use Flickr. Not only will you automatically get a within-100x100 pixel size out of anything you upload and the ability to link, but you can also contact DD and Garrett and me and see what we've been taking pictures of.

[EricG1793]

Ooh!-....

It seems to have magically fixed itself. It's perfect.

I'm the first one to use that picture as an avatar. What d'you think?

EDIT: Now it's not WORKING again!

Edit 2: It's working again.... It seems to work when I open my Web Album, stay logged in, then visit this site. Hmm...