I read a good amount of blogs. I also blog. I don’t have a fat clue what I’m doing but I am learning. A few months ago I read a post on common sins that people make when leaving a comment. The post said things like “Thou shall not leave a comment that only says ‘Great Post!'” I like comments so much I’ll personally take a great post comment. It at least shows that they stopped by. The post also said “Thou shall not leave a comment without having a Gravatar.” I was like do what? What in the wide world of web is a Gravatar?
After doing a little research I found out that a Gravatar is a universally recognized Avatar. Now if you are like me then you are thinking about that movie from the Titanic director about giant sized Smurf Aliens that love their planet. Come to find out an Avatar is also an image that is portrayed by your name when you leave a comment on a blog. Having a Gravatar makes your Avatar universal. Here’s what that means…when you get a Gravatar and you leave a comment on anyone’s blog it will show up with you picture. That is why on my site some people have their picture by their comments and some do not. Now you know and according to G.I. Joe that’s half the battle.
If you are like me and you don’t like managing a lot of web stuff then have no fear. I don’t remember even creating my Gravatar and it still shows up whenever I leave a comment. I never go back to the site and I don’t update it. If you ever leave comments on this or any blog then you should get yourself a Gravatar. You can do so by clicking here. But wait there’s more. If you click now it will be free. Okay if you click later it will also be free. It’s always free. I just felt like I was being a sales man and had to include the “but wait there’s more” line.
Do you already have a Gravatar? If not did you get one after reading this post?
I have a gravatar. Problem is it sometimes does not show up on some blogs. Don’t know why. They have this funky shadow dude in a hat where my gravatar should be. Mine is of the picture on my blog.
I like how you did that. How did you do that?
One of the guys from the church community I pastor is an artist. He did the caricature and put it on my blog. I downloaded it and then was able to use it as my gravatar. I believe gravatar.com will walk you through it. Been awhile and the mind don’t function like it used to. 🙂
Very nice!
Lol. I do, but I don’t like it. Can I use yours 🙂
Sure can. But if I were you I’d pick Jon Acuff. People would go crazy when you left comments.
Great post!
Jamey, two comments in one month. Score!
Gravatar is the service used by dealuft. get_avatar() is completely pluggable, however, so any service can be used. get_avatar() is built-in so that themes will have some fixed API on which they can rely, regardless of whatever avatar service is being used behind-the-scenes. Read the full post
Wouldn’t a universally recognized avatar be a “uravatar”?
Gravatars work globally; apparently they are not guaranteed to be recognized outside of earth.
Some Guy, you make a great point. Wait…how do you know they don’t work outside of earth. I’ll need to ask NASA about this.
Still working on my Gravatar.
Very cool. Thanks for playing along.
On your old blog page my picture used to show up. Now I am just a shadow man in a gray box. Actually I think this is a better likeness of me anyway.
Daniel, let’s get you a gravitar. It’s time.
I have a gravatar….I think? But anyway, great post!
Thanks Ryan!
I thought sam worthington was really good in that movie.
Was he the old guy that killed em all? If so he was pretty good.
I have a Gravatar (I think WordPress made me get it), but there are so many other commenting/avatar sites out there like Disqus, IntenseDebate, my Google profile, post as my Twitter profile, etc. that it’s hard to keep track which one I’m using at any given time or what value any of them have.
Russ, very good point. I think we should have a one wide world net order and only use one comment system. Who is with me?
I have a gravatar. I use it for all things blogging. I also have one in my email and one in my login screen on my mac. I’m beginning to feel very self-centered. :/
Moe, how do you have it for your email? That’s great.
I have a Gravatar…but it’s UUUGHLY!
Ed, I wouldn’t say ugly. I’d say WWE-esk.
LOL. Why do people ALWAYS say that! Hahah! One woman kept saying I resemble Andre the Giant!
I have a gravatar, but I thought it was short for Great Avatar. Which, of course, is exactly what I have. They should start a family of avatar services to account for the varying excellence of avatars: Gravatar for the Great Avatars, Goavatar for the Good Avatars, Avavatar for the Average Avatars, Baavatar for the Bad Avatars and Awavatar for the Awful Avatars.
Also, “great” is exactly what Avatar (the movie) wasn’t. It’s like a supermodel: sure, it’s good-looking, but that doesn’t mean it’s attractive.
I agree. I hate the fact that that movie is the number one money making movie of all time. It’s no where as good as the Dark Knight.
I sorta got it by accident, which is nice for me cause it means I can just go ahead and comment wherever and it works, but it sucks for others, as they instantly get a pic of my mug pointing at them.
In other words, I’M SORRY, INTERNET
The Joseph Craven, no need to apologize. Your mug is actually pointing to the side of me. It’s as if you aren’t even looking at me.
Yeah, I don’t necessarily mind a “great post” comment either. I just like to know people stopped by and read it, like you said. I try to always make sure I comment too when I read since I know how much I love comments I figure other bloggers do too.
Great comment!
Just kidding… sometimes “great post” is all you can say, especially if a response would be long or it affected you but you can’t put it into words at that moment. At least it shows there were eyeballs on what was said…
of course, this looks out of context because my “great comment!” comment was eaten…
Russ, that makes sense now. Boy that comment was tasty.
I love the comments. Thanks for leaving one.
I have one – but for some strange UNKNOWN reason – it doesn’t show up on some of the blogs that I comment on!! FRUSTRATING!
That is frustrating. I wonder what’s up with that?
My yahoo AVATAR used to show up. I don’t want to make one. If I could get my Yahoo one to show up everywhere…
Yeah that stinks. Since you don’t read a lot of blogs it’s probably not worth it for you.
I pretty much only read yours, an occassional sports or finance blog… I do use my FB page for a Celtics blog I read from time to time.
I did read Donald Miller’s blog today, you ever read it? It’s good.
It’s about time for me to switch up my Gravatar.
Interesting. I look forward to seeing what you pick.
I have one. It is my face. I wish it was better looking.
Matt, it’s a great lil Avatar.
I did it, I did it! See that- I submitted.
Very nice. And what a pretty Gravatar you have.
That last comment was from me. It was still logged in as you.
Never heard of Gravatar, but because I read your blog, I now have one….I think….we’ll see after I post this comment.
Looks like it worked. Congratulations on the gravatar.