referendum (Final Declaration) Should avatars be round?

[Mr Saturn64 742]

I happen to be one of the few whose avatars fit perfectly inside of the circle.  My nose almost extends outward, but makes the cutoff.

[Dirktator 2,320]

Actually the matter is so stultifyingly easy that the entire discussion baffles me.

Let's say we have an avatar space of 80×80 pixels. Let's say it's a square. And now?

If you want a square avatar: You pick a square picture up to a size of 80×80, and there you go.
If you want a round avatar: You crop a circular section of an image up to a diameter of 80 pixels, and there you go.

A round avatar space only accommodates rounded avatars, square avatars would have to be considerably smaller.

Hence, the advantage is clearly on the side of the square avatar space.

What's important is that there is no border around the avatar so that rectangular/square and round or differently shaped images all look good. I vote square.

I'm too lazy to make my avatar round...soooo what about us lazy members? The system should make it round for me... just because i'm lazy doesn't mean i shouldn't be accommodated!   

  Edited July 14, 2015 by Dirktator  

[T Wrecks 10,209]

But seriously: Maybe the goal of this super-important poll is to end up with a forum where all avatars conform to one shape, and thus create a coherent look? That was something that the round look did achieve.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Sorry, my antlers fit the square.  I'd not want to be a square peg in a round hole.  It hurts.

[Fearlessmayor 44]

twitter and facebook icons both have square or rectangle icons.  twitter has a square with rounded corners.  facebook is 'profile' style pictures that @Hellken posted, G+ is the only social media network with round profiles.  I'm all for progressiveness.  I vote round =)
 

[APSMS 1,892]

Progressiveness is overrated.

But seriously: Maybe the goal of this super-important poll is to end up with a forum where all avatars conform to one shape, and thus create a coherent look? That was something that the round look did achieve.

We've got to fight back against the machine! Conformity be darned--variety is the spice of life, and as appealing as round avatars may be, they are ultimately boring.
I like the idea of placing the avatar in a white panel so that it blends seamlessly. Would it be possible to use an interface in the avatar selection window that overlays the desired shape onto the avatar before uploading? This would allow for round avatars and make both square and round avatars available and blend seamlessly.

And besides Dirk's "laziness", is there any other disadvantage to maintaining the two themes, like higher server costs? I mean, the part controlling the avatar window can hardly be more than a few lines that can be copy-pasted when discussing theme maintenance (if, in fact, a simpler solution is unavailable--I'm not a website coding whiz).

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

First of all, this can't be very much code.  If it is, the coders need a shakeup.  Looks like one conditional statement to me with appropriate routine calls.

I really think it should be a matter of personal style.

[Linoa06 1,374]

We just need round icons for the Trixie Awards periodic table

[Dirktator 2,320]

Progressiveness is overrated.

But seriously: Maybe the goal of this super-important poll is to end up with a forum where all avatars conform to one shape, and thus create a coherent look? That was something that the round look did achieve.

We've got to fight back against the machine! Conformity be darned--variety is the spice of life, and as appealing as round avatars may be, they are ultimately boring.
I like the idea of placing the avatar in a white panel so that it blends seamlessly. Would it be possible to use an interface in the avatar selection window that overlays the desired shape onto the avatar before uploading? This would allow for round avatars and make both square and round avatars available and blend seamlessly.

And besides Dirk's "laziness", is there any other disadvantage to maintaining the two themes, like higher server costs? I mean, the part controlling the avatar window can hardly be more than a few lines that can be copy-pasted when discussing theme maintenance (if, in fact, a simpler solution is unavailable--I'm not a website coding whiz).

No it is 100% pure laziness you understand. The technical difficulty is miniscule. 

Each time I need to make a modification or enhancement to the base theme, I then have to export that base theme out, and reimport it into the Square theme and then re-set all the preferences for the theme to match.

It may sound trivial when written, but when I'm modifying and tweaking the base themes several times a week responding to issues or adding new features, and after every upgrade patch, that extra work just to support Square-heads... like I said, becomes a drag.

Compound this task for months and years, and then I'll begin to dread ever having to make theme changes or fixes at all ... So no, I won't manage two themes where one is just for squares.

But I'll tell you what.  If the vote closes and we are within 5% margin, I will consider it a dead heat -- only then will I agree to manage two themes.

  Edited July 18, 2015 by Dirktator  

[Titanicbuff 1,262]

Mine won't fit in a circle.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

@dirktator:You make it sound like you have had to create a whole new theme.  If so, you have my pity.

What's wrong with a conditional subroutine call to either the square avatar or the round avatar masks routine?  It then becomes just a user selection in the avatar section of the user parameters.

If (squareUser)
     call squares:
else
     call circles;

If you can't do this in the source language of the site (PHP?) I'd be greatly surprised.  The call overhead can't be as great as carrying a whole theme.

[Hellken 1,658]

As an alternate suggestion, we can compromise considering how decisive this issue is for many people.

Simtropolis is powered by Invision which supports this.

 

Furthermore, as an extra suggestion to the above the grey avatar borders could be removed, on the edges so that the avatars blend in. Thus there is no discrimination between shapes. Die-hard roundheads should have no problem with this since the area of a square greatly exceeds that of a circle.

It's a solution where everyone wins.

 

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I have no objection to having the corners knocked off if it doesn't affect my antlers.

[Cyclone Boom 16,875]

With voting now concluded, looks like we have a result...
 

 

 

 

Voting Data

Vote #	Date (EDT)	Time (EDT)	Yes	No	Y ∑	Y%	N ∑	N%
1	08-Jul	21:15	1	0	1	100.00%	0	0.00%
2	08-Jul	21:15	1	0	2	100.00%	0	0.00%
3	08-Jul	21:20	1	0	3	100.00%	0	0.00%
4	08-Jul	21:22	1	0	4	100.00%	0	0.00%
5	08-Jul	21:22	1	0	5	100.00%	0	0.00%
6	08-Jul	21:24	1	0	6	100.00%	0	0.00%
7	08-Jul	21:26	0	1	6	85.71%	1	14.29%
8	08-Jul	21:38	1	0	7	87.50%	1	12.50%
9	08-Jul	21:39	1	0	8	88.89%	1	11.11%
10	08-Jul	22:04	1	0	9	90.00%	1	10.00%
11	08-Jul	22:07	0	1	9	81.82%	2	18.18%
12	08-Jul	22:23	1	0	10	83.33%	2	16.67%
13	08-Jul	22:30	1	0	11	84.62%	2	15.38%
14	08-Jul	23:23	1	0	12	85.71%	2	14.29%
15	08-Jul	23:48	0	1	12	80.00%	3	20.00%
16	09-Jul	01:12	1	0	13	81.25%	3	18.75%
17	09-Jul	01:52	1	0	14	82.35%	3	17.65%
18	09-Jul	02:04	1	0	15	83.33%	3	16.67%
19	09-Jul	02:23	0	1	15	78.95%	4	21.05%
20	09-Jul	03:43	0	1	15	75.00%	5	25.00%
21	09-Jul	04:14	1	0	16	76.19%	5	23.81%
22	09-Jul	05:00	0	1	16	72.73%	6	27.27%
23	09-Jul	07:07	0	1	16	69.57%	7	30.43%
24	09-Jul	07:12	1	0	17	70.83%	7	29.17%
25	09-Jul	07:58	1	0	18	72.00%	7	28.00%
26	09-Jul	07:59	1	0	19	73.08%	7	26.92%
27	09-Jul	08:31	0	1	19	70.37%	8	29.63%
28	09-Jul	08:40	1	0	20	71.43%	8	28.57%
29	09-Jul	08:47	0	1	20	68.97%	9	31.03%
30	09-Jul	08:57	0	1	20	66.67%	10	33.33%
31	09-Jul	09:13	1	0	21	67.74%	10	32.26%
32	09-Jul	09:53	1	0	22	68.75%	10	31.25%
33	09-Jul	10:28	0	1	22	66.67%	11	33.33%
34	09-Jul	11:39	1	0	23	67.65%	11	32.35%
35	09-Jul	11:43	1	0	24	68.57%	11	31.43%
36	09-Jul	13:10	0	1	24	66.67%	12	33.33%
37	09-Jul	13:58	1	0	25	67.57%	12	32.43%
38	09-Jul	14:40	1	0	26	68.42%	12	31.58%
39	09-Jul	14:46	0	1	26	66.67%	13	33.33%
40	09-Jul	19:43	0	1	26	65.00%	14	35.00%
41	09-Jul	20:06	1	0	27	65.85%	14	34.15%
42	09-Jul	23:46	0	1	27	64.29%	15	35.71%
43	10-Jul	00:35	0	1	27	62.79%	16	37.21%
44	10-Jul	11:12	0	1	27	61.36%	17	38.64%
45	10-Jul	13:16	1	0	28	62.22%	17	37.78%
46	10-Jul	15:05	0	1	28	60.87%	18	39.13%
47	10-Jul	23:47	0	1	28	59.57%	19	40.43%
48	11-Jul	01:28	1	0	29	60.42%	19	39.58%
49	11-Jul	02:30	0	1	29	59.18%	20	40.82%
50	11-Jul	03:26	0	1	29	58.00%	21	42.00%
51	11-Jul	09:09	1	0	30	58.82%	21	41.18%
52	11-Jul	09:17	1	0	31	59.62%	21	40.38%
53	11-Jul	12:11	0	1	31	58.49%	22	41.51%
54	11-Jul	13:14	0	1	31	57.41%	23	42.59%
55	11-Jul	18:21	0	1	31	56.36%	24	43.64%
56	11-Jul	21:50	0	1	31	55.36%	25	44.64%
57	12-Jul	10:02	1	0	32	56.14%	25	43.86%
58	12-Jul	10:12	1	0	33	56.90%	25	43.10%
59	12-Jul	14:14	1	0	34	57.63%	25	42.37%
60	12-Jul	19:20	1	0	35	58.33%	25	41.67%
61	12-Jul	23:30	0	1	35	57.38%	26	42.62%
62	13-Jul	04:41	0	1	35	56.45%	27	43.55%
63	13-Jul	11:29	1	0	36	57.14%	27	42.86%
64	13-Jul	16:30	1	0	37	57.81%	27	42.19%
65	13-Jul	17:22	1	0	38	58.46%	27	41.54%
66	13-Jul	20:41	1	0	39	59.09%	27	40.91%
67	14-Jul	00:02	1	0	40	59.70%	27	40.30%
68	14-Jul	00:58	1	0	41	60.29%	27	39.71%
69	14-Jul	05:06	0	1	41	59.42%	28	40.58%
70	14-Jul	07:00	1	0	42	60.00%	28	40.00%
71	14-Jul	10:30	1	0	43	60.56%	28	39.44%
72	14-Jul	11:22	0	1	43	59.72%	29	40.28%
73	15-Jul	04:57	1	0	44	60.27%	29	39.73%
74	15-Jul	07:15	0	1	44	59.46%	30	40.54%
75	15-Jul	11:34	0	1	44	58.67%	31	41.33%
76	15-Jul	12:42	0	1	44	57.89%	32	42.11%
77	15-Jul	14:56	1	0	45	58.44%	32	41.56%
78	15-Jul	21:19	1	0	46	58.97%	32	41.03%
79	15-Jul	21:49	1	0	47	59.49%	32	40.51%
80	16-Jul	01:26	1	0	48	60.00%	32	40.00%
81	16-Jul	21:12	1	0	49	60.49%	32	39.51%
82	16-Jul	21:47	1	0	50	60.98%	32	39.02%
83	17-Jul	21:45	0	1	50	60.24%	33	39.76%
84	19-Jul	11:50	1	0	51	60.71%	33	39.29%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dirktator 2,320]

The Rounders have it.  The community has expressed their desire to move forward with round avatars! 

Cheers!

  Edited July 21, 2015 by Dirktator