I've seen various forums implement a variety of size limits/restrictions for avatars. Some have them disabled or have tiny limits set. Others allow huge avatars, like this forum for example. Are avatars important to your community, and what size limits do you have in place?
I've always felt that avatars have been a crucial aspect when it comes to members being able to express themselves visually. I allow avatars to be as large as 100x100 - anything larger will be downsized automatically.
We offer a bit of a different limit: 140x100. I do this because the horizontal post bit provides plenty of room for slightly wider avatars. They're resized down to 112x80 and the member list, as well.
That would be an excellent example of elitism by admons/super mods cause they are only ones in that thread with avatars larger than 80x80. Avatars are important. Easier to scan the threads if people use avatars. 80x80 is what similar sites use so that is standard. 100x100 for paying members. Exellent point about being able to have wider pics with the new post bit, had not thought of that. NO ANIMATED AVATARS! :lol:
most of my forums are set to 100x100, but I have one with a lot of visually oriented people... that one is at 120 x 120.
I think admins should let avatars be a max of 120x120 because you dont want your board crouded with HUGE avatars. It looks un welcoming for guests.
With vBulletin, it's different for me depending on the postbit I am using. With the current postbit, they really shouldn't be too high or it just looks horrible. I think Chris' avatar here is the absolute highest I would allow it to be in the horizontal postbit, if that. In the postbit legacy, however, I like the height. I would never allow them to stretch the column horizontally though, but I do like when the avatar fills it out (like mine). I usually use 150x250 for postbit legacy.
I think average is about 100x100, for small it is 80x80(minimum) and large is 120x120(maximum). Maybe making avatars larger for staff makes them feel better? lol
Chris, at first I would agree. But then I look at my eagle avatar here thinking it's a nice size - only to find out it's merely 60x60 pixels. It's not as small as you'd think.
80x80 is is large enough to get your point across in a avatar but not to big to be to distracting. As I see it, there is already so much crap packed into the postbit as it is there is no need for huge avatars on top of it haha Also the fact that everyone has the same size, even admins and mods makes no one feel left out. This is an 80x80 avatar...even though I am sure you know what size it already is hahah It is bigger then it seems :speachless:
You make a good point regarding the information that's already crammed into the postbit. I can see where using anything larger than that would cause problems.