Maybe you've noticed when comments are left on WordPress blogs, that some people have a small personalized image beside their comments while others do not?
When you leave a comment on a blog, if you haven't set yourself up with an avatar your comment will be branded with a default or a generated avatar as chosen by the blog's owner. This means that when you comment on blogs, post on Twitter, Facebook, most forms of social media in fact, (and some forums), that you won't be branding yourself with an image that people in your niche will learn to recognise.
Here are some examples of default and generated avatars used on WordPress blogs for commenters with no avatar of their own.
| Mystery Man |  |
|---|---|
| Gravatar Logo |  |
| Example Monster Avatars (these are generated) |
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| Example Wavatars (these are generated) |
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| Example Indenticons (these are generated) |
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I'm sure you recognise them.
How Do I Get My Own Avatar?
The answer is you set up a Globally Recognized Avatar or Gravatar. It's easy and it's free!
- Find a photo of yourself or an image of something that you wish to represent you online
- Crop it so that it's square and about 200px x 200px in size
- Go and sign up at Gravatar
- Associate the photo with your email address or email addresses (if you a number of email addresses you may want to have a different photo for each one. Or you can use the same photo for each email address. It's up to you.)
- You're done. The next time you leave a comment on a blog, or post in a forum your little image will mark the spot. People will get to recognise your little avatar and this helps to build trust.
Note that if you sign up for a gravatar, any places that make use of Gravatars where you've already left a comment or a post, will instantly apply your new avatar. This also means that when you tire of your gravatar, you can change it easily and everywhere, all at once.
Hi Elizabeth -
So simple and yet many of us "non technical people" don't do it. Honestly, I didn't know how to get my own avatar and never took the time to look into it. I'm going to send this post to my coach peers as many of them don't have avatars either. AND, I'm going to create mine now. I'll write back once I do it.
Thanks!
Thanks for dropping by. Yes - it's easy to do but judging by the number of anonymous avatars around, few people are using the facility. Please get your peers to fix their online branding and I look forward to seeing your avatar in your comment, represent you more closely.
Thank you Elizabeth for this very useful information which you have kindly passed on to me. And it seems so simple to do! An avatar will personalise my communication which is important especially when contacting clients that one might never meet in the flesh. I will sign up with Gravatar straight away - once I have hunted out a decent photo of myself!
Hello again. As you can see on I followed the simple instructions and I now have my personal avatar but it has not come up on my own website http://www.ronaldrae.co.uk where I have replied to comments nor has it appeared on the my list of frequent contacts on the gmail site which I also use. Is there something else I have to do?
Hi Pauline
First thing to say is well done, as what you've done is a huge improvement. People can now associate a face with your comments on WordPress blogs and various forums around the net.
Gmail
Gmail is not connected with Gravatar, so setting up a gravatar does not make any difference to gmail. There is a special script you can run in Firefox to link the two, but it is not supplied as a standard between the owners of Gravatar (Automattic) and the owners of Gmail (Google). For now, it may be easier to simply add your own image to the settings page on gmail.
Your Avatars on Ronald Rae
If you go through the video here again, notice that I say you can add one or more email addresses to Gravatar. The reason you are not seeing your avatar in the comments on your own WordPress site is because you've associated the comments there with a different email address to the one you've specified here when leaving a comment. You must have set up the gravatar for the email address you've used here, and not for the email address you've used on your own site.
To fix this, simply go back to gravatar and add the same image to every email address you have. That way, whichever one you use will be catered for.
Thank you for this. I have now followed your suggestions - gone back to Gravatar and set up my avatar to cover all my email addresses. Why don't more people use this facility? I am going to suggest it to those on my mailing list.
Thanks for the info Liz. Hope the pic doesn't scare anyone off.
Very handsome.
Very kind. Thanks very much.
I think everyone is a bit apprehensive about having one's visage on the net for all to see, but after all, it is no different from the face we are willing to share with the everyday world? I wish that more people would add their photo - more smiling faces on the net will make communications even more enjoyable.
Hi Pauline - well yes, I agree with you. However if you are promoting a product or a service I think it's better to show your face as it helps build trust. That said, many people just don't want to so a cartoon avatar or a symbol of some sort that represents you, will be something people come to associate with you and that's good too. For example there is a coding forum I belong to where I use a panda as an avatar.
I have an image in my gmail address that I just used, but it will not show. What can I do?
Lolo - Your gravatar looks fine to me - there is one with your comment right here. Liz