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Beginners => How to Use RootsChat (Please don't post requests here) => Topic started by: Berlin-Bob on Friday 19 October 07 18:26 BST (UK)
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Avatars on RootsChat
Those of us who use broadband tend to forget how many people there are, who still use slow dial-up connections.
So anything that speeds up page downloads is an improvement. Even on Broadband !
When we call up a page in the browser (i.e. click on a link) then the page, text and graphics, is downloaded to our computer, whereby "graphics" includes avatars, smileys (both in the text and in the signatur), and images attatched to the text
1) On 15 replies to a topic (maximum replies per page), up to 15 profile pics are downloaded.
(that's the worst case: if it's just two people, answering back and forth, then only two profile pics get downloaded)
I downloaded two RootsChat pages, one with just one avatar (profile pic) and one with 10:
The text part of each page was about 100 KB
The graphics part of the 1st. page was 60 KB
The graphics part of the 2nd. page was 250 KB
Doing the maths, nearly 200 KB of the 2nd. page was taken up with avatars and smileys.
Most people have an avatar/profile pic of 10 KB or less, which is reasonable,
but I have noticed some bigger avatars, some even going to 150 KB.
To improve performance, RootsChat Administration has now decided to limit the sizes of the avatars.
The maximum Byte-size allowed is 20 KB.
The maximum pixel size is width: 150 pixels, Height: 150 pixels[/b].
We ask you in the course of the next two weeks to check that your avatars are within the specified limits.
If you are not sure of your avatar size, then right-click on it.
In the context menu which then appears, left-click on properties.
A pop-up window will tell you the size, in pixels and Kilobytes (KB)
TIP: There are quite a few avatars which are within the pixel limits, but well over 20KB.
Admin has been converting some of these from PNG format to JPG format (80% compression).
It makes a surprising difference:
in general the same picture in JPG is 10 - 20% of the PNG size !
A 34KB image can reduce to 4 - 6KB, presumably depending on the colours and contrasts.
After 1st. November 2007, admin will gradually resize any avatars, that exceed these dimensions.
In the case of animated GIFs, resizing won't work, so if they are over the limits, we will have to delete them.
Avatars can now only be loaded from RootsChat. Loading an avatar from another server often means waiting until that server has sent us the image.
All avatars from external sources need to be reloaded.
Most avatars have "survived" the implementation of the new restrictions, but not all, so you may have to reload your avatar.
Please remember that use of avatar images is also subject to the usual copyright rules.
There are also restrictions on images in signatures.
The max. allowed size is 500 Bytes (Profile: Research names or areas:).
The text size is automatically checked when you enter it in your profile.
If you include an image in your signature,
please insure that the total size (= image + text) does not exceed 500 Bytes.
Images in signatures, which exceed the size limits, will be removed.
Thank you,
The RootsChat Team.
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For help with resizing images,
see Topic: Adding images to Posting & Profiles
1) Resizing and cropping your image file:[/color]
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,130922.0.html
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Slightly off topic (don't hesitate deleting) but our avatars have disappeared, Bob, and attaching again doesn't work :( :( :(
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1) Was your avatar loaded from RootsChat or from an external source ??
2) was it smaller than 150*150 pixels ??
3) was it smaller than 20 KB ??
Bob
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1) Was your avatar loaded from RootsChat or from an external source ??
2) was it smaller than 150*150 pixels ??
3) was it smaller than 20 KB ??
Yes to all. (Just like yours maybe? :P)
Here it is (1st pic):
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,202137.msg1126030.html#msg1126030
3.03 kb, 120 x 86
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I just tried re-loading my daughter's pic from RootsChat, that didn't work.
I then tried I will upload my own picture: and re-loaded direct from my computer.
I can see the avatar, Can you ??
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I can see the avatar, Can you ??
Yes :D
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Mine has disappeared and yes to all three questions too!
Oh well at least there is a legitimate reason for it going walk about, I will have to reload, now which thread was it originally on ??? ???
Kerry
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I've split this off from the original topic, to keep it more visible, till we've sorted out the glitches.
Most avatars survived "The Change" but some of you may have to re-load them.
At the moment, it seems the best results come from:
- go to Profile
- go to RootsChat Profile Information
- click on I will upload my own picture:
- and browse your computer to find the image
- click on Change Profile
Bob
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Bob
That's a new way of loading an avatar, I've had to do the properties and copy the code before.
Congratulations - much simpler, I like it ;D ;D
Kerry
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Thank Trystan, not me :)
Funnily enough, it used to be the other way round, before ::)
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Ok ;D
Thank you Trystan for helping even me to get an avatar added easily :D :D
Lets hope small is best and it helps to quicken things up :)
Kerry
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Kerry,
No problem at all - glad to see you got your image up there. :)
Trystan
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I've split this off from the original topic, to keep it more visible, till we've sorted out the glitches.
Most avatars survived "The Change" but some of you may have to re-load them.
At the moment, it seems the best results come from:
- go to Profile
- go to RootsChat Profile Information
- click on I will upload my own picture:
- and browse your computer to find the image
- click on Change Profile
Bob
???
I've always done mine like that - I thought everyone did :-\
Gadget
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???
I've always done mine like that - I thought everyone did :-\
Gadget
Me too! :D It makes a change for me to do something the right way when I should have been doing it differently! ::)
;D ;D
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Berlin-Bob
Like Gadget, I had always loaded my avatar the way you are now suggesting, I didn't know there was any other way.
I've checked and my avatar is only 48 x 64px and 7.85KB, but is animated, does that mean it will be deleted?
Liz
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Liz,
No your image is fine, it won't be deleted as it's compact enough as it is. ;)
Trystan
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Trystan
That's great, I thought I was going to have to think of something else.
Liz
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Just in case anybody else has the same worry as Lizzie, I've edited the text to say:
In the case of animated GIFs, resizing won't work, so if they are over the limits, we will have to delete them.
Bob
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Thanks Bob, it occurred to me what you meant after I had posted and had a reply from Trystan. The red wine's poured out but I haven't had a sip yet, perhaps that's my problem. ::)
Liz
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I've split this off from the original topic, to keep it more visible, till we've sorted out the glitches.
Most avatars survived "The Change" but some of you may have to re-load them.
At the moment, it seems the best results come from:
- go to Profile
- go to RootsChat Profile Information
- click on I will upload my own picture:
- and browse your computer to find the image
- click on Change Profile
Bob
???
I've always done mine like that - I thought everyone did :-\
Gadget
You have been lucky Gadget, for some reason that method has never, until now, worked for me. I believe I'm not alone either. We had to post the picture in a thread then go to properties and copy the url and then paste into a box on the profile information page.
That was what I tried to do tonight, only to find that the easy method now was there and I could use that!
Kerry ;D
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I was the same as you Kerry - previously couldn't upload from PC and had to go through the rigmarole of posting and copying address, etc.
That didn't work this morning, but Trystan fixed it while I was out putting another load of washing on the line.
;D
Bren
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Bren
Thanks for that, for a moment there, I thought I was alone ;D ;D
Kerry
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Hello Berlin Bob and Trystan,
Just came across your topic, so I went to 'Profile' (clicked on the picture), up came
the 'Element Properties' box with all relevant details.
Width - 108px.
Height - 144px.
Size of File - 4.2 KB (4298bytes).
Am I correct in assuming that we are both within the recommended limitations.
If not please say so and we will have a go at resizing.
Have never used the smileys, I guess we have helped save in that area.
Jeanette H.
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Hi Jeanette,
yes, you are correct.
Those sizes are within all given limits, so there is absolutely no problem there :)
regards,
Bob
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The mystery of my disappearing Avatar has been solved!
Bob
That's a new way of loading an avatar, I've had to do the properties and copy the code before.
Congratulations - much simpler, I like it ;D ;D
Kerry
I'm with you Kerry. I had to do it the other way before aswell, and have never been able to upload a pic from my own computer. It's now working perfectly ;)
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;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Like your new avatar Lloydy - very cool!!
Kerry
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My pics has also been altered, sorry if it was too big
Jane
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Update:
Please remember that there are also restrictions on images in signatures.
The max. allowed size for a signature is 500 Bytes (Profile: Research names or areas:)
The text size is automatically checked when you enter it in your profile.
If you include an image in your signature,
please insure that the total size (= image + text) does not exceed 500 Bytes.
Images in signatures, which exceed the size limits, will be removed.
The RootsChat Team
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Images in signatures, which exceed the size limits, will be removed.
What does that mean Bob? Do you mean any typing we put underneath our avatars?
Lizzie
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The signature is the bit that comes at the bottom of (nearly) every posting.
(in your case:
BENSON- Dalton in Furness (Ulverston) and Hull
BETTISON - Derbys
:
etc. )
Some members have added smilies or animated GIFs here, thus exceeding the 500 KB limit.
Bob
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OK thanks.
Lizzie
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Hi All,
A reminder:
The maximum Byte-size allowed for avatars is 20 KB.
The maximum pixel size is width: 150 pixels, height: 150 pixels.
There are quite a few avatars which are within the pixel limits, but well over 20KB.
Admin has been converting some of these from PNG format to JPG format with 50% compression.
It makes a surprising difference:
in general, the same picture in JPG is less than 10% of the PNG size !
A 34KB image can reduce to 2-4 KB, presumably depending on the colours and contrasts.
If you are not sure of your avatar size, then right-click on it. In the context menu which then appears, left-click on properties. A pop-up window will tell you the size, in pixels and in Kilobytes (KB)
You are responsible for the size of your avatar. If you change your avatar please remember this.
In future, if your avatar has already been re-sized by admin and you replace it with another over-sized image, it will simply be deleted.
regards,
Bob
For tips on converting images, see
Topic: Adding images to Posting & Profiles
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,130922.0.html
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I assume my avatar is OK, as it is only 12.85kb, but what is interesting is that the photo I used is a jpg, but when I click on properties of the avatar it shows it is a PNG image. How did that happen?
Lizzie
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I used is a jpg, but when I click on properties of the avatar it shows it is a PNG image.
Lizzie
Mine too. Looks like we have been modified!
Judy :-[ :-[ :-[
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Can someone tell me if my picture is OK, or if I should remove it in favour of something smaller?
I read this thread earlier, and took my picture off, reduced in to size to what in 'My Pictures' Properties reads as a JPG, size 7.78KB and then reposted.
I've just read Lizzie's post, and right clicked on my picture as it appears on a Rootschat page. It's now become something else, and says it's 32478 bytes.
I think I need a translator
Maggie
p.s. avatar? I might as well give up, I thought that was Amy Johnson..
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Yup! Some of you have already been modified!
;D
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Mine too. Looks like we have been modified!
Yes, but Bob states: Admin has been converting some of these from PNG format to JPG format with 50% compression.
So our avatars have gone the wrong way ???
Maggie - 32478 bytes is 32.478KB. Actually, the properties of your avatar show it is 31.72KB
Lizzie
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Oh, I see what you mean Lizzie!
Mine was definitely a JPeg when I posted it! ;D
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and mine's nearly quadrupled in size - it was reduced down to 7.78KB and a jpg. when I posted it earlier this morning! I'm going to take the picture off until I can work out how that happened, because it really is only that smaller size, I've just checked.
Lizzie, thanks for the explanation.
If Bob, Arranroots or someone can explain how that happened or where I went wrong I'll put it back, but much as I like the photo having it downloading loads of times and clogging up the site speed is unlikely to endear me to everyone else.
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Seems like someone went the wrong way with yours, Maggie ;D
I posted a new one yesterday - it was a jpg, 7.06kb and 106 x 162
It's now jpg, 2.87kb and 98 x 150
Obviously made smaller to reduce the height
I could have chopped some sky off if necessary ;D ;D ;D
Maybe I'll just be a blank and save a h*ll of a lot of space with the number of postings that I've got :o
Gadget
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Thanks Gadget,
maybe the problem was mine was landscape rather than portrait, and too wide? Just like me, in fact
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I've asked admin:
the avatars from Maggie and Lizzie haven't been changed.
Gadget, the RootsChat software automatically resizes the avatars (pixel wise) so that whatever is larger, height or width, gets reduced to 150 pixels and the other dimension gets reduced proportionally.
Unfortunately automatic resizing is only done on the pixel-size, not on the KB-size.
Bob
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Thanks Bob, I'll still keep my picture off until I can be sure it's a smaller size - or find another picture
Maggie
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I think I mentioned this elsewhere:
everytime you download a page (i.e. click on a link), each image on the page gets downloaded once.
So if two people chat to each other on a topic, although ther are 15 replies on a page, only one copy of each avatar will be downloaded.
Bob
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Just realised today that I was one of those who had their avatar modified. Fair enough..... but my cat was always drumming its left paw, and today was the first time I noticed that she doesn't :( :(
KHP :'( :'( :'( :'(
PS I miss that paw drumming, it was like it was making a statement!!!!
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KHP - I though that your cat had just got tired of drumming and taken up Tommy Cooper impressions instead!
Maggie 1895
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KHP - I though that your cat had just got tired of drumming and taken up Tommy Cooper impressions instead!
Maggie 1895
She certainly doesn't look the same. :( The Powers of Be could have left the paw drumming .....
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Why when I post a jpg avatar of 120 x 108 and 5.54kb in size, does that get changed to a png avatar of 80 x 72 and 11884 bytes? ???
Very confusing......
Dee :-\
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Reading back, it looks like whatever they did last time to change FROM PNG to Jpg........has gone topsy turvey and is changing them all back!!!!
Yes Dee, most confusing!!!