• Avatar FAQ •
• What is an avatar (also called av, avitar, & avi)?

- An avatar is a picture that a person uses in a chat room to represent the character they play, or to represent themselves. Sometimes the images are real life pictures of the person. Sometimes they are pictures found on the world wide web.





• Where do I get a picture for an avatar?

- You can search for pictures of your favorite actor/actress/singer/sports star and so on. Then you can make the image into an avatar by using an image editing program like Paint Shop Pro and then upload it.





• What does 'upload' mean?

- Upload is basically the opposite of download. It means you are placing a file or image from your computer onto the internet, instead of taking a file or image from the net and saving it into your hard drive. In order to upload an avatar you will need webspace. The best way to find a good hosting site for webspace is to ask other chatters what they use. Many free hosting sites (Angelfire, Geocities, etc) no longer allow the posting of images stored on their server to outside sources. This means if you have an avatar uploaded to Angelfire, for example, when you try to use it anywhere BUT on your Angelfire webspace, like in a chat room, the image will not work. It will appear as a "broken" image to the rest of the chat room. Though there may be limited ways around this, users of free webspace also face bandwidth restrictions which also can hinder the usage of avs. The most reliable way to store your avatars, ensuring they are going to be available for your use as you like, is to purchase webspace. Sometimes webspace is provided with your internet account and many of the free hosting sites offer the option of paying for an upgraded service. However, many chatters will often choose to join the chat site they frequent by purchasing premium memberships. Such memberships normally include webspace, along with many other popular, exclusive features.





• How do I upload my avatar?

- This depends on which hosting site you choose. You should read the FAQ and/or instructions that the hosting site offers for the webspace. If you have member webspace at a chat site, as spoken of above, you can also contact the site staff, admin, moderators, etc for help. They should be knowledgeable of the system and willing to help.





• Can I get an avatar that is already made, instead of making one myself?

- Yes! There are avatar sites out there that will make avs for other chatters to use. These sites offer a chance to view sample images, either on the site or by email. Most will usually add a specified name to the av as well. Some sites will even upload the avatar for you so you do not have to bother but, you shouldn't count on it. Often av sites can be found on search engines and by word of mouth. So ask around and see where your fellow chatters "shop"! Those of you seeking Gorean avatars should visit ‡§‡ Images.





• How big can my avatar be?

- This varies from chat site to chat site. You should review your chat site's FAQ or guidelines to find such information. If that's not possible, then it's a good idea to talk to a site moderator or admin to find out what the rules are for the site you chat on. Having an avatar that is over the size limit can cause a mod to boot you from the chat room in most places. To eliminate having your chat time disrupted with a boot, size your avs properly. If you're ordering an image from an av site, be sure to the image will be made to the size regulations of the site it'll be used on.





• My avatar is uploaded. Now how do I use it in a chat room?

- In order to post any image in a chat room you will need to copy the URL (the address of the uploaded image, shown in red below) and then type a code string like the one below. You'll type this into the space where you put your chat name.

<IMG SRC=http://www.hostingsite.com/avatar1.jpg>





• I typed out the code string. Now what?

- Now you need to add your chat name as well. Just type it in after the code string you just typed. If you know some basic HTML coding you can make your name a little more fancy than normal. Once you add your name you are set to enter the chat room.


<IMG SRC=http://www.hostingsite.com/avatar1.jpg>Your Chat Name





Click here for some basic HTML help