I sometimes forget that you know a lot more about me than I know about you. I mean, you know that I'm a hooker, that I had a possible nervous breakdown while sitting in my closet ... you even know what kind of toilet paper I use.
I meet people all the time who know me from my blog and during our conversation it's entirely possible they might bethinking "Hey. I wonder how Karen's yeast infection is doing."
Well, did you ever think that it might be nice for me to look at YOU for once and think, "Hey. I wonder how her itchy lady parts are doing.".
Let's make that happen today. Not the yeast infection, (that's a special spell I have reserved for people who park sideways and take up more than one parking spot at Ikea on a Saturday), but the recognizing you bit.
This is what 70% of you look like to me and everyone else who reads this blog.
Faceless blobs of air. Who are you people? I don't know. In my head and the heads of everyone else reading the comments on blogs you possibly looking something like this ...
So what are those little pictures and why doesn't your photo show up?
Those are called Avatars and they're put there by something called Gravatar. Which stands for Globally Recognized Avatar. Almost all blogs and websites are Gravatar enabled which means they are all ready, willing and able for your picture.
All you have to do is go to the Gravatar website and upload your photo. Then Gravatar basically attaches itself to you and whenever you comment on a blog, Gravatar follows you there and includes your photo.
How to get your photo to show up in blog comments.
- Go to the Gravatar website.
- Sign up.
- Create your profile which includes uploading your photo.
- Done! Now when you comment on any blog or website that is Gravatar enabled your photo will show up. Pretty much every website has Gravatar enabled on it by the way.
- You can change your profile picture whenever you want by going back to the Gravatar website and uploading a new photo.
In the profile section of the Gravatar website you can fill out your name, where you're from and a little bit about yourself.
Why would you do that? Well there's a little surprise to Gravatar that not everyone knows about. If you hover over someone's photo on any blog comment if they've filled out their profile, that information pops up! So you can tell the world a little bit about you and you can learn a little bit about your fellow commenters.
And don't worry if you're a little bit shy you can upload a photo of anything. Your dog, your cat, your kid. I prefer to see recent photos of the actual person but the choice is yours.
I've only used 3 different Avatars on this blog since starting it but I might switch it up soon.
O.K. now it's time for you to try to do it yourself!
I'll be here. Waiting. And itching.
To see your pictures. ;)
Patra
Funny. It makes me want to get a decent picture of myself!
Ana
That's clever! Thanks for sharing!
Amanda
Its so awesome to see everyone!!!
Liz
totally! more fun than usual :)
Patti
This is the most practical site on the internez. I love it!
Trish
one more time, I swear I'm not stupid...
Karen
Chippy!!!!! When did you learn to comment! And didn't I just see you sitting in my birdfeeder??? When did the birdfeeder get wifi? ~ karen!
Trish
Now if only I could follow instructions properly...
Trish
You are so full of useful information. Thanks for the tip!
Sarah A.
Good tip! I always use the wrong email address, so it doesn't show up. How about now?...
Tess
Is this thing on? (tapping on the mike).....
Shauna
This is awesome, we can finally see everyone's photos. We read each other's comments as often as we read your blog, our little community is getting closer. Yep, that's you Karen, bringing people together. All, hippy and commune-like. Soon we'll be baking bread together and trading eggs from our chickens;)
Jacqueline
Very cool! Though my first thought was that you just wanted our photos in order to be able to identify and avoid stalkers...
Erin Hall {i can craft that}
sweet! thanks for that Karen!
Sherri
Done! What a cool idea to share with us...thanks! I guess the proof is in the puddin', as my granny used to say. I'll check in tomorrow to see if this post is accompanied by my photo, which I shall title, "Forever 57". It was taken three years ago when my age was like the title and I'm probably going to use it until I'm 80 or until I die because it's the most flattering photo of me that I have. It's sort of like those obituary notices where the dearly deceased is 84, but the photo they run with the notice was taken when s/he was in her/his mid-20s. If the dead can do it, so can I, daggummit!
Sherri
Yay! It worked! I had to leave your blog and then return for it to show up. Thanks again!
Karen
It did indeed work! ~ karen
Debbie Neal
I did it!!Not sure if it worked!
Karen
It worked. :) ~ karen
jen
look at how you've brought all of us into the tech world. :)
Dawna Jones
I'm in my way Karen. Thanks v
Liz
Or maybe not...
Ruth
I might as well play along although I had this down pat before now... just to show that I have nothing against change. And because the ocean in the background blends so nicely with 'islander-ness'. :D
Ruth
What??!! *shaking my fist at the Gravatar powers-that-be*
Where is my new avatar? *sigh*
Ruth
Okay... I apparently needed to log out of the Gravatar website. Oops! :D
Liz
Pretty cool!
Ashley W
Karen, I only discovered your super-blog a couple of weeks ago, but have been blissfully enthralled ever since. My photo, thanks to your ever helpful instruction, is of me and my Ma making my Grandma's homemade donut recipe! And no, I will not share...ok maybe if you ask nicely. I did make your sweet potato fries the other night! yummy!