Avatars and Forum Stuff

[Michael]

Is that the century we're in now? My brain only retains information from about 1960 to 1990--everything after that is too high tech for me.

And tell me you're kidding about your ''Avatar.' I thought this forum had cracked down on space cadets.

[Lei Owen]

Until I can figure out how to down size some of my picture's, I'll have to do with this one.

My alter ego...

[Sam]

Sam - is it getting larger?

With a little 'encouragement', it should.

I don't know what's going on at the All Breed site with those avitars. Needs some attention from Brad or Miles, but so far no response. I will keep trying to get their attention.

It's working if you hotlink your avatar, but not if you try to upload one (which is why I've more or less left the 'Grey' up here).

And tell me you're kidding about your ''Avatar.' I thought this forum had cracked down on space cadets.

I'm trying to decide if I should leave that one up there for now (or at least until after Mardi Gras) of if I should crack out the horsey ones.

I've got a great shot of John Henry I swiped that's always been too big to use on most boards (I'm used to boards with a 60x60 limit)

[Sam]

Miles fixed the hotlinking on the other board ... so the Grey goes away

BTW ... this is the Barney pic I alluded to earlier

[adrienne]

Ohh... I love the avatar feature. I am a slave to technology I guess. I was just thinking the other day that this board should have it and wow - here it is!

Hmm... if that I worked I should start thinking of other things I would much rather have...

<g>

Mine is Shannon Ashley, my favorite mare <G>. Who I am sitting up foalwatching tonight. Expect a lot of posts from me as we wait for this baby (and pictures soon after! The digital camera is all ready to go!)

~Adrienne

[Inyureye]

Yes. I have a great graphics handling program free for download called polyview.exe. It allowes you to brows all your directories and shows the files in thumbnails on one page, then you can double-click one up and edit it. Can do simple tings like create a copy of it in a different size, (I had my avitar as more than 100 x 100 and resized it to that), and copy it into different formats, many many different graphic types are possible. Handles animated clips, any kind of graphic art you want.

If you email me your graphic, I can transform it quickly and send it back to you.

my email is in my profile. Don't like to post it out on the boards cause bots go by looking for emails to collect. Let me know and I can also find a link to that freeware, polyview. You can also probably google it. I use it for all my graphics needs, which are not sophisticated, but it has good editing capablities.

[Sam]

Mine is Shannon Ashley, my favorite mare <G>. Who I am sitting up foalwatching tonight. Expect a lot of posts from me as we wait for this baby (and pictures soon after! The digital camera is all ready to go!)

Can't wait for the word ..

[Inyureye]

I like this time of year. The foals are coming

[BJ]

Too cool, will have to hunt for a better avatar.

How about a category like an "Amber Alert" for lost or endangered horses? I know you have the Buying/Selling, but sometimes the imminent slaughter candidates get overlooked there.

Excellent idea Madelyn! Of course then, those that want to avoid knowledge of such things will avoid that thread like the plague. Hmmm....An Amber Alert type thing might be good if it could be automatically sent to everyone or, if it was a flashing alert, like a pop up, so no one would miss it. But should be used only for life-threatening situations.

[adrienne]

Mine is Shannon Ashley, my favorite mare <G>. Who I am sitting up foalwatching tonight. Expect a lot of posts from me as we wait for this baby (and pictures soon after! The digital camera is all ready to go!)

Can't wait for the word ..

Me too! We milk test using total hardness test strips. She was a 2 (out of 4) for about 2 weeks and then went to a 3 yesterday. Today she was a four. Some wax, but not a lot. Lots of muscle relaxation. I'm not 100% convinced she'll foal tonight - but definately in the next couple nights. Her due date was yesterday.

Last night I checked on her every 2 hours. What a pain! At 2am she looked pretty darn ready, but a quick milk check showed she was still a 3, so I felt safe going back to bed (for 2 hours...).

This would be her second foal (the first was a filly by Sharkey who they have yet to try on the turf... grr!) and the FIRST Bravo Bull (http://www.iowathoroughbred.com/ITBOA_2 ... _No_59.jpg) baby. Hopefully this baby is awesome and Bull becomes the producer that his page would indicate.

We had another due yesterday that just started bagging up on Friday - so I can't complain too much:) Another is ready to go this week and is under observation. Thankfully other students are responsible for those. Shannon and Mattie (Too Loud) are mine to worry about:)

~Adrienne

[Sam]

An Amber Alert type thing might be good if it could be automatically sent to everyone

That's called spam. Not a good idea.

if it was a flashing alert, like a pop up

Pop ups are also no-nos.

You want to encourage people to help, not annoy them into it or worse, ignoring you altogether by taking steps to subvert your efforts to garner attention (pop up blockers/email filters).

This isn't about wanting or not wanting to help ... it's about knowing what you should and should not do via the internet to encourage people to help your cause.

People are VERY temperamental about their email/online access, especially when they use Dial-up/old PCs. You start sending unsolicited PMs or having pop-ups, you are going to piss off more people than you are going to gain supporters.

Madelyn's idea is the best. A separate forum where endangered horses can be listed. If you can find a way to have PMs sent where it would be a choice to receive them or not, go that route. Do NOT arbitrarily start sending notices to people .. I guarantee there would be a backlash.

[Mahubah]

Miles fixed the hotlinking on the other board ... so the Grey goes away

BTW ... this is the Barney pic I alluded to earlier

I hate you, you hate me, let's hang Barney from a tree....(I think every parent around knows that one -- thanks goodness Katie isn't hooked on the big purple D!)

[Sam]

I hate you, you hate me, let's hang Barney from a tree....(I think every parent around knows that one -- thanks goodness Katie isn't hooked on the big purple D!)

You love it and you know it.

I know so many different versions of that song, it's not funny and I don't even HAVE kids (but I apparently make the world's best "auntie Sam"). I seem to be made for corrupting the youth. Funny thing is, you'd think that would bother little kids yet most of them think it's "Cooooool, where did you get it?"

And yes, that is MY Barney. It's currently taking up space on top of my dresser because there's no hook to hang it from in this cave. It used to hang in the corner of my studio and was the first thing you saw when you walked in the door. He's also about 10 years old.

I was in Toys R Us ... Barney on my left ... Bull Alien on my right ... Barney song playing over the loudspeakers.

I was inspired.

You should have seen the schematics I had. Had a whole series of Barneys (Barni?) I was going to do. Borg Barney for my Trekker freak brother ... C-100 Terminator Barney for Tim ...

I took that to work with me once. Mom and I worked for the same company and I practically grew up in the office (started working there part time when I was 16 -- I got away with a LOT of crap VP loved me) VP walked into my office mid rant ... saw the Barney and I actually heard his jaw snap shut before he about faced and walked out. 3 minutes later my phone rings with Mom's extension number:

"What the heck did you just do to Art?"
"Why, what did he say?"
"He just walked over here, shook his head at me and said 'Only your daughter' then walked out."
"Was he smiling when he said it?"
"Of course"
"Barney's here"
"JENNIFER LYN!"



What really sucks is that as much as my (our) generation HATES Barney ... we must be reminded that we had something as annoying at that age and it was ten times worse.

H. R. Pufnstuf ring any bells?

Seriously now, how much more insidious could THAT thing have been? Talk about a spokesperson for rampant drug use. His name alone is a blatant sex/drug innuendo. "Puff - N - Stuff"? Sounds like it should be the name of a mom and pop specialty drug and bondage store "Bongs on the left ... belts on the right" The whole flippin' show was a bad acid trip ... "Ooooo the COLOURS!"

Don't even get me started on The Bugaloos ... gah ... and people think Teletubbies are bad!

Sid and Marty Kroftt belonged in jail ... not damaging the psyche of an entire generation. Timothy Leery wannabes.

ugh ... is it really quarter after 4? I'm going to bed.

[Linda in TX]

Madelyn's idea is the best. A separate forum where endangered horses can be listed.

I agree. But rather than "Amber Alert" it could be titled something along the lines of "Endangered Horse Alert" or "Ferdinand Alert."

By the way, BJ, the members of another forum could restore your faith in the goodness of people. Those folks have started a collection to rescue some aged mares out of a forthcoming F-T auction. Marli is involved with the project.

Early last week, on that very same board, someone sent out a plea to help save an unsound horse currently racing at the lowest rank in Arizona. The plea came from a person many, many miles removed from the horse's location. Before the end of the day, a complete stranger stepped up (Arizona trainer Toni Richardson), secured the horse with her own money, and took him back to her barn to be cared for until he could be shipped to his rescuer in Kentucky.

Here's a link to that board if you'd like to get involved...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bighorse2/

[BJ]

An Amber Alert type thing might be good if it could be automatically sent to everyone

That's called spam. Not a good idea.

if it was a flashing alert, like a pop up

Pop ups are also no-nos.

You want to encourage people to help, not annoy them into it or worse, ignoring you altogether by taking steps to subvert your efforts to garner attention (pop up blockers/email filters).

This isn't about wanting or not wanting to help ... it's about knowing what you should and should not do via the internet to encourage people to help your cause.

People are VERY temperamental about their email/online access, especially when they use Dial-up/old PCs. You start sending unsolicited PMs or having pop-ups, you are going to piss off more people than you are going to gain supporters.

Madelyn's idea is the best. A separate forum where endangered horses can be listed. If you can find a way to have PMs sent where it would be a choice to receive them or not, go that route. Do NOT arbitrarily start sending notices to people .. I guarantee there would be a backlash.

You are so right Sam. Must be very careful not to annoy those people who have nothing better to do in life but pull other people's antennae off their cars. Don't you just love people like that? Makes you wonder who is paying their bills because if they had a real job they would appreciate and respect the hard work of others.