March 30, 2006

Images in comments: in favor or against?

posted by qbert72 to editorial policy at 01:01 PM - 40 comments

They seem to be all the rage now. I like them once in a while, but the effect is wearing thin. I'd support a move to disallow them completely.

posted by qbert72 at 01:02 PM on March 30, 2006

Kind of indifferent, I guess? They have their place in some threads for sure.

posted by jerseygirl at 01:07 PM on March 30, 2006

I agree with JG... some are entertaining, some are getting repetitious.

posted by willthrill72 at 01:13 PM on March 30, 2006

FOR. We must make room in our lives for the dancing banana.

posted by worldcup2002 at 01:14 PM on March 30, 2006

Just this morning I was thinking of complaining in the locker room about this. I think they're fine in moderation, but things have been going a little overboard lately. Like this morning's full-size screenshot of Bondsfilter. Cute, but more annoying.

posted by DrJohnEvans at 01:23 PM on March 30, 2006

We must make room in our lives for the dancing banana. I'd allow images in the Locker Room, of course.

posted by qbert72 at 01:25 PM on March 30, 2006

I'm in favor, but yes some are getting played out. And if you don't know how to make a large one fit, then you shouldn't use them. Save room for the comments. I usually like to just place a link to the image instead of inserting the image in the comment. Unless of course it's a cute little...

posted by njsk8r20 at 01:49 PM on March 30, 2006

As long as this place doesn't turn into Fark, then I'm not bothered about the odd image here and there.

posted by afx237vi at 02:07 PM on March 30, 2006

I can't seem to do them - so I hate it. Lousy technically superior peers. And if the dancing banana dies I will hold you all responsible. And I warn you - my wrath is known to be brief, unfocused and relatively harmless.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 02:08 PM on March 30, 2006

It is almost like an one-up-man-ship with all the posting of them. Cute little dancing bananas in the lockerroom are ok but I am smart enough to know a train wreck without seeing the picture.

posted by skydivemom at 02:10 PM on March 30, 2006

I vote for, in defense of the 1 time in 20* that someone hits exactly the right note with them. Fraze's news reporter in front of a train wreck this week, even though the joke's been made a dozen times, cracked me up. * The denominator increases as the site scales. Additionally, as sdm mentions, one funny one begets a conga line of unfunny ones.

posted by yerfatma at 02:41 PM on March 30, 2006

I agree with afx237vi. Moderation in all things, but the occasional pic is not a big deal.

posted by chicobangs at 04:15 PM on March 30, 2006

Where would we be without StarFucker's inappropriate inline images? Or this little fella?

posted by dusted at 04:18 PM on March 30, 2006

Just this morning I was thinking of complaining in the locker room about this. As soon as I get to my workstation I am totally going to tell people how to do things on the internet!

posted by Samsonov14 at 04:50 PM on March 30, 2006

I am fine with images in moderation. I agree that they have been overused lately. The only ones that I specifically have a problem with is anything to do with a dead horse. I understand the symbolism, but it has become way overused.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 05:06 PM on March 30, 2006

+

posted by skydivedad at 05:17 PM on March 30, 2006

I like dropping them, but I suspect I use perhaps one per week. Is it that big of a hassle to scan past a picture? I mean, it's not like it's as time-consuming as having to read one of my diatribes about the Leafs.

posted by wfrazerjr at 05:20 PM on March 30, 2006

I can't say that I have noticed the images in threads people are refering to. I guess I have drifted from FPP threads due to lack of interest. I guess I need to pay more attention to know if my previous assessment of "images are ok, especially in moderation in the locker room" is still intact.

posted by gspm at 06:05 PM on March 30, 2006

My apologies for (apparently) being the inspiration for this Locker Room thread. I was checking in as usual before heading off to work, saw yet another Barry Bonds thread, and the smart-assed half of the ol' noodle took over. I resized the picture on the hosting site and it wasn't full screen on preview or after hitting post. Looking at the thread just now, it's still not full screen. Aw, jeez, now I'm starting to ramble. In short, sorry. Mea culpa.

posted by thatweirdguy2 at 06:33 PM on March 30, 2006

I wasn't refering to one image in particular. I just get the feeling these days that I can't read a thread without an inline image. Most of the time, these images don't say anything that couldn't have been conveyed more economically with a few words. Quite often, they simply don't say anything new. I guess I'm like everybody, and would like the images I do not find funny to go away. And I'm worried that we are the start of an unfunny escalation. So as of right now, I wouldn't mind losing images altogether.

posted by qbert72 at 06:52 PM on March 30, 2006

Well, I think a few of us are guilty of encouraging a couple, because they were so funny the first time. Plus, when you learn a new skill (such as how to insert an image in HTML), you kind of want to show it off. I think this Locker room post alone though will help everyone get the idea.

posted by njsk8r20 at 07:02 PM on March 30, 2006

So as of right now, I wouldn't mind losing images altogether. In a Firefox user.css, .comments img {display: none;}, though you might want to make it clear something is there, so maybe: .comments img { height: 1px; width: 1px; background: red; }

posted by yerfatma at 07:17 PM on March 30, 2006

I will miss images. My finest work has always included images. Example one a, b Example two

posted by YukonGold at 08:00 PM on March 30, 2006

A picture is worth a thousand words. If the tendency is to place images in lieu of saying "this thread should die" or the like, I'll take the image, which at least has a percentage chance of being interesting/amusing. I like Yukon's examples, both because they are funny and because they appear in two baseball threads in which I did not get totally schooled. Which is rare.

posted by BullpenPro at 12:37 AM on March 31, 2006

Yukon, "one a" almost made me pass an entire Diet Mountain Dew through my nose. You might want to post warnings for those of us working around electronics. On topic: you'll never guess who just posted an inline image in a thread. Heh heh heh.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 05:35 AM on March 31, 2006

two baseball threads in which I did not get totally schooled Well, the first one contained the now mythical tommysands. Tough to compete with a legend.

posted by YukonGold at 06:13 AM on March 31, 2006

I miss sandy, Goldie.

posted by yerfatma at 07:23 AM on March 31, 2006

yerfatma, thanks for the tip. I may very well put it in action. As always, the kind of comment I made is taken to heart by those who should worry least about it. Yukon's images are priceless. Let me rephrase my impression: for me, posting an inline image is akin to using ALLCAPS. It's glaring, it takes a lot of space, it reeks of self-importance. It should be reserved for very special moments. YMMV, and other habitual disclaimers apply.

posted by qbert72 at 07:24 AM on March 31, 2006

Sometimes pictures are really, really funny. Usually not. But to throw the baby out with the bathwater? I don't like it, even if there is a lot of bathwater. Go Images! Best. Team. Ever!

posted by fabulon7 at 07:30 AM on March 31, 2006

Ummm, were you guys talking about me? I feel much shame, if you want me to stop mine, I will. I don't do it to piss everybody off. I really do try not to reek of self-importance.

posted by wingnut4life at 11:12 AM on March 31, 2006

wingnut, obviously some people like your images, since you get appreciative comments for them regularly. Me, I think they're a little much. But apparently, that's just me. And let me explain "reeks of self-importance", because it came out wrong. Imagine everyone suddenly decided that they would post half their comments as images. It would be damn near impossible to read the good old text comments in this visual capharnaum. Now, the obvious retort is "well, moderation and good taste in everything, bla bla bla". My point is: who's the judge of that? If you're posting images, obviously you're judging that your images are worth it. Is that a valid judgement? Then what would be a valid judgement of what is "good taste and moderation"? I'm afraid we're going to have to go down that route soon, and I'd rather avoid the whole thing.

posted by qbert72 at 11:36 AM on March 31, 2006

That's totally understandable, q. Sometimes I have a hard time expressing how I truly feel about a certain subject and/or individual, so I post certain images so they'll stand out and grab attention. I truly love SpoFi and would never do anything to intentionally get myself banned from here, as it would break my heart. Whatever you guys decide, I can live with.

posted by wingnut4life at 11:51 AM on March 31, 2006

We never decide anything, though. We just argue about it. ;-)

posted by qbert72 at 12:14 PM on March 31, 2006

Your images haunt me...but so does the noise from the furnace.

posted by chris2sy at 12:28 PM on March 31, 2006

Nine out of the ten voices in my head tell me that the noise in your furnace is their cousin trying to scare you, chris2sy...

posted by wingnut4life at 12:38 PM on March 31, 2006

I don't have a problem with most of your images wingnut (many times they are funny) the only one I don't really like is the dead horse summit. It was funny at first and still be appropriate, but the entire dead horse theme is becomming a bit overused. My thoughts that just because a discussion/arguement is going on for several posts about a topic doesn't mean that is 'beating the dead horse". That is just my thoughts on the matter.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 05:28 PM on March 31, 2006

I hate the images because I don't how to put them in my comments. Everytime I see a cool or funny picture in a post I want to go Nerd punching.

posted by HATER 187 at 06:01 PM on March 31, 2006

<img src="url of image" />

posted by yerfatma at 06:17 PM on March 31, 2006

Is the lockerroom borked again or is it my cpu? No images in the lockerroom are showing up, not even the little comment balloons or link, bold, and italic buttons. I've never seen this happen before.

posted by njsk8r20 at 06:59 PM on April 03, 2006

Nevermind, looks like the problem is on my end.

posted by njsk8r20 at 07:40 PM on April 03, 2006

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