I don’t think enough people know about Gravatar and the what it does, so as a result I have chosen to write an article about it, to help you get more out of the web.
What is Gravatar?
The best way to describe what Gravatar is is the same way that it is described on Gravatar.com: A Globally Recognized Avatar. But what does that mean?
“Your Gravatar is an image that follows you from site to site appearing beside your name when you do things like comment or post on a blog. Avatars help identify your posts on blogs and web forums, so why not on any site?” – Gravatar.com
How better can I explain that? A Gravatar is an image that you can be associated with across the web. Any Gravatar compatible site – like most WordPress blogs, and many other forums, blogs and websites across the net – that you put your email into will display your unique image, whenever you write a post or leave a comment.
When you finish reading this article, cast your eye at my avatar, you can see it on the left of the writer bio box.
Until recently I had been using the Technology Bloggers logo as my avatar, however I have chosen to change to using my own website logo – the iconic blue ‘C’.
When you sign up for Gravatar, you also get your very own profile page. Here you can link to your website and write a short bi-line for the world to see. Everyone has a custom URL, and until today I didn’t realise that mine was actually my name! Okay, by default it is, but I was the first person with my name to register with Gravatar, which means that I must have had one for a pretty long time!
To check out my profile, please go to https://en.gravatar.com/ChristopherRoberts.
How Can You Make the Most Out of Gravatar?
If you scroll down the ‘our writers‘ page you will see that some of our writers have chosen to add a Gravatar to their email address, so that when they post, their customised image comes up. I then take this image and post it next to their profile on the our writers page. Some people don’t send us an avatar, and don’t have one linked to their email, so they have a randomly generated image associated with them.
The default image if you do not have a Gravatar - the Gravatar logo
If you look down the list you will see some of each. Which do you think looks better? Personally I believe that having an image of your choosing that follows you everywhere on the web is a great idea.
How to Get a Gravatar Avatar
Linking your email(s) to your chosen image(s) really could not be easier.
Step 1: Go the the Gravatar website.
Step 2: Click ‘Sign Up’ – this can be found on the top bar
Step 3: Enter your email address
Step 4: Check your emails and click the confirm link
Step 5: Upload the image you want to follow you everywhere on the web
Step 6: Voila! Any time you comment on Technology Bloggers of any of the other ‘kajillion’ blogs, websites or services that support Gravatar, your image will be associated with you
You can add more email addresses if you use different ones for different sites, and can even add more pictures, so you can comment on one site with one picture and on another site you have a different one!
Once you have an account you can also set up your Gravatar profile page, where you can tell the world about yourself, and link to sites you love.
Gravatar makes you identifiable across the web as a unique individual, not just another faceless/anonymous name.
20 thoughts on “Gravatar – are you making use of it?”