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12 Step Program for Avatar/Graphics Requests

Before posting in the Avatar/Graphics forum, please read this information. It will make your visit more enjoyable, and you will receive better results.

The 12 Step Program for Successful Avatar/Graphics Requests


    Good manners are very important. Rude requests, unwarranted criticism of another's efforts, or generally being a jerk will not get you what you want. It will get you ignored. If you're going to be rude, please do it elsewhere.

    "Please" and "thank you" may seem like old fashioned concepts, but we like them.



    The artists, much like the moderators on this site, are unpaid. Even though they don't make money from it, they do it to be helpful, and for their own enjoyment. A polite request goes much further than commands and demands.

    An offer of toolpoints for work still doesn't make the artists someone you hired. While toolpoints are a very nice bonus, offering them doesn't entitle you to special treatment or allow you to treat the artists rudely.

    Also, since the artists are unpaid, they are under absolutely no obligation to help you, donate tool points, fulfill a request, or participate in any way at all. They can come and go, help or not help, and do so for their own reasons. Requests for toolpoints are exclusively for enabling animated avatars. They will not be given to go premium.

    Some of us also do this professionally. Asking for a company logo or other commercial work won't necessarily get you ignored, but it won't necessarily get you a response. Many people have to pay a lot of money for those services. You may wish to hire an artist to get the best results.

    Nobody in this forum owes any explanation for their efforts or lack thereof. If you ask for one, you will be ignored.



    Be specific. Ever since Miss Cleo was shut down, the artists are having trouble connecting with psychic energies, and therefore do not read minds.

    Please search places like, Google, altavista or Yahoo for images you are looking for before asking the artist to do it.


    Once you find an image, the more information you can provide in your initial post about what you want (examples of similar work are even better) the closer the artists will come to your expectations. Nothing frustrates someone who creates avatars more than to work for hours only to have the request change totally or be told by someone whose original request was vague that their effort isn't what they had in mind.



    Please be patient. The artists are not all on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Sometimes they do tend to their lives outside of Broadband Reports and Avatar/Graphics Help. It may be a day or more before someone sees your request and acts upon it. Also, the first effort returned may not be the one you will choose. Wait for a few options to pop up before picking one.

    Keep in mind that the amount of work to be done will tend to determine how long responses take. A simple resize to fit the avatar specs will usually take several minutes (once the request is seen). A request to take one's static image and have several characters, items or images moving, etc., usually takes a little longer.

    Please don't IM individual artists for a new request. It may be several days before they log on and your request may get overlooked. If you post a new request, you should start a new topic in the forum, where more artists will see your request.



    Make up your mind. This is a free service. Please do not abuse it by constantly requesting avatar re-designs. Keep your requests to one thread, please. And do not "hijack" someone else's thread by jumping in with your request -- start your own thread.

    If you find yourself constantly needing new avatar designs, you may wish to read some of the tutorials throughout this forum in order to learn the techniques!



    The artists do not perform miracles. Like most things in life, with graphics garbage in means garbage out. The better quality original the artists receive, the better quality result you will get.

    Avatar-sized originals usually give poor results because they are too small. Bigger is usually better. Please do not post ridiculously-sized items, though, unless you plan on printing the final graphic. In other words, posting a full-resolution 8x10 picture is not necessary for a simple avatar, but a 60x60 pixel image might be too small.



    Don't ask for the "best" artist. Think before you post. Each artist has considerable but unique talents. Since your goal is (hopefully) to receive the best results, why not get the most to choose from? Asking for only the "best" to participate will alienate many of the regular helpful folks.



    If in doubt, ask a moderator. Moderators are not the police. They are here to help. If you are unsure about a post, a file, or a request, simply ask first. If you're unsure of another person's post, you can always use HEY MODS. Sniping and trolling will not be tolerated.




    Politeness rules. It's worth saying again: if you are impolite you will be ignored.



    Do not bump threads or whine. If your thread or request is being ignored, it could be for many reasons. Re-read these guidelines for a clue. Perhaps nobody wants to do that much work. Perhaps that miracle requires the intervention of a higher power. Perhaps your request was vague. Perhaps the artists simply don't like the subject matter. It could be any of these or another reason.

    Whatever it is, the artists don't want to hear about it. Really.



    Do not vote your threads up. If you're requesting an avatar or graphics work, voting your thread up will get it ignored. Voting up someone else's thread will get you in trouble.
    Instead of voting up your thread, use the mark/unmark feature, so that you can find it again.
    The mark/unmark FAQ can be found here.



    Voting a thread up at Broadband Reports is designed so that the thread can be archived and available later on as an especially useful thread.

    Please reserve voting threads for those that should be archived, such as informative tutorials.



    This is about having fun. Now that all of the dos and donts are out of the way, don't forget that this is all about having fun. The artists here don't want to ignore anyone, nor do the moderators want to lock threads. They would rather be creating avatars or graphics for other users.
Thank you for reading this. Now go have some fun!


Feedback received on this FAQ entry:
  • I think this is a very nice introduction and for me, it sets a positive, cooperative tone. Thank you!

    2016-11-26 22:05:41 (jkanicki See Profile)



Expand got feedback?

by wafen See Profile
last modified: 2005-08-13 11:55:59