June 2 - Teachers.Net Tip of the Day:
Gravatars (Globally Recognized Avatars)
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Teachers.Net now features Gravatars, allowing teachers to easily personalize any submission on Teachers.Net…
What is a “Gravatar”?
A Gravatar is a Globally Recognized AVATAR, which allows people on the Internet to personalize their posts, comments, and messages instantly and anonymously.
How do Gravatars work?
Gravatars work by automatically embedding your personal photograph, icon, or avatar in any content you post to a Gravatar-enabled website. Once you set up your Gravatar, every time you supply your email address to a Gravatar-enabled system, your custom avatar is instantly embedded right into the post.
Why would I want to include an avatar when I post?
When you post a message on the Internet, it’s difficult for people to remember who you are – you’re just a screen name among thousands of others. But when you create an avatar, people see your face each time you post (or a cartoon you select, an animal, or any picture you like). This lets people easily remember you, and helps you to build authenticity in a world of anonymous bits and bytes.
But what about my privacy?
With Gravatars, your privacy is completely protected. Nobody can see your email address (it’s scrambled with a complex algorithm called MD-5). You never need to supply your real name or location, so nobody can ever figure this out by your avatar. If you don’t want to use your own picture, you can use any picture you like, so there’s complete anonymity if you want. Your Gravatar account is secured on the WordPress server, so none of the sites that display your Gravatar can even access your account.
How do I get my Gravatar to work?
To get your Gravatar to show up on Teachers.Net, first create a Gravatar account (see below). Then, every time you include your email address in a post on a Teachers.Net chatboard (or any Gravatar-enabled system across the Internet) your Gravatar will automatically appear in your post. Include your email address, and your Gravatar shows up – it’s that easy!
Sounds fun – what does it cost?
There is no cost to create or use a Gravatar account.
How do I change my Gravatar?
You can change your Gravatar at any time – just log back in to the Gravatar website and follow the simple steps to change your existing Gravatar. When you change your Gravatar, even your old posts will immediately be updated with your new Gravatar.
OK, I’m convinced – how do I set up my Gravatar?
To create your Gravatar, create an account at Gravatar.com (http://gravatar.com/). All it takes is your email address, and once you confirm your registration, you can upload any picture you like for your Gravatar. You can test your Gravatar by posting to any Teachers.Net chatboard (see http://teachers.net/mentors/ ).
That’s all there is to it – I hope to see your Gravatar on Teachers.Net, and you can help to beautify Teachers.Net – your teacher website!
Bob Reap
Site Developer
Teachers.Net
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