Don't be anonymous at social media sites–use a gravatar

By Joan Stewart

When you go to a blog, call up a post and see a comment that’s accompanied by an illustration of what appears to be a pawn on a chess board, or just a gray square where there’s supposed to be a photo, don’t assume that the person who posted the comment necessarily wants to remain anonymous.

It could be that the writer doesn’t know about the importance of gravatars.

A globally recognized gravar 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 or a web forum.

Here’s the best part. You create your gravatar just once at Gravatar.com, and it can appear hundreds of times, as you go from blog to blog, or from forum to forum.

A gravatar is usually the first thing people see at social media sites. It makes it easier for them to know you if they can connect a face with a name. We recommend a gravatar that includes a tightly cropped profile shot, instead of an illustration that looks like a cartoon character.

The photo at the top left gives you a good idea of what blog comments look like when they’re posted by people without gravatars. I took this screen shot from my own blog at PublicityHound.net. That’s me in the photo at the top. As for the other two commenters, I hope they each claim their gravatar.

Do you have one? If not, why not?

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  • Karen Hickman

    As always,great info! Thanks, Karen Hickman

  • Mary Jane Hurley Brant

    Seeing a person’s face engages us. When it’s a picture of a fence or a Christmas ball, etc. what does that say?

    Gravatar is easy to do so take the time before Friday and get your gorgeous face up there! You can do it!