# Randomizers



## Goli (Jul 22, 2010)

They should be allowed! I could have a different avatar each time you reload the page that way... or post my spore tag thingie, among others.


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## Rydian (Jul 22, 2010)

If you make your own and have it appear as a file with an image's extension (such as with apache's rewrite function) you can do it.  I and some others use it for their sigs (well mine's actually dynamically generated, not random images), and there's no reason you can't use it for your avatar IIRC since you can link to something off-site instead of uploading... I might do that when I have some free time.


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## Goli (Jul 22, 2010)

Rydian said:
			
		

> If you make your own and have it appear as a file with an image's extension (such as with apache's rewrite function) you can do it.  I and some others use it for their sigs (well mine's actually dynamically generated, not random images), and there's no reason you can't use it for your avatar IIRC since you can link to something off-site instead of uploading... I might do that when I have some free time.


I tried once but it didn't allow me to:/.


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## Rydian (Jul 22, 2010)

I'm going to need more details than that.


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## DunkrWunkah (Jul 22, 2010)

Rydian, you should make a tutorial for all of us to use! I'd bet it would be stickied as well!


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## Goli (Jul 22, 2010)

I tried to put my spore badge from sporebadges.com in my sig and it said randomizers aren't allowed, or something along those lines, I also re-read the rules that time and it did say they weren't allowed, so I didn't even bother trying with my avatar.


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## DunkrWunkah (Jul 22, 2010)

Goli said:
			
		

> I tried to put my spore badge from sporebadges.com in my sig and it said randomizers aren't allowed, or something along those lines, I also re-read the rules that time and it did say they weren't allowed, so I didn't even bother trying with my avatar.


It seems that Rydian is avoiding the law at the moment, so I guess it's alright.


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## Rydian (Jul 22, 2010)

I'm not using a randomizer per-se, as I said my sig's dynamically generated, but it uses the same sort of programming core as a randomizer (with the image being created and sent to the viewer's browser anew each time with modifications).

The rules also say no flash signatures, but at least one mod and multiple members have flash in their signatures... but not ones that autoplay sound or video, which is the stated problem with those (as brought up by members and mods in at least one thread I've seen).

As for an actually-random avatar, it'd be trivial to create, but I'd wait for a mod or member of the staff to give the okay, assuming it's not disruptive.


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## tk_saturn (Jul 22, 2010)

Rydian said:
			
		

> The rules also say no flash signatures
> No it doesn't.
> 
> Read them
> ...


You've just contradicted yourself there.


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## Rydian (Jul 22, 2010)

tk_saturn said:
			
		

> Rydian said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


No I didn't, because I'm not using a randomizer.

It's the same sort of concept in a programming sense, but then again so is adding and subtracting from a variable, but both of those have two entirely different meanings if we're talking about bank account balance.  Adding and subtracting $50,000 from an account may be the same sort of concept in a programming sense, but they are certainly not the same beyond that.

Again, we'll wait for a mod to post.


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## Minox (Jul 22, 2010)

Users are prohibited from posting transparent/invisible images that stretch the page, and the flash-based "screamers" and 1x1 pixel flash videos. *Dynamic and HTML-based images*, as well as those with overly long animation sequences *are also disallowed in your avatars and signatures.*[/p]

That includes using php scripts to linking to different avatars every refresh.


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## gameboy13 (Jul 22, 2010)

Minox_IX said:
			
		

> Users are prohibited from posting transparent/invisible images that stretch the page, and the flash-based "screamers" and 1x1 pixel flash videos. *Dynamic and HTML-based images*, as well as those with overly long animation sequences *are also disallowed in your avatars and signatures.*[/p]
> 
> That includes using php scripts to linking to different avatars every refresh.









 Too bad. That would of been cool.


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## tj_cool (Jul 22, 2010)

I have no problems myself with Flash based signatures as long as they don't autoplay/annoy members. Good examples of allowed Flash signatures are those of tk_saturn and Ace Gunman.

* Note: the rules also don't forbid the usage of Flash files in sigs.


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## Rydian (Jul 22, 2010)

Minox_IX said:
			
		

> Users are prohibited from posting transparent/invisible images that stretch the page, and the flash-based "screamers" and 1x1 pixel flash videos. *Dynamic and HTML-based images*, as well as those with overly long animation sequences *are also disallowed in your avatars and signatures.*[/p]
> 
> That includes using php scripts to linking to different avatars every refresh.Is that out of bandwidth/speed concern for the viewer, since browser caching wouldn't work?
> If the randomizer is instead giving an HTTP 307 response and giving the user a URL of a (random) static image...
> CODE


Then the viewer's browser should cache each individual image, and when a repeat happens the the browser recognizes the URL and loads the image data from cache instead of downloading it over again.


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