[XNews] Polite query on X-Face: Why?
Harvey V
Face party -- but is there any real point to this feature beyond putting a
little clip-art-type logo at the top of a post?
In other words, is there any informational rather than decorative
application for the feature?
Just wondering.
Harvey
Supralight
<Xns9070B369E3A64...@194.168.222.9>:
As I understand, it's just a simple, low-bandwidth way to do something
like what most web-based message boards allow, a user picture of some kind
with the poster's profile/next to the message.
If I'm wrong, someone please correct me. :)
Damian
> the X- Face party -- but is there any real point to this feature
> beyond putting a little clip-art-type logo at the top of a post?
No. It's a fancy .sig.
--
-Damian
E-Mail address is valid
Harvey V
<Xns90706F88B3CA7...@205.242.92.192>:
Many thanks for both your and Damian's replies; that's how it struck me,
but I wasn't certain if I'd missed something.
(I don't think I'll be using it, though!)
Harvey
Drazen Kacar
There is for mail. I have a little application which normally shows how
many unread messages there are in each of incoming folders. If I click
on the folder representation it will show Subject and From headers for
all new messages in the folder (in a new window). If there is an X-Face,
it will also show that. Sometimes it happens that I have 40 or more
messages in some folder and I find it much easier to scan X-Faces than to
read the names.
--
.-. .-. Sarcasm is just one more service we offer.
(_ \ / _)
| da...@arsdigita.com
|
Drazen Kacar
> Drazen Kacar wrote in <99nurh$j1d$1...@news1.transmedia.de>:
>
> >There is for mail. I have a little application which normally
> >shows how many unread messages there are in each of incoming
> >folders.
>
No, it works on a bunch of Unix systems. It's called gbuffy.
Wired Earp
> In other words, is there any informational rather than decorative
> application for the feature?
There could be. You could keep several X-face images handy and use
them to convey the 'nature' of your post. Question, On subject, Off
topic, humor, flame etc.
Pictograms can express much more than standard emoticons. Like,
instead of showing a >:[ if you think the conversation stinks, you
use the subtle approach and display some toiletpaper. It so happens
that I am doing this as we write; but that's just for the helluvit.
Ideally you should be able to choose a fitting X-face for each post
from an accesible spot in the GUI. This sort of goes against the idea
of the X-face as a fancy signature, though.
--
Wired Earp
Wunderbyte
Murray Peterson
<Xns90712E316...@194.182.148.146>:
>Pictograms can express much more than standard emoticons. Like,
>instead of showing a >:[ if you think the conversation stinks, you
>use the subtle approach and display some toiletpaper. It so happens
>that I am doing this as we write; but that's just for the helluvit.
I see your point (and you X-face), but I have to admit that I prefer using
the language to express things where emoticons just aren't good enough. I
don't think I will be using this feature anytime soon.
--
Murray Peterson
Email: murray_...@home.com (remove underscore)
URL: http://www.members.home.net/murraypeterson
Drazen Kacar
> There could be. You could keep several X-face images handy and use
> them to convey the 'nature' of your post. Question, On subject, Off
> topic, humor, flame etc.
Especially if you're flaming someone who can't see X-Faces and you
know that most of the group can. :-)
those who know me have no need of my name
>You could keep several X-face images handy and use
>them to convey the 'nature' of your post. Question, On subject, Off
>topic, humor, flame etc.
don't do that. if your post is off-topic, or whatever, say so in the
subject or summary.
>Pictograms can express much more than standard emoticons.
i'm sure the folks that don't have visual sensors appreciate being passed
over by such statements.
further, smileys are inline whereas an x-face is one-per-message.
>Ideally you should be able to choose a fitting X-face for each post
>from an accesible spot in the GUI. This sort of goes against the idea
>of the X-face as a fancy signature, though.
indeed.
--
okay, have a sig then
Kathy I. Morgan
I think there is. Most people use the same X-Face all the time, and it
becomes a way of recognizing the poster. I tend to often fail to notice
the poster's name, but I always see the X-Face if there is one.
Even if the X-"face" is not a face, it (usually) provides a consistent
graphic representation for the person. For instance, I might not notice
"John Moreno" in the top of my window, but I always notice the "JM" in
his X-face, and before he started using that the ant/camel next to a
pyramid. Similarly, even if I fail to notice his name, I instantly
recognize a post from Joroen Scheerder by the statue in his X-Face, or
Simon Fraser by his face, etc.
--
Kathy
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Curt Welch
> Harvey V <whhvs@*removethis*operamail.com> wrote:
>
> > Not that it's particularly important -- and not meaning to poop on the
> > X- Face party -- but is there any real point to this feature beyond
> > putting a little clip-art-type logo at the top of a post?
> >
> > In other words, is there any informational rather than decorative
> > application for the feature?
>
> I think there is. Most people use the same X-Face all the time, and it
> becomes a way of recognizing the poster. I tend to often fail to notice
> the poster's name, but I always see the X-Face if there is one.
I've been getting a real kick out of all these new faces. There just
weren't enough people using them before.
I agree with Kathy as well. It does really help me get to know posters.
The names just don't stick with me as well as those little pictures do.
--
Curt Welch http://CurtWelch.Com/
cu...@kcwc.com Webmaster for http://NewsReader.Com/
those who know me have no need of my name
>I've been getting a real kick out of all these new faces. There just
>weren't enough people using them before.
death of usenet predicted.
film at eleven.
heh.