One Question

[elyusion]

Hello everyone! I was just wondering...

Poll #33430

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 51

View Respondents

What's your favorite type of graphic that's used to say something about you?

View Answers

Stamps
11 (21.6%)

Blinkies
6 (11.8%)

88x31 Buttons
6 (11.8%)

80x15 Badges
1 (2.0%)

Userboxes
5 (9.8%)

100x100 Icons
21 (41.2%)

Something else?
1 (2.0%)

I think DW users might have a bias towards icons and I considered excluding it as an option, but we'll see.

For reference: Stamps, blinkies, 88x31 buttons, 80x15 badges, userboxes, and I hope you know what 100x100 icons look like!(?)

Comments

[matsushima]

I definitely prefer 100x100 userpics because (obvs?) I am on Dreamwidth and I have a paid account. Second place for me would be stamps, tho.

[pedanther]

Looking at the reference images is giving me nostalgia. It's been years since I last visited a website that uses 88x31 buttons in cold blood.

[fred_mouse]

Having looked at those, I don't think I have an opinion. I mostly don't use visuals for about me at all, if that makes sense.

[axolotls]

I've always found deviantArt stamps had a better aspect ratio than 88x31 buttons. Glad to see people still like them!

[javert]

What an interesting question! I've pondered it all day lol. Here are my thoughts on each option:

Stamps: I love stamps! I agree that the format/size is a nice compromise of small yet still readable. My main issue with them is that I associate them with deviantART too strongly lol. I have one on my fansite, but I don't know, they do look kind of out of place to me anywhere but on dA...

Blinkies: I think they're probably the ones I like the best aesthetically! However people often complain that they're too small (and/or too flashy) and that's very fair. I know some people make them at double size but to me it defeats the purpose...

88x31 Buttons: My favorite pick to put on a website specifically. I like the old-school vibes and also I'm fond of the "X Now!" parodies. I think I do like them best as buttons to link to other websites though.

80x15 Badges: Thank you so much for the example link, I've had such a hard time finding those, lol. I really like them! They are very, very small, though. I think my favorite take on them is probably the ones made by fluffmoth on Flight Rising; they're veeeery slightly longer and I like the round borders.

Userboxes: I'm neutral on them because I haven't really used them much, but if I had I'd probably have a similar issue as with stamps, where I associate them too strongly with a specific website. I do really like the "This user (verbs) phrasing though, that's neat.

100x100 Icons: This one is super interesting to me because I wouldn't really say I associate them with "saying something about me"? I guess if you consider "expressing a mood" to be "saying something about oneself" then yes, but otherwise not really. Any icon you use says something about you, of course, but I wouldn't display them the same way I'd display blinkies or buttons... Maybe I'm overthinking this lol.

One option I've really enjoyed is Internet Bumper Stickers! They're big (or, well, bigger than most other options) and they often do say something about you. I ended up going with them for my index page over 88x31 buttons which was my first thought.

To answer the question, though... In a vacuum I'd probably say stamps! Specifically for a website it's a tie between buttons and blinkies. Specifically to say something about me in the sense of identity, beliefs or preferences I'd say those Flight Rising badges. T_T I'm abstaining from the poll, but thank you for giving me all this food for thought, heh!

[craftyhobbit]

If not for icons/avatars, I would have voted for 88x31 buttons, but I actually prefer 100x50 because you can get more text and images on them, but for some reason 88x31 won out over them (no idea why...) I also like 468x60 banners for the same reason, but they are a bit too big.

I hate blinkies because they are too small, and people tend to have so many of them that you can't read what's on them, or find ones that you like.

I've no clue what stamps, badges and user boxes are.

[haunted_cherries]

GOD back in the days of Deviantart, stamps and blinkies had me in a CHOKEHOLD xD

[linky]

For me I really love stamps, 88x31 Buttons, and 100x100 icons! But I find there's something to enjoy for all of these. :D