Monsters, y/n?

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I mentioned this in the haiku thread, but I don’t want to constrain people to feeling they have to express their vote in haiku! I changed the default avatars to “MonsterID,” just to see how it looked — I felt like maybe it would fit the tone of the blog better than those geometric patterns, which admittedly are classy and very lovely. Like the patterns, the monster is generated based on your email address (I don’t understand why they don’t do it based on IP, actually, because that’s possible and would be more useful in spotting trolls, but whatever. Around here we generally ban trolls — by IP — anyway, so we don’t have to worry about them coming back in a different hat).

Personally I love the monsters, and they make me a little jealous, because I have to stick with my avatar for post-identification purposes. (But I’ll get a monster if I forget to log into WordPress.) It’s up to you guys, though — what do you like better?

(Edit: Your monster shows up under “recent comments,” in the lefthand sidebar of the main page.  Though maybe I need to figure out how to make them show up in comments threads!  I find them endlessly entertaining.)

221 thoughts on “Monsters, y/n?”

  2. They go remarkably well with the angry food, too, imho.

    (Logged out of WP to see what my monster looked like!)

  3. I am posting right now because I so want to see what my monster looks like!

    I liked the quilts, too.

  4. I lurv my monster! She’s so cool! (She’s sort of a cross between a very curvy bell pepper and an alligator.)

  5. Katia, your monster is fat and lumpy! I’m so jealous!!

    I like that mine has rainbow eyes, though.

  6. I’m voting for monsters. And I’m definitely not just posting this vote in order to find out what my monster is.

  9. OMG the monsters are cracking me up. I really hope there’s not a huge push to go back to the Identicons.

    Lynne’s and Katia’s are my favorite so far.

  22. How does it decide what your monster looks like?

    I don’t know! WordPress says it’s “based on email address,” whatever that actually means. I mean, it has a variety of options for bodies, legs, arms, hair, eyes, etc. and it puts them together based on cues from your email, but I’m not sure how.

  27. Bwahaha!

    I think monsters have many things in common with fat acceptance. How many of y’all, like me, learned about diversity and tolerance by watching Sesame Street?

    And, until the epidemic began, no one told Cookie Monster that he was too big to eat COOKIES!!

  31. And, until the epidemic began, no one told Cookie Monster that he was too big to eat COOKIES!!

    “C is for cookie, that’s good enough for me.”

    Monsters = fun.

  50. oh wow, they’re so so cute. much better than the squarey thingie whatevers from before. these at least have some sort of personality.

  53. In regards to why these go on email address instead of IP, it’s so that someone can post from a different computer or location and still have the same image. Since the point is to create identifying images, it would be a bit silly if you got a different one when you were posting from home or from some wi-fi hotspot.

  57. I think the monsters, as Fillyjonk said, go better thematically with the blog iteslf. So that’s my vote. :)

    Also excited to see what monster I’m assigned. :D

  59. Haaahaha, mine is weird. They’re definitely better than the patterns, though. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could have food avatars?

  60. I like the monsters much better. The quilty things looked to me like they were just placeholders.

    But I’m not sure I’d want avatars on the comment threads, themselves. I suspect that would get distracting.

    On the other hand, I tend to reflexively balk at change, so I may be being pre-emptively grumpy for no reason. RARRRR!

  65. Monsters? What’s this about monsters? (This is what I get for reading blogs backwards, most recent to older….)

  67. Ahhhh! Thanks for the edit, I was just about to post another message saying “Wahh I can’t see any monsters!”

    LOL, mine is doofy-looking. *g*

  76. Apparently I am very much in the minority, but I preferred the geometric patterns. I don’t hate the monsters, though. I hadn’t understood how either system was working till you explained, and now I really wish I could see my own geometric pattern.

  87. I love my monster. It looks like she has six legs, a feather boa, and best of all, FOUR BOOBIES! That is so awesome.

  91. I love them! Mine is purple and tentacle-y and waving HELLO and looks like all those wonderful tentacles would swing wonderfully when dancing or swimming! :D

  95. I liked the quilt patterns/geometric shapes, but I like the monsters as well. They’re all so colorful.

  98. Yep, logged out of wordpress to get a monster too. I love them. Please keep them. I didn’t ever log out for a geometric pattern.

  108. Oh, boo. I mean, my pissed-off kitty is cute and all, but she’s not a monster. She’s too fuzzy. That was kind of disappointing.

    Also, computers obviously are too complicated for me, since this exact issue was addressed in the post. Le sigh.

  131. Whats that coming over the hill? is it my monster?

    (plagurising a british song by the Automatic there)

    I often look in here but rarely post, if I’m getting a free monster tho’

  136. Totally on board with the monsers (that’s how we say it in our house, like taking the T out makes it more playful or something; yes, we’re weird).

    I can’t wait to see what mine is. Maybe I’ll have to get a new email address if it’s fugly.

  138. I’m not going to lie. I do a lot of lurking around here, but these monster may force me to come out of hiding they’re so awesome.

  145. Well! This gives me a good excuse to mention that y’all inspired me to buy a new bra that actually fits — and I was only a little bit horrified that my band size is actually 40. I’ve been wearing my sad old 36Ds for two years now, even though I knew they didn’t fit right, because… well, because I’m cool with going up a pants size due to fat assery, but the idea of a fat ribcage sort of paralyzed me with horror. Until, that is, I started reading SP and paying attention to the talk about how awesome it is to have clothes that fit, and how it’s better to be fat with properly sized comfortable clothes than it is to be fat and squeezed miserably into a size 10… and then I noticed that my new big girl clothes made me look great, so hmm, maybe a new big girl bra would do the same… and anyway, this comment is way too long for just being bra talk, but hey! Thanks, Kate/fillyjonk/sweet machine/commenters! My breasts love you guys!

    (So… what’s my avatar? I hope it’s kind of titlicious.)

  147. Well, I have never had an avatar, but you have aroused my curiosity, so here goes. And I do love monsters of various types…dragons, dinosaurs, muppets, etc.

  153. whooo hooo, I’m a floating, winking, clawed green mmmonnster with a bush growing on her head. I likes it. mmm.

  158. I wanted to see my monster. The ones up there were cool. I can’t use my original email address because all of the blogs decided I was spam so I use my secondary one now so I hope it works.

  159. well, i likely won’t end up with a monster (which is ok by me, i quite like my mouse), but i’m all for ‘em. mostly, i’m just excited that you gave me the tip-off on how to change the damn things on my blog, too, fillyjonk. those quilt squares were driving me nutso.

    but i do think you should have the avatars right here in the comments as well. i mean, love the quilt, love the monster, whatever your cuppa tea is, let’s put ‘em out there!

  160. I guess I don’t get a monster? the recent comments skipped right over me. Oh well. I don’t feel very monsterish today anyways.

    Roar! Maybe I do feel like a monster!

  168. btw the advantage of email versus ip is that then if i comment from work i will have the same one because i always use my own email. (and i work at different places all the time, freelancing, so i for one appreciate it going by email, but thats just me)

  175. No Sharp Edges, your monster is totally ready for its close up. Look at that attitude! It’s awesome.

    My monster, is contrast, is shite. Hmph!

  176. merely posting here to see the monster!

    I like the monsters already though, the patterns were pretty but the monsters are more fun.

  182. Is it super-sad that I’ve been a lurker, and I’m posting now just to see my monster? Yes, is is.

  187. off topic but did any one see SNL last nigth they did a kind of pro FA skit about people who lost weight and come on tv shows

  196. oh, nice, my monster is toast-shaped (just like one of my favorite foods, toast) and it has 8 legs like a spider and horns!! that is a very fitting monster indeed :)

  199. I missed my monster while it was awaiting moderation for my new email so I’m trying one last time. Come on monsters!

  207. Checking mine out… *crosses fingers and hopes for cuteness*

    Those quilting squares were driving me crazy. I’m still not a fan of these in general (what looks good in Livejournal is distracting and jarring in WP), but the monsters are a huge improvement.

  216. Um, can we sing the “Monster Mash” song? Pretty please? I try not to make demands of my beloved FA blogs/life sustaining communities, but I really feel it’s called for.

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