[nonightowl]

My avatar is my personal or custom photograph, yet, I noticed the same photo being used by another PC member recently. How did this happen?

I found out it was in the collection of avatars on PC. Did someone in admin or moderation add it because they liked it or something? I'm guessing members can't add to avatars to the PC collection.

My avatar is now gone from the collection though.

I know once something is on the Internet, it's hard to control where it ends up. But she was my baby, on my lap when it was taken. She passed away a few years ago, and I was with her when it literally happened.

So on that note, she's very special to me and it kind of feels like a "violation" to see her elsewhere. One can search for images of black cats online, should they want to use a black cat as an avatar.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by nonightowl

My avatar is my personal or custom photograph, yet, I noticed the same photo being used by another PC member recently. How did this happen?

I found out it was in the collection of avatars on PC. Did someone in admin or moderation add it because they liked it or something? I'm guessing members can't add to avatars to the PC collection.

My avatar is now gone from the collection though.

I know once something is on the Internet, it's hard to control where it ends up. But she was my baby, on my lap when it was taken. She passed away a few years ago, and I was with her when it literally happened.

So on that note, she's very special to me and it kind of feels like a "violation" to see her elsewhere. One can search for images of black cats online, should they want to use a black cat as an avatar.

just a little heads up when you post personal pictures online whether you place them as avatars or in a post as a signature or part of a post it can be right clicked/copied \ saved to other peoples computers. this is just an action built into computers windows operating systems.

another heads up this site is searchable by google and other search engines which result in others who are not members are able to see what you post including your avatars, even with out registering as a member.

my point is short of you not using your personal photos\personal avatars there is no way to prevent members and non registered members around the world from using your personal pictures as signatures and avatars on any websites they choose to use them on.

for this reason I do not post any personal photos online anywhere, not psych central, not facebook not anywhere. this way I know my personal photos/personal information is where they belong in my home protected from anyone other than those I choose to share them with (family and friends)

[kaliope]

i dont have an answer for you but i can understand your feelings at seeing someone else using your avatar. i can tell it is deeply personal to you. i hope they make sure this does not happen again.

[Smileonmyface]

I am sorry I mistakenly used your avatar, I really wish I hadn't as I never wanted to upset anybody here, and I am glad you notified me about it so that I could change to a different avatar as soon as possible. I wish I could tell you exactly where it is that I originally found it but I can no longer find it. Hopefully it is gone from the collections for good.
I agree with amandalouise about personal pictures though. I tend to stay away from posting them in places myself. that's why after what happened I chose just to use an image from disney that way if anyone else ever used it I wouldn't care at all because it really isn't mine.
maybe since it seems your avatar is gone from the collections now you could use something less personal so that you don't feel violated again? for me it was an honest mistake, taking your avatar when I didn't realize it was your personal photo. But if someone else took it, you never know how people are going to be, and it could lead to some hurt feelings all around...

[amandalouise]

this has also happened to me (where I have used and avatar and then had someone notify me that I was using their picture) when I first came here. i dont know if this is how it still works but when I first came here someone notified me that I was using their personal picture/avatar. I discovered that they had left the site with out deleting their photos and avatars first and that their photos and avatars were somehow automatically added to the selection list for avatars that anyone can use.

if it still works this way (avatars and photos automatically added to the community selection list when someone leaves them here on the site when they leave) my suggestion is that if anyone plans on deleting their accounts to go through and delete their pictures and avatar off their account before asking for the deletion. this way their personal photos\personal avatars wont end up in the community selection list.