I was introduced to a cool little tool this week by Keira at Love, Romance, Passion where I guest blogged this week with Carly Phillips on author websites (in case you’re interested…great post) and I was so thrilled with the little treat, I wanted to share. (Yes, I’m excited by little things.)
But one of the things I love about it is that I often struggle with what to post here, because we have a mixture of readers and writers and it’s often difficult to find a topic that suits both. And this does!
This little tool is fantastic for readers who visit various blogs often and leave comments. And it’s a valuable little time saver for authors who are always hopping around the blog sphere. It’s Gravitar. Not Avatar…this is different.
I may be behind the times…you may all know about this already, and if you do..well, I guess I’ll be **blushing**, but what the heck!
What is a Gravitar? It’s a miniature image associated with an email address that shows up on every blog where you use that email address as an identifier to post a comment.
So you know on those blogs where you go to the comments section and by their names you see little quilt patterns? That’s where a picture of you (or whatever you’d like to represent you) will go by using this little tool. Now, you can hop all over the blogsphere and no matter where you post a comment…there you’ll be!
Here are the steps:
- Choose/create your image
Image should be 200 x 200 or 300 x 300, larger is better - Go to http://en.gravatar.com/
- Click on: Get Your Gravitar Today >
- Enter the email you will use when you comment on blogs
- You’ll be directed to confirm your account by returning to your email.
- Click on the link in the email and it will return you to the Gravitar site to complete the process.
- Choose your username and password
- Here you will add your image:
Message: Whoops, looks like you don’t have any images yet! Click on blue Link: Add one by clicking here! - Search for you image on your computer, select and choose: Crop and Finish
- Here you get to select a rating for your Gravitar G, PG, R or X…a-hem…interesting.
- You will then be returned to the original screen where you image will appear aside your email.
- You’re done!
Now, go leave your new face everywhere around the blogsphere! Let me know how it goes!! Pretty please??
Well, I did it. Thanks for sharing the “how-to.” Now we’ll see if it works.
Seriously, I’m thrilled someone didn’t already know about it
I was sure I was the only one on the universe! I’m always behind the curve – and so excited to find it.
GREAT advice, Joan!! LOL, it took me forever to figure that out ~~ I kept seeing everyone else having their own little icons, and I was like I want that! So I hunted and tried and failed until I figured it out, lol
I didn’t even know you could do that. Evidently…I’m a tad slow :/ Thanks for commenting!
Bittenbybooks was responsible for introducing me to Gravitar. I had to try it out. Since I am not overly fond of my picture, I use my cute lil toy dachie Simi as my picture. She’s my staunch supporter and cuddle buddy.
Yay! I’m glad you liked it. I shared it with a few authors that day, so I think this post is really relevant. I first heard of them when I had a personal LiveJournal (from back in the heyday). I think it’s great. You got to be careful though and make sure you have one for each of your email addresses, because you might forget and post somewhere with one you don’t normally use. lol
Gravatar is why my icon differs from email address to email address. Still, it’s all fun.