Question about a previous avatar

**Dr. Mike** · 12-04-2007, 01:31 PM

I'm not trying to be a smarta** with this, because I really love this forum, but something I just noticed made me kind of go hmmmmm.
I previously had an avatar that was a picture of Bert (from Bert and Ernie of Sesame Street) superimposed next to a picture of Osama bin Laden, meant as a joke. I was politely asked by a moderator (don't remember which one, I deleted the PM) to remove it, as some found it offensive. Fair enough. I don't make the rules, but I'm willing to abide by them.
But as I was preparing a post just now, while scrolling through the available Smilies, I noticed a bearded Smilie with the name Osama. Are the Smilies that are available provided by some outside server, or are they added for us to use by the Moderators. And if so, wouldn't there be just as much cause to remove this Smilie as there was in asking me to change my avatar?
Just wondering.

**joel** · 12-04-2007, 01:39 PM

Mike,
I don't remember your avatar, and don't remember the situation (I wasn't involved) but the fact that the smiley of osama is in the smilies list is odd. I think it might have been the context of your avatar or the like, but again - I don't know what your avatar looked like. If you'd like, we'll happily remove the Osama smiley, it was installed with a kit/package of smilies, so it wasn't specifically sought out and added, if that helps.

**moses** · 12-04-2007, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by joel

Mike,
I don't remember your avatar, and don't remember the situation (I wasn't involved) but the fact that the smiley of osama is in the smilies list is odd. I think it might have been the context of your avatar or the like, but again - I don't know what your avatar looked like. If you'd like, we'll happily remove the Osama smiley, it was installed with a kit/package of smilies, so it wasn't specifically sought out and added, if that helps.

Mike, I do remember your avatar, and I for one would like to express my thanks for changing it. I think I can honestly say that I don't think anyone thought you meant anything remotely questionable by your avatar. And, btw, It was awfully gentlemanly of you to chance it so willingly when someone brought it up.

As for the smiley, I'm with Joel - it does seem odd. It think it has never been considered by anyone to be an issue primarily because, to the best of my knowledge, no one has ever used it. Honestly, I'd be all for knocking it out of the list, but I have no idea if that is really practical, since they are a package.

-Mo

**Dr. Mike** · 12-04-2007, 04:05 PM

It's not a problem for me. I figured it was probably some kind of package of them (unless there is some intrepid person on here who makes them for a living!). And if it means that we might also have to lose the punk Smilie (which I just found today!), then I say keep 'em all. I was just mainly curious if anybody had complained about it. I think it adds humor.
Changing my avatar was no big deal. I rotate through them, so it would have gone anyways eventually. I imagine that mine might have been taken as more than just a joke because during that time I was also participating heavily in some political discussions over in the Barber Shop. The politically charged atmosphere might have drawn somebody to think it was more than just a harmless joke. If, say, I had been posting more in some other forum, it probably would have gone largely unnoticed. And then there was also that thread about who had the best avatar, and somebody mentioned mine, which probably brought it more exposure.
Like I said in my first post here, no big deal, just was curious.
Thanks for the clarification.