How did a newbie wear an avatar?

[CONVOAI]

How did a newbie wear an avatar? As far as I know, you have to be a full member to use an avatar. I just saw this user's post, and my eyes went to his avatar and rank. I checked his profile and saw he opened this account in 2011. Does that mean that these rules don't apply to very old accounts?
User: volkspider

[PX-Z]

...Does that mean that these rules don't apply to very old accounts?

Way back then all ranks can wear an avatar, that's why you can see those old account with low ranks with avatars, after the hack of the forum due to the exploit in the avatar bug (initially suspected) way back 20153 (i guess, if i remember it correctly), changes happen, and only full members can wear them today.

[AuchanX]

Probably a decade ago, even users of lower ranks, including Newbie, could use avatars, but later the rules changed and now only Full Members and above can upload new avatars..But those who used avatars in the old days have not had their avatars removed,so it is very likely that many are still using the old avatars even though they are in the Newbie rank. I saw that the account you mentioned was registered in 2011. My guess is that he probably set the avatar then, and since he was not very active after that, he is still in the Newbie rank. Currently, it is not possible for any new Newbie to upload an avatar directly, except for Copper Members.
This issue has been discussed on the Meta board before. It was said in this thread that many older accounts have low ranks but still have avatars because they were set to the previous rules.
Similarly, the discussion in this thread, A member rank wearing avatar?also mentions that after the rules change, old avatars have been grandfathered.

[joker_josue]

The same thing happens, with some users still having animated avatars.

Back then, that was still possible. Those who never changed their avatars still have those. If they change them today, they can't have them again.

[Ivystar5]

There was total equity on activities to an extent and because abusers will always be abusers and will always exist that's the reason some rules where set and then some levels of ranks can't do certain activities to reduce the level of abuse, there came about old guys who abandoned their accounts or died or left the forum still having the said avatar on.

edit: Perhaps before I could come up with this the answer was already publiced by another user, hence I will just suggest lockingbthe thread now.

[hosemary]

Currently, it is not possible for any new Newbie to upload an avatar directly, except for Copper Members.

This is not true.
For wearing an avatar, you need to reach full member rank and you can't lift that restriction even by buying copper membership.

Copper membership gives you almost same permissions as member rank.

[CONVOAI]

So after the rules were changed that only users with a rank of Full Member or above would be able to use avatars. But the question is was it not possible to disable the avatars of low ranked users who were already using avatars due to some technical difficulties? Or was it intentionally kept like this so that those who were already using them could continue?

[Kazkaz27]

So after the rules were changed that only users with a rank of Full Member or above would be able to use avatars. But the question is was it not possible to disable the avatars of low ranked users who were already using avatars due to some technical difficulties? Or was it intentionally kept like this so that those who were already using them could continue?

I believe it was sort of a grandfathering in

[hosemary]

But the question is was it not possible to disable the avatars of low ranked users who were already using avatars due to some technical difficulties?

Theymos could remove avatars for those old low-ranked members if he wanted to, but he has never planned to do so.
Note that the restriction for users with ranks below full members is that they can't upload avatars. So those low ranked members that are wearing avatars can't change their avatars.

You must be a full member or above to upload an avatar.

[CONVOAI]

Note that the restriction for users with ranks below full members is that they can't upload avatars. So those low ranked members that are wearing avatars can't change their avatars.

Ow thats the point. The option to upload or edit an avatar in their profile settings is no longer there so they can't change or remove it even if they want to. I thought maybe they still have the option to upload or edit an avatar. I got my answer thanks.

[DPHOR]

If I could guess correctly back then 2010-11 most of the account, I mean all ranks where able to wear avatar but after some updates and adjustments of rules some limits where sets to newbies and member ranks and they are able to wear avatar anymore, except full member, but whenever that user comes online and he removed his avatar he won't be able to apply it again. He was able to wear the avatar when the rules weren't set on rank limitations.

[Nathrixxx]

it is not possible for any new Newbie to upload an avatar directly, except for Copper Members.

Don't get it wrong,

Copper members only have the privilege of posting an image while still a newbie account, they can't post avatar for any reason, their copper rank subscription does not include the privilege g adding avatar except they becomes a full member rank.

[EarnOnVictor]

...Does that mean that these rules don't apply to very old accounts?

Way back then all ranks can wear an avatar, that's why you can see those old account with low ranks with avatars, after the hack of the forum due to the exploit in the avatar bug (initially suspected) way back 20153 (i guess, if i remember it correctly), changes happen, and only full members can wear them today.

@CONVOAI, I didn't notice this. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. And @PX-Z, thanks for the clarification as well.

Yet, I find it strange that the general change and overhauling of the entire forum is sectional in application and implementation. I believe it should have been thorough and general, and then leave everyone to equally prove themselves worthy of any feature-unlock on the forum.

[joker_josue]

Yet, I find it strange that the general change and overhauling of the entire forum is sectional in application and implementation. I believe it should have been thorough and general, and then leave everyone to equally prove themselves worthy of any feature-unlock on the forum.

Not exactly.
The change was essentially this: from today onwards, only full members can upload avatars; those who had one before will keep it and won't be able to modify it until they level up.
Ultimately, the user needs to keep striving to level up in order to change their avatar.

[KingsDen]

How did a newbie wear an avatar? As far as I know, you have to be a full member to use an avatar. I just saw this user's post, and my eyes went to his avatar and rank. I checked his profile and saw he opened this account in 2011. Does that mean that these rules don't apply to very old accounts?
User: volkspider

I just checked his profile and discovered that he is not a new generation newbie. He registered far back 2011 when avatar was allowed for all the profiles.

The most interesting thing is the ability of that user to still remember their password after so many years of inactivity. He didn't use the reset password option. That must be a very detailed user there.

[BlackBoss_]

How did a newbie wear an avatar? As far as I know, you have to be a full member to use an avatar. I just saw this user's post, and my eyes went to his avatar and rank. I checked his profile and saw he opened this account in 2011. Does that mean that these rules don't apply to very old accounts?

Before this newbie restriction enforcement, newbies were allowed to wear avatars, and if they did not took off their avatars before that forum rule change, their accounts still have that avatar as a forum glitch.

Newbie restrictions.

Also:
- Newbies cannot upload their own avatars.

Like users who still wear animated avatars which were not allowed / disabled by theymos years ago.

OK, APNGs are now detected. Old ones are grandfathered for now, in part because people have ongoing campaigns, but in the future I might (or might not) go through and remove them.

[CONVOAI]

The most interesting thing is the ability of that user to still remember their password after so many years of inactivity. He didn't use the reset password option. That must be a very detailed user there.

Maybe he had written down the password somewhere. Because it is normal to forget a password from 15 years ago. Or maybe his brain is very sharp. However being able to access the account after all these years shows that he was aware of his data. The habit of saving old things is actually very useful.

[tbct_mt2]

Maybe he had written down the password somewhere. Because it is normal to forget a password from 15 years ago. Or maybe his brain is very sharp. However being able to access the account after all these years shows that he was aware of his data. The habit of saving old things is actually very useful.

According to BPIP, this user woke up two times at least, one in 2022 and a latest one in 2026.
https://bpip.org/Profile?id=18099

The user possibly made other woke ups as BPIP is younger than the forum and it does not have information about account woke ups many years in the past before BPIP launch.

At least according to BPIP, there is no password change or reset, no email address change too.
Nothing strange and that account is possibly still in control of an original owner.
Password changed / Woke up recently. Good signals to know potential scammers

[JiiBs]

The most interesting thing is the ability of that user to still remember their password after so many years of inactivity. He didn't use the reset password option. That must be a very detailed user there.

I superficially looked at the account at first and just noting that it was an account from 2011, you know it existed way before the ranking system and could do much but upon seeing your comment, I had to do a little detail review on the account and it’s indeed active, was even active again today.
This is a user that posted last in 2011 and just yesterday started being active. That’s quite something and I wonder if this account would still follow the now rankling pipeline…

[Woodie]

Missed this era, but I believe these privileges were something to beautify the forum at the time and also to get users to express themselves with what they like  without limits of x rank & whatnot, but I when forum started to get well established loyal forum members needed certain perks to separate them from newcomers who needed to commit to the forum to enjoy the same privileges once they played by the book .