Dont be a Monster – How to Get a Gravatar

If you’ve ever wondered why some people who comment on blogs have a lovely little picture of themselves while other commenters are given a Monster gravatar, I’m going to clear that up for you.

(If you don’t know what I’m referring to, see the screen shot further down this page – taken from one of my blog articles.)

Most of the people who read my blog are monsters.

Not really, but because they lack a gravatar they appear to be monsters!

I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to be a monster. You, too, can have an adorable gravatar of your own.

WHAT’S A GRAVATAR?

A Gravatar (a globally recognized avatar) is an image that follows you from blog to blog appearing beside your name when you comment on Gravatar enabled sites.

Every time you leave a comment, the photo you use at your Gravatar account will automatically appear as opposed to the default space holder, which in the case of my blog, A MONSTER!

WHY AM I A MONSTER ON YOUR WEBSITE, MARIA?

WordPress has this delightful little option of using a random monster gravatar for commenters who don’t have their own gravatar. I thought little monsters would be cuter than a blank square….

But you don’t have to be a monster for long.

HOW TO GET A GRAVATAR: It’s so easy, your Grandmother could do it! And it’s FREE, all that’s required is your email address, and of course, a photo of your lovely mug.

Go to Gravatar.com and sign up, then upload a photo of yourself. You can always change this photo later by logging back into your Gravatar account.

Soon after signing up you’ll start seeing it on all of your comments you posted using the same email address (and all other Gravatar enabled blogs!)

It’s retroactive and automatic so you don’t need to do a thing other than make sure the email address you use when posting comments is the same as the email address used at your Gravatar account.

Don’t be a monster! Sign up for your gravatar today!