Yahoo!7 Answers Australia

Recently some of the community asked us to clarify what images and avatars are acceptable on Answers. Avatars and images are a great way to personalise your Answers profile, they add a creative touch and can express to everyone who you are and what you’re interested in answering. But as some users have expressed confusion, we wanted to respond to everyone on what’s OK and not OK.

How do I choose an image or avatar for my profile?
To choose an image or avatar for my profile, take the following steps.

1.    Go to Answers
2.    Click on My Profile
3.    Sign into your Answers account with your Yahoo! ID and Password
4.    Click Edit My Info and go to the subheading Picture

In the Picture section you will see the default, which is No Picture, that gives you a grey avatar. If you wish to use one of the Yahoo!7 Avatars, click “Edit my Yahoo! avatar” link, choose from one of the Yahoo!7 avatars and the select the Use my Yahoo!7 Avatar button on your Answers Profile.

If you want to use an image on your Answers profile, you can upload one to your Yahoo!7 360 profile and then click the “Use my Yahoo!7 360 picture”. This then brings up the issue of what is an acceptable image on Answers.

What is an acceptable image on my Answers Profile?
Answers is a broad and diverse community, full of passionate askers and answerers and we’re keen to ensure the images you use to personalise your profile reflect this. It is, however, important to remember that Answers Profile Images are subject to the Community Guidelines and Terms of Service and many of the clauses in each of these apply just as much to images as to questions or answers. Members who have violated the Community Guidelines are at risk for review and possible termination of their Answers accounts. In extreme cases, members risk losing their Yahoo! ID, and consequently, access to all other Yahoo!7 services.

Being mean or obscene
Because kids as young as 13 may participate in Yahoo!7 Answers, sexually explicit and vulgar language and images are not welcome on the site.

Several of you have been asking for clarification on what constitutes a sexually explicit image and we understand the same image can generate differences of opinions in the community. However from a Yahoo!7 Answers standpoint you may not use an avatar that depicts nudity or sexual acts. Specifying what constitutes an adult image can be tricky, but as a rule of thumb, if it’s a photo of something you would acceptably see on a family public swimming pool, it’s OK. Beyond that, it’s not OK. This includes depictions of people, computer-generated images and cartoons.

Violating the law
Members of Yahoo!7 Answers are not above the law, so don’t post anything that violates the laws of your country, state, territory or city. Don’t try to trick people into sharing their personal information, steal anything (like copyright or trademark material), or break into places you shouldn’t be. Don’t threaten, harass, impersonate, or hurt others, and don’t invade other people’s privacy.

The Violating the Law section of the Community Guidelines also applies to Profile images. Needless to say any image that breaks the law is unacceptable on Answers, in whatever form it takes. Using images to “threaten, harass, impersonate, or hurt others, and don’t invade other people’s privacy” is also unacceptable. Images that make gestures to insult other members of community, incite hate speech or attempt to disrupt the functions of the site are also unacceptable.

What is the future of Answers Profile Images?
Currently, if you wish to have your own image rather than a Yahoo!7 Avatar on your Answers Profile, you need to add an image to your Yahoo!7 360 Profile and then select “Use my Yahoo!7 360 picture”. But early next year Answers will be transitioning to use the new Yahoo!7 Profiles platform instead of 360. Between now and then we would strongly recommend you sign up for a Yahoo!7 Profile before we make this transition.

Profiles is all about you – your connections, your updates, your privacy settings, your life. Yahoo!7 Profiles will help you better connect with the people that matter to you in the easiest way possible, whether it’s sharing your recent updates or connecting with people from your address book. Learn more about Profiles here. The Profiles platform also brings the additional benefits to Answers of being able to report an image itself, rather than the question or answer that it accompanies.