Yahoo!7 Answers Blog Australia

Following last week’s announcement, the transition to the new Yahoo!7 Profiles is now taking place on Answers. You will start noticing changes in your options.

What does this mean? From now on,  instead of importing your image display from Yahoo!7 360, Answers will use the image from your Yahoo!7 Profile. For those who like to have different images, keep in mind that in the future only one image will be displayed in all of Yahoo!7 Services. 360 users should update their image and make sure they keep the one they want.

To ensure that the image you want to show on Answers is the right one, we recommend you go to http://profiles.yahoo.com now and activate your new profile. Once you’re there, you’ll be asked to verify some information that you’ve previously shared with Yahoo!7, and to select the image you’d like to share with the Answers community.

If you have never used other Yahoo!7 services and haven’t activated your profile yet, your image will show up as the “Grey Face.”

For those of you who display an Avatar on Answers – don’t worry. This won’t change.

Both Avatars and nicknames will continue to remain the same on Answers.

Have more questions? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Back in October, Yahoo!7 redesigned the core profile pages, giving them a fresh new look and feel, and additional functionality. These new profiles allow you to manage your image and establish connections with your friends and family, as well share information on what you’re up to on third-party sites like YouTube and Twitter.  All of this can be done right from your new profile on Yahoo!7 at http://profiles.yahoo.com

So how does this relate to Yahoo!7 Answers?  Currently, the image that displays for each user in Answers is brought in from each user’s 360 profile. In the coming weeks, Answers will start using profiles to display your image rather than 360.

Many of you use other Yahoo!7 services on a regular basis and we want to make it easier for you to manage your display image across all of our services.  By doing this, you’ll be able to update your profile image in one place and it will represent you wherever you go on the Yahoo!7 network.

We understand some of you opt to use a different image on Answers than what you use on other Yahoo!7 services. To confirm the image that we will soon be displaying on Answers we recommend that you go to http://profiles.yahoo.com now and activate your new profile. Once you’re there, you’ll be asked to confirm some information that you’ve previously shared with Yahoo!7 and select the image you’d like to share with the Answers community.

If you have never used other Yahoo!7 services and do not activate your profile, your image will show up as the “Grey Face”.

For those of you who display an avatar on Answers – don’t worry.  This won’t change.
Both avatars and nicknames will continue to remain the same on Answers.

We want to make the transition to your new profiles on Yahoo!7 as straight forward as possible for you. So go to http://profiles.yahoo.com now and let us know what you think of it!

Have more questions? Visit the Profiles blog or leave us a comment and let us know!

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.