Pimp Your Comments

In your travels around the Internet — reading blogs and posting pithy comments on same — you may have noticed that some people post adorable self portraits or avatars to go with their comments. But your comments just get a faceless dude (or something the blog chose) who looks just like the image next to everyone else’s comment. No matter how much you poke around trying to fix this, there seems to be no way to add a photo or avatar to your comments, right? Frustrating.

Here’s why: Those other people are probably bloggers. (Or just clever like you are about to be.) Their blog service allowed – encouraged – them to associate an image with their email address. Now, wherever they post a comment (using that email address) that image automatically shows up with their comment. It lends personality – even authority – to their comments and creates a face that readers can automatically associate with their blog, book, product, or job – no matter where they are talking it up. In short, it’s good branding. Not all blogs allow images to show up this way but many do. And they add a little lively color to the conversation.

You don’t have to write a blog, though, to lend personality to your comments. Just go to Gravatar and click on “Sign up now!” Enter your email address and upload your photo. Then give your image a rating (G, PG-13, etc.). Once you are done there, your cute image will show up whenever you post a comment. It will even attach your image to comments you made yesterday – or whenever.

Try it. And post a comment here so I can see your new look!