How can I offer my images as avatars and comments graphics?

[GinaPaints]

Hello
I wonder if anyone can help me. I am an artist and have some great images which I want to offer to my site visitors as comments graphics and avatars so that they can use them on their MySpace pages etc.

You know the sort of thing...you go to a site and see lots of images and under neath each one is a box with the html so that people can use the images.

Anyone got any ideas to do this simply? There's nothing to see on my site at the moment. I haven't updated there in months. This is a new departure.

Thanks in advance
Gina

https://www.paintingsfromsyros.com

[Collectors-info]

Re: How can I offer my images as avatars and comments graphics?

Hi, you can do this 2 ways. Place a text area box under your image & place one of the codes below in it. The 1st one will give you a link back to your site from their page when the image is clicked on, & the second will only place the image on there site from yours. But this is still a useful link with the SE's. Change the part in red to your site & the part in blue to the image you are using on your server.
NOTE: Remember other users will be using this image from your site. If at any time you might make a change to the image. Keep the same dimensions & url, or you will have some unhappy users. Best not to change at all & just make a new one.

<a href="http://www.collectors-info.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.collectors-info.com/Collector-bird-jackdoor.gif" height="129" width="126" border=0></a>


<img src="http://www.collectors-info.com/Collector-bird-jackdoor.gif" height="129" width="126" border=0></a>

[GinaPaints]

Re: How can I offer my images as avatars and comments graphics?

Thanks a bunch Chris. I've been wanting to do this for months....could kick myself for not coming over here to find out - I knew all along this is where I would get the answer!!!
Have a good day.
Gina

[Collectors-info]

Re: How can I offer my images as avatars and comments graphics?

No Problem! Good luck.

[Pickels]

Re: How can I offer my images as avatars and comments graphics?

Hi, I really like your paintings, especially the "Island". I am not that technical, so I will leave it to the experts. The only thing that jumped out at me and made me go ((what)) was this passage..

However, if you like my paintings you probably don't spend your holidays racing around the place being disgraceful and upsetting the sweet, chilled out pace of things, well not very often anyway. In which case I am sure you will be made to feel more welcome than you have ever been before anywhere and will quickly become of this delightful place's select band of dedicated fans.


The above passage reads quite bizarre to the outside world. It almost reads like a computer translation of another language into English.. kinda disjointed.. I get what you are trying to say, I too live in a small seaside resort and we get tons of drunken expats. To be honest though, what you have written is a bit of a turn off.. I would keep it happy and light, don't make the decision as to whom is going to like your work. Do you really care who buys your work, I am sure on some level you do, but in the end, the aim is to get the artwork sold.

Cheers and good luck.

[GinaPaints]

Re: How can I offer my images as avatars and comments graphics?

You are quite right Pickels. The whole site needs reviewing. It isn't commer******ed at all to be honest. At the point I set it up it really was just a quick effort to show the paintings to some people who wanted to see them iykwim. I've actually concentrated much more on my blog. When I wrote the copy I was just banging on without much thought...I want to do something about writing about this island and believe me it will read differently (I've got a local estate agent who wants me to do something for him). However, it is very true that we are all extremely ambivalent about tourism here. I get very torn between wanting to tell the world about this amazing little corner of the Aegean (you wouldn't believe how good it is in so many ways!) and wondering if in so doing I'd be sounding it's death-knell!!

I do have plans for it though. The estate agent for a start... I need to figure out a way to offer local businesses ads which they only pay a little fee for bookings made. Not sure how to do that. Come to think of it.....? Anyone know?

[Pickels]

Re: How can I offer my images as avatars and comments graphics?

Hey Gina.. take a look at my site, see My little piece of heavenn on the med.. We have seen so much growth in the past 8 years you would not believe it, but we have still manage to hold on to the best parts of the town.. worst things that happened with our growth the the cost of property and the rate of inflation has been unbelievable.. so take my advice..buy property now.. cuz in 5 years you won't be able to.. My town is called Salobrena.. www.salobrenacleaners.com I have a blog with photos as well.

Cheers M

[GinaPaints]

Re: How can I offer my images as avatars and comments graphics?

That's a great site Pickels (from another Cockney abroad!). I would dearly love to see the Alhambra. I thought of doing a similar business here originally but to be honest there isn't much that the locals haven't got covered completely via extended family.

Greece is wary of what has happened in Spain especially in regard to property prices. This island is not traditionally touristy. For a start we have an enormous great shipyard stuck on the front (actually, you grow to love it - a kind of muscular beauty and gathering place of old-fashioned skilled workers.) and there is also plenty other work here apart from tourism. I can think of about 4 people who actually depend on tourists and even they have enough local business to keep them going. We've a 6-year old university faculty of the University of the Aegean and this is pushing up rents and prices we think. Students coming in from the mainland are prepared to pay much higher prices and they are adding to the island's 'cool factor'. Unlike neighbouring Mykonos and Paros who have very busy summer seasons but are like graveyards in winter Syros stays open all year round. I think we could handle a few more ex-pats but to be honest even the non-drunken ones are a pain! (I am one). We get a lot of people with a sort of colonial fantasy going on who don't really treat the local culture with much respect.
Having taught here and consequently ended up much more in people's homes in a real-life context I have come to respect it enormously for the simple reason that it clearly works - it shows in the secure, cheerful, healthy and respectful kids and the happy healthy old people and long-lasting marriages between people who are apparently still deep in animated conversation with one another at an advanced age. Whatever they are doing they are doing it right and I'm doing my best to join in.

Came in here this morning to sort out the comments graphics site and have ended up hitting right on the nerve as to why that little original website of mine has remained untouched for months! I've had the offer from the Estate Agent for ages, just can't seem to get round to doing something about it. Hmmmmmm...Pickels, with your constructive criticism you picked up exactly the 'nerve' of the situation!

All the same, I do believe that the web has the solution for islands like this. The way for them to targeted direct marketing to the people they actually want to attract (in this case older couples, families with children, nature lovers, admirers of art and culture, food lovers (Elizabeth David wrote Mediterranean Cooking here - you will never have seen or tasted anything like the veg), walkers, and so on. Despite certain misgivings I feel that by using the web selectively but proactively in time we can get a grip on our tourism before someone else does. It's the off-season that people are really missing out on here and I think they could have a little stream of nice visitors with money that would only help to support things.

Anyway, better be off.....!
If anyone has got a tip on how to run ads for local hotels and make a few bob on any bookings without going to massive complication I'd be grateful.

[Pickels]

Re: How can I offer my images as avatars and comments graphics?

Let me think about the hotel situation for a bit and I will get back to you.
Cheers

[GinaPaints]

Re: How can I offer my images as avatars and comments graphics?

Cool. Siesta time here, expect it is with you too! I think it is probably a case of setting up an email address to receive the inquiries and then forwarding them. But I am wondering if anyone has got a more experienced idea. I'd be doing it on a very small scale, especially at first and with people I know well till I see how well it goes.