User Icons about server HOT 4 OPEN

We've had some discussions about this on our discord server in the past, and it's honestly a bit of a dilemma for me. On one hand, it would definitely spice up the platform making it more personal and engaging, but I worry it might steer focus away from learning. I've seen other educational apps turn into dating platforms, and that's not what I want for LC.

Still, I'm not completely against the idea. Maybe we can give it a test run, but I'd like to be crystal clear that selfies aren't allowed. Some other ideas that popped up in the discussions was using customizable avatars (like Reddit) or making profile pictures a premium feature with blurred images for standard users, Finding the right balance between personalization and keeping the focus on learning is sadly much easier said than done. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

We currently use local file storage (stored on the server), which has been a decent approach so far. I don't expect this to change anytime soon, but if the traffic picks up then we should definitely switch to something like S3 with CloudFront. Storing the pictures to the DB was an interesting idea and it led me to this detailed SO answer which you might find interesting: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/8922056/what-is-the-best-way-to-upload-and-store-pictures-on-the-site/8922090#8922090. I sure did!

from server.

I strongly agree with @danielzeljko here. Especially with the messenger feature being close to release, I think it's even more important to be careful and avoid turning LC into a casual "language dating" app.

Personally, I like the avatar builder approach of Reddit and Duolingo.

from server.

Yeah that's a very good point if the trust of the people using it is at risk then I think photo icons would absolutely be a detriment to the platform. I think personalization is good but not at the expense of harassment. @danielzeljko

Feel free to close this if there's no good ideas for this in the short term. I'm definitely of the opinion some small form of personalization could help but I don't have a fully formed idea for an alternative.

from server.

Btw I do think that some level of personalization is a great idea too! It's just that when apps overdo it, they end up attracting the wrong crowd, which is a shame :/ So it's probably better to err on the side of caution.

from server.