Folks around here are taking things too far. Now it doesn't just exist within a particular thread within community, but all over the forums. Used to be avatars were something light hearted.
Too irritating to have them on. Irrititating people in irritating threads can be avoided. Avatars that tell little stories throughout the forums cannot... well they can, in the fashion I have dealt with them. This arms war of billboardesque avatars is too much. I'll miss them.
I always thought that the avatars were a means of associating members. Hell most members here have a name as much as they have an avatar. I'll miss seeing mine the most (it makes me smile).