Gravatar, which stands for Globally Recognized Avatar, is an online service that provides a unique avatar image to users across the web based on an email hash. Here are some detailed insights into Gravatar:
History and Development
- Gravatar was initially developed by Tom Werner in 2007 as a way to provide a consistent avatar for users across different websites without the need for each site to store user images.
- The project was later acquired by Automattic, the company behind WordPress, in 2007.
- Automattic integrated Gravatar into its various platforms, enhancing its functionality and reach.
How Gravatar Works
- Users sign up for a Gravatar account by providing an email address and uploading an image, which is then associated with the email's unique MD5 hash.
- When a user posts on a site that supports Gravatar, the site can fetch the user's avatar by sending the MD5 hash of the user's email to Gravatar's servers. Gravatar then returns the corresponding image.
- This system ensures that the user's avatar is consistent across different platforms without each platform needing to store or manage user avatars.
- Gravatar supports various image sizes, ratings, and default images if no avatar is set for an email.
Features
- **Multiple Avatars:** Users can upload multiple avatars for different contexts or ratings (G, PG, R, X).
- **Image Hosting:** Gravatar not only serves avatars but also acts as an image hosting service for any pictures users might want to use on their blogs or websites.
- **WordPress Integration:** Gravatar is deeply integrated with WordPress, where it automatically displays users' avatars in comments, posts, and author profiles.
- **API:** Gravatar offers an API for developers to implement avatar functionality in their applications or websites.
Security and Privacy
- Email addresses are hashed before being sent to Gravatar, which helps maintain user privacy.
- Users can control the visibility of their avatars by setting a rating or choosing to be completely private.
- Gravatar does not share email addresses with third parties, and the email hash is used solely for avatar retrieval.
Usage
- Gravatar has been widely adopted by many online services and communities, including forums, blogs, and social media platforms.
- It's especially popular in the WordPress ecosystem due to Automattic's ownership.
External Links