Subj : Avatar Data Messages
To   : apam
From : Digital Man
Date : Sun Nov 14 2021 15:24:10

  Re: Avatar Data Messages
  By: apam to All on Sun Nov 14 2021 01:27 pm

 > Hi,
 >
 > I'm trying to wrap my head around the avatar data messages synchronet
 > sends out. I think it's the base64 encoded bin of the avatar, followed by
 > the user name associated with that avatar
 >
 > What's the md5: field? and why do not all avatar messages have it?

It's an md5 sum of the user's real name, that keeps users' real names more private while still allowing the successful lookup of their avatar. Older versions of avatars.js didn't support the mapping of avatar's to user's real names.

 > I guess it's some kind of checksum base64 encoded, but not sure what for?

Yeah, it's base64-encoded.

 > Also, if I choose an avatar on one synchronet BBS, and it gets exported,
 > is that my avatar for all synchronet BBSes? or can I choose a different
 > one for each bbs i visit? If I do choose a different one on each bbs,
 > will the avatar show for messages from me from a particular bbs?

The avatar is mapped to the username *and* BBS, so the same username posted from a different BBS won't necessarily be the same user and thus not necessarily use the same avatar.

 > I suppose what I'm asking is if I were to import synchronet data
 > messages, do I take note of their origin and associate that avatar /
 > username with a particular origin?

Yes. Synchronet stores the avatar data from network nodes in data/qnet/*.avatars.ini or data/fido/*.avatars.ini, depending on the network-type and uses those files to lookup a message poster's avatar for network-imported messages.
-- 
                                            digital man

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