I’ve kicked off the private Gravatar beta by opening it to the 32 volunteers that helped rate gravatars in the olden days. I’d like to thank them for all the time and effort they put in to help you get your gravatars rated in a timely manner.
In less than a week I will expand the beta to include anyone who has left a comment on this blog’s first post, so if you want in early, make sure to get your comment in. Spread the word!
One of the biggest changes for 2.0 is that you will be responsible for rating your own gravatars. This means no more waiting to get that image live! This was a big decision, but is essential to the growth of Gravatar. I can no longer support the overhead involved in rating every single gravatar that comes in. I’ve placed a prominent “Abuse” link on every page to make it easy to report inappropriately rated content. Having you rate your own gravatars will also allow you to (in the future) use the Gravatar API to update your gravatar at will and from your own programs (can you say “Dynavatars?”)
More details coming soon. I’m starting to get excited!
Gravatar Blog 
Comments
143 responses to “Private Beta Underway”
Nice! I can’t wait to get my hands on the beta and on the Gravatar API.
This is good news. Just found out about gravatars recently. I came here just as you’ve been updating. Be happy to the the new beta a spin.
Yay, me want Gravatar too!
I can’t wait to see everything that’s going for gravatar. Hopefully final release will be soon. I’ve changed my email address since the old gravatar and haven’t been able to change it. Keep it up!
I need it!!
I would like to test this as well. Include me ๐
I would like..! ๐
Blantant attempt to get onto the extended beta… ๐
.. KenH
“Less than a week” for beta! Let’s hope it’s not too much longer for going live!
Good work!
WOW I also can’t wait to see the new gravatar beta! ๐
Good work! ๐
I’m looking forward to the new gravatars! =D
I’m so happy gravatar is coming back !! ^_^ can’t wait to use it again !!!
Beta tester ๐
I am very excited each time my sage returns an update from here. Count me in!
I hope the email is what matters because I’ve moved my site.
beta tester too
Nice! These new features sound great! I’d like to get in on the beta as well…
Look forward to seeing the new changes.
Getting excited. Thanks for all the hard work.
Wow, im excited too. I want to see what is new on the next Gravatar Version. I can’t wait anymore! ๐
I miss my Gravatars!
Oh…May you recover soon!
Please include me in the beta as well.
This is great! I’ll implement them on my sites again when I get home tonight. Thanks for allowing us the sneak preview ๐
Yeah – me want gravatar!!
Count me in.
Sweet! Count me in.
I would like to test this as well. Include me please.
Best regards
Cool!! me too ^^
see good and new functions well
Sweetoe!
If you have any free slots yet it would be awesome to test it.
Keep it up the hard work!
Amazing, can’t wait to change my gravatar picture. Thank you bunches for this wonderful service.
I’m really looking forward to the new Gravatar! My current one has been stuck for months and it’s soooo out-of-date. I look forward to the service coming back, better-than-ever-before!
Best of hope! ๐
I think you are taking this in the right direction. I think your ideas are scalable and have promise to be adopted by more people.
Hit me up with a beta invite when you go public with it.
Count me in.
I will love to help, besides i really need to change my gravatar, so please hurry up!!!
cant wait for the new site!
Still the old ones work? Nice
Count me in! Me! Me! Me! Pick me!
I’ve been wanting to change my photo for a long time.
I’ve actually been wanting to change it since the day after I uploaded it. But I was very unfortunate and the service was down. So ever since, whenever I post somewhere that employs Gravatar, I get this old photo ๐
So I would very much appreciate a beta invite! I’ve given some beta feedback before too (The Venice Project, some web 2.0:s)
Huzzah!
ๆ๏ผๆฒกๅฎๆฒกไบไบ
ๆดๅคฉๆต่ฏไธชไปไนๅฒๅ
Cant wait! Let me be a beta-tester! ๐
Oh how fun. The king of missed deadlines won’t have Gravatar go primetime in early February as promised. In fact, he originally promised it by February. Werner, please stop with the promises. You’re pathetic! No, the above losers are actually more pathetic. March, April, May anyone?
I wanna play, too! ๐ I’ve done software testing, both as a QA engineer and as a beta tester. And I’m a nitpicker – which is helpful only in situations like this one.
I want in. Was a Beta tester for AOL for 6 years, also Beta tested BlogMad and some others. I have been checking the blog here and the Gravatar site EVERYDAY to see the new launch. I can hardly wait! Include me PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! ๐
Count me in!
Ohhhhh, anxiously awaiting. If there’s still room for me, let me know.
Desperate for giving it a whirl myself! Thanks.
I can’t wait to try what is coming.
yippee ka yay! Can’t wait anymore…
Nice not to see this great idea die. Add me to the beta ๐
I would like to test too.
I cannot wait to have the gravatars on wordpress. Sounds really exciting! I would really really like to be in the beta as well ^__^
Thanks alot for keeping us on tenterhooks ๐
Hurry Hurry … I must get rid of my awful avatar and replace it with one much nicer …
I would love to be included in the second round of new Gravatar testing. Count me in!
Glad to see its nearly ready for release.
Will be awaiting the public release, I beta test enough software.;)
I can’t wait for the new Gravatar!
Hurry Hurry Hurry. CAN’T WAIT…Thanks
Would love to help out…
Beta tester,Thanks.
i don’t know what gravatar is but i want it now ๐
Great to hear Gravatar will be back – Would love to beta test if you still need volunteers. Thanks
How can I change my gravatar? I got it about 2 years ago and have since split with teh guy in my gravatar so would like to change it!!!
Please do include me in the beta test ๐
I love Gravatar, include me in the betatest
I need a new avatar!! HURRY!!!
Would like to be beta tester.
Count me in. ๐ Thank you.
Cool, Can’t wait ๐
Some visitors on my website are waiting for the rating for september … What about it ?
Why You let your users wait?
Cannot understand that!
Is there an alternative?
In my opinion, giving users the rights to rate their own avatar is a very wrong idea. My own website has the acceptable rating set to the highest one, so it isn’t a problem for me, but for children-friendly and strictly “non-adult” content websites. The abuse link is a good idea, but I’d rather use it WITH a centralized rating system and not instead of it.
good luck in the new web 2.0 age! Looking forward to the new gravatar having it’s place there.
Agree with suexID. BTW, interested in the beta, of course!
Awesome idea. I’m looking forward to the larger beta.
Excelente…i cant wait more!!!…Saludos desde Chile!!!
me wantssssit.
Can’t wait until gravatar is back online again!
Can’t wait!
I`d like to be on board too – curious me!
Oh pleassssssse hurry!!! I have been a blank gray head for too long!!! HURRY!!
I would like to be part of the beta as well, looking forward to seeing the next version.
The new features of gravatar 2.0 look great, I can’t wait. Mine needs some major updates. ๐
Hey, good news. I will be using gravatar in my blog and in a user authentication I am using in a RoR application I am just developing.
Count me in – at the moment our blog is expanding rapidly and people have been wanting gravatars. The sooner the better!
Yeah!!! Giddyup!
Yay, me want Gravatar too much!
Ok…about time!
Yeah ๐
I would like to beta-test too…
I want in!!!
Can’t wait … ๐
Well lets see what this new version bring us XD
ooopppssss…i think its already (and almost half of) February… lolz no offense ๐
Can’t wait – I just… can’t… wait :p
I would like to test too! ๐
Include me ! ^^
Count on me โฅ
nifty. i can’t wait. i must see teh new gravatar!! wee!!!!
i SO can’t wait!!!!!!
I would like to test this as well!! ๐
I would like to be included ๐
sounds awesome! i can’t wait!
Can’t wait anymore!!
ME ENCANTA EL USO DE LOS GRAVATARS, PERO ES UNA LASTIMA TODO ESTE TIEMPO, ESPERO QUE PRONTO SE RECUPERE LA WEB Y TENGAN TODO LISTO, ASI QUE SOOLO PUEDO DECIR BUENA SUERTE, Y QUE SIGAN HACIENDO SU MARAVILLOSO TRABAJO.
GRAVATARS ES GENIAL.
I miss my Gravatars! Can you give me an invation?
hey coming soon… it’s real. and it’s good.
Hey Get me in ;-)!
Really exited about that!
Cool! At long last, gravatar is back!
The new Beta is great! It is a pleasure!
And I want to test it, please get me in!!!
Sweet, I can’t wait!
I too would like an unproven untested jury-rigged new gravatar!
As Halloween say: I want in. ๐
I can’t wait to see it. ๐
Great! ๐
Can’t wait!
It looks fantastic! The simplicity and ease of use will be excellent!
I’ve been putting off adding Gravatars to a couple of sites I’m developing until 2.0 is launched. It’s great to see you’re making progress! ๐
Sweet! Can’t wait to be one your beta testers!
Glad to see this service is picking back up.
Thank goodness.. I did this avatar for a blog I no longer have and I’ve been wanting to change it for several months now. A ghost just doesn’t go with an armymom blog now ๐
Me too! Me too! Pweeeeeeease?
I am thrilled that this will be coming soon! I have been waiting for months!
I do not know if I will need to resubmit my picture… it was in the process of being rated when Gravatar went down. Whatever, I’m just so pleased it’s almost ready!
Great work… can’t wait to see the new and approved gravatar.
sweet! can’t wait to get in and be one of the cool kids.
Hey, i’d love to be in the beta. Count me in!
Any chance to get into the beta (and will there be a new MT plugin)?
been waiting for this, any chance i could get a chance to test it as well?
when you posted about leaving a message to be contacted or not if you were a user, i didn’t leave a message. i wish i would have now so i could have gotten in on the beta testing!
I can’t wait either.
The only problem with having users rating gravatars is that they may misrate them. You should give a bunch of staff members with the power to rate gravatars as they’re changed and made, etc.
The beta is just great–look forward to it, guys ๐
Curious whether I can still be invited. ๐
I would like to test this out, please.
Wow gravatar rocks! Look forward to seeing what it can do.
I am looking forward to the public release of Gravatar and any beta testing that might still beIavailable! Thank you!
Looking forward to it.
Also looking forward to it!
Looking particularly forward to it. My avatar never shows up through the main site.
…
Any update on when we might have an API for uploading new images to Gravatar? It would be a lot of fun to write an app to work with it!