Yes, avatars are still available for those members who want to use them. However, it has since been decided by myself to make this feature available to community supporters only. I hope our existing member base can understand and respect my reasons for this. For the five years now that Planet-Tolkien.com has been running we have simply 'asked' for donations or that users who could afford to become supporters do so, unfortunately, we have never had more than ten people sign-up out of our 4000 members. This just isn't enough.

Planet-Tolkien costs a lot of money each month to keep it going and it's a strain, in honesty. I toyed with limiting the other features instead of the avatars, but in truth, the avatars are popular and I know that if anything could maybe get some more members to sign-up, this is it.

I appreciate that some people don't have credit cards, and maybe that some people can't even find ’1 a month (which is very cheap). So, if you can't, I am sorry for that. I hope however that those members who are too young to have a credit card will annoy, bug, and persuade anyone in their family that does have one, to come up trumps and support the site.

I apologise to those that are annoyed by this change, but trust me, it could be a lot worse and we could have limited a lot more features than just the avatars, like some of the other popular tolkien websites do.

As usual, this isn't open to debate, blah blah blah. It's done and just blame me.

P.S. Click here to become a community supporter and have your avatar returned.

Yep, taz, hard as it may seem I can see the point. Some things have to be earned one way or another. Posting is far more important than having an avatar so it stands to reason that this is something that Supporters get that others don't.

And it is only ’1 a month, and well worth it.

Come on you lot, get Community Supporting!

I agree with you, Taz and it's cool. I'm actually doing the same as Stoney right now and as soon as I get my act together and get my piece of plastic, I'm gonna support.

Cool. I too totaly understand Taz about the avatars, its just a pity there arent going to be so much familiar faces looking at us anymore. I dont think my mom would let me give away even 1pound , because she thinks its stupid. But ill try anyway.

I was wondering if it were at all possible to have somewhere to send money orders??? Maybe pay for the entire year so that some could perhaps have the chance to have their avatar back? I am one of the less unfortunate to not have plastic. I'm just trying to think of other ways. My avatar actually intrigued someone enough to inspire an email and perhaps lead to a friendship. Just a thought anyway. Thanks

by the way love the new features
incredible taz!
didn't come on the weekend and now, wow!
I'm still a teen but when I'm an adult I 'll surely support
but that's in like seven more years
also the blinking you gotmail thing is annoying!

can American money be transferred into european money through online pay?if it cant than this is unfair to countries that dont use the euro.but i think its a good idea,thats the only thing you could use to get people to pay that i can think of

Talk to your parents or someone with plastic, set up a bank account with a standing order to pay to parent's bank account and get them to pay PT by plastic.

Even my 11 year old could do that - we pay his pocket money (allowance) or some of it into SplashPlastic which is an online debit card for kids so he can spend money online. Well, he could if PT accepted SplashP....

It was decided last weekend by the ownership of this fine establishment because he could no longer afford to keep paying the monthly server charges out of his own pocket. Were he independently wealthy, I'm sure he would continue doing so, as he has been just scaping by for the past five years. But money is tight now, his rent went up again, he'd like to buy food and tip a brew once a week, and stuff like that, so he felt he must now let us share the wealth in the upkeep of Planet-Tolkien.

I'll be getting my crown and avatar back on the first of the month.

(Also, he still refuses to subject us to pop-up ads, for which we all should be thankful.)

I would pay but I'm not even supposed to have joined it. My parents would freak if I told them I've been, like CHATTING online, or actually POSTING things. My parents are very oversensitive. My poor, poor, avatar...

I cannot agree more!!! I hate those pop-up windows, so it's a relief to be a member of a cool site that doesn't have them! Thanks Taz!

I like Virumor's idea about the account, but I can understand why it's not possible at the moment. I still have to convince my parents, I'll try this evening, when my dad's at home. I hope he doesn't freak out.

Meanwhile, I'll have to live without my sheep. *sigh*

Three cheers for Tommie's Dad!!! Hip Hip blah blah blah.....

To all you other young 'uns out there - see what praise, respect and gratitude Tommie's dad gets for one simple act of parental generosity. Tell your parents they too can be put on a pedastal in PT and worshipped by their offspring.

Just remember, Tommie, your avatar is here because you have a cool and groovy Dad. Come on you others....... show your parents how you can appreciate them.

*keeps fingers crossed for Stoney*

Well, I wouldn't say a cool and groovy dad, I'd say a loving and understanding dad, who understands just how much this means to me, and who trusts me. He didn't make a fuss at all, at first he didn't even want me to pay him back the money... But I insisted, because... well, because!

Parents can be really fantastic!

Cash On Delivery?


If taz is able and willing to introduce additional methods of payment in the future....... (edited because taz knows what I said and I don't want it discussed in the forum.)

Hot Dog! My dwarven avatar is back, just as I predicted.

Great to see those avatars back guys! At least we know some things are right in the World!

The avatars are back, for the explanation see Tarrant's post of 07 JUL 2004.

So, there are no avatars for new members unless you become a supporter.*sighs*
I would pay and support Planet-Tolkien, except for the fact that neither of my parents know I joined, if they did, I'd be grounded for a month. They'd flip, especially my mom, she'd go nuts. *sighs even longer* Oh well, three more years and I'll be an adult, then I can support.

Quick note: Everyone can have avatars now - this thread is pretty irrelevant!