This code is called by default in various 2.0.x templates:
if (!empty($settings['show_user_images']) etc
What is it supposed to do? I can't seem to find a matching user setting in profile, or theme setting in admin.
Is this a deprecated legacy setting, that has just been sitting around for years without being active?
Reason I ask is because there is also this...
empty($options['show_no_avatars'])
...which appears to be trying to do the same thing. So why, exactly, is it supposedly necessary to have two separate conditions for choosing whether or not to display avatars?
It's the settings for the theme, as follows:
Quote$txt['user_avatars'] = 'Show user avatars in message view';
Ok, but what is the rationale behind it? What is its purpose in life?
If users want to see avs, they set it in profile. If they don't, they set that in profile too. What's the point of an extra admin setting?
Something occurred to me. Is this setting supposed to be a way for the admin to reduce server loads, by disabling avatars? If so, that would make a certain amount of sense, although it would make even more sense if it was a global setting that automatically took care of all installed themes.