How to make most recent poster's avatar show as board icon?

[wynnyelle]

I just want to replace the "on.png/off.png" image icons with the avatar of the most recent poster to that board, whoever's post shows up as most recent post on that board's front already.

How would I do this?

[Arantor]

And add a *significant* extra processing load to every board? We're talking a serious different in performance here.

[wynnyelle]

Just to have the front of the site show them? I don't have that many boards out there. I thought since it was already displaying the most recent post real time it wouldn't be a big deal...

[Arantor]

No, 36 isn't a lot, I guess >_< (Yes, it is for the purposes of this query)

It is a big deal because the most recent post is already pre-calculated, avatars are not.

[wynnyelle]

Would there be a way to have avatars be pre-calculated? The username does show up on the front, at least in default theme. Avatar is connected to the username.

[Arantor]

Not without rewriting more of SMF's code than you want to get into... The avatar is not nearly as connected to the username as you think it is.

[wynnyelle]

Then can anyone else show me how I might be able to do this?

[Arantor]

Oh, don't mistake me. I'm not incapable of doing it. I'm just refusing because I cannot in good conscience tell you how to do it. I refuse to tell you how to add a feature that will adversely affect the running of your forum.

Anyone else who thinks of offering should understand the unique nature of your forum and that the tiniest change can have colossal effects.

[wynnyelle]

Would it help if there were fewer front boards displayed? Like a bare minimum?

I see what you are saying. Now what I need to do is sort out what I need to change to allow for this compromise. I want the front of the site to display more member-created content, particularly images. Avatars seemed to me to be a good place to start with this.

You don't have to reply if you don't feel you have any answers.

[wynnyelle]

I actually found another forum that does this exactly like I want to.

I can give the link by PM if you like.

[margarett]

Besides what Arantor mentioned, you will loose the "new posts" visualization (by replacing on/off icons) in board index. Isn't this a major concern for your users?