Some Contact Pictures appear from Gmail, others dont?

ChinaLamb · 6 Jul 2019, 01:17 AM

So,
I recently imported a thousand contacts from Gmail into Fastmail (trying to wean myself off some of Google's services and onto open source services)...

SOME of my contacts that have Gmail addresses have contact photos that magically appear in Fastmail contacts... Some don't. Oddly, many people that I know that are not technically minded at all, including some very young family members, have their pictures appear... AND I know they don't have a clue what Gravatar is...

SO....

Why do some contacts magically get their contact pictures imported from Gmail... while others don't?

WHAT is importing the pictures? Is this Fastmail, or the Contacts App (using CardDav) on my phone?

TIA~!

/cl

n5bb · 6 Jul 2019, 09:29 AM

I believe that only Google services have access to the avatar you set up for Gmail or your Google profile. To my knowledge (and results from my testing), Fastmail only has access to Gravatar profile images.

To test this for the Gmail accounts you see with avatars, use the Gravatar avatar test feature on those Gmail addresses you see which have avatars:
https://en.gravatar.com/site/check

It will be interesting if you find anyone with an avatar displayed in an email when received at Fastmail who do not have a Gravatar avatar image. Let us know what you find.

Bill

ChinaLamb · 6 Jul 2019, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n5bb

I believe that only Google services have access to the avatar you set up for Gmail or your Google profile. To my knowledge (and results from my testing), Fastmail only has access to Gravatar profile images.

To test this for the Gmail accounts you see with avatars, use the Gravatar avatar test feature on those Gmail addresses you see which have avatars:
https://en.gravatar.com/site/check

It will be interesting if you find anyone with an avatar displayed in an email when received at Fastmail who do not have a Gravatar avatar image. Let us know what you find.

Bill

Ichecked all the accounts that have icons among a number of friends, only one had a gravatar...

FredOnline · 6 Jul 2019, 03:10 PM

A quick google indicates a connection with users of G Suite/Google+ accounts.

ChinaLamb · 6 Jul 2019, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FredOnline

A quick google indicates a connection with users of G Suite/Google+ accounts.

Interestingly, g+ was dismantled earlier this year... But it seems to get some gsuite icons, and not others... For instance, it gets 6 out of 8 people in my family's gsuite account... Why the first 7 and not mine, or my daughter's... Very odd.

I would love it if fastmail built upon this and included other Gmail and other accounts too...

ChinaLamb · 6 Jul 2019, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FredOnline

A quick google indicates a connection with users of G Suite/Google+ accounts.

Fred,
I'm searching and not finding anything... Can you post a link?

6 Jul 2019, 01:17 AM	#1
ChinaLamb The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: a virtually impossible but finitely improbable position Posts: 2,320	Some Contact Pictures appear from Gmail, others dont? So, I recently imported a thousand contacts from Gmail into Fastmail (trying to wean myself off some of Google's services and onto open source services)... SOME of my contacts that have Gmail addresses have contact photos that magically appear in Fastmail contacts... Some don't. Oddly, many people that I know that are not technically minded at all, including some very young family members, have their pictures appear... AND I know they don't have a clue what Gravatar is... SO.... Why do some contacts magically get their contact pictures imported from Gmail... while others don't? WHAT is importing the pictures? Is this Fastmail, or the Contacts App (using CardDav) on my phone? TIA~! /cl

6 Jul 2019, 09:29 AM	#2
n5bb Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: May 2004 Location: Irving, Texas Posts: 8,926	I believe that only Google services have access to the avatar you set up for Gmail or your Google profile. To my knowledge (and results from my testing), Fastmail only has access to Gravatar profile images. To test this for the Gmail accounts you see with avatars, use the Gravatar avatar test feature on those Gmail addresses you see which have avatars: https://en.gravatar.com/site/check It will be interesting if you find anyone with an avatar displayed in an email when received at Fastmail who do not have a Gravatar avatar image. Let us know what you find. Bill

6 Jul 2019, 03:10 PM	#4
FredOnline The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 2,616	A quick google indicates a connection with users of G Suite/Google+ accounts.