where are my Mac "Me" identifying images all located (and Skype)

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Level 1

74 points

where are my Mac "Me" identifying images all located (and Skype)

i just found an absolutely stupid image of the (almost naked) artist wei wei showing up on my SKYPE "me" ID and i did something similarly stupid with my Google Account recently that was getting sent out with my GMAIL email. this image is /so/ dumb to have as a professional image on skype it is not even funny.

SO - does anyone have the expertise and the clarity on this to help me understand where all this stuff is located?

i had a GRAVATAR account at one point but now i am so confused as to what is the ID of my USER, GMail, Skype, Mac Mail and all the rest that i cannot even think straight.

ALSO, i had to change the SKYPE IMAGE on BOTH my Mac Pro and on my MacBOOK Pro and i assume this means that there are different ones for these on different machines in ALL cases, in SOME cases or what the heck?

can i consolidate all this in some way?

GMAIL presumably is set once and gets used on all GMAIL account or does it not get used when i send email from my iPhone or from my Mac Mail on my devices? where does the ID image for mac mail come from? is it different on all three devices??

etc, etc

TIA

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.1), with 64 bit Win7 Parallels

Posted on Nov 29, 2012 10:09 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Ralph-Johns-UK

Level 9

76,789 points

Nov 30, 2012 2:39 PM in response to hotwheels22

Hi,

In Stages.

As you set up your Mac or an Account on your Mac for the first time you are asked to choose from either the Apple Defaults or use the Internal Camera for a Snap shot.

This is the pic normally seen in System Preferences > Users and Groups (Accounts in earlier OS versions) and at the login screen.

As part of the first run set up you are asked about email and other personal details that end up in the Contacts > My Card entry for yourself.

By Default this pulls the pic from the System Preferences > Users and Groups > your account.

As you then start using Mail and Messages this pic can get pulled through and used by those apps as well.

In Messages you can change the Pic independently of the Contacts List.

the Contacts pic and be changed independently of the Mac User Account pic

That is to say you can have three different pics.

Mail tends to use the Contacts > My Card pic.

Changes to Messages Pic

Open Messages

Go to the Message Menu > Preferences > Accounts.

Enable at least the Bonjour Account if you have no other Non iMessages accounts.

Go to the Window menu and select "Buddies" with the keystrokes CMD + 1 (you may have more showing if you have ungrouped the Buddy lists you have)

Click and hold the current Buddy pic.

This shows you the Current pic and any other Recent pics you have set.

(Recents is a relative term and may include pictures used before upgrading to Mountain Lion)

These Pics are in ~/Library/Images/iChat Recent Pictures

The Contacts/Adress Book ones are in ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.AddressBook

In Mountain Lion these "Recent Pics" tend to be all shown in whichever "Recents" drop down you are looking in.

I don't use Skype but I guess it is taking the Pic from your Contacts > My Card.

GoogleTalk

If you are using Google Talk in Messages but are also logging in to the Web Mail page it will depend where you logged in last as to what pic is used.

If you have a separate pic held at Google and log in here "Second" then Google will use this one (separate from what you might be displaying in Messages)

10:38 PM Friday; November 30, 2012

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

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Answer 2

hotwheels22 Author

Level 1

74 points

Jan 26, 2013 4:00 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

good lord. thanks to ralph for a fantastic answer here.

i am only responding so late because it took me so darn long to finally find the time to get all this nailed down.

at least i don't have a naked picture of Ai Wei Wei going out to my business and personal contacts anymore! first time i checked on this i was told that it is only seen in mac mail on my computer. lol.

sure wish they would get this stuff in one place (along with sounds) in the future OS's...

THANKS RALPH!

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Answer 3

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Jan 26, 2013 4:02 PM in response to hotwheels22

FYI, the picture does not get sent with emails, only you see it, it is visible (or can be) to messages users.

So your emails were safe.

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Answer 4

hotwheels22 Author

Level 1

74 points

Jan 26, 2013 5:50 PM in response to Csound1

hi csound.

thanks.

i am definitely not an expert on this.

so the deal on this - remembering now - was that - - er, that i was dumb enough to put this on something else somehow?

i mean, i was in paris awhile back, mailed my friend my boarding pass, we went to his office and he opened my email on his computer and there was this graphic. i am remembering now but - i mean, assuming that i sent it from within MAC MAIL it is not possible that this happened?

i mean, i definitely saw the logo on his computer so i am just trying to remember what i did that caused this to happen...

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Answer 5

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Jan 26, 2013 5:54 PM in response to hotwheels22

Not sure why it happened, your friends computer may be involved but I doubt it, but at least you now know how to change it back.

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Answer 6

hotwheels22 Author

Level 1

74 points

Jan 26, 2013 6:00 PM in response to Csound1

thanks as always.

so in all likelihood i was dumb enough to add this icon - which i used for my user account - for my gmail account also??

i mean, ralph's answer was super awesome but of course i don't totally understand how all these things move around.

basically it is possible that Contact/Address Book grabbed this User Account icon but in the case i described i was just stupid enough to add it to my gmail account in all likelihood, yea?

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Answer 7

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Jan 26, 2013 6:05 PM in response to hotwheels22

I'm not sure if Google sends the picture, but I would bet that it does not.

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Answer 8

Jan 27, 2013 11:58 AM in response to hotwheels22

Hi,

for the Points

I am not so hot on the Mail App.

However the incoming Mail from people you know and are in your Address Book/Contacts app will show the Pic your have of them.

Of course in turn that pic may have come from their AIM or GoogleTalk ID Buddy Pic in iChat or Messages.

I have also seen small icon type pic attached as Sig pics in emails.

What you seem to be describing could be explained by any of those on your Buddy's computer.

7:57 PM Sunday; January 27, 2013

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Reply

Answer 9

hotwheels22 Author

Level 1

74 points

Jan 27, 2013 9:17 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

thanks a ton.

hopefully the great help has gotten it straightened out over here.

much appreciate it!

jon

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Answer 10

Jan 28, 2013 12:19 PM in response to hotwheels22

Hi,

An example of a Buddy in a AIM List and their Buddy Pic being the Contacts List pic.

In Messages I have updated the Group to "Level 6" as it includes people who have achieved that on these boards.

In my Contacts List the group is still called "Level 4" as per the old Lounge access level.

The only info I have on this person is their AIM Screen Name and their Buddy pic.

for the extra Points

8:18 PM Monday; January 28, 2013

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Message was edited by: Ralph Johns (UK)

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