<img class="alignleft  wp-image-6385" alt="Gravatar" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Gravatar.png" width="202" height="208" />New WordPress users have quite a bit to learn and it often happens as they discover different parts of this powerful CMS. One of the things many beginners discover is the grey icon, which is called the "mystery man" Gravatar. This brings up the question, how do you get rid of this Gravatar?
<p style="text-align: center"><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-6390" alt="Mystery Man Gravatar" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/MysteryManGravatar.png" width="187" height="163" /></p>
Before we get into how to get rid of the "mystery man" it's important to understand a bit more about the Gravatar
<h2>What is a Gravatar?</h2>
A Gravatar is the small, thumbnail picture used to represent an author or a person online. It can be a picture of the person or something else they want to use. Sometimes, you see Gravatars used in fantasy sports teams to represent each team. Often, you will see the picture next to a blog post in the Google search results.

The word "Gravatar" stands for Globally Recognized Avatar. These small images are used by millions of people all over the internet. Bloggers, gamers, webmasters and many others use them all the time.

Once you establish a Gravatar, it will be associated with a specific email address. This means, if you post a comment on another blog and you use the email associated with your Gravatar, it will show up.
<h2>Setting up your Gravatar</h2>
Creating your own Gravatar is very easy. All you have to do is go to http://www.gravatar.com and follow the instructions. Click on the "Create your own Gravatar" button and fill in the following screen:

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6386" alt="Create A Gravatar" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CreateAGravatar.png" width="436" height="387" />

If you already have a WordPress.com account, you don't have to create a new one. Instead, just log in and authorize Gravatar.com to access your WordPress.com account. This will pull your current Gravatar, if you have one.

Once you have an account with Gravatar.com, you can upload an image to use as your Gravatar. Just click on the "add a new image" link and you will be given options to create your Gravatar.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6387" alt="Add New Image" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/AddNewImage.png" width="378" height="231" />

You will have the option to upload an image, let your webcam take a new picture, use a previously uploaded image or select one from the internet.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6388" alt="Image Options" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ImageOptions.png" width="781" height="338" />

If you have a picture on your computer you want to use, click to upload the image. Then, just click "Choose File" ad find the image on your computer.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6389" alt="Upload Image File" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/UploadImageFile.png" width="328" height="237" />

After you find the image, click next and you will have the option to crop the picture however you see fit. After you've cropped your picture, you can click on a rating for it from G to X.

Now, you have a new Gravatar you can use with any WordPress website, comments and many other places all over the internet.
<h2>Why Should You Use a Gravatar?</h2>
Using a Gravatar can help to identify you and associate you with your blog, website or any other online entity. This makes it easier to create an authority site and become recognized as the one in charge of it. Branding is much easier with a Gravatar, as well.

If you plan to post comments on other blogs, using a Gravatar is necessary. It helps to make your comment stand out.
<h2>How to Add Your Gravatar to WordPress</h2>
With older versions of WordPress, you may have to make changes to use your Gravatar. However, with the newest versions, you just need to use the same email address used to set up your Gravatar with your profile. Most themes will automatically pull your Gravatar and use it to replace the "mystery man" Gravatar.
<h2>Getting the Most Out of Blogging with WordPress</h2>
If you want to get the most out of blogging with WordPress, setting up a custom Gravatar is only the first step. This will certainly help with recognition as you post comments on other blogs. It will also help with other marketing methods.

Your Gravatar will also show up in forums you participate in that use custom Gravatars. This makes it easy for the general population to associate you (or your Gravatar) with any website(s) you own or contribute to as a writer. If you want to create a custom identity online, it all starts with using a Gravatar.