ok Howie, here's the full blown instructions for putting your own pic up.
1.) Follow
this link to a good host.
2.) Click the "Browse" button on that website and find your picture on your computer.
3.) Click "Host It!"
4.) Go to the second last edit box on the page that appears labeled "Direct link to image"
5.) Copy the URL shown there.
6.) Come back to ATT and click "Profile" at the top.
7.) Check the checkbox next to "I have my own pic" and put the copied URL in that edit box.
8.) Scroll to the bottom and click "Change Profile"
Job Done.
to use the pic in a post type [ img ]URL.YOU.COPIED[ /img ] (without the spaces)
result -
(My nose peeling after sunburn!)
btk
PS Lurch you are right in that you need the tags for posting, but not for your screen avatar