> why bother even using the pics from the profiles? You could change my profile pic to anything.

If you’ll pardon the philosophical diversion, the value of a profile pic at all, IMO, is recognizability at a glance. There are plenty of ways to share one-off content images. The point of a profile pic, specifically, is so the viewer can identify the content creator quickly.

To this end, using the pic that the creator has chosen makes sense in nearly all cases. The creator has indicated “this is how you can quickly identify me”.

When a profile pic changes, especially frequently, it breaks the very point of having one. It’s a new, unrecognized image in a scenario where recognizability is the primary function.

I accept that the above is my opinion. I accept that others have their own opinions about the purpose and value of profile pics.

What I’m looking for is a solution that preserves the utility of profile-pic-as-recognizable-avatar in the face of these differences of opinion.