I don’t know if anyone has asked this question before, but…
If a member has left the forums, but let’s say they’ve made an amazing Graphics thread in the past and you just happen to stumble upon it and want to use their signatures/avatars/whatever, could you technically do so, since you know the member may not be returning for a long time or ever?
Example: I find a graphics thread by a member named Castoro Chiaro, who according to the profile, has last visited the forums on July 10, 2009, and since it’s been almost 4 years since this member was active, it doesn’t seem likely that this member may return in the near future (technically speaking). However, I like the graphics made by this person, but have no way of asking to use an avatar (assuming that they’re probably going to ignore private message). Could any of this person’s graphics still be used by means of crediting them in your own sig, even though the member may have disappeared?
That way, if they happen to pop back in and see someone wearing their graphics, you’ll have properly credited them and it shouldn’t be a problem!