topic Re: Forum signatures in Community Site Feedback

Forum signatures

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:37:36 GMT

Oldjim has raised the subject of forum signatures, remarking that he is still having to send messages to people about breaching the rules.
I just want to ask why signatures in graphic form are necessary and what people's opinions are about this?
Is it necessary to have images which appear with every reply? Do people get a bit fed up with seeing the same ones at the end of each response? Bear in mind that it is the content and quality of the reply that we are interested in, not the appendage.
My own view is that a solution to the problem as outlined by Oldjim is to have no graphic signatures at all then there would be no need to be reprimanding members.
What do others think?

Re: Forum signatures

Oldjim — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:45:34 GMT

http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,218.msg756732.html#msg756732

Quote from: Oldjim
Heads up - change of rules regarding signature and image sizes.
As the Plusnet speed tester gives an image of standard size 200 x 100 px and I am getting tired of sending PM's requesting it be reduced to 80 px high we have agreed that the rule can be changed to
Quote
Signatures should use no more space than 5 lines of standard sized text would, this includes any blank lines and images you choose to use. Image based signatures should be limited to 100 x 560 pixels and a maximum file size of 40kB.
The number of standard lines of text have been increased to more or less match the new image size.

Since changing the rules I haven't seen any problems.
Besides I like images in signatures
The other factor is the size of text signatures which used to cause problems as well and changing the rule seems to have sorted that one
By all means discuss image based signatures but don't base it on moderators having to take action

Re: Forum signatures

pierre_pierre — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:51:27 GMT

and one person had only four lines of long text, but if you only had a standard narrow screen it flowed over to six lines and used to annoy me til I found out why

Re: Forum signatures

Be3G — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:00:07 GMT

Quote from: poppy
Do people get a bit fed up with seeing the same ones at the end of each response? Bear in mind that it is the content and quality of the reply that we are interested in, not the appendage.

Yes yes yes!
Unfortunately, we're in a bit of a minority.

Re: Forum signatures

Nick_Russell — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:35:27 GMT

I agree we should not have images in signatures, they only add to the post length.
Some people may say such images are added by the poster to be amusing or interesting...I beg to differ! Annoying and puerile springs to mind.

Re: Forum signatures

Chris — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:41:26 GMT

I have an image in my signature which is to follow us on Twitter so I'd like to see them stay.

Re: Forum signatures

Oldjim — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:42:37 GMT

@Nick Russell
Actually the signature size with images is very little different to your signature size.
Now if we scrapped all signature images and limited sigs to one line of standard text

Re: Forum signatures

Spider — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:51:51 GMT

Quote from: Oldjim
....
Now if we scrapped all signature images and limited sigs to one line of standard text

Sounds interesting especially if we can limit the number of characters used in that one line

Re: Forum signatures

Be3G — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:55:22 GMT

Quote from: Chris
I have an image in my signature which is to follow us on Twitter so I'd like to see them stay.

Your image could be replicated fairly easily with text though – you could set a font size that's greater than the signature default so it still stands out a bit.

Re: Forum signatures

Nick_Russell — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:58:45 GMT

Quote from: Oldjim
@Nick Russell
Actually the signature size with images is very little different to your signature size.

Touché....how about this now?

Re: Forum signatures

Steve — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:54:18 GMT

Let them stay, Please! I'm making my Million.

Re: Forum signatures

avatastic — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:02:31 GMT

Oddly I like images in signatures.
Although I did get told off when mine ran at 5 lines long ... could have pointed out it was an image and didn't need to obey the number of lines rule as it was under 80px high

Re: Forum signatures

oldhag — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:49:49 GMT

I agree with poppy graphic signatures are not necessary.

Re: Forum signatures

VileReynard — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:46:43 GMT

Is my sig big enough?

Re: Forum signatures

community — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 07:41:42 GMT

I believe that my own signature can be appropriate to many other ramblings I have witnessed

Re: Forum signatures

hadden — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 09:57:38 GMT

I like to think that my signature has the optimum number of characters and the optimum number of images.
Please feel free to use it as a template.

Re: Forum signatures

sabayon — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 18:10:47 GMT

Another one here who agrees with poppy. If people must have signatures then the old usenet rules of 3 lines would seem appropriate.
However I doubt if anyone will take any notice. The rot started with Windows 95, outlook express, html mail and top posting.
If all the people who complain about lack of bandwidth considered the total waste of these images they may think differently.

Re: Forum signatures

tdlwebs — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:21:58 GMT

There are always going to be people who seem to think a large obtrusive image in their signature is 'cool'. It's not.
T

Re: Forum signatures

Oldjim — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:34:08 GMT

But it is pretty

Re: Forum signatures

pierre_pierre — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:45:15 GMT

and its easy to find your posts