Suggested updates to the rules regarding signatures

[Destructobot]

Lately there seem to be a lot of users with very large sigs consisting of several images and lots of text. Quite often they fit within the 50KB specified in the forum rules, but it seems to me that they are not following the spirit of the rules, which seems to be "don't have a huge sig".

My suggestion is to keep the file size limits as they are, but to change the dimension limits to a maximum vertical size for the entire sig (as opposed to just the main graphic), and a maximum width for the widest image in the sig. That way people can have an average size main sig graphic and some text, a larger sig image and little or no text, or a lot of text and no images (or just very small ones).

I'm thinking around 135px for the total verticle limit, and 500 for the horizontal limit. Whatever sizes are chosen, it should be a strict limit, at least for the vertical size. This will give people a room to be creative, while still preventing huge sigs.


Referral links should be explicitly prohibited. They really bug me, and they seem to violate the rules about advertising, seeing as how they are not links to the member's own website or forum. I think giant text in sigs should be prohibited, but that's just my opinion. Sigs shouldn't distract people.


Regardless of whether or not any of these changes are made, the signature guidelines ought to be on the sig editing page as well as in the rules. That way everyone with a sig has to see them.


Edit: In case it isn't clear, I don't think the rules should really be more strict that they are now, just more specific.

 

[sfunk]

I'm in 100% agreement with everything you've said, especially the referral links. The amount of time one must spend to get something worthwhile is probably better spent volunteering/working on a resume/getting a job/working at said job.

 

[Sinkhead]

Whenever I see a massive sig I PM the member. I was always of the assumption that the size limits were for the entire sig, not just the main graphic. Hrm. I still make people remove them though.

 

[Toni Plutonij]

I'd agree on everything.....
Maybe I should remove some of my text in sig, but everything I link is useful, and I'm keeping it small..I don't think I'm in a violation of rules, but I might be wrong..

Anyway, Sinkhead hasn't PM me yet, so I guess I'm fine!

 

[Urza]

Why the staff has not assimilated these into the rules yet and taken action against offenders is beyond me.

Referral links should be explicitly prohibited. They really bug me, and they seem to violate the rules about advertising, seeing as how they are not links to the member's own website or forum. I think giant text in sigs should be prohibited, but that's just my opinion. Sigs shouldn't distract people.

 

[DeMoN]

I think we should be able to vote on these types of changes. But our admins are not American and I don't know if they share the same beliefs in democracy.

Anyways, there's always the option to turn off all signatures.

 

[arctic_flame]

If your signature makes one a 1 line post longer than the info on the left, it's too big.

 

[Urza]

Anyways, there's always the option to turn off all signatures.

I was not aware this was an option.

The quality of my forum browsing has now increased dramatically.

 

[Mewgia]

Honestly I don't notice or mind any (relatively) big sigs. Really I think the signature rules are perfectly fine now, I mean you should see some other forums where there pretty much is no size limit and the sigs are bigger than the user's post combined with he post above it (not joking)
If it really bothers you that much you can turn signatures off completely.

 

[alex]

I don't mind sigs, sometimes there's some funny quote or picture. And some cool ones too. And I like to help people out with referral links, so they can help me. And I'm not being selfish with mine, it's for my tourny.

And if my barrel roll is too big tell me, I'll shrink it. And sigs tell something about the person, what the like and all, and sometimes it feels really cramped. So much stuff. But siggy are part of a forum. I think though sigs should be allowed at least 600px width, most monitors are 1024 by 768, so it would fit.

 

[Narin]

I could make it so signatures have a set size and if the signature exceeds that size, collaspse it to fir that size and add a scrollbar to it. This way people can still have their sigs the way they are now but larger ones get minimized a little bit.

 

[Sephi]

I could make it so signatures have a set size and if the signature exceeds that size, collaspse it to fir that size and add a scrollbar to it. This way people can still have their sigs the way they are now but larger ones get minimized a little bit.

Sounds nice Narin.

 

[alex]

I could make it so signatures have a set size and if the signature exceeds that size, collaspse it to fir that size and add a scrollbar to it. This way people can still have their sigs the way they are now but larger ones get minimized a little bit.

I've seen that before, from another forum. I liked the idea. Go Narin!

But is it going to be the size it is now, like the limit? and the width? Just asking.

 

[Diablo1123]

The thing that bugs me is when the graphics has a high file size because I have slow internet
And if it takes up about ½ of my browser's vertical space.

Everything else is pretty easy to ignore.

 

[Psyfira]

... change the dimension limits to a maximum vertical size for the entire sig and a maximum width for the widest image... I'm thinking around 135px for the total verticle limit, and 500 for the horizontal limit. Whatever sizes are chosen, it should be a strict limit, at least for the vertical size.... Referral links should be explicitly prohibited... I think giant text in sigs should be prohibited, but that's just my opinion. Regardless of whether or not any of these changes are made, the signature guidelines ought to be on the sig editing page as well as in the rules. That way everyone with a sig has to see them.

Oh holy hell yes! I'm on 1024x768 and I'm sick of seeing signatures that take up half the height of my screen. Makes my scrolling finger cry. Dread to think what they look like on a netbook

Maximum vertical size is a brilliant solution. 135px* might be a little bit tight though, that's pretty much one image and one line of text which, don't get me wrong I'd be over the moon about but some people wouldn't. Enforced maximums is a good idea, most people know what "give or take a little bit" means but the people who don't really get on my nerves.

Referal links: waste of space. No-one clicks that shit anyway.

Sig rules on the change sig page: pure genius

(* Edit: now I've actually gone off and looked at it, 135px isn't too bad tbh)

 

[fischju]

The thing that bugs me is when the graphics has a high file size because I have slow internet
And if it takes up about ½ of my browser's vertical space.

Everything else is pretty easy to ignore.

And you have a sig almost 50% larger than the forum rules of 50kb


I would like to raise the cap to 100kb for sigs though, the active members only have to load them once and they will stay in cache, or they can just be disabled by people with slow internet

 

[Mewgia]

Referal links: waste of space. No-one clicks that shit anyway

Yeeeah no. Linkiboy got over $500 worth of stuff from gaminglagoon almost entirely from referrals, almost all of which came from GBAtemp. I've gotten a bit from referrals as well, and this is the only place I have my link.

 

[Lumstar]

I don't mind referral links. Doesn't seem annoying.

Besides people can get legit free stuff by using them as intended. After all, the first Baten Kaitos was free for me that way.

 

[Ferrariman]

Time to make my sig smaller...

 

[Seyiji]

Referral links should be explicitly prohibited. They really bug me, and they seem to violate the rules about advertising, seeing as how they are not links to the member's own website or forum. I think giant text in sigs should be prohibited, but that's just my opinion. Sigs shouldn't distract people.

I freakin' hate referral links especially when members use a text size like 4 or larger to advertise them!

I'm all for cracking down on these schemes