A Suggestion for Signature Images

FireWall

Rookie
For the past four or five years, I have frequented another message board that effectively enforces signature image guidelines. I haven't seen it done better anywhere else, and since the permissibility of signature images is a relatively new development here, I'm going to share the details. The specific restrictions that I'm about to provide are posted out in the open for all to see (through the use of an announcement thread that spans all of the forums).

Signatures Limitations

Text signatures may not exceed a font size of more than 12 pixels or points. Text signatures may not exceed more than 4 lines of text with or without an image. Text may not "wrap" around more than one line. Use your "ENTER" key to create a line break.

Image signatures must not exceed 100 KB, may only be in .jpg, .png, or .gif format, and must not exceed 250 pixels high by 500 pixels wide [that is too big, in my opinion]. Image signatures may not contain any pornography. You are not allowed to use multiple images in your signature. Signatures may not contain cheat site links or material, links to warez sites or files, or links to anything pornographic.

Additionally:

A) If you post the same lines / images over and over, in your posts, in an attempt to circumvent the signature rules, such posting will automatically be considered part of your signature, and you will be dealt with accordingly.

B) With regards to text, your lines of text may not exceed a total of 4 lines, when it is viewed using Internet Explorer, standard size fonts, at a resolution of 1024x768. Blank lines between lines of text DO count towards this 4 lines limit.

C) With regards to images, when someone clicks on signature image, and selects "Properties," using Internet Explorer 6.01, the image MUST report a size. If your image was replaced with a message telling you this, then you should change signature hosts.

D) Animated .gif files are certainly permitted, as long as the image conforms to all of the above limitations as well. Therefore, your TOTAL size is limited to 100 kilobytes, in addition to the boundary restrictions, etc.

E) Pictures of fecal matter, sexually transmitted fluids, etc. are not permitted.

F) You may only use .jpg, .gif, or .png files as signature images. Any other format used is a violation of the rules.

G) Signatures may not contain flames against other posters.

Those are the rescritions, and I highly recommend them. They are enforced in the following way:

When a moderator notices that a user is not following the guidelines, he or she edits the violator's signature to conform to the guidelines by replacing it with a warning. If the violator breaks the guidelines again, then they get their ability to use signatures revoked. It's really not a big deal, and it works very well. What do you think?
 
Another point:

At the same board that I took those guidelines from, users have the option to turn off signatures. That way, if they would prefer not to see other users' signatures, there is no problem. Would that be possible to implement here?
 
*checks sig size*

Ok, implement away :wink:

On a serious note, I've always felt that combo image + text sigs should apply to the same sizing restrictions as regular image sigs, IE: 250X500. Having a pic plus text should not be a free ride to have a bigger sig. If you want both, make them fit.
 
Do I even have to state my opinion anymore?

FireWall said:
Image signatures must not exceed 100 KB, may only be in .jpg, .png, or .gif format, and must not exceed 250 pixels high by 500 pixels wide [that is too big, in my opinion].
Much too big! If I absolutely HAD to give in and suggest a size limit, I would say no larger than 75px high by 250px wide, and no larger than 10kb.

D) Animated .gif files are certainly permitted, as long as the image conforms to all of the above limitations as well. Therefore, your TOTAL size is limited to 100 kilobytes, in addition to the boundary restrictions, etc.
Disagree. Animated gifs are an unnecessary eyesore and annoyance.

E) Pictures of fecal matter, sexually transmitted fluids, etc. are not permitted.
I'm not entirely sure I want to know how this rule came to be...

The direction these boards are heading is totally retarded. I hope Duke finds a hack that will remove signature images, but he's just too busy with everything else.
:(

On a side note, last night was supposed to have been my deadline for changing my image, and TNO should have locked my signature yesterday due to non-compliance on my part.
Looks like I'll be gone from these boards for good soon, and you guys will have all gotten your way before I got mine.
 
I'm sorry, mC, but with the prevalance of broadband connections, it's really not a big issue now adays. I would wager that most people here aren't using 56k.
 
Firewall has been spot on with this Sig Pic debate. I have let the GM's know that his advice sounds great.

Thanks Firewall.
 
FireWall said:
I'm sorry, mC, but with the prevalance of broadband connections, it's really not a big issue now adays. I would wager that most people here aren't using 56k.

I'm not at the moment because I'm at uni but when I get back home for the holidays I'll be back to 56k unless my dad springs a lovely surprise on me (he won't, he doesn't understand the benefits of broadband).

Sam
 
used44 said:
About how big is 250 by 500?

1. Bigger than 200x400 but a bit smaller than 300x600
2. 125,000
3. 42
4. teapot
5. "250? 250 WHAT? 250 BANANAS? WHERE'S YOUR UNITS BOYO?" (shouted at me 7,000 times by my math teacher, the esteemed Tudor Griffiths")
 
FireWall said:
I'm sorry, mC, but with the prevalance of broadband connections, it's really not a big issue now adays. I would wager that most people here aren't using 56k.
So then that just gives you the right to keep ramming the dildo up the asses of those of us who either don't have enough money to have broadband, or isn't available in their area? Nice.
And that still doesn't address the issue that they're just plain ass ugly and annoying. If I want to see how good/bad someone is with Photoshop, I'll make a topic asking people to show me how great/horrible they are. I don't want to see it every single fucking time you say something.

But, I can see reasoning with you guys is next to impossible...
 
[quote="masterchris" If I want to see how good/bad someone is with Photoshop, I'll make a topic asking people to show me how great/horrible they are. I don't want to see it every single cuddle-wuddles time you say something.[/quote]

Sorry, but I like to be arrogant when it comes to that. :D
 
used44 said:
About how big is 250 by 500?

This big:

2505008nc.png


Now that I look at it, I think this is far too large. Even if you've got a faster connection, it just takes too much time to scroll past that, especially if everyone has a sig that big. Sigs should be just a small thing, and shouldn't really take up that much of the screen. Something more like this:

1004002zt.png


That's a little more reasonable. It allows enough room to show a nice picture or some text while still not being big enough to seriously interfere with slower connections.
 
Thanks. Yeah, I agree. The width could go to 500, but the height shoudn't be much more than 100 pixels.

No feces? That's a lame rule.
 
It's been changed to 200 in width, 25 in height.

25 is too damn short and now I can't even change it to something that I made because it's 100 in height and 375 in width. So screw this, I'm just gonna keep this one until I get sick of it.
 

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