Signature length

newsphotog · #1 (**permalink**) 04-28-2009, 01:54 AM

Are there any plans to allow signature files to be bigger? Us lowly regular users are restricted to only so many characters compared to moderators/admins/whatever. Same thing would be great if we were allowed to use IMG tags as well. I do understand why there are these restrictions in place -- super long signatures, huge/wide image files, etc. -- but it would be great if it were enabled for us. Perhaps a perk for premium subscribers?

mtindor · #2 (**permalink**) 04-28-2009, 02:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newsphotog

Are there any plans to allow signature files to be bigger? Us lowly regular users are restricted to only so many characters compared to moderators/admins/whatever. Same thing would be great if we were allowed to use IMG tags as well. I do understand why there are these restrictions in place -- super long signatures, huge/wide image files, etc. -- but it would be great if it were enabled for us. Perhaps a perk for premium subscribers?

i wasn't aware there was a more liberal limit for admins / mods. What sucks is that the bbcodes used in signatures are counted towards the limit.

Ex:

Code:

THIS IS RED

- It takes 32 or so characters just to put that in a sig.

mike

tonsoffun · #3 (**permalink**) 04-28-2009, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newsphotog

Us lowly regular users are restricted to only so many characters compared to moderators/admins/whatever

We have the same restrictions just like other members.

Ron

eribenboim · #4 (**permalink**) 04-28-2009, 06:46 PM

Premium subscribers should have a larger limit... or no limit.

wayne_h · #5 (**permalink**) 04-29-2009, 09:48 PM

I'm sorry, but I'm not in favor of this. I could possibly go with increasing the text count a bit more but that's the extent.

I dislike seeing forums where their members have ridiculously large signatures, especially with images. When a sig takes up more space than the post, there's an issue there.

newsphotog · #6 (**permalink**) 04-29-2009, 11:08 PM

I was pretty sure you would be against it, but don't let one rotten apple spoil the whole bunch. I don't support turning the forums into MySpace with all of the bling, but quite frankly I think the current signature rules are entirely too restrictive. At the very least increase the character limit. Maybe do a test run with less restriction.

Moderators/administrators/whatever seem to be doing an okay job of using discretion while creating their signature files, so I have to wonder what causes the administrators to think that premium subscribers or even regular users can't use their discretion as well as to not over-bling their signatures?

rdale · #7 (**permalink**) 04-29-2009, 11:11 PM

The longer your signature is.... finish this sentence

Thank goodness the forum allows you to turn off the display of all .sig's

JoeyC · #8 (**permalink**) 04-30-2009, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newsphotog

...so I have to wonder what causes the administrators to think that premium subscribers or even regular users can't use their discretion as well as to not over-bling their signatures?

Relatively speaking you haven't been here very long. I think the limit was placed a long time ago because some people couldn't control themselves in sigs.

IMHO a signature line is as unimportant as are the post counters and member description field (or whatever its called).

duster · #9 (**permalink**) 04-30-2009, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayne_h

I'm sorry, but I'm not in favor of this. I could possibly go with increasing the text count a bit more but that's the extent.

I dislike seeing forums where their members have ridiculously large signatures, especially with images. When a sig takes up more space than the post, there's an issue there.

I have to side with Wayne on this... I agree that the text count could handle an increase, but otherwise, the system seems to work very well as it is. I think img files in the signatures would detract from the actual posts... My .02

captclint · #10 (**permalink**) 04-30-2009, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayne_h

I'm sorry, but I'm not in favor of this. I dislike seeing forums where their members have ridiculously large signatures, especially with images. When a sig takes up more space than the post, there's an issue there.

That's a big 10-4. It got so bad with a few that I was forced to use the options: Thread Display Options to turn OFF view all signatures

. That certainly cuts down on the amount of clutter so I can concentrate on the posts

newsphotog · #11 (**permalink**) 04-30-2009, 06:59 PM

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8330/4.3.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

I'm not talking about people writing novels in their signatures or putting photo albums in their signatures, either. I tried to put a link and a quote in my signature file one day and even with me using a URL shortening service and cutting the quote down, I still couldn't fit it in. That is giving us way too little to work with.

I would also like to reiterate that I have been agreeing with you on minimising clutter. I am in no way advocating cluttering up the forums more than they already are. If anything you shouldn't allow different fonts, font sizes and font colors in signatures, although I am uncertain whether or not this is again a moderator/administrator/whatever privilege, but I have seen it. Those also distract from the actual posts.

I think it's worth mentioning again that I don't want RadioReference to look like MySpace. Impose a longer character limit, or impose a size limit on images something like 32 kb or a maximum dimension of 100 or 200 pixels, something small and something that can't possibly be so distracting. If users don't like signatures, they are free to turn them off in their control panel if they would like. Sounds like many users here think that signatures are meaningless and insignificant so surely they wouldn't have a problem with turning the signatures off in the control panel since it sounds like they won't miss seeing signatures.

I think some of you have mistaken my suggestion as me wanting you to just completely open it up and let everone just run wild in their signature files. I'm not asking for that. I am certainly not asking for everyone to put excessive bling and animations in their signature. There is some middle ground here. I think I'm being reasonable when I say that the character limit can be increased at the least without causing any problems.

loumaag · #12 (**permalink**) 05-02-2009, 02:18 PM

Well, I think that a signature should contain...well, a signature and that's it.

Indeed, IMHO it is too generous right now. If someone has something to say and they want to say it in every post they make, then do it in the post. Stick your name in the signature and maybe a title and be done with it.

wayne_h · #13 (**permalink**) 05-02-2009, 04:25 PM

Is there a way to use the visitor messaging or something else attached to your account to announce various things? A simple referral in the signature would point members. Otherwise I see it as more an attention getting thing.

I know for a fact discretion would not come in to play when designing some signatures. I'd prefer we have one less thing to police versus allowing the "I own" laundry list. On this site, if it can be abused, it will.