Signatures

[COBOLdinosaur]

This one is a bit complex, but we will meed a policy on it.  So everyone understands let me explain the capabilities and options.  

Currently there is maximum length of 255 charactrs for the signature, and any fromatting that can be done to a post, can also be done to a sig.  Some sites do no allow and signature, but ther is nothing ot stop a member from appending one to theie posts.  The advantage of that is that the server does not need information from the database to generate a sig.  Some sites do not allow images, some don not allow links and some do not allow either.

So what I propose is:

Disable dynamic signatures, and limit signatures in post to text only plus a link to the member profile, or to the Mentors' personal pages on the ERT servers.

[CrYpTiC_MauleR]

I second, but allow things like underline, strikethrough, and italics. No bold because that will be an annoyance. Also prevent posting on multiple lines like so...


PHP rocks!
Check out my site http://www.example.com
"The moon is made of cheese" -Albert Einstein

[COBOLdinosaur]

What I am proposing would still leave the formatting options like underline.  What it does is remove the signature as a seperate part of the post tht has to be dynamically generated from the user profile.  Any signature added would be static and part of the post text.  So enforcement of signature content would be just like looking at the appropriateness of the rest of the post.

[nicholassolutions]

Just to clarify, what you're (Cd&) suggesting is actually to disable sigs, but allow users to append certain text info to their posts manually? (as you might at EE, except that they have a somewhat more strict limit on what you can include). Is that right? (if so I agree)

[COBOLdinosaur]

Yes that is what I am proposing.  I would still be able to sign Cd& at the end an even put a link to http://coboldinosaur.expertsrt.com , but no images or offsite links.  Mentors will have subdomains on th site if they want them, and other contributing members would have one or more personal pages beyond the regular profile.  So if a member was doing freelance work they could put contact information in there pages or samples of their work, but we would avoid the blatant spam signatures I have seen in some forums that make the threads look like billboards.

[nicholassolutions]

sounds good to me :-)

[Huntress]

So what about mine?  I usually only use text for my sigs.

Well darn.  It's gone now.  LOL

[Huntress]

How's that?  I must have deleted my other sig because it wouldn't line up right.

[COBOLdinosaur]

Sandi for yours the only difference would be that you would have to type it in at the end of the psot instead of it being put in at the cost of an IO operation against the database to find it and insert it into the template.

[Anonymous]

I think the sig should be removed entirely and the avatar space should reflect any information which would be in a sig.

Printing a page for reading later ends up half sig and half border and pretty stuff and no actual content. Well, ok, a bit extreme but ...

I often print out stuff to keep and refer to later. Or to use as an aid to show others.

Most of the time, I have to cut and paste and then edit like mad to remove all the junk.

Having the unrelated stuff (sig's) NOT in the flow of the consultation, would be much more professional. Whilst this is a community we are building, we are NOT needing to do the personal advertising that is so prominant in a sig.

Richard Quadling
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I came, I saw, I concurred."
Which is either inaccurate or irrelevant and in both cases, pointless.
Now imagine seeing this EVERY time I sent a message. The poor buggers learning from me would think I'm an idiot. Which is not the discussion we are having by the way.

[Huntress]

*sigh*  Guess I won't have a sig again.

[Anonymous]

Huntress, maybe you will, but instead of it being part of the message thread and confusing the poor guy trying to learn from us and wondering why he has to read pyscho-babble like "Life is great! Eat a banana!", he (or she) can concentrate on the really important stuff - the answer he is being given from his mentor.

Just imagine your college lecturer's all saying "So long and thanks for all the fish!" after every conversation. Sure, funny for all of 0 minutes.

After 10 minutes, that ban on bringing weapons into school seems completely reasonable!

If your "sig" or as I would like to call it mini-profile, was part of the avatar space; i.e. outside of the message text, this would provide a considerable easier read.

Richard Quadling
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't believe in god like I don't believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny or Happy-Ever-After.

[Huntress]

Richard dear, I was simply being facetious.  Don't mind me.  I'm not really into the sig thing anyway, I just collect them.  ;-)

[Anonymous]

Right. I see. Facetious. :oops:

[Huntress]

You'll be able to spot my droll brand of humor after you get to know me better.  ;-)