Signature Size Limit!

[pulse]

The current signature Guidelines of 500 character also include the vB code in size! Is it possible to exclude vB Code from being included in your signature size?

[Dani]

No ... as it is, I feel this limit is extraordinarily generous. The reason that vB code is included is because otherwise people could create an infinite number of links in their signature. For example ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 where each of those numbers would link to a different site! People would be able to have 500 links in their signature with a 500 character limit! For that reason, I want the tags to count ;)

[pulse]

No ... as it is, I feel this limit is extraordinarily generous. The reason that vB code is included is because otherwise people could create an infinite number of links in their signature. For example ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 where each of those numbers would link to a different site! People would be able to have 500 links in their signature with a 500 character limit! For that reason, I want the tags to count ;)

Is there any harm in that type of signtures?

Have a policy of something like 65 character / line and max of 4 or 5 lines!

[Dani]

Those type of signatures can do a lot of damage. First of all, they convince people they don't need to buy advertising from us since they're getting hundreds of free static text links. They steal all of our pages' PR so that it doesn't go back to other internal pages, etc. Take your 65 char / line and 5 line theory ... if someone wanted to use one character-long anchor text, that's over 300 static links for one signature! I really think the length of signatures right now is way long enough ... you, for example, have seven links in your signature! Much more than is allotted on most other large-scale forums.

[kc0arf]

Hello,

I support Dani on this. Signatures are not to be mistaken for shortcuts around advertising rules, regulations, and earnings for the host site.

To be honest, I would prefer a single line of text 2 80 characters for a signature. Why? Save costs for the bandwidth, avoid cpu-intensive graphics on the page, and prevent other user issues. A BBS that i have been on since 1990 has 5 lines, 80 characters, only pure text. It has served ISCA for years...

Christian

[Dani]

While we currently allow 500 characters, I would in all honesty prefer to make this limit 250 chars. The reason I have not done so are for people like Crunchie whose signature links do wonders in the Spyware forum. 80 chars is a good amount for text only, but is impossible if one wanted to add URL vB code.