Signature Guidelines: Absolutely NO animated images in signatures

[Sapience]

We have enabled the ability for you to link to images for your signature. Please keep the following in mind.

Images should be no larger than 125 pixels high, and no wider than 350 pixels wide.

ABSOLUTELY NO ANIMATED IMAGES OR VIDEO OF ANY KIND ARE PERMITTED.

Guidelines to follow. (As sadly we're already starting to look like the Vegas Strip).

Signature Guidelines

• You may link to one (1) image in your signature.
• Images may not be larger than 350 pixels wide x 125 pixels high.
• Images should be as small as possible (File size).
• No animated images of any kind. Period. No exceptions.
• No videos of any kind. Period. No exceptions.
• Signatures must relate to LOTRO (no Xbox live gamer tags, etc).
• Signatures must not be ‘billboards’ for your site. (You may add a simple link in the standard font size).
• Must comply with the Community Guidelines.
• Text should not exceed 4 lines with no image or 2 lines with an image.

We'll remove any animated images we see and if it continues to be an issue we will simply disable the ability to have images in your signatures.

[Tony.Preston]

May I inquire, "Why?" Is there a specific reason or reasons for the no animated images in sigs?

[Rainith]

May I inquire, "Why?" Is there a specific reason or reasons for the no animated images in sigs?

I'm going to go with because they are incredibly annoying and the person who came up with the idea for them should suffer eternally in the pits of Tartarus.

[Sapience]

I'm going to go with because they are incredibly annoying and the person who came up with the idea for them should suffer eternally in the pits of Tartarus.

This. Imagine an entire row of posts all with animated images at the bottom.

It was my call to even enable images at all(and it wasn't well received) and it is the first time we've allowed it. I think a couple of very simple and very easy to follow rules in exchange is more than reasonable. But, like I said, if folks disagree or use them despite being told not to, it's as simple as unchecking one box to disable images in all signatures.

[TheStormKing]

This. Imagine an entire row of posts all with animated images at the bottom.

It was my call to even enable images at all(and it wasn't well received) and it is the first time we've allowed it. I think a couple of very simple and very easy to follow rules in exchange is more than reasonable. But, like I said, if folks disagree or use them despite being told not to, it's as simple as unchecking one box to disable images in all signatures.

This should be explicitly stated in the user control panel where signatures can be created.

[MrSlayer22]

they're a pain on a slow connection/pc too or even if you have a lot of tabs running

[Hyaline]

Thank you so much for this Sapience! I've always been fond of playing with images to make signatures and it was somewhat a disappointment that I wasn't able to use here one that I've made.

I really hope people don't abuse this because I would like to keep this feature! Maybe we can even have a signature request thread where members from the community can make signatures for other members.

I know what I'm going to be doing tomorrow: browsing my screenshots and playing with Photoshop!

[Meneliel]

Thank you! This lets us have some customization now that custom avatars and character sigs are gone.

[Temrhyn]

Thank you! This lets us have some customization now that custom avatars and character sigs are gone.

I kind of hope the character sigs are coming back at some point. I know they had a lot of issues, but one of my hopes was that with the new forums they would be fixing the broken character sigs as well. I liked being able to display my main without having to always manually update things like the level and crafting tiers. Call me lazy, but that's how it was for me.

[Whiteberry_Laurelin]

I suggest writing these rules on the signature creation/edit page, where people will see them when they make the signatures

[xusia]

Are there any rules pertaining to what you can and cannot have in your forum signature? I like many here promote my own website. Is this still acceptable under the revised forum guidelines?

[Whiteberry_Laurelin]

Are there any rules pertaining to what you can and cannot have in your forum signature? I like many here promote my own website. Is this still acceptable under the revised forum guidelines?

As I read the guidelines, links are still allowed in posts/signatures as long as they are relevant to LOTRO and don't violate rules like #21.

[Laire]

I suggest writing these rules on the signature creation/edit page, where people will see them when they make the signatures

Seconding (or thirding?) this suggestion about sizes and no animations (and, assumedly, nothing crude either).

While animated signatures are not allowed, are .gifs allowed in the content of forum posts themselves (presuming said poster is not abusing it)? I just want to make sure I don't break any sort of rule

[Sapience]

Are there any rules pertaining to what you can and cannot have in your forum signature? I like many here promote my own website. Is this still acceptable under the revised forum guidelines?

The image is oversize and doesn't relate directly to LOTRO and is basically a billboard for your site. So it's advertising and a violation of the guidelines.

Whiteberry's is right on the line. It is at least LOTRO related, though still closer to billboard for a site than a signature identifying you.

I'm trying to work out how to get a full list into the sig creator or at least adding it to the community guidelines. The need to make it tri-lingual may be a challenge in the signature creator page.
I'm already seeing every argument that was used against my decision to allow this on the forums. I may have to admit I was dead wrong and remove the ability.

I've updated the OP with a much more complete list.

[Whiteberry_Laurelin]

I'm changing mine then when it's bordering breaking the guidelines, which was obviously not the intention when it's a LOTRO fansite

[Maxal]

Sapience I can image the number of :

"I told you so" you have received so far.

Maybe you can update your signature to show how many you have received instead of which PM you are working on right now. That number might be bigger. LOL

[Whiteberry_Laurelin]

I'm already seeing every argument that was used against my decision to allow this on the forums. I may have to admit I was dead wrong and remove the ability.

I've updated the OP with a much more complete list.

It's a great idea to allow images in signatures, but it's naïve to think everyone will magically know what sizes and content are allowed right away, when the guidelines don't appear until later Give us a chance to comply as the rules appear before you judge, please.

For the record, I still think the guidelines should be displayed on the Signature Edit page.

[Elderban]

I'm already seeing every argument that was used against my decision to allow this on the forums. I may have to admit I was dead wrong and remove the ability.

As I run a few forums myself, I have disabled the ability to add images to signatures because it forces you to police them and when/if you do remove one, you get "Well, how come XYZ can have one like that and I can't??".

Furthermore, when an external image is used, they can very easily be changed to something that goes against the guidelines or, if they use a free image hosting site, you get those "Bandwidth Exceeded" images stuck on your forums.

Better to remove them.

[Whiteberry_Laurelin]

I'd prefer the avatar being customizable in stead of the signature - at least with link to a hosted picture, but since that's not possible at the moment, allowing signature pictures is the way to go if you don't want everything to be grey in grey without ways to quickly identify posters in long threads, etc. In my humble opinion

[Hyaline]

Like Whiteberry said, give us a chance to comply. Honestly, this ability to use our own made signature is the best thing about the new forums for me. Give it some time for rules to stabilize as you add them and for the rush from this new ability to settle down.

Hopefully people won't cross the line after a few days.

[Amorey]

As I run a few forums myself, I have disabled the ability to add images to signatures because it forces you to police them and when/if you do remove one, you get "Well, how come XYZ can have one like that and I can't??".

Furthermore, when an external image is used, they can very easily be changed to something that goes against the guidelines or, if they use a free image hosting site, you get those "Bandwidth Exceeded" images stuck on your forums.

Better to remove them.

I completely agree with this statement - having to keep a constant eye on signatures that may or may not break the rules - dealing with users that may take issues if their signatures is removed but others are allowed may end up costing Sapience and the moderators a lot of valuable time that they could be using gathering feedback about the game or communicating with the wider community - In an ideal world everyone would follow the rules, and maybe on a smaller forum it would be possible, but on such big boards I would maybe remove the option - It is Sapience call and it is not easy because some people will not like the signatures images option removed, you can never please everyone

[Taravith]

Images should be no larger than 125 pixels high, and no wider than 350 pixels wide.

350 pixels wide is really, really small. 600 would sound more reasonable - it wouldn't mess up the design or pad the thread view while still giving relative freedom for sig-makers to express themselves (and avoid eyestrain for the people looking at them).

[Whiteberry_Laurelin]

There are always some who won't comply with the rules of course - we see that every day - either on purpose or by ignorance. It's not like that can come as any surprise to anyone. But if the non-compliance turns out to be so bad that it is taking a lot of moderation time, I completely agree that the signatures aren't worth it and should be removed.

But at least give it a few days before dismissing it entirely.

[Taravith]

I might be slightly overexcited about this idea (but I loooove making sigs) but encouraging Photoshop-savvy people to make sigs for other, less savvy people could help regulate the whole thing.

Deactivating sigs entirely because some people might not respect the rules (especially when said rules are not actually posted anywhere near the sig edit window ) is just as absurd as closing the forums entirely because some people might post a rule-breaking comment someday.

[Sapience]

I'd prefer the avatar being customizable in stead of the signature - at least with link to a hosted picture, but since that's not possible at the moment, allowing signature pictures is the way to go if you don't want everything to be grey in grey without ways to quickly identify posters in long threads, etc. In my humble opinion

it's staying up for now. I'm trying to get a custom avatar link instead of upload, but can't promise anything.

350 pixels wide is really, really small. 600 would sound more reasonable - it wouldn't mess up the design or pad the thread view while still giving relative freedom for sig-makers to express themselves (and avoid eyestrain for the people looking at them).

Unless, as some have pointed out with the current min width of the forums, your viewing size is 1024 width. At which point a 600px wide image is 60% of your screen. Even at 350 it's 35%.