Signatures used for advertising

[Marseille]

I imagine they have good reason for disabling html in sigs, but if enabled, tables could allow more efficient layouts. I was about to whip up one for SOS when I noticed they wouldn't work.

[Ea]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

Above is the old version.
Hopefully, I can get away with this.

That's even shorter than mine

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by Ea

What bothers me most is the full lenght of the signature. Say, yours with text + photo, takes up quite a bit of screen real estate. I don't exactly dislike a small image, it's only that all taken together, it adds up.

The first limit on how much vertical screen space is taken up is governed by the

User name
Avatar picture
Number of posts
Karma
Devices
and buttons/etc.

A one line posting will not alter this. But add on a long sig line, or images, and this vertical extent will increase.

[Ea]

I know. That, too. No avatars would decrease the height significantly for short 1-2 line posts. Not that I'm suggesting it or anything ...

[thinkpad]

I don't think it only has to do with the height a post takes up it also has to do with how one process information. For me a picture in the sig somehow makes my brain seek it out before any text, diverting my attention from the actual post, even worse when there's a gif-animation.

[GeoffC]

I have no problem with static images - but I agree animated ones are too distracting (almost as though the poster doesn't want their posted text to be read !).

Ea ! Keep your Av !

[Ea]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

I have no problem with static images - but I agree animated ones are too distracting (almost as though the poster doesn't want their posted text to be read !).

Some of them are really distrcting, to the point where you give up reading the post. Someone had a dancing cartoon otter(?)... But now I can't see it anymore

Originally Posted by GeoffC

Ea ! Keep your Av !

Don't worry!

[kacir]

Originally Posted by astra

Really?
I didn't know chrome has add-ons.
Does IE have it too?

There is a piece of software called privoxy.
You install privoxy.
It tells you it is listening at some port (perhaps 8008).
Privoxy is a proxy server. It runs on the same computer as browser, at an address localhost, (127.0.0.1)

Now you configure your browser to use proxy for http protocol. Address of the proxy is 127.0.0.1, port 8008 (or whatever port privoxy tells you it is listening at, or you can configure your own)

Privoxy comes pre-configured with many, many addresses of various advertisers. It filters html and image files as it serves them to browser, so you can do ANYTHING. Even change some string to other string, so you can even change every single occurrence of string Microsoft to Micro$oft.

Privoxy works on many operating systems, with the vast majority of browsers. You can configure it to do very interesting things to html files and images going through it. It is a little bit outdated at the moment (especially database), but if you are not afraid to change some text configuration mode, you can add an address of some annoying advertiser very easily.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by thinkpadx

Now I'm going to sound old and grumpy but I don't understand why anyone would feel the need to flash excessive info with every post they're making. Isn't it better to put it on the profile-page. People who's interested can go there to read more. I really don't see the need for sigs at all unless it's to display your real name.

See my previous comment.
It is YOUR computer (*), YOUR instance of operating system (*) and YOUR browser (*), so you can tell it exactly what you wish to see.

(*) unless, that is, you use iPad ;-)
Apple protects you from doing such things, for your own good.

[GeoffC]

An Apple a day keeps the doctor away ?

[SameOldStory]

My 2 cents - by anonymous.

I've always been exceptional. Special, some would say. If they had short school buses when I went to school I would've had the shortest.

As some of you can see (and phooey on those of you who can't) I insert a thumbnail in my sig. I avoid animated ones, and try to avoid offensive ones. Ea has talked me into keeping it as compact as I can (formatting be damned).

And here is where my specialness comes in. I like book covers in the sig areas. If they're kept to one line and, of course, not animated/blinking.

I also liked the first day of school, new people, and even new school books! Told you I was special.

Some of the other discussion boards I've seen look the way this thread is going. No avatars. No sigs. Stripped down. This may make for a great speed reading environment, but boooooorrring.

Many of you are people that I find worthwhile reading. At times I'll scroll down the screen looking for certain avatars. I like the thumbnail book covers as a visual trigger to interesting new books. Some sigs make me laugh. All in all, it makes the forum more interesting to me.

As discussed, there are way to turn off signatures, avatars, and images if they trouble you.

Some of the ones that have caused me problems are -
Zelda - your avatar scares me. Too much like Phillis Diller.
astra - I had to get one of those rubber roll up keyboards to protect my forehead because I can't control myself when I see your avatar.
Ea - your avatar causes aphasia. Please remember that there are adult men on this site.
JSWolf - You're one scary dude. Stop looking at me with that big eye of yours.
LCF - it is illegal to hypnotize people without their consent.

The list goes on and on. Where's my school bus. I WANT MY SCHOOL BUS!




OK. There are ways to turn off much of what may irritate some. And that is a better solution than to turn this into a visually monotonous forum.

[Ea]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

Ea - your avatar causes aphasia. Please remember that there are adult men on this site.

Aphasia... Is that what it's called now?

[SameOldStory]

Aphasia
Noun -
A partial or total loss of the ability to articulate ideas or comprehend spoken or written language. When caused by women it will usually reverse itself after the cause has been removed.

For other conditions affecting men when introduced to women see - stunned, stuttering, open mouthed stare, mumbling, shyness, fright, and terror.

[Ea]

Ah, well, since I changed my avatar yesterday, it shouldn't be so troublesome.

BTW; would you include gay women in those affected by my avatar?

[SameOldStory]

Originally Posted by Ea

Ah, well, since I changed my avatar yesterday, it shouldn't be so troublesome.

BTW; would you include gay women in those affected by my avatar?

I think that men are the weaker creature, mentally. But being male, that would be my perspective, wouldn't it? You may guess what goes on inside others, and they may react to your perceptions in a way that reinforces that perception, but you can only guess.

Given that caveat, of course. And not only to the avatars you use either.

Humans are attracted to others in so many different ways, and for so many different reasons, that it would be too complicated to predict except in the broadest terms.