Signature Images Trial Begins

Members Only: This forum is restricted to votes and other formal discussions and is intentionally visible to all forum visitors.

Moderators: General Forum Moderators, Global Moderators

Signature Images Trial Begins

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:45 am

User avatar
Anubis
Site Admin
Posts: 4291
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2004 10:13 pm
Location: The Unholy Realm
Contact:
Yes, we've finally reached the point where we are ready to trial signature images. Before I go any further, I have to say a massive thank you to Fahd who had put a lot of time and effort into creating this mod that, I believe, effectively manages signature images in a way that is suitable for both sides of the argument around the subject.

Down to the details. The trial will run for three weeks and I will post up a thread for comments/suggestions a week into it when everyone has had a chance to get used to the mod and settled a little (read: thats not what this topic is for).

For the length of the trial the following restrictions will be placed on signature images:
File-size of each signature image: 50 KB's.
Animated signature image(s) allowed: No.
Maximum number of images in a signature: 1.
Maximum dimensions of each image (width x height): 500 x 150 pixels.
Note that these restrictions may well change after the trial concludes. This will largely depend on feedback on size (in the thread mentioned above) and how well the admins feel the trial has worked, but for the duration of the trial these restrictions will apply.

By default all guests to the forum and all newly created accounts will NOT have signature images enabled. Users will need to go into their profile and manually change the option before they will be able to see any.
This means that those of you who wish to view signature images or make use of them will need to enable the option in your profile FIRST.

Forum moderators will NOT be required to have signature images enabled should they not wish to do so. Upon the addition of an image to a signature by a user forum administrators who have elected to participate in the moderation of the images will be notified via E-mail and they will be required to check the image and approve/reject it before it is ever displayed on the forum. In short, moderation of the images is being raised to the administrative level, so no burden falls upon moderators.

The board will automatically re-check all signature images in use every few days to ensure that users have not altered their signature image (i.e. replaced the approved signature with a porn image on their server to try and get around the system). If an image has been changed since its last check then the image will automatically be removed by the board and will require re-authorisation by administrators before it is displayed again on the forums.

To be absolutely clear even though it was stated above, animated images will not be allowed, ever ;)

Provision is made for images that automatically update themselves over time (such as Xbox Live or Last FM signatures). Administrators can specifically allow the use of these images when approving them, to ensure that they are not thrown out by the board's re-checking (mentioned above).

I think that is all the important points I wanted to mention...excuse me if I missed anything out. Further information can be found in the FAQ, again thanks to Fahd, so should you have any more questions check there and if it is not answered feel free to post it here and I'll do my best to answer. You'll also all now find the new options (regarding enabling/disabling their viewing, etc) in your profiles should you wish to make use of them.

It is also to be noted that as of the time of writing there are a couple of bugs left to be ironed out, but hopefully no-one should run into them or any other issues. If you DO encounter any issues whilst using the forums which you feel may be attributed to this recent modification please let either myself or Fahd know. Thanks.

Lets all hope the trial is successful :)

- Anny
Last edited by Anubis on Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Perhaps this is what I have always wished for since that day. The loss and destruction of all. That's right, one must destroy before creating. In that case, if my conscience becomes a hindrance to me, then I will simply erase it. I have no other choice but to move forward....therefore!" - Lelouch vi Britannia/Zero, Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch

Forever an eXile and proud of it!

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:57 am

User avatar
SSX Fahd
Posts: 136
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 12:39 am
Location: Cambridge, UK.
Contact:
Firstly I'd like to thank Anubis for his encouragement, praise, kind words, but most of all his patience whilst I updated him on the development of this mod. There were several times when I thought I was ready to install it, and then a serious bug would come up that would require fixing. Quite a few estimates went by the wayside.

Secondly I'd like to thank everyone here for not becoming impatient. I didn't want to post any updates of my progress here due to the frequency in which deadlines (that I had set myself) went by.

With regards to the two bugs that were found. The first no one should be affected by (and I can fix it in my own time), whilst the second will only affect administrators. Admins: You'll only be receiving PM's about signature images that need to be approved, even if you select the E-mail options in your profiles. The e-mail code unfortunately seems to be causing problems, so I disabled it until it can be fixed. Please make sure to read the information in the Admin control panel signature-images page, as it is relevant :p;).

Finally, if anyone should notice any bugs, please post them here. Thanks.
Fahd, IM Prog's: See profile, Linky: TechSnap Video Podcast
"In the computer world few people read the 'readme.txt' files. In the real
world, few people read the signs that say 'Stand on the right'
" - Fahd.

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:28 am

User avatar
M.Steiner
Posts: 6114
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 5:57 pm
Location: UK
Contact:
Woo!
That's one cool mod you've been developing, Fahd. Nice work man. ;)
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 3:06 am

Phrank T Phish
Posts: 206
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:25 pm
Location: lichfield (near birmingham), UK
nicely done gents, i know a lot of folks like this kind of thing.

but in all honesty, if i cant have mark lamarr dancing around infront of mc hammer on the word in full animation with those fine ass kegs in full flow.... ill stick to my quotes.

still, good job, looking forward to some extra decoration.
No one loves you.
They're just pretending to be nice. But they talk bad about you after you leave the room.
You're gonna die alone.

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:08 pm

User avatar
Anubis
Site Admin
Posts: 4291
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2004 10:13 pm
Location: The Unholy Realm
Contact:
Ok, a further clarification thanks to BD deliberately making it obvious I hadn't said this ;)

Moderation in the hands of the admins will remain at the admins' discretion in regards to what is acceptable/unacceptable. In my case, I will be trying to be lenient in what is allowed - I won't reject without reason. If it isn't offensive, inappropriate (i.e. porn) or blinding I will usually be happy with it.
Blinding probably requires some clarification. By that I mean excessively bright and/or luminious colours that hurt the eyes. BD used this example:

Image

Which fits inside this mould of 'blinding' (though for the record, if people really wanted the quote I wouldn't object - though I'd find it rather silly). Keep colours toned down, there are many colour codes out there so there is no need to be deliberately using the extremes of every colour.

If people disagree with a judgement upon their signature they are free to contact the admin who rejected it stating their case. But, in my case at least, if it is blinding me you'll be told to tone down the colours a little before I approve it ;)
"Perhaps this is what I have always wished for since that day. The loss and destruction of all. That's right, one must destroy before creating. In that case, if my conscience becomes a hindrance to me, then I will simply erase it. I have no other choice but to move forward....therefore!" - Lelouch vi Britannia/Zero, Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch

Forever an eXile and proud of it!

PostPosted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:43 am

User avatar
Anubis
Site Admin
Posts: 4291
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2004 10:13 pm
Location: The Unholy Realm
Contact:
BD found a bug - well spotted. If you preview a post you are writing your signature image will be displayed in the preview regardless of whether it has been rejected by the admins and thus set to not display. Little quirk there that may need working out :)

I also know the thoughts thread is a few days late, it slipped my mind. I will post it up for people to contribute to tomorrow.
"Perhaps this is what I have always wished for since that day. The loss and destruction of all. That's right, one must destroy before creating. In that case, if my conscience becomes a hindrance to me, then I will simply erase it. I have no other choice but to move forward....therefore!" - Lelouch vi Britannia/Zero, Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch

Forever an eXile and proud of it!

Return to “Members”