A warning on signature blocks

Those of you who have somewhat extended signature blocks need to be alert not to attempt to make any changes in them. The current forum software imposes strict limits on the number of lines that may be in an entered new or modified signature block: four lines total, including blank lines used to space out the block, and counting extra for lines above a certain length which it reckons as if wrapped to some arbitrary line width.

Signature blocks exceeding those limits, entered before those limits were in effect, remain in effect. So conserve them.

My understanding is that this limit is intended to prevent abuse of the forum with extended advertising messages (which I guess will now have to be entered in the body of messages with keyboard macros and the like).

Sic transit gloria mundi.

Doug_Kerr said:

Those of you who have somewhat extended signature blocks need to be alert not to attempt to make any changes in them. The current forum software imposes strict limits on the number of lines that may be in an entered new or modified signature block: four lines total, including blank lines used to space out the block, and counting extra for lines above a certain length which it reckons as if wrapped to some arbitrary line width.

Signature blocks exceeding those limits, entered before those limits were in effect, remain in effect. So conserve them.

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Doug my good friend!

I have not managed to devote time, as yet, to examine and tackle the issues you report. I'll try to address this by expand the limits.

Doug_Kerr said:

My understanding is that this limit is intended to prevent abuse of the forum with extended advertising messages

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Exactly! We have felt that several lines work to help promote each photographer. That's the intention. A link to a personal gallery and one of value to this community.

Doug_Kerr said:

(which I guess will now have to be entered in the body of messages with keyboard macros and the like).

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Wrong guess, LOL!!

Self-promotion in OPF is a matter of who is doing what, when and why, in what way! So someone contributing regularly to the community is likely to have more leeway. A newbie post might be trimmed or removed as soon as we find it.

We don't want signatures shouting at us or the message overcoming the content. So it's all a matter of balance. It's like this, newbies who overdo self promotion get posts trimmed, they are warned but if it's really trashy they are removed. Newbies who try to sell stuff are stopped. We want an atmosphere more towards a lvng room wth friends gathering than a flea market!

Doug_Kerr said:

Sic transit gloria mundi.

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For the spammers, yes, something like that, but without ceremony, LOL!

Asher

Personally, I'd eliminate a boiler-plate signature block altogether. They serve absolutely no purpose or value other than spraying mindless sentiment or self-promotion. (I've seen other forums where guys were listing all of their camera equipment, as if it somehow legitimized their remarks!)

I'd require each poster to type a "signature" in each post, if so desired.

If you want to promote something, put it in your profile.

Asher Kelman said:

I have not managed to devote time, as yet, to examine and tackle the issues you report. I'll try to address this by expand the limits.

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No need. We have solved the problem by a new editorial policy here.

Ken Tanaka said:

Personally, I'd eliminate a boiler-plate signature block altogether. They serve absolutely no purpose or value other than spraying mindless sentiment or self-promotion.

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Will you be abandoning yours?

Asher,

I agree with Ken Tanaka.

I recommend that the signature feature be disabled on the forum software.

Such things are a holdover from pre-electronic correspondence norms.

Doug_Kerr said:

No need. We have solved the problem by a new editorial policy here.

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Doug,

What "new editorial policy"? I'm confused!

Asher

Ken,

Putting down all one's equipment led to a friend in San Francisco having all his gear stolen! People do things like that. One guy posted pictures of his teenage daughter and then gave a google map of his location!!

Personally, I'm quite happy with a brief signature link to Briot or Cohen's websites as they do offer a service that is of good standards and has enough discipline, just!

We could have a page of members services instead. I'm open to ideas. A brief message is like a business card that might be exchanged at the end of a good evening at someone's home, but not as you enter an ongoing dinner. That's the difference.

Asher

Hi Doug,

Doug Kerr said:

sic transit.....

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I'm sorry that your white van has broken down. Perhaps you should try an automotive engineering forum?

Doug Kerr said:

.....gloria mundi

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However, I pleased that Gloria managed to mend it for you.

Sorry

Stuart

Doug,

While you are getting Carla to calm down over Gloria's helpful handy work, I have checked on the wrap line length and it's 90. I have not found the key to number of lines as of yet. Will have another try down the road.

Asher

I decided my old signature "Northern Illinois" was a little too specific, so maybe this widening of the target area a little will help keep my humble Olympus A11 out of harm's way.

Tom Robbins said:

I decided my old signature "Northern Illinois" was a little too specific, so maybe this widening of the target area a little will help keep my humble Olympus A11 out of harm's way.

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Hi Tom,

You can hint at your 'location' in your user profile. It will show in the top right of the messages. I like it when people do that because it allows me to understand better if someone is a native English speaker, or from a particular geographical/cultural environment I might want to consider when answering.

I also warn against being too specific, certainly leave out your address, because there are too many idiots on the internet with less than honorable intentions.

Cheers,
Bart

Asher,

Asher Kelman said:

What "new editorial policy"? I'm confused!

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To no longer waste space with such old-fashioned banalities as "best regards"; my name, which appears perfectly well in the item header (and thanks for fixing up the details of that); a motto; and a self-aggrandizing link to The Pumpkin (you know, where the trite and irrelevant ramblings of a hobbyist snapshooter can be found).

Asher,

Asher Kelman said:

Doug,

While you are getting Carla to calm down over Gloria's helpful handy work, I have checked on the wrap line length and it's 90. I have not found the key to number of lines as of yet. Will have another try down the road.

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The error messages suggest that the maximum number of lines allowed is four. Testing here confirms that.

The longest line that does not count as two (or more) lines because of presumed wrapping is 87 graphic characters long (the discrepancy with the value 90 may have to do with the end-of-line mark [CR-LF] plus something else).