I find them extremely annoying esp for the nth time in any one thread but I am curious about much stress they put on the system.
Would it be easier on the server if people restricted themselves to short sigs used infrequently?
I don’t know about the system, but it would be easier on the readers, especially the long sigs used in every single frigging post! I, personally, feel that one sig per user per page is plenty. That is, if it’s a three page thread, and user A posts twice to the first page and three times to the second, that user A should only use a sig once on each page. We (the staff) have discussed sigs, and I’ll tell you that some of us are for them and some of us would rather not see any at all. I rather like sigs, if they’re short and funny and/or informative. But some people are definitely overdoing it.
Why can’t we modify the profile to include the sig? That way, it is always there if someone wants to reference it but it isn’t taking up space in the thread?
Here’s a thought: would things be better if all sigs were automatically in [sub]small writing[/sub]? (I don’t know if this is possible). And disallow all vB coding in sigs to avoid slow loading of smilies etc.
pan
Would it be worth it to do a test? Get everyone on the board to go without signatures for a week (voluntarily) and see if it speeds things up on the servers? I know my eyes would be happy.
Lynn, good call on the “once per page” rule of thumb. personally, I think “once per thread” is enough.
magdalene! You, of all people, in a sig related thread?? 
I fully agree, BTW. Sigs that last two PageDown hits are not amusing. Also, once per thread is more than enough for me.
[sub][sup]p.s. magdalene, I just loved your bogus sig in that Pit Thread! Just thought I wouldn’t say so then and there, what with me being completely impartial and all.[/sup][/sub]
