Unless my eyes are just tired, my above post is an example of what I’m talking about. There seems to be a blank line after the last line of my sig. But go to my post in THIS thread:
I should also add that, when I preview this (and when I previewed my above post), there was no blank last line.
I want to emphasize again that I ask these questions only in an effort to conform with whatever policies that the mods and admins see fit to enforce. (I do admit to being slightly irritated, however, at the implication that my sig is the longest one, when said implication is inaccurate.)
If your sig is longer than your average post, it’s too long
No, seriously… while I (and I’m sure most others) like to see creative sigs, longer doesn’t necessarily mean better. There are some posters who seem to pick up funny new quotes every day, and they just add it to the end of their sig. I mean, damn, guys, pick one and commit, okay?!?
94 out of 393.
But keep in mind that “sex” could also be used in the context of a thread on abortion, or a mathematical puzzle on boy/girl ratios brought up by Marlyn Vos Savant.
Perhaps this board isn’t doomed.
And as for the keyword “fuck” mentioned above, 1560 of the threads were in the Pit and 2042 in MPSIMS
Versus, say, 476 in GD and 453 in GQ.
Which either means that SDMB is good about boundaries, or that GQ and GD aren’t very popular.
For the record, after my trip next month I hope both numbers rise accordingly.
Oh, and DRY, please. I don’t really care who has the longest sig on the SDMB, nor do I have the inclination to be circumspect enough to find out, but yours is probably in the top 5. (Now that I’ve said that, I’m probably wrong.)
Lest this end up in the Pit, I’ve noticed you’ve shortened your sig.
I’m not upset at all. I meant what I said: I asked the questions I did in an effort to conform, not be confrontational. You guys do a great job administering and moderating this site, and I’ve never had cause to complain about any of you. I’d only ask that, if you at any time notice that my sig is or was too long, please (tactfully) tell me so. It’s your site, I’ll play by your rules.
I am STILL curious, though, what your guidelines are: how many lines or characters are acceptable to you? Does it conserve disk space/bandwidth whatever if I use the subscript font? How about if I remove the blank lines from my sig?
Please don’t see this as an effort to “trap” you or pin you down. I only want to know what the guidelines are—it makes staying within them a lot easier.
I changed my sig about a week ago, but it’s only one line shorter than it was then. I know that there are several people with sigs longer than even my older sig–off the top of my head, I know of one that’s eight lines long (partly because the putz smiley takes up two lines).
I don’t want to get into an argument with you, either, especially as I’ve never had a problem with anything you’ve posted. I don’t question your right to opine that you don’t like my sig, think it’s too long, or whatever.
However, unless the sig is actually offensive, I don’t see why anyone want to complain about someone else’s sig. Seems to me that all you’re doing is potentially stirring up ill feeling. It’s Tuba’s call as to whether a sig is too long, anyway, n’est-ce-pas?
I repeat that I don’t have a problem with you, Montfort. I just didn’t understand where you were coming from (and still don’t), but I guess it’s a moot point now.
There’s no hard and fast rule, but anything that goes over a few lines generally is too much. Brevity should be the soul of sig files.
Please also remember that your sig file shows up in all your posts, old and new and that adds up.
Using a subscript or removing blank lines probably won’t make a difference.
We’re asking our users to be considerate of the board and one another. Your sig file might be precious to you but other people have to wade through it every time they access a thread and not everyone is appreciative, especially if it’s so long it adds to the time it takes for the thread to resolve. That’s not to be taken as condemnation of anybody on the board, just an observation.
Personally, I’d prefer to see a hard and fast rule–I think you’d avoid the (probably) inevitable complaints of favoritism or selective enforcement by having such a rule.
However, as I said before, it’s your site, your rules. I’ll play by them, as I like to think I always have.
Thanks again for the response!
Oh, and a personal note to Scotti–thank you! I’m tempted to mention you twice in my sig, but we gotta watch those limits.
Here’s a suggestion to all big-sig-file-types… if you want to quote a passage from a favorite poem or story, instead of putting it in your sig, upload the passage to a website (they’re free, y’know… well, some of 'em) and just include a link. Heck, some people here will do it for you.
