More Avatar and Signature Freedom

Some of the other forums I read on have much more freedom with signatures or avatars. For example, I have found this picture around 800kb, the other two forums are willing to support this, however, I can't get it on this forum.

Most other forums have a lot more signature size leverage.

Just wondering, is there a chance of an update...?

800kb is a kick to the groin to dial up users. You take that 800kb and multiple it by 15 posts per page and you are pretty much telling people on slow connections to stop visiting your board. The current limit was kept low for a reason and the dial up side of it was a very big argument in the last increase.

800kb is WAY too big for a signature on ANY forum.

I want proper shading on my signature though :(

800kb is a kick to the groin to dial up users. You take that 800kb and multiple it by 15 posts per page and you are pretty much telling people on slow connections to stop visiting your board. The current limit was kept low for a reason and the dial up side of it was a very big argument in the last increase.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

800kb is WAY too big for a signature on ANY forum.

I see absolutely zero reason to discuss another change to allow for more "personal expression" and as I said in the other postings, people are not here to view your signature, they are here to read and discuss what your posts say...

http://forum.tip.it/viewtopic.php?p=4181829#4181829

I already complained about something to this extent when my signature was abruptly removed when I was unaware I was anywhere near the limit. I believe this reply from Albosky pretty much sums up why you won't get your way...

 

I see absolutely zero reason to discuss another change to allow for more "personal expression" and as I said in the other postings, people are not here to view your signature, they are here to read and discuss what your posts say...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://forum.tip.it/viewtopic.php?p=4181829#4181829

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I already complained about something to this extent when my signature was abruptly removed when I was unaware I was anywhere near the limit. I believe this reply from Albosky pretty much sums up why you won't get your way...

Ok good point but 6kb? That's like nothing. Seriously. 20/50kb wouldn't do that much? Out of all the forums I use, TIF has the most restricting limits.

It's an avatar, not a billboard. Adding another 20/50kb to the current 30kb signature size results in 80kb per post (assuming everyone uses it all, most already do). Take that times 15 replies per page and you're up to 1.2mb per page. Still a huge 'we don't care about you' to dialup users.

The current limits are 36kb per post, which is still over 500kb (maximum) per page for dialup users to chew on. They are signatures, they don't need to be the fanciest images on the planet. I think the usability of the boards is a bit higher up the ladder than what people think others should be downloading just for show.

How do other popular forums manage it then? Here are some limits of some forums I know:

RSC - Avatar: 75 x 75 (125KB)

Signature 500 x 150 (125KB)

DI Forums - Avatar: 90 x 90 (No size limit)

Signatures: No limit (No size limit)

SODB Forums - Avatar: 100 x 100 (No size limit)

Signature: No limit (No size limit)

Supreme Skillers - Avatar: 65 x 65 (25 KB)

Signature: No limit (No size limit)

As you can see, they all have far more lenient with their file size limits.

800KB avatar? Whoa, no way. I'm fine with the avatar and signature limit. 10KB avatar limit sounds good though. You got to remember that this board costs money, and the more bandwidth it uses the more money it costs.

As you can see, they all have far more lenient with their file size limits.

They are also not Tip.It. If they all started pushing RS cheats would you suggest that to Tip.It too?

You need to think about how it effects this board and the users here, not how it already works on others.

I would be happy to see a 0kb size limit for signatures. They are not really needed and are a waste of bandwidth in my opinion. Avatars do a good enough job to help visually recognise another user.

I would be happy to see a 0kb size limit for signatures. They are not really needed and are a waste of bandwidth in my opinion. Avatars do a good enough job to help visually recognise another user.

Have you ever used a signature before? They're alot of fun. Just look at mine.

 

I would be happy to see a 0kb size limit for signatures. They are not really needed and are a waste of bandwidth in my opinion. Avatars do a good enough job to help visually recognise another user.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever used a signature before? They're alot of fun. Just look at mine.

A lot of people get so caught up in their signatures it's almost scary :-?

DI Forums - Avatar: 90 x 90 (No size limit)

 

 

 

Signatures: No limit (No size limit)

Ah yea, nothing like having to side-scroll to read a post because your signature is so wide.

I dont like having to side scroll to read post, but alittle more detail wouldnt hurt.

I want proper shading on my signature though :(

800KB?? You're nuts. If TIF is going to allow that, I'm out of here. There's plenty of room already to spam your big and large images. It's a *signature* and not a gallery. Don't ruin the looks of the forum even more please....

I'm not going to wait 10 seconds before every page is loaded only because the signatures...

That was an example. I would be happy with 20KB or so with avatars and I didn't suggest we make unlimited size on signatures, I suggested we make it slightly larger.

 

 

I see absolutely zero reason to discuss another change to allow for more "personal expression" and as I said in the other postings, people are not here to view your signature, they are here to read and discuss what your posts say...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://forum.tip.it/viewtopic.php?p=4181829#4181829

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I already complained about something to this extent when my signature was abruptly removed when I was unaware I was anywhere near the limit. I believe this reply from Albosky pretty much sums up why you won't get your way...

That post talks about not boo-hoo'ing about unbacked-up pictures and the fact that people break the limit and expect to get away with it.

It isn't the entire post that was to be referenced, it was what I quoted (the link was to prove it wasn't forged).

...people are not here to view your signature, they are here to read and discuss what your posts say...

The quote can be read to say Avatar as well and the point would be the same. They are not going to increase the limits because we aren't here to show off our Avatars and Signatures. Rather we are here to discuss Runescape. They really don't even have to allow us to have Avatars and Signatures if they wanted, and then where would you be? If you're only here to try and show off your Avatar and Signatures, you probably should just go to another forum to do that because not all of us care about them.

How do other popular forums manage it then? Here are some limits of some forums I know:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RSC - Avatar: 75 x 75 (125KB)

 

 

 

Signature 500 x 150 (125KB)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DI Forums - Avatar: 90 x 90 (No size limit)

 

 

 

Signatures: No limit (No size limit)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SODB Forums - Avatar: 100 x 100 (No size limit)

 

 

 

Signature: No limit (No size limit)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supreme Skillers - Avatar: 65 x 65 (25 KB)

 

 

 

Signature: No limit (No size limit)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, they all have far more lenient with their file size limits.

Any idea if any of those sites are bringing in anywhere near 2 million unique visitors, 400+ million hits, 600+ million page views, and using well over 4TB of bandwidth per month ? Well , 2 out of our 3 servers are , now start adding in what each users modem would have to download on top of that for each and every signature since they are not loading from our servers, then multiply and add the increase in avatar size per page as they are loaded from our server. Now that you have that astronomical number, pay the bills. I haven't the foggiest idea of what type of hardware those sites run on, how much it costs them, or how they pay for it all each month as it's not my business to know, what IS my business to know and do is whats best for THIS forum and website. No I don't pay the bills directly, but it is my one main responsibility to maintain them running at an optimal level at all times.

Our USERS decided the current limits and there was still a large handful that didn't want to see any increase at all.

We don't judge our limits and policies based on what other sites do , we base it on what our majority of users want (within reason of course), and as you can see from this topic alone, the users don't want to download another megabyte per page , and they shouldn't be forced to disable viewing avatars and signatures.

Here's my personal suggestion:

Avatars: 8 KB AND 100x100 size limits... (only a hair larger than before...)

Why? I think many people, even dial-up users, hate how their avatars are degraded in quality by the current limits of 6KB and 80x80... A few hairs extra wait on that shouldn't be awful. (Personally, I don't get why Tip.It doesn't allow people to externally host their avatars, which would pose less bandwidth trouble to Tip.It, period!)

Signatures: 40 KB (change) and 450x175 (Last known current) for images, max of 6 (change) images... also a "300 character" (change) limit...

Why? The original maximum dimension for all images is fine by me. The only problems I have ran into are the character limit and the file size limit. Anyone wishing to display more than 6 images with those max dimensions, however, should just make them into links to images. I personally understand about the image height issues, and recently had to crack down on the forum site I'm building for my clan. (250 pixel height limit over there, BTW...)

BTW, for those who wish to flame me, please don't. I've already tried to consider all the odds and ends.

Best Regards,

Mr. Devnull

^ Extremely good ideas, but I disagree with 40KB size limits on signatures.

I've already tried to consider all the odds and ends.

Yet the one thing everyone keeps happening to forget is this is a forum, not a billboard. If everyone cared how pretty your signature and avatar looked, the media board would be overflowing with users. It isn't.

No one cares how pretty your signature looks. There are already plenty of amazing looking signatures at the old dimensions before they were ever enlarged. Even the minor improvements suggested aren't needed. If they were given, people can then complain 'but you raised it by 5kb here!!!! why not now?!?!?!' a month from now for yet another increase.

They're doing perfectly fine the way they are. Leave em the hell alone. :wall:

800kb is a kick to the groin to dial up users. You take that 800kb and multiple it by 15 posts per page and you are pretty much telling people on slow connections to stop visiting your board. The current limit was kept low for a reason and the dial up side of it was a very big argument in the last increase.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

800kb is WAY too big for a signature on ANY forum.

800kb is too big, but what you're saying about dialup users doesn't stand up now that one can disable viewing signatures.

Still a huge 'we don't care about you' to dialup users.

They did the huge 'we DO care about you' when they added the option to not view signatures.

I am not campaigning for a change in size, I am just pointing out that the 'dialup users' argument is now pretty much invalid. If someone has a big problem with pages taking too long to download they can just disable signatures.

^ Extremely good ideas, but I disagree with 40KB size limits on signatures.

Only reason I am asking for a 40KB limit is because when trying to send a thought with images, it is sometimes impossible to stay within the limit. :(

For Example, add these together:

In numbers: 10.13 KB + 8.45 KB + 17.05 KB = 35.63 KB

This isn't a perfect example, but it starts to convey what I mean. The current limit of 30KB is too small to accomodate this. I am reasonably sure that there are people who would love to have this upgraded. :)

Also, if you check the code of my current signature...

 

 

 

Join the campaign for more F2P Bank space!~Support an "Examine Player" Option!

 

 

 

Support NEW "Report Abuse" Functions!~Support F2P POH Views!

 

 

 

Support Better F2P Mage Robes!

...you will notice that I am right near the character limit, if not right on it. Sure, trying to lend my support to so much is a bit of a stretch, and this one isn't at the file size limit, but I see no reason to be penalizing people for trying to gain support for a few suggestions, or leave fast links to things that might be worth discussing. This is where the 300-character limit upgrade comes into play.

Now, in response to Cruiser's file size issues, no one is going to be crazy enough to always hit the 40 KB limit or 300-character limit in a "dead on" fashion, so 800 KB file grabs will not be an issue. Also, from personal experience, when I was on Dial-Up (56 Kbps) with only a mere 200 MHz computer (Not 2 GHz, don't misinterpret that as a typo), signatures of this kind of sizes were no problem to me at all on super-huge forums. Heck, I've used Yahoo! Games combined with SpinChat.com on a link of that size at the same time, and still been able to load additional web sites and forum pages on the fly, no sweat. In fact, I am beginning to think Cruiser is over-exaggerating the issue... :|

And one other thing... I'm not out to have a "pretty signature". In fact, I find it funny you'd be like that toward me. :lol: ... I just sometimes feel that only an image can convey what words can not. I'm one of those "function, not gloss" freaks. Heck, I drop my random items on RuneScape, give or take the frog tokens. Sure, I wish I could hang onto them, but I don't NEED them. Point made? :-s

To parabola, you're thinking of exactly what I wish to avoid on this mess. :? ... Even though there is a "hide all signatures" option, I think that kind of "all or nothing" item is far too blunt. I feel that there should be options to hide signatures, but leave a link to click to show them, kind of like the "New 'hide' item PhpBB command", as well as options to not show images or hide them when they are above certain file sizes and dimensions. I know this would take Albosky a hell of a lot of coding, but I am one seriously patient person 99.9999999% of the time. (Everyone should have noticed I'm remaining reasonably cooled with my voice here on the forums in this post. \ ...) I'm willing to wait for Albosky to implement a "super-major change" as long as needs be for it to not cause him any kind of ultimate stress or frustration. If that means waiting 3 or 4 months, so be it. I won't lose my marbles in the meantime, because it won't be the end of the world. :lol:

And that is my current thoughts on the issue, folks. 8-)

Please, discuss! :thumbsup:

~Mr. D. V. Devnull