question for the mods

[Malawi Master]

Are we allowed to have pics in our sig :?:

thanks

[BoBzz]

I was wondering why no one uses avatars? Is it a bandwidth issue? not tryin to cause trouble just wonderin. :wink:

[jonah]

Bobzz is a winner!!! :D :party:

This is actually discussed in a thread about posting pictures somewhere (I think in "feedback/suggestions"). It's just rough on those of us who have dial up. I've noticed a couple of people who used the picture sigs that stopped posting after a couple of days. I guess they couldn't live without their signatures. :cry:

[tom]

MM: Sorry, but no.
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Generally:

Avatars and image signatures don't really pose a problem with bandwidth use on our (server) end. But, as Jonah suggests, not all users are connected via cable or DSL, and the unnecessary repetition of images serves only to frustrate those on dial-up. (Granted, a similar argument can be made against the use of "smilies" or "emoticons"; but consider that those images are but a single kb each in size for the most part and are locally hosted besides.)

Another, less common, reason for not allowing these images involves copyright law. There have been "signature" images, for example, whose owners had no knowledge that their photographs were being used--via "hotlink," no less. Needless to say, if we have reason to believe that something has been posted illegally, we won't allow it to stay...(which reminds me to post a DMCA notice). Of course, the inappropriate posting of copyrighted images is hardly restricted to avatars/signatures (although copyright-infringing posts have been exceptionally few), but I prefer to keep things as simple as possible in that regard.

Thanks

Tom