At 10/3/06 03:25 PM, AndersonCouncil wrote: Why not just eliminate all signatures?

I find it easier to remember a user by their sig than by their name. Visual aid so to speak.

Eh, I wouldn't really like. Almost everyone would have to change theirs. And it would suck bot having animated sigs.

My concern is that if we do this, the only response we'll hear to the redesign is "bring back the old sigs!" So I figured I would ask... How much would it piss you off if you had to make a new sig, with expanded width but less height and no animation?

it be okay with the witch change but making the height smaller then it currently is? and yes i want moving

At 10/3/06 10:54 AM, TomFulp wrote: We've been debating something, so I thought I would run it by everyone here.

The new layout for the forums (which will hopefully launch before the year is over) looks ultra slick, but it was brought to our attention by a third party that "the user sigs make it look like shit."

We shopped around for more input, and another thought was "You guys don't run any obnoxious ads on the page, but all the user sigs make it look like there are a bunch of obnoxious ads on the page."

Stamper mocked up a new 595x40 user sig demo page, 595 being the useable width of the new forum pages. Although we have to keep in mind that it IS Stamper's visuals, everyone who sees it agrees that it looks MUCH NICER.

The new format is 20 pixels SHORTER than the current sigs (I know people have asked for them to be taller) and also considers the option of not allowing animated GIFs - so that user sigs can't be flashy and obnoxious. This vexes me a bit because there are animated user sigs I like. However, the trade-off might be worth it.

So the question is... Do we beautify the forums at the expense of pissing off everyone that has to reformat their sigs?

My concern is that if we do this, the only response we'll hear to the redesign is "bring back the old sigs!" So I figured I would ask... How much would it piss you off if you had to make a new sig, with expanded width but less height and no animation?

Personally, i think that a lot of people would miss the animated. gif's. Also, an animated sig can be more effective at getting a message across (Eg: simple-but-sandy's sig or mine.) But yeah, in a way, some of the sigs make the BBS look like a pile of steaming crap. Perhaps if there were a way to get rid of sigs that are offensive/cause sezuires, or those sigs that just have a badly drawn celb (like the 'Britney NG Secret' sog moveing about randomly, although that would waste a hellova lot of time. I think though, to answer your main question, that yes, non animated sigs would piss a lot of people off. Some people might disagree to the reformating of the sigs, as some people may haave worked hard on their sig. (Mine took 20mins in flash, lol). Oh, before i post, simple-but-sandy has changed his sig - but the old one was cool.

-Archkronos

At 10/3/06 10:54 AM, TomFulp wrote: How much would it piss you off if you had to make a new sig, with expanded width but less height and no animation?

Honestly, it would piss me off quite a bit.

I have a lot of old sigs, and I occasionally like to switch with something else I've got. With the new format, I would have nothing and have to start from scratch. In other words, it would suck. Big time.

At 10/3/06 02:27 PM, SicleOnASledge wrote: I say animated sigs could be restricted. To say, mods and admins, maybe a new secret? I don't know.

I like this idea. More secrets would be fun. :)

liljim's sample of a signature limited to the new possible maximum size shows that signatures can look good at that size. I'm visualizing the future forum layout from that image, and I like it. I can see where taller sigs would really fatten up posts.

However, making a good sig with that limit will be difficult. Making unique images that really stand out is something people will look for in a sig, and limiting the size also limits possibilities.

But heck, it's only a sig. I look at it as a whole; sigs really aren't that important on forums. The limit may impose restrictions, but making a good sig is still possible.

Even though I didn't make this sig. I personaly would be pissed, taking off animation sigs is like taking a permanent theme off newgrounds. I'm sure you can make a layout compatible for animated sigs. I don't really care about the layout i'm more anxouis for the new levels.

PLease dont :(

I really like sigs actually. I find that forums that don't have them are rather bland. I think the sigs should stay.

At 10/3/06 10:56 AM, IMGAYWITHMENPLZ wrote: i think the sigs as we have them give the forums more 'soul', rather than just an extension of the site without any of our input.

no change necessary, i think.

I agree. If the change HAS to be done, then please do it without having us remove our animations. I think 20 pixels less in height does make the room for creativity less, but I guess we have more width to make up for it. PLEASE don't remove our precious .gifs, they make the place more vivid.

Also, why can't you just adjust the layout to the current sig sizes?

If I can ask:

Who the shit cares about what a third-party thinks of one of the least-visited areas of the site?

It's not like everyone is flocking over to the NG BBS, you know?

I hate to be so conservative, but I think we should keep them the same way. If we HAVE to change, then so be it, but imo, if it ain't broken, don't fix it.

Yea, sure, reformat. We will complain at first but we will get used to it.

Well, looking at this from a business stand point, your goal is to satisfy as many people as possible.

Now, who frequents the forums? Forum users of course. So what keeps them happy? Being able to individualise thier account to thier likings, thats what. The sig plays an important role here.

Now, i dont know how "shitty" sigs will make the new layout look, nor will any new restrictions on sigs phase me either way, what im just trying to say is that non-forum members wont be browsing the forums and judging it, and that forum members wont give half a damn how it will look as long as they have a 60x400 block of pixels to whore out thier name.

Oysters and onions and such.

maybe you could give us a screenshot of the new layout so we can see for ourselves ;)

i hope that this works

At 10/3/06 10:54 AM, TomFulp wrote: How much would it piss you off if you had to make a new sig, with expanded width but less height and no animation?

Expanded width & less height = I'm fine with that! No problem!

No animation = I wouldn't mind really. The forums would be cleaner and more professional, but it would be a little on the boring side, don'tcha think? Having no animated sigs would disallow creativity for some people.

At 10/3/06 10:54 AM, TomFulp wrote: How much would it piss you off if you had to make a new sig, with expanded width but less height and no animation?

Wouldn't anger me too much, but it would be a shame not too have animated sigs anymore. I mean some users have some kick ass animated sig, i guess they would be mad at this. Also, I think instead of increasing the width limit of sigs, increase the height by a little. I've had the problem in the past where i've made a cool sig then when i had go to upload it, it tells me that the height restriction has been exceded. Just my thoughts, you dont have to agree with them.

ahhhhh!!! my sig is my life, and i don't think a change is needed

At 10/3/06 10:54 AM, TomFulp wrote: Sig stuff...

I really would not care about the size of the sigs. I have to make a new one anyway, so I will just make it shorter then currently usual size.

At 10/3/06 05:18 PM, Pinkasaurus wrote:

At 10/3/06 05:15 PM, Black-Chaos wrote:

At 10/3/06 10:54 AM, TomFulp wrote: Sig stuff...

I really would not care about the size of the sigs.

Easy for you to say. Mr No-sig

Yeah, i know, but like i said, i'm making a new one, so I will just make it abide by the possible new rules.

Oh god no.

I've had my sig for exactly 2 years and 1 day. I would hate to have to remove it just because it's an animated sig. To be frank, I couldn't imagine having my account without it.

At 10/3/06 10:54 AM, TomFulp wrote: Stamper mocked up a new 595x40 user sig demo page, 595 being the useable width of the new forum pages. Although we have to keep in mind that it IS Stamper's visuals, everyone who sees it agrees that it looks MUCH NICER.

I have no objections to changing signature resolution, I'm always looking for more width than height while designing mine anyway. 20 pixels shaved for an extra 195 is fair.

...also considers the option of not allowing animated GIFs - so that user sigs can't be flashy and obnoxious. This vexes me a bit because there are animated user sigs I like. However, the trade-off might be worth it.

I really would prefer to keep animated signatures, I really have not seen any user lame enough to make a "seziure" signature, if they were really trying to be a prick they would just post a full 500 x 400 picture. With the amount of mods, or even more mods, user sigs could be monitored and rules could be easily enforced.

My concern is that if we do this, the only response we'll hear to the redesign is "bring back the old sigs!" So I figured I would ask... How much would it piss you off if you had to make a new sig, with expanded width but less height and no animation?

The resolution change is completely fine, but if removing the animated gifs isn't necessary they really aren't that big of a deal. I prefer to design signatures with animation in them half of the time, so it would severely stunt my (And others') creativity.

At 10/3/06 04:32 PM, ArabFreak wrote: Also, why can't you just adjust the layout to the current sig sizes?

Yeah, then the messages might look as expansive as this (screenshot below). WHY DIDN'T YOU THINK OF THIS, DESIGN TEAM?

At 10/3/06 12:13 PM, liljim wrote: Sample... The border is automatically added around the signature in this example.

Thank you, for making me throw up in my own mouth.
SIGS NEED HEIGHT.
Your example is ok, but it's not a very good sig, and it's too long(with like, 20-30 more px of height, it'd probably look pretty good).
I think 60px is too short, having to squeeze in pics that would make it look cool is kinda a nuisance. As a sig maker, I think I can speak for most sig makers when I say that sigs need to be bigger, but if that's not possible, it's ok I guess, but PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T MAKE THEM ANY SMALLER.

At 10/3/06 01:26 PM, Pinkasaurus wrote: I would rather stick with the old layout and leave the current sigs the hell alone. If it isn't broken, why fix it?
I would be very very upset if my sig had to go. But the majority of people here seem to be all up for your idea, so meh.
It just feels like you guys are just sucking all the fun out of Newgrounds, making it non-offensive. I loved the old image of Newgrounds, where there was a community where no-one gave a fuck about what the rest of the internet, or the rest of the world though.

But I guess you guys are all in businessman mode, with your flashy new office and your awesome new games company, you just want to impress everyone, and fuck all the original users.

Nice try, but no. Newgrounds was never about LOOKING LIKE SHIT. We've always had an aesthetic ideal. We give the users a lot of freedom, but when users take a graphical dump on the site, that isn't "fun."

.. But I love my animated signatrure.

LOVE.

No, that would be totally gayer than 400x60.

Whatever, you rule this place, and we should get over the changen, even if we don't like them. You've been doing it well since now, right?

If you change the size that the sigs have to be i don't mind just dont get rid of sigs. I dont mind a new look for the forums actually it sounds like a good idea just dont get rid of sigs.

I never would have though the dimensions would get smaller with a new layout change... is the site all squeezed together now or something?

At 10/3/06 10:54 AM, TomFulp wrote: So the question is... Do we beautify the forums at the expense of pissing off everyone that has to reformat their sigs?

Yeah, I have a ton of sigs I'd need reformating, which is unfair to some one like me, who is inept at photoshop.