Signature Graphics?

Framar

WOW Framer
Joined
Jul 24, 2001
Posts
26,420
Loc
Buffalo, New York, USA/Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada
I have been thinking about this topic for a while now, especially whilst waiting for threads to load on my maddenly slow computer set-up. When framer mentioned about checking into board bandwidth constraints on the Avatar thread, I thought I'd do an informal poll.

Is anyone else sitting and twiddling their thumbs like me waiting for long threads with all those same pictures over and over again to load?? I love all this new techie stuff as much as the next person, and I sure hope I don't get my head bitten off for this opinion, but I am bored to pieces with both Avatars and signatures and signature pictures!! I am a read-a-holic! I have to read EVERYTHING!!! Over and over, I can't stop myself.

There is a feature in our local art/music/porno rag (you know the type) where they come up with a series of questions on a different subject every week, then hit the streets and ask the same question of a bunch of people. THEN they print not only the answers, but the same four or five questions over and over again!!! It drives me crazy!!! Are people so afflicted with ADD that they cannot remember what the questions were??

So, my fellow grumblers, am I alone here, being a curmudgeon with a cheap old computer, or do some of you secretly harbor the same burning questions about graphics??

I like it when the red X thing or a link thing works and takes you to a picture IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT. This way, I can see a picture once, know what it is, and not have to wait and wait and wait.

And what I do not understand also is this: if there is a space or word limit on our business description and our hobbies in the profile, why isn't there a limit on signatures?? I think if there were a limit imposed, it would force us all to become even more creative than we are already forced to be by our dear customers.

Ok, I will climb down from my soapbox now.

Mar :confused:
 
Well, Framar, I don't usually step out and try to make any waves on these things. But I have to agree with you that, with a dial up modem like I am stuck with, it does take a long time for all this superfluous garbage to load and reload even though it usually comes from your computer cache after the first time loading.

I don't use the avatars nor do I use signature pictures. The signature text can be a whole paragraph if one wants that sort of thing and it would still load rather quickly but the images do take some time to load on a really slow connection.

One suggestion I would make would be to optimize any image you want to use including GIF and JPEG images so they will not take as much time to load. A 25k - 45k JPEG will take about 2 seconds to load where an un-optimized image may be 150k - 400k and take much longer to load.

Framerguy
 
You're both right, except for the part where Framerguy said,

I don't usually step out and try to make any waves on these things.
It's nobody's fault - well maybe SBC Ameritech's - that I am sometimes connected at an effective speed of about 3 bps, but the other day, I clicked on a new topic and waited and waited and waited.

Finally, I went up and took care of the customer who was starting to look a little cross anyway ("Hey, you're in luck. Looks like I have some time to kill.") And when I came back 30 minutes later it had almost finished loading.

Turns out that what I was waiting for was a very small signature graphic.
 
Mar, yes. You ARE a curmudgeon. I am one, as well. I, too, am inclined to think that the signature pix have gotten a little out of hand. I got rid of mine a while back.

Think I'll get rid of my avatar, also. Even though it IS a symbol of moderator's Super-Powers to have their own. And, BTW, how does RON get to be moderator on 3 or 4 forums???? Next season, there'll be an 'Apple's Way'-type TV show called 'Everybody Loves Ron'.......

Kidding, Ron. Just kidding. Or am I? Muwahahahahaha!!
 
I agree. I'm getting rid of my avatar right now! Slow loading is a nuisance. Some of the long topics won't load...or maybe they would in half an hour or so. Is it worth it? Not on your life. The only way I'll look at the long ones is to get completely away from the computer while it loads. I believe signature pics and animation are loading time killers, but I've been wrong before!
 
Here are some ideas re. signatures:

Currently the default is "signature on." Maybe the default should be "signature off" so that if you want your signature to appear on a particlar post, you need to check the box before submitting the message. Most of us would forget to do that.

You can turn off avatars (from your profile) so they don't appear on your system. It might be nice if you could turn off signature graphics. I don't think I'd want to turn off signatures altogether since there is sometimes useful information there.

Maybe signatures should be limited to a certain number of lines (like one.) Sometimes the signature is longer than the message.

Charles, when I was a Boy Scout (after my Girl Scout years) I eventually became a patrol leader. At first I was very proud of my new position, until I realized that our troop was so severely depleted that I didn't actually have a patrol. Worse, we would have fund-raising events - like delivering ad flyers door-to-door (primitive spam) and each patrol would be responsible for a certain number of deliveries.

I don't remember where this analogy was going, so never mind.
 
Originally posted by Ron_Eggers:
Charles, when I was a Boy Scout (after my Girl Scout years) I eventually became a patrol leader. At first I was very proud of my new position, until I realized that our troop was so severely depleted that I didn't actually have a patrol. Worse, we would have fund-raising events - like delivering ad flyers door-to-door (primitive spam) and each patrol would be responsible for a certain number of deliveries.

I don't remember where this analogy was going, so never mind.
Whew! Thanks, Ron. Thought I was gonna have to get Dr Fraud in on this. Oh, wait...you weren't saying that moderators have to have fund-raising events, were you??
 
Okay, I'll jump on. Bubba is gone. It was getting kind of creepy watching my cat, who has been gone a while. But puhleeeez don't force Curly to remove that picture of him in that little blue suit. Just puhleeeez don't even go there. It is all I have left. :rolleyes:
 
I guess I'm pretty guilty of using (and creating) many of these myself, and I've recently lowered mine to a mere 5k image. I doubt many people use dial-up modems, but if they do this will cost less than a half second of time.

Anything under 40k or so should be a minor delay, but the big pictures (like the one I posted months ago of the back yard/fish pond) can take 5 or more seconds to load with an analog modem.

Pictures can also be optimized and condensed a bit to make them faster. If anyone HAS an image and want's it shrunk, email it over and I'll be glad to do so for you.

On the flip side of the coin, once you've loaded the image initially it should stay in the "cache" and not have to re-load again. The same holds true if the same image is in multiple places on the same screen. (multiple messages from same person in a thread)

While they're not necessary, they give some great "personality" to the people involved.

I wish we could be in Atlanta to meet most of you in a couple weeks, but will be on vacation. Would love to match up the names with the faces.

Ironically, Andy and I WILL BE IN ATLANTA on 9/22 - but just to make a return connecting flight at the airport.
 
Originally posted by Mike @ GTP:
I doubt many people use dial-up modems.
I wonder if that's true. I'm going to be tied up today and gone this weekend, but if somebody wanted to do a poll, it might be interesting.

I've pretty-much promised my two teens that I'd get Roadrunner installed for Christmas (I love Christmas presents that Dad can use,) but I'll still be using dial-up at work and I have a really foul 2nd line that give me access speeds all over the charts. Just now I logged on at 26400 bps, but I get speeds ranging from 16000 bps to 53300.

Generally, The Grumble loads faster than anything else I do on line, so I'm not that concerned one-way-or-another, but I would be interested in how many of us use dial-up vs. some kind of broadband access - at home and at work.
 
Originally posted by Mike @ GTP:
I doubt many people use dial-up modems,
ARE YOU KIDDING??? Out here in the "boonies" we still have hand crank telephones! Ever try to crank a modem? (Uh, is that an "e-modem" and is it anything like imodium?)

betty
 
I wonder if we all could have our own little bitty avatar space and do our own thing. Not having my signature makes me feel like I didn't get dressed this morning. Or it might be a cover up for a lack of substance. If I have a showy signature it will dazzle(or at least confuse)and I won't have to have much substance. If I don't have my signature you guys will see me for my shy , retiring and uninspiring posts. Oh well you would have found out sooner or later. I'll just have to actually start reading the subjects before I comment.
 
Well, Betty, I have to admit that, since I traded up from my old pedal powered computer to this new version that runs off of "ol' sparky" (when the wind is blowing hard enough to generate enough sparks), I have had much better success with communicating with the outside world.

It was a real culture shock to actually witness a screaming 6kps come shooting across those old copper lines and into my monitor! But, I have to admit that, for an average download of say an avatar or one of Ron's mystery Grumbler photos, I need to carefully plan my schedule around work, the need to see after dark, and the weekend activities to download them. Otherwise my computer just sits there and pouts and does nothing for hours!

Ah, the wonders of modern technology!

Framerguy
 
Bite the bullet, upgrade your service and buy a new computer!!!

If you have problems loading this site, then you will have problems all over the Internet. It will be more, and more content driven. It is part of what makes for a full and fun experience. Have you ever experienced streaming video or music yet? You never will if you don’t keep up. I have basic DSL service and a fast machine with XP. My DSL was slow until I upgraded to XP. It takes a couple of seconds to load a page.

I could care Less about the signatures or the Avatars if it will help FRAMER maintain this site, but these do make the experience much more enjoyable. It gives a little insight into the personality of the personalities.

I would love to see more and more pictures posted in the Tips and Design areas. Think about how much easier it would be if a Grumbler could not only describe their problem, but have a picture to help the rest of us understand. This business is a visual business. This site should be also.

Buy a new computer and upgrade to the best service you can. You will ask yourself, how did I ever live without it?
 
Originally posted by emibub:
Yeah less and if wishes were fishes we'd all be rich!
I've never understood that expression. I guess it's too esoteric for me. I've known a couple of rich fishermen, but not many. Some of them fish 'cause they can afford to, not the other way around.

I've placed a personal moratorium on my annual computer upgrades. I have shelves of computers in my basement in various stages of obsolescence and dustiness. I also don't purchase every new version of every software package I own. I saw Microsoft Money Business and Personal 2003 on the shelf the other day. I installed - then uninstalled - version 2002. It wanted about 30 gigs of free hard drive space. :eek:

Where was I going with this? :confused:

Oh, yeh. When The Grumble starts featuring streaming video, I guess I'll have to find some lower-tech BB to terrorize.
 
Originally posted by Ron_Eggers:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by emibub:
Yeah less and if wishes were fishes we'd all be rich!
I've never understood that expression. I guess it's too esoteric for me. I've known a couple of rich fishermen, but not many. Some of them fish 'cause they can afford to, not the other way around.</font>[/QUOTE]Ron I take it to mean that fish are plentiful and easily available and none of us would have any problems then. You can just go to any frozen food section an any grocery store and the picture becomes clear. I didn't mean to be esoteric.
 
Well, golly gosh guys, let's all hustle over to less'es place this weekend and watch streaming video and listen to vintage Rock 'n Roll MP3's hot off the net and maybe even down a couple of dogs 'n buns!!

Less, in case it hasn't hit you yet, we were just joshing about the pedal powered 'puter. (Betty WAS serious about the crank phone though).

You have to have the service offered in your area and at some kind of a reasonable price before it becomes feasible to actually purchase and use it. Right now the only alternative to dial up around here is wireless at about $85/month and it isn't even available in my town until the end of the year. They're still trying to get enough towers and dishes installed to make it work.

Framerguy
 
Yes
Yes
No
Maybe
Pick one to suit your needs.

Someone had to make a counterpoint.
Might as well be Less. :D

Who are you kidding Ron, you are one of the biggest tech geeks here. You will be the first kid on the block with streaming Grumbler.

Oh, and have a great weekend!
 
A peddle powered PC? If I could figure out how to hook an exercise bike up to this thing for power, it would hit two birds with one stone. Hmm

Around here it's cheaper to have the cablemodem than dialup. Aol is about $24/month(?) and an optional dedicated phone line is about $26/month. (plus 7 cents for the first minute and 3.5 cents per minute for business line phone usage- which would be hundreds/month for us). The cablemodem service is $34.95/month and on top of that they give you $10 more off if you use their tv and cable service.

I'm somewhat of a power user, and was thrilled when it came to the area a few years ago. DSL is another option in the area, but it's about 25% as fast and costs $50/month.

Regardless of how we get here to the grumble, the important thing is that we get here!
 
EMIBUB: I tried to reply to your email, but your email address is being rejected by AOL.COM/CS.COM.

Mike
 
Good grief, Charlie Brown, what have I started??? Everyone's dumping their avatars!! Wow. I wasn't talking about pictures of framing stuff that are really helpful on a framing forum, just the redundant ones. I do not mind waiting to see a really spectacular framing idea.

If I could afford to buy a whole new system believe me I would, but right now I cannot even afford to go for that 3.4 gb back-up hard-drive. I am just putting my artwork on floppies to save space.

And don't talk to me about cable modems either. I live on a street without cable. Yes folks, I have never seem Sex in the City or the Sopranos (but I DO watch as much HGTV as I can at my mom's.). As the price of satellite stuff goes down, I sit and go through the lists of available channels, but still I wait for the day when I can design my own menu and not have to pick from their stupid groupings. Plus, living in Canada, I would have to pay extra for US broadcast networks. What a crock. I sometimes wish I could get UPN as I have missed a whole season of Buffy, but it will be in syndication in a few weeks. So I'm a year behind....

Somethings in life I don't mind waiting for, and somethings in life I do mind. I have discovered this little trick, go away from the computer, get a glass of water, pet a cat, straighten some pictures. When you are done, the download will be done as well.

Better post this now before I get side-tracked again. Thanks for the interesting responses!!
 
[lip jutted out] I'm stickin' with my Labbie puppy (aka cat)... It's the only way I know what either Jo or I said last time... so it makes a good bookmark... lucky I post everywhere! hehehe
 
Ellen,
Why do you think your avatar is not a cat? Looks like a cat to me, albeit a bit over weight, look at the ears.
Sorry to get off-topic.

-Mike.
 
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