Signatures with color backgrounds

[Shnay]

It seems that lately more people are putting solid color backgrounds in their signature (members Knux Five and Tenku are a few examples of this type of signature). Now, I've got nothing against the people that use these types of signatures, but I gotta say, I find the signatures themselves to be a little annoying. TZ doesn't allow for pictures in signatures because it breaks up the flow of the board and can get a bit out of hand with people trying to make their signature stand out. While these aren't quite the same as pictures in signautres, I think they can get awfully close.

What are other peoples opinions on these? Do you find they break up a board too much? Do you like the way they look? Do you not care at all?

[guinaevere]

Speaking as a violator, it isn't an image, it's simply using the block feature. (I'd show how it's done, but that would probably lead to more people using it, and irritating our good friend Shnay all that much more.)

[Shnay]

Oh, I understand what it is, Ms. Vanderbilt. I realize there's no rule violation here, I was just wondering what other people thought of it.

[Tenku]

Great, I'm used as an example. I didn't think people would pay attention to it.

I think it's fine as long as it's not a... superbright color. Like orange. Now THAT'S distracting.

[James]

Signatures aren't meant to distract from the posts. I guess that's the approach Toon Zone wants to encourage. We don't want images, adverts or long speechs/quotations/opinions which exceed the comments in the post or distract from them.

If the sigatures are more visually interesting or diverting than the post, we have a problem. The posts are what we come here to interact with, not the signatures. We're not interesting in statements or excessive links, more on what you think.

Excessive or "look at me" signatures don't really do anything to draw people to post contents. They just end up looking out of place or garish - IMO. I would hope that people don't spend too long on making their sigs look impressive and eye catching as it only distracts from what makes them as a member special; their individual comments and opinions.

[Tanooki]

i used to use the solid color background and i have to say, i think they're A-OK. everyone has the option to just skip over reading the signature. nothing agaisnt you shnay, or even you mr. sjj, but i think a little color in the signature is a good idea. i guess i don't see why having "flow" to a message board is important

Falcon

[Sailor Chibi Otaku]

I don't like them.

They can sometimes be WAY too bright and strain my eyes or be way too dark.

Why can't you just have a regular, normal signature? I click on a lot of links in many signatures and having a colour background makes me NOT click on any link or even read what you have to say.

[Tanooki]

I don't like them.

They can sometimes be WAY too bright and strain my eyes or be way too dark.

Why can't you just have a regular, normal signature? I click on a lot of links in many signatures and having a colour background makes me NOT click on any link or even read what you have to say.

but it's the reversal for me. when a signature doesn't stand out against the page (such as having colored words or a background) then i don't even distinguish it from the actual post. this causes me, then, to not read or click any of the links provided. people just see things differently i suppose

Falcon

[TrogdorNyimbhat]

Bubbles' sig makes my eyes sore.

[guinaevere]

Bubbles' sig makes my eyes sore.

..but... it's pretty. =)

Monochromatic type theme, the colors match/coordinate rather than clash.



See, this can be part of the problem. What one person likes, another may hate.

To me, my sig, while doing nothing but commenting on the current TZ Survivor 2 game (currently being played in the Fun & Games Sub-forum, Reality Bytes) is very nice. It's symmetrical, and uses subdued colors which I find pleasing to the eye. That appeals to me. While others with random or bright colors, or even no colors other than the default, but sigs with what feels like millions of empty spaces between lines, and mismatched fonts, those drive me insane.

[Natey]

I like colored backgruonds on signatures there pretty. So i encourage people to do them. i loved knux's

~Nate~

[Kagetsu]

It seems that lately more people are putting solid color backgrounds in their signature (members Knux Five and Tenku are a few examples of this type of signature). Now, I've got nothing against the people that use these types of signatures, but I gotta say, I find the signatures themselves to be a little annoying. TZ doesn't allow for pictures in signatures because it breaks up the flow of the board and can get a bit out of hand with people trying to make their signature stand out. While these aren't quite the same as pictures in signautres, I think they can get awfully close.

What are other peoples opinions on these? Do you find they break up a board too much? Do you like the way they look? Do you not care at all?

I'm going to add my unofficial opinion.
I don't believe it's the color in the sigs that's a problem the rules are trying to prevent. I like the colors and thought it was clever that people worked it out. If a sig doesn't get larger than 150 pxls they don't seem too large or distracting. I've seen sigs on boards that are larger than posts, sometimes taking the whole screen, clearly out of hand. The big problem I've found with boards that allow pictures is the time it takes to load the sigs in every post, which isn't a problem with color sigs.

[Shnay]

Yeah, you're right Kagetsu. I shouldn't have included the bit about images.

but it's the reversal for me. when a signature doesn't stand out against the page (such as having colored words or a background) then i don't even distinguish it from the actual post. this causes me, then, to not read or click any of the links provided. people just see things differently i suppose

Yeah, that's a difference of opinion, then, because I really don't like signatures that stand out. Like I said, I think signatures that stand out too much (as I find the color background sigs often do) can break up the flow of a board. If I'm reading something on the Anime Forum, for example, with its red background, and a bright blue box pops up after a few posts, it can be a bit distracting. Now, a blue box on a red background doesn't fry my concentration, I just find it to be a minor aesthetic annoyance.

But, then again, I'm a favor of extreme minimalist designs, so I'm probably not going to like any "bold" signature no matter how nice it looks. If it were up to me, no font larger than 2 would be allowed in signatures. Luckily for the non-obsessive members of Toon Zone, it is not up to me.

[absavage]

how do you get a color background on your signature