Sig Graphic Size can it be limited?

[Avalon 1]

I am one of those poor souls that connect to the internet via a dial-up connection. The unfortunate thing is I also like graphics. Therefore, I am quite used to waiting for pages to load that have a lot of graphics on them. However, sometimes the size of the graphic files are just over the top, I don't mean the physical size of the image, I mean the time it takes to download. i.e. the file sie.Some of the graphic sizes are just excessive. For example, in one persons sig there was a single graphic that was 687Kb, not that it was phsically large, but it was an animated graphic. On a dial-up connection, a graphic that size takes around 3 minutes to download, let alone worrying about the rest of the images on the page. That's just plain ridiculous! Being Xisto is supported by advertising in the forums, I have no problem the graphics associated with them, but I do wish there was a limit on the file size of graphics used in sigs. I know most of the graphics used in sigs are actually hosted elsewhere so it might be a little difficult to control, but if there is a way, I wish it could be done.I know I can turn off viewing sigs in my Forum Control Panel to speed things up, but the truth is I like looking at some of the magnificent sigs that have been created here. I have made a few myself, so I am a bit of a fan of them. I just wish the size of some them was a little more sensible, Perhaps a 100Kb limit? I think that would still allow the vast majority of sigs out there.P.S. The other option of me upgrading to a broadband connection or better is not financially possible unfortunately.

[BuffaloHelp 24]

From time to time I too am a dial-up user when I travel. So I understand your frustration when it comes to loading pages and later finding out that it wasn't worth the wait--if you will.Although the board cannot control the size of individual sig, I can offer you this little tip to help you expedite the forum loading as well as viewing graphics. In your browser you can choose to display graphics automatically upon loading or turn it off and manually pick and choose which graphics to be load with your mouse, right click, etc. That will help you to speed things up and when you are interested to see other member's sig's you can right click and select "show picture."

[truefusion 3]

I, too, was a dial-up user so i know how it is. Because of that, i always try to design for 28.8k users. I use which ever image format, and different methods of compression that will help decrease the amount of time needed to download the image(s) while still maintaining a nice amount of quality. I browse the forums with signatures turned off. Though, i too, like to see other people's work and achievements. I mostly see it in the show-off section, or i view one's profile.

[Avalon 1]

Thanks guys, both of those are valid suggestions but not really what I was looking for. If I turn off images in Firefox, I can only view them in the same window/tab, so it means I can't see the actual post any more. In addition, that doesn't seem to work very well when the person is using a sig rotater script to display their sig.As for turning off sigs, well the point is, I do want to see them. I just wish the file sizes were a little more reasonable. Perhaps sig creators need to take this into consideration when designing sigs, myself included. In the mean time, I guess I will just have to turn off sigs and settle for seeing the graphics in the show off section.