signatures

[Justin Monroe]

People on this site take up to much time explaining to people that they need to sign their post.
Why can't it be a mandatory part of signing up to post that you have to create a signature?
We have to give our names why don't you make it automatically use that until we go to the usercp and make another custom one?

[Himiko]

Justin: Here is my experience of forum users in general (not falconers in general). Most don't bother to read rules. They simply want to post or read posts but not those with rules. I think much of it is because they don't think they will be a problem. That is not their intent.

Many of the folks not initially signing their posts are newbies (not all of course) and they just don't feel it is important or think about it because they feel the issue is covered with their username.

I'm just starting a forum specifically for Merlin falconers. The first 10 registers never read the rules (except for 1 women) regarding registration and, as you have suggested here, created a lot of extra work.

The only good outcome I can see from the need to remind folks is that the presents of moderators is revealed which possibly keeps some on their toes but I'm sure the mods are happy much of their work is not more serious.

[KittyCanuck]

It might be more helpful for newbies if it was more obvious in the rules (http://www.nafex.net/showthread.php?t=25), though. I can't see anything about putting your real name in your signature in those rules. It's also not mentioned in the signature/avatar section of the FAQ (http://www.nafex.net/faq.php?faq=vb3_user_profile#faq_vb3_signatures_av atars).
My intro post didn't have my name in the signature, even though I read the Rules thread, because I didn't know I was supposed to. I learned that rule from reading other threads and seeing others told that they had to do so.

On most forums, it's considered weird to put your name in your signature, because the name you wish to go by (your username) is already on your post, so you're essentially signing things twice.

I'll be honest: as a newbie, it was creepy to learn I had to put my real name in my signature. My real name is not a big secret, but in general I only give it out to new people I meet online after we've talked for a bit and we know more about each other, since it's personal information.

[Himiko]

Caitlin: I don't believe it is a rule to put your name in your signature but rather a suggestion to save people from forgetting to sign their posts (which I believe is a rule). I think Justine was making a suggestion that by creating a rule to put your name in your signature it might save the mods having to tell folks.

I actually like to learn peoples real names because it adds more authenticity to the post. Not too much of an issue here but on many forums usernames are a means to hide and be anonymous with rudeness or aggression. I respect for women it might be a greater risk to use your real name although on here it is usually only the first name.

[KittyCanuck]

I can understand the reasoning behind the rule, if not the appeal of it, thus if it's a rule it's a rule and I won't debate it.


Caitlin: I don't believe it is a rule to put your name in your signature but rather a suggestion to save people from forgetting to sign their posts (which I believe is a rule). I think Justine was making a suggestion that by creating a rule to put your name in your signature it might save the mods having to tell folks.

If needing to sign your posts is a rule, again, it's not in the Rules (http://www.nafex.net/showthread.php?t=25)post I linked to, so perhaps newbies, even the ones that real the rules, do not know. Alternately, they may think that the simple act of posting counts as "signing" your post, since their (user)name is attached to every single one, since that's the general standard.

When I joined I read the Rules post, and I did a cursory check of the FAQ. Since the FAQ didn't appear to have been edited from vBulletin default, my inclination was to ignore it because I already know the software. I read the Rules, but I didn't know about needing to sign posts. I only found that out by seeing others get called out for not doing it.

That said, it would be easy enough to create a required custom field during registration for people to enter their real names, and this could be automatically placed in their signature. Much easier than running around needing to "remind" people to do it.

If there is another place where additional rules can be found, please let me know so I can go read those as well. Thanks ^_^

[outhawkn]

Must be one of those "unwritten" rules........confusedd

[Zarafia]

I'm on a few different forums and NAFEX is different from all of them.
I like the fact that we are all asked to use our first names. It does IMO keep things more friendly. It sort of seems like folks are a little more accountable for what they say that way.
I also think that it's just fine that after somebody posts for the first time that other members ask them to sign their name. For one thing it almost guarantees that the new member gets some response and it also, in a small way, tells a little bit about the new member in the way they handle that request.
JMHO

[Dirthawking]

For one thing it almost guarantees that the new member gets some response and it also, in a small way, tells a little bit about the new member in the way they handle that request.
JMHO

As a mod, I can tell you that signatures are one of the things we do alot of the time. Sometimes we have to "Help" people sign posts. Alot of what we do, some will never see. But Mer's statement above sums it up the best in my opinion. A few have been banned over their reaction to the request to sign posts. Oh, memories.......:D

[Eragon]

As a mod, I can tell you that signatures are one of the things we do alot of the time. Sometimes we have to "Help" people sign posts. Alot of what we do, some will never see. But Mer's statement above sums it up the best in my opinion. A few have been banned over their reaction to the request to sign posts. Oh, memories.......:D

Was it a Friday? toungeoutmooon

[Dirthawking]

That is Paul! I handle "No trolling/BS Wednesday"! :D

[Eragon]

I'll have to be careful come Wednesday then! ;)

[Lowachi]

That is Paul! I handle "No trolling/BS Wednesday"! :D

Yada yada yada!toungeout:D

[Chris L.]

Caitlin,
you are correct, it is not in the written rules of the forum. But I can fix that ;)

It is one of the rules that I implemented when I first created this forum. I was tired of arm chair falconers from other forums giving advice and not know who they were. Who the hell is DOc1234, or falconflyer69?? It amazes me how many people want to give advice about what a great falconer they are but they do not want say who they are or where they are from. I fixed that problem by making everyone post their real names and at least say where they live. Does it stop all of the trolls and garbage? No, but it sure helps. Falconry is very small in the USA and it doesn't take long to see if someone is full of crap. Lets say a person comes on here and signs their signature "Paul, master falconer from NM". I know there is only one Paul in NM that is a falconer and it will throw up a red flag.

Many mention they don't want people to know who they are. My answer to that is, then don't post on NAFEX. You give out WAY more information when you post on an open forum than you know. People first names should be the is the least of their concerns when posting on a forum.

So yes it is an "unwritten rule" but that will now change.

Justin,

I cant make that an option on here. The software doesn't have that option for the signatures. It is a PIA to ask everyone to do it. If that is what it takes to keep the forums integrity intact, then it's something we/I have to endure.


Kindest regards,

Chris

[KittyCanuck]

I cant make that an option on here. The software doesn't have that option for the signatures. It is a PIA to ask everyone to do it. If that is what it takes to keep the forums integrity intact, then it's something we/I have to endure.

Does it need to be in the signature? Or would it be appropriate if a person's real name was up near where everyone's location was? You could make a custom profile field in the Admin CP (you could even make it be a required field if you wanted to), and then add it to the postbit template.