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Bulbapedia:Signature policy: Difference between revisions
"new" rule about advertising in signatures, as well as a clarification on foreign characters.
m (→Signature guidelines: not a new rule, but one that wasn't previously written out clearly.) |
("new" rule about advertising in signatures, as well as a clarification on foreign characters.) |
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==When to use signatures== | ==When to use signatures== | ||
Any post to User talk, Article talk, or other discussion page should be signed. Article contributions should ''not'' be signed. Exceptions to these rules will generally be marked as such. | Any post to User talk, Article talk, or other discussion page should be signed. Article contributions should '''''not''''' be signed. Exceptions to these rules will generally be marked as such. | ||
==How to sign a comment== | ==How to sign a comment== | ||
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===Signature guidelines=== | ===Signature guidelines=== | ||
* ''' | * '''Signatures cannot contain images or external links.''' | ||
: | :Signatures should be text-only when rendered (viewed on the page); images are disallowed, due to the slow load times they can cause on talk pages, and the server stress it can cause occasionally. | ||
:External links are also disallowed, as this is viewed as a form of advertising; exceptions to the rule are interwiki links or link templates. (If the link uses [single brackets] or no brackets at all, it's an external link. Keep this sort of stuff on your userpage.) | |||
* '''Signatures should not exceed 80 characters on-screen when rendered.''' | |||
:Keep the signature short and simple; if the length isn't within a reasonable size, this can cause a signature to be needlessly distracting. | |||
* '''No line breaks.''' | * '''No line breaks.''' | ||
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* '''The font size of the signature will be no larger than the font size of normal text.''' | * '''The font size of the signature will be no larger than the font size of normal text.''' | ||
:Do not use <nowiki><big> or <font size=#></nowiki> tags to increase the text size of the signature. This will disrupt line spacing. | :Do not use <nowiki><big> or <font size=#></nowiki> tags to increase the text size of the signature. This will disrupt line spacing. USe common sense; if the end result of your code makes the signature taller then the rest of the text on the page, it's probably something you should avoid. | ||
* '''<code><nowiki><sup></nowiki></code> and <code><nowiki><sub></nowiki></code> tags are limited to one at a time.''' | * '''<code><nowiki><sup></nowiki></code> and <code><nowiki><sub></nowiki></code> tags are limited to one at a time.''' | ||
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:Keep the entirety of your signature's coding within your Preferences; do not use <nowiki>{{transclusion}}</nowiki> to add your signature, as a changeable signature template can cause server stress when changed, and may be a target for vandalism. | :Keep the entirety of your signature's coding within your Preferences; do not use <nowiki>{{transclusion}}</nowiki> to add your signature, as a changeable signature template can cause server stress when changed, and may be a target for vandalism. | ||
* '''A link to the user page | * '''A link to the user page is required, and a link to the user talk page is recommended.''' | ||
:Make sure that your signature at ''least'' links back to your own user page; a link to your user talk page also makes it simpler for other users to contact you, although it isn't required. Your signature may contain other links as well, but exercise common sense when adding links. | :Make sure that your signature at ''least'' links back to your own user page; a link to your user talk page also makes it simpler for other users to contact you, although it isn't required. Your signature may contain other links as well, but exercise common sense when adding links. | ||
* '''Signatures must reflect a user's actual username, in part or in whole.''' | * '''Signatures must reflect a user's actual username, in part or in whole.''' | ||
:If other users can't tell who they're talking to even after reading your signature, then your signature isn't doing its job. Generally, this rule is flexible; shortened versions of your current username make good signatures, or slightly modified (with special characters and such). But please, exercise restraint on this aspect; "Super-Pikachu" is ''not'' going to cut it as a shortened version of "User:Joe". | :If other users can't tell who they're talking to even after reading your signature, then your signature isn't doing its job. Generally, this rule is flexible; shortened versions of your current username make good signatures, or slightly modified (with special characters and such). But please, exercise restraint on this aspect; "Super-Pikachu" is ''not'' going to cut it as a shortened version of "User:Joe". | ||
:Use foreign character sets sparingly as well, unless your actual username is also in a foreign language. If you must use a character set for your username, take special care that it translates to your actual username, and avoid changing it too often (as this will cause unnecessary confusion). | |||
Failure to adhere to these guidelines will result in a warning to change your signature; deliberately refusing to adhere may result in a ban. | Failure to adhere to these guidelines will result in a warning to change your signature; deliberately refusing to adhere may result in a ban. | ||