Forum Signatures

[Evil_Bert]

I'm wondering why someone has turned off BB code in signatures? This means simple things like italics and colours no longer work.

What is the benefit of turning off BB code in a signature when it's allowed in a post? Plus, you still permit links in signatures, so what gives?

[mdh]

The links aren't "live" links, so they won't be picked up by Google. Of the last 2000 or so people that signed up on the forums, about 90% of them signed up specifically so they could get more hits for their websites. I was spending 2-4 hours daily doing nothing but getting rid of them and their signatures. They posted nothing, and they signed up for every forum they could, just to get more hits for their websites. A few of them might get some real surprises though. Sometimes links get changed just for grins.

[Evil_Bert]

Thanks for the reply. That still doesn't tell me why BB code is off, though.

(Incidentally, I fully understand the frustration of dealing with spammers, including signature spammers, but I've never seen turning off BB code used as a solution. AFAICT, it doesn't achieve anything against spam).

[mrunkel]

I don't know the answer, but maybe 'cause they're an eyesore?

[mdh]

Hell, Marc. We're about to be turned off. Oh wait...I already was.

[Mathiau]

BB code off, does not allow live links, thus search engines and such wont follow them through, giving other sites better rankings, also hate seeing huge sigs with blue links in them, then you can get some people who put some really bad colors that can give you a seizure it seems!

[dmorris]

BB allows for links with [url] notation which the spammers were loving.
In general signatures were being abused by spammers and creating a headache.

I suppose we could turn on colors and whatnot but still disallow some other BB markup.
what do people think?

I've also disabled editing a post after 12 hours. A pain I know, but otherwise SEO spammers have too easy of a time going back later and inserting spam.

[sky-knight]

But my signature still has working links? So how does that work?

[mdh]

BB allows for links with [url] notation which the spammers were loving.
In general signatures were being abused by spammers and creating a headache.

Headache isn't the word for it. I was ready to start shopping for napalm.

I've also disabled editing a post after 12 hours. A pain I know, but otherwise SEO spammers have too easy of a time going back later and inserting spam.

They might try...I recognize them most of the time on first sight.

[dmorris]

But my signature still has working links? So how does that work?

you're a contributor (and ninja) - you have different rights.