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24-01-2008, 10:58 AM
|  | Administrator and Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: On the Malvern Hills
Posts: 3,176
| | | Signatures
I've just changed the signatures setting in the forum to only show for members of the ' WAB volunteer' or 'WAB Link Exchange' groups.
As a result, signatures can now only be displayed by members who either link back to WAB from their own website and have been accepted in the WAB link pages, or members who regularly help to develop the charity and the website.
All the usual rules apply in that the signature can only be two lines of default-sized black text with no more than one link to a non-commercial wildlife/environment/outdoors related website and not advertise the site with UPPERCASE or ***>>> Look at my website <<<*** etc.
Stu |
24-01-2008, 12:13 PM
|  | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Corfe Mullen, Dorset
Posts: 493
| | | Re: Signatures
I already have a link from my site to WAB Forum, but I've just tried to submit my site to your link section "general british wildlife" and it came up with the following error message:
Fatal error: Call to undefined function curl_init() in /home/wildabou/public_html/forums/includes/functions_vba_links_savelink.php on line 98
I've tried twice... all I wanted to do was add a link to my Urban Extension wildlife blog
I notice you have other "blogs" in the links section, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong???
Many thanks. Jane |
24-01-2008, 12:39 PM
| | Administrator and Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: On the Malvern Hills
Posts: 3,176
| | | Re: Signatures
thanks for letting me know, I'll take a look and let you know when it's fixed |
24-01-2008, 12:51 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Leigh, Lancashire
Posts: 1,519
| | | Re: Signatures
Quote:
Originally Posted by StuartDH  I've just changed the signatures setting in the forum to only show for members of the ' WAB volunteer' or 'WAB Link Exchange' groups.
As a result, signatures can now only be displayed by members who either link back to WAB from their own website and have been accepted in the WAB link pages, or members who regularly help to develop the charity and the website.
All the usual rules apply in that the signature can only be two lines of default-sized black text with no more than one link to a non-commercial wildlife/environment/outdoors related website and not advertise the site with UPPERCASE or ***>>> Look at my website <<<*** etc.
Stu |
Ah Stu my link to my gallery web page on wab has gone? Graham set it up for me cos I was struggling with it. Does this mean I can't now have that obvious link to my Wab page? I know the little icon is there to look at galleries but a lot of folk don't realise what that is for.
Pauline |
24-01-2008, 02:38 PM
| | Administrator and Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: On the Malvern Hills
Posts: 3,176
| | | Re: Signatures
Hi Pauline,
Yep, all member signatures have disappeared unless the member is a WAB Volunteer, or they're in the WAB link exchange.
The good news is that we should soon have a selection of each member's images in their forum profile page. I'll also see about adding a better icon to the gallery pages to replace the one that's there at the moment
Stu |
24-01-2008, 02:52 PM
| | Administrator and Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: On the Malvern Hills
Posts: 3,176
| | | Re: Signatures
Quote:
Originally Posted by tigger I already have a link from my site to WAB Forum, but I've just tried to submit my site to your link section "general british wildlife" and it came up with the following error message:
Fatal error: Call to undefined function curl_init() in /home/wildabou/public_html/forums/includes/functions_vba_links_savelink.php on line 98
I've tried twice... all I wanted to do was add a link to my Urban Extension wildlife blog
I notice you have other "blogs" in the links section, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong???
Many thanks. Jane | It should be working OK now |
24-01-2008, 03:13 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Leigh, Lancashire
Posts: 1,519
| | | Re: Signatures
Quote:
Originally Posted by StuartDH Hi Pauline,
Yep, all member signatures have disappeared unless the member is a WAB Volunteer, or they're in the WAB link exchange.
The good news is that we should soon have a selection of each member's images in their forum profile page. I'll also see about adding a better icon to the gallery pages to replace the one that's there at the moment
Stu | Ah that's ok Stu - so long as we're all in the same boat! There's nothing wrong with the icon - it does tell you members gallery - its just with everything else to look at and sift thro it sometimes takes a while to catch on - or is it me that's slow - ok don't answer that 
Pauline |
27-01-2008, 05:12 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: SE Northumberland
Posts: 2,073
| | | Re: Signatures
Stu, just noticed the signatures are back on everyones posts,but showing as code. Have you put the signatures back on for everyone or is it a glitch?
Mark H |
27-01-2008, 05:34 PM
| | Administrator and Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: On the Malvern Hills
Posts: 3,176
| | | Re: Signatures
I've put them back for the moment as 'text only', except for members who have linked back to WAB and posted their link in the link directory, or where their link is to their WAB gallery/blog
Last edited by StuartDH; 27-01-2008 at 06:07 PM.
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27-01-2008, 05:41 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: SE Northumberland
Posts: 2,073
| | | Re: Signatures
Ah right, no probs. I just thought it may have been a bug or something with the code.
Mark H |
27-01-2008, 05:59 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Sheffield, FPRSY
Posts: 4,959
| | | Re: Signatures
I have long had a link on my website Links to insect and other invertebrate web sites
and I have said that I'm happy to do anything that I'm capable of - the 'volunteers' thread is rather vague and I don't like to volunteer blind. I suspect that there many other people who would help if asked on a specific topic. 
Oh, my url is now showing - please ignore this!
Last edited by Paul mabbott; 27-01-2008 at 06:02 PM.
Reason: typo AND change of appearance and total confusion ...
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27-01-2008, 06:15 PM
| | Administrator and Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: On the Malvern Hills
Posts: 3,176
| | | Re: Signatures
Hi Paul,
The problem is that we can't easily keep track of links back to WAB unless they're in the Link Pages. We've got hundreds of signatures showing links to other sites, but there's probably less than a quarter linking back to us at the moment.  |
27-01-2008, 06:39 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Sheffield, FPRSY
Posts: 4,959
| | | Re: Signatures
As I mentioned, eventually, Stuart - my link returned. I'll have a look at the 'link pages' asap ...... As I've mentioned before, it's over a year since I looked at my own site so looking in depth at others is not a priority ... ho hum  Quote:
Originally Posted by StuartDH Hi Paul,
The problem is that we can't easily keep track of links back to WAB unless they're in the Link Pages. We've got hundreds of signatures showing links to other sites, but there's probably less than a quarter linking back to us at the moment. | |
27-01-2008, 06:52 PM
| | Administrator and Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: On the Malvern Hills
Posts: 3,176
| | | Re: Signatures
No problem. Although, just to let you know, all the text-only links in signatures will be removed fairly soon, so that only active links or plain text will be shown. |
27-01-2008, 07:34 PM
|  | Active Member | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: near Cambridge
Posts: 1,047
| | | Re: Signatures
Quote:
Originally Posted by StuartDH I've put them back for the moment as 'text only', except for members who have linked back to WAB and posted their link in the link directory, or where their link is to their WAB gallery/blog | Sorry Stu but I'm not at all sure that I understand what's happening here - my link was to my WAB gallery but is currently still in text
Does your above comment mean that the WAB gallery link in my signature will eventually return to how it was?
Jeff |
29-01-2008, 06:32 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Berkshire
Posts: 1,636
| | | Re: Signatures
Don't you think that it is a bit petty to remove people's signatures? I have been a WAB member for more than 2 years and have more than one link to WAB on my web site but my signature has still disappeared. Perhaps I should remove the links to WAB from my web site?
Why do you need to keep track of links back? If you are trying to create a community here, why not rely on community spirit? If you are trying to force people into volunteering, what about the people who have a full time job (and more) and just don't have time to volunteer?
Jenny
Last edited by StuartDH; 29-01-2008 at 11:58 PM.
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29-01-2008, 10:08 PM
|  | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chilterns
Posts: 7,697
| | | Re: Signatures
Quote:
Originally Posted by jennyb Don't you think that it is a bit petty to remove people's signatures? I have been a WAB member for more than 2 years and have more than one link to WAB on my web site but my signature has still disappeared. Perhaps I should remove the links to WAB from my web site?
Why do you need to keep track of links back? If you are trying to create a community here, why not rely on community spirit? If you are trying to force people into volunteering, what about the people who have a full time job (and more) and just don't have time to volunteer?
Jenny | I'm not normally given to disagreeing with admin publically - but in this case I agree with jenny - removing signatures does seem to me to be a step to far.
my day job is as a volunteer coordinator for a national charity and one thing i have found over the years is that you cant compel volunteering , it has to be freely given - and not just to get a benefit or two.
it strikes me that all this rule will do is lead to lots of people joining the volunteers group in order to reactivate their signatures but not actually doing anything for the site - thus creating a rod for admin/mod own backs in policing this.
I can kind of see the logic in not allowing external weblinks unless someone has a reciprocal link , but I dont think other people should be debarred from having links to their wab gallery or from just having humorous text signatures - in a way everyone who posts (barring spmmers and trolls) is contributing to building up site content , and not everyone has the time to do more.
I would urge a rethink on this tho as ever i will support whatever you decide to do , even if i dont entirely agree.
__________________
"spell checking courtesy of Magners Irish cider "
Last edited by StuartDH; 29-01-2008 at 11:59 PM.
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29-01-2008, 10:45 PM
|  | Wild Member | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Ayrshire
Posts: 150
| | | Re: Signatures
???????????????????????? too much for an old man like me to cometo grips with.
__________________
If a tree has a BARK, then why can't I hear it? |
29-01-2008, 11:52 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Romford, Essex
Posts: 1,500
| | | Re: Signatures
I imagine most people have a link to WAB already on the sites already. I was told to put one very soon after adding my site as a signature (I hadn't made my links page at the time) so I guess most other people had a similar experience. I added my blog to the WAB links page and have my signature back. Im not why I had to do it, but it wasn't much fuss anyway |
30-01-2008, 12:08 AM
| | Administrator and Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: On the Malvern Hills
Posts: 3,176
| | | Re: Signatures
Quote:
Originally Posted by jennyb Don't you think that it is a bit petty to remove people's signatures? I have been a WAB member for more than 2 years and have more than one link to WAB on my web site but my signature has still disappeared. Perhaps I should remove the links to WAB from my web site?
Why do you need to keep track of links back? If you are trying to create a community here, why not rely on community spirit? If you are trying to force people into volunteering, what about the people who have a full time job (and more) and just don't have time to volunteer?
Jenny | It's common throughout the Internet to share reciprocal links. We've displayed hundreds of them to other sites, but less than a quarter take the time to link back to WAB.
That said, I put back the signatures for everyone a couple of days ago, but we'll still keep the 'link for a link' as WAB needs links the same as everyone else. I'm sure everyone who posts a link on WAB is only too happy to link back us so it shouldn't be a problem.
I don't quite see how we're forcing anyone to volunteer, but we will obviously reward volunteers for their efforts. Carrots not sticks.
Stuart
P.S. I've added your site to link pages so your link will now show in your signature again
Last edited by StuartDH; 30-01-2008 at 12:27 AM.
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30-01-2008, 12:18 AM
| | Administrator and Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: On the Malvern Hills
Posts: 3,176
| | | Re: Signatures
Quote:
Originally Posted by eeyore I'm not normally given to disagreeing with admin publically - but in this case I agree with jenny - removing signatures does seem to me to be a step to far.
my day job is as a volunteer coordinator for a national charity and one thing i have found over the years is that you cant compel volunteering , it has to be freely given - and not just to get a benefit or two.
it strikes me that all this rule will do is lead to lots of people joining the volunteers group in order to reactivate their signatures but not actually doing anything for the site - thus creating a rod for admin/mod own backs in policing this.
I can kind of see the logic in not allowing external weblinks unless someone has a reciprocal link , but I dont think other people should be debarred from having links to their wab gallery or from just having humorous text signatures - in a way everyone who posts (barring spmmers and trolls) is contributing to building up site content , and not everyone has the time to do more.
I would urge a rethink on this tho as ever i will support whatever you decide to do , even if i dont entirely agree. | We're not compeling anyone to do any volunteering. In the past 3 years how often have you seen us ask for donations or Badger people to volunteer? Compared to the vast majority of charities, we're far from pushy.
As for the signatures, if you read post #14 you can see that it was already changed a couple of days ago. Everyone can post a signature, but only reciprocal links or links to WAB galleries and blogs, can link in their signature. |
30-01-2008, 06:27 AM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: Hidden in the clover
Posts: 1,523
| | | Re: Signatures
Quote:
Originally Posted by trampas45 ???????????????????????? too much for an old man like me to come to grips with. | I tend to agree, Trampas45 - though I'm hardly what you would call "computer savvy".
I have run a small (diary) blog for over a year, which (like Jennyb's site) always had WAB in the links section -though I'm not that fussed by people possibly linking back to my blog, via WAB - I never was. Much of my inane ramblings on the blog wouldn't interest most, and some of it is hardly wildlife based.
Quite a few people find the blog through surfing the web, or word of mouth - thats the way I prefer it.
I did think that maybe one or two WABers might like to visit my (very new) "youtube channel" though, to see the few videos I pop on there, from our Blue Tit nest box to other wildlife-related things?
My "youtube channel" has no links section, though it does have links to the channel displayed under each video, including links from WAB, I assume?
So then.
Should I delete WAB from my blog's link section?
Maybe?
Should I disable the links (including those from WAB) display from my youtube videos?
Possibly I suppose?
I don't really see the point, in all honesty.
I guess I don't "need links like everyone else" (quote)... and I apologise for not understanding that viewpoint. Like I said, I'm not exactly computer savvy. 
Doug
Last edited by The Black Rabbit; 30-01-2008 at 06:37 AM.
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