"Two lines in the signature" doesn't equal two lines.

[Nords]

I don't know if there's a vBulletin formatting switch for this problem, but after 20 minutes of futzing I'm forced to conclude that it's certainly an annoying problem.

I tried to modify my signature to include a link. The "Edit Signature" utility in the User CP pops up a narrow little text box and starts wrapping the text at about 36 characters.

For a two-line signature limit this means that the link text, the link formatting, and any other formatting (text size, color, line separators) has to fit within 72 characters of the text box.

Yet when you look at a user's signature at the bottom of a post, the available horizontal space for a signature is at least 80 characters. For small fonts it's more like 100 characters. The text-entry utility is artificially restricting the two-line limit of a user's signature.

I don't know how this could be fixed. One option would be for vBulletin to give users a bigger text box to enter their two-line signature-- to match the size of the text box to the size of the box that displays their signature. Another option would be to only count the actual characters in a signature and not the formatting.

A very straightforward solution would be to raise the software limit on the number of lines in a signature so that we can get around the text box/formatting problem, while administratively asking users to limit their sigs to two lines.

Below is a copy of the offending text/formatting that I'd like displayed in my signature ("Quote" it to see the additional formating characters).

*
For more info see my profile...

And below this post is my current signature, the only permissibly-formatted way that I'm able to redirect a user:

[donheff]

Nords - when I quote it I don't see anything other than the text (no url or link text). WHen I mouse over I see the long URL for the item. Would it help enough to generate a tiny url pointing to the item and use that in place of the long one?

[Nords]

Four days ago:

Originally Posted by Nords

Below is a copy of the offending text/formatting that I'd like displayed in my signature ("Quote" it to see the additional formating characters).
*
For more info see my profile...

(*tap-tap*) Hello? Is this thing on?

Could I have an admin get back to me on how we're gonna fix this, please?

[Andy R]

Nords, I have increased the sig limit on the mod emeritus account. Please see if you can setup your sig as desired.

Others, The mod team is currently discussing how to handle a few things including an option about links in sigs. We will review the sig limits and then post the details shortly.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by donheff

Nords - when I quote it I don't see anything other than the text (no url or link text). WHen I mouse over I see the long URL for the item. Would it help enough to generate a tiny url pointing to the item and use that in place of the long one?

That works. Considering how long my browser already waits for Google's Adsense servers to give up on my adblocker, though, I didn't want to have my signature depending on another website lookup table as well.

Originally Posted by Andy R

Nords, I have increased the sig limit on the mod emeritus account. Please see if you can setup your sig as desired.

Thanks, Andy, I'm good to go now.