New Picture Rule Proposel

[Compromise 1]

I have been doing some reserch and I have noticed some proplems with the picture size rules and came up with a intresting idea...

Proposel updated last: 7/5/05

The Proplems

• With the current picture size maximum rule (800x600 pixles) some size pictures are allowed one way up but not another e.g a 500x700 pixles picture is allowed landscape but not portrait. Either way does not effect loading time or Simtropolis Bandwidth.
• With the current signiture picture size maximum rule (300x50 pixles) the same proplems apply as above but with the extra proplem of only been able to have thin rectangle size pictures and it not been viable for enougth for square like ones. Signiture pictures maximum size rule (300x50 pixles) is fine and should not change.
• The rules above have been in dispute about weather they apply to off site hosted pictures or not.

The Solutions

• We change the rules of picture size to be based in area, not length and width. (To get the area you times the length by the width.) This would mean that you could have picture sizes in a mixture of shapes and still have clear rules.
• For general pictures the new size limit will be 500000 pixels^2 (0.5 mega pixels^2). This is slitley larger than a 800x600 picture which is 480000 pixles^2. The biggest picture you can have with this rule in square terms is around 750x750 pixles.
• For signiture size pictures the new size limit would be 15000 pixles^2. This is the same size as a 300x50 pixles picture. The biggist picture you can have with this rule in square terms is around 120x120 pixles. Signiture pictures maximum size rule will remain the same (300x50 pixles) and will not be affected by this proposel.
• The above rules be standardised for off site and on site hosted pictures.

Well any helpful comments, questions or suggestions.

[the_new_simman 5]

Interesting propostition, but I think the way we have is fine, but if the admins like this idea, then I'm fine with either way.

[fosterk 4]

The image limits aren't there to do anything with ST's bandwidth. They're there to keep the site looking civilised. I've been to many forums, some where there's no image limits, and believe me, loading a thread where most users have a gigantic image in their sigs takes 3/4 of eternity, and then there's the fact that if there's no normal picture limit, you get all sorts of 1600x1200 pictures cluttering up the page, making it look really bad, being stretched out, and so on.

The rules are there for two main reasons; aesthetic reasons, and practical reasons. How would you feel if you had 56K internet, and your favourite website all of a sudden took ages to load, and when it finally did, it looked horrible, because of gargantuan pictures? Pretty annoyed, I'd say.

As for the forum rules, they clearly state that image in posts must be either 800x600, or, 600x800, this is to preserve a normal pixel aspect ration, so pictures don't look stretched or compressed.

As far a signatures are concerned, you should be thankful Dirk allowed signatures on this site, as many other forums don't.

The rules are there for reasons, and are well laid, leave them be, follow them well, everyone's happy, and you'll be fine.

[guinea 29]

it would complicate things alot , because working out area for every picture would take a long time , i say stick with the original rules

[Cjah 15]

Man I think this would be great.You say civilized Fosterk?Whats uncivilized with a few different shapes?Other forums aren't that bad,but then again my old website never had any rules....but thats a different story....So all in all I like this idea....

[General Gunfire 0]

I always thought the best picture resolution maximum should be 900x600, as many of my pictures (and I'm sure other people's) only stay within their aspect ratio at that.

I think that your idea is good Compromise, but for some people it might not be so good, if you know what I mean!

[ephorex_77 0]

This sounds rather reasonable, but I suppose as fosterk put it, some semblance of dimension conformity should be preserved. Let's just leave it the the admins and see if they endorse this ide or not.

[Duke87 1,070]

There's a reason that the sig image limit is 300 wide by 50 high and not any other equivalent:

If it's higher than 50 pixels it takes up too much space in the sig.

[Superstar 69]

This is interesting but not very neccersary. Sigs should'nt be changed since they fit in just right with the forums. I think that also the 800*600 limit fits in fine with the forum, we don't need to complicate things by making a whole pixle count limit.

[the_crispbread_witch 0]

I think there should be a limit of 600px in width but no limit in height. Yes, no limit.

Making mosaic picture would be much easier, the loading time of the page would be the same.

Sig pictures are just fine in 300x50.

[SC4 meister 7]

I don't see too much of a problem with the picture sizing, but, I do like this idea, parts of it anyway.  I see no need to change the sig pic size, and if they did, it makes everything look funny.  I like the idea of being able to post a 750x750, or anything inside the pixel count, but it is also ok the way it is, I also really like the idea of keeping the width the same, but allowing for no length limit, so that the mosics could be done easier.  Now, I know this is the decisoin of the admins, and we must all remember that, while we can make the proposals, they do not have to change anything, and I will be happy with whatever they decide.   Meister out.

[villarule 2]

i dont mind either way, i dont post pics much

[Compromise 1]

All: Thank you for all of the suggestions. Following the feedback I have updated the proposel and it now does not include signitures. Keep the helpful feedback coming in...

the new simman and villarule: Well I am glad you find it intresting. You could say this rule is a add on to the current rule so it shoudent affect you.

 

fosterk: As you said earlier I don't think you understand what I am getting at here. If I said I wanted to scrap the picture rules I would have made the title Scrape Picture Rule Proposel, but I don't. These new rules will keep the forums as civalised or even more civalised as they were before.

 

guinea and superstar: This looks complicated but it isen't so at worst you will need a calculater to times the length by the width of the ocasional picture as most pictures in the forum will stay 800x600 or become 600x800.

 

Cjah, ephorex_77  SC4 meister and General Gunfire: Thank you for your support. Yes we will see what the admins think, the final descion is theres but they always welcome new ideas.

 

Duke87: This proposel has been scraped.

 

the_crispbread_witch: I have taken in your suggestion for the proposel. Thanks for the idea.

[nealos101 20]

Im not too sure compromise - sounds like a good rule but u'll always get 1 idiot that comes along and spoils it... I've seen it at every forumn I've been at except the ones with good, strict guidlines. These new rules sound good, but I won't be the one waiting to see the outcome - the current rules work fine with me.

Nealos101.

[timotheus4 39]

I have a Compromise:

One thread be created in Off-Topic for posting pictures. Here all size restrictions are waived as long as pictures are hosted off-site; restrictions remain if you use SimTropolis's hosting method.

[General Gunfire 0]

Tim: The reason the size restriction is 800x600 is not because it takes more space/bandwidth on the site, but because it forces you to scroll over sometimes in posts and brings the page out of proportion.

I host all of my pics offsite anyways...

[timotheus4 39]

Precisely the reason for them to be permitted in one thread only.