UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Ok this is manily for Knight who seems to be enjoying his new found sight.

Who thinks he should come up with unique emoticons for us all?

Perhaps extra ones could go next to the five eyes under our board name?

Sorry John, giving you more work, but you did excell at the Christmas decies

Im in total agreement!!...

Maybe, but not just yet. I have plans myself for that space... watch (err) this space!

If we can't go with the avatar emoticons ... still be fun if anyone wanted a personalised graphic for their signature? Like mine ...

Knight

I agree with Gareth and Jay. I really enjoy your personalized emoticons

John, we look forward to seeing what appears in (that) space

Andrew

I must admit that I'm not really keen on personalised graphics in signatures (which is why the plans do allow for personalised avatars... but not yet) but if they are at about the same size as Knight's (a conservative 37 pixels high - not too much screen space wasted then) then they're perfectly acceptable.

We must be careful not to put off the newbie who may come along and see a site that is a bit of a dog's dinner. The forum could look like any number of those amateur fora that are out there vying for eyeballs in cyberspace.

As a charity website, we do need to think of the first impression that we make on someone who needs the charity's help.

So yes, for the time being, I'm happy to see short graphics such as Knight's in signatures, but please try and keep them tasteful (not too much distracting animation for example). Once the personalisation of avatars is available, I may change this request!

Yeah John, all that I totally agree with. I've belonged to some boards that went ape with the graphics and it can so easily fall into a hodge-podge (love that expressive) of color and styles, the two that I frequent, I'm staff on and we run tight rules of sigs and avatars, general size and content restriction.
At least thou, if I'm doing some gfx for peeps, it can all follow a similar style and I can keep it nice and tight. I suppose if it does interfer with the general look and welcoming of the site, we can always remove them, but also the point of it being, we can reflect our personalities a bit better, make it more welcoming and personal. I dislike animated stuff in post mostly, as it can be very distracting even exceptionally annoying when done wrong, so if anyone would like a personalised sig I'll keep it narrow, static and 'unintruding'.
But also, you've actually given me an idea, when you mentioned impressions on a charity site ... something to compliment and even promote, not only who we are, but the style of the site too ... maybe I'll post some ideas for approval and we could take it from there...

[quote="Knight"]Yeah John, all that I totally agree with. I've belonged to some boards that went ape with the graphics and it can so easily fall into a hodge-podge (love that expressive)l/quote]

hodgepodge |ˈhäjˌpäj| ( Brit. hotchpotch) noun [in sing. ] a confused mixture : Rob's living room was a hodgepodge of modern furniture and antiques. See note at jumble . ORIGIN late Middle English : alteration of hotchpotch by association with Hodge (a nickname for the given name Roger), an archaic British term used as a name for a typical agricultural worker.

You see, it is not only a wonderfully expressive use of language, it is also in the OED.

Andrew