Insert links with "descriptions" in email signature

[bizfromqc]

Some of you might already know this but here's one for people that don't 

A couple of people have asked me how I added "names/descriptions" for the links I have in my forum signature where I link to a couple of bulid thread I have going on now (see signature at the end of this post for an example of what I'm talking about). 

First, you need to edit your profile.

1) Enter "Forum" section of OVAS
2) Click "Profile" from the top toolbar
3) Look for the "Modify Profile" section
4) Click "Forum Profile Information"
5) Scroll down until you find the "Signature" section

This is where you will enter in the text and code for your email signature.

It's easy enough, all you have to do it use the BBCode for a hyperlink. BBCodes are similar to HTML codes but really only used for formatting and inserting objects in forum posts. The forum engine will automatically convert "urls" (everytime you put in http://...) into a proper link so you don't have to worry about any of this but you don't get the option of changing "name" or "description" of the link.

So let's say you wanted a link to the OVAS website, you would put it in your signature and end up with something like this:

http://www.ovas.ca

But if you wanted to use a "description" like "Click here to access the OVAS website", all you would need to do is use the "url" BBCode yourself like this.

Code Select Expand


[url=http://www.ovas.ca]Click here to access the OVAS website[/url]


and what you end up with is this:

Click here to access the OVAS website

You can use  any "url" and any "descriptions", exactly like I have in my email signature. So for my email signature, I used the following codes:

Code Select Expand

[url=http://ovas.ca/forum/index.php?topic=52651]20G - A. Cacatuoides Grow Out (1F + ~30-50 Fry + 3 Otocinclus)[/url]
[url=http://ovas.ca/forum/index.php?topic=52798.0]10G - A. Cacatuoides Breeding (1M + 5 Zebra Danios)[/url]
[url=http://ovas.ca/forum/index.php?topic=52866.0]25G - Amazon Biotope (in construction)[/url]

... and I get this in my email signature.

20G - A. Cacatuoides Grow Out (1F + ~30-50 Fry + 3 Otocinclus)
10G - A. Cacatuoides Breeding (1M + 5 Zebra Danios)
25G - Amazon Biotope (in construction)

Save your profile and you're done.

[Saltcreep]

Very informative - thank you. 

[charlie]

Very informative - thank you. 

X2 , thanks Eric , it passed the final testing stage look @ my signature 
Thsi should be a sticky,
Errol

[JetJumper]

6. Signature.

Please try and keep your signature brief, to keep the page loading time, and visual annoyance factor to a minimum.

A signature shall not contain:

more then 4 lines text
any images and/or animations
any links and/or references to external websites
any reference to items that you have for sale / looking for / for trade; these should go in the appropriate forums
If these limits are exceeded you may be contacted by a moderator requesting an amendment to your signature. If none is made within a reasonable period of time a moderator may remove your signature from your profile.

Not to be a pest about this, but I got selected out several times on my signature not conforming to the rules here.  In reading these rules, to me this post breaks them.

The way its written indicates ANY LINKS, doesn't matter on where to.  Can we get the official ruling on this from the OVAS team?  I don't want to have my strike 3 and be banned for this.

[bt]

I read that as "any (links and/or references) to external websites" and not "any links and/or (references to external websites)"

But yeah - I can understand the desire to get an official ruling on it.

[bizfromqc]

Not to be a pest about this, but I got selected out several times on my signature not conforming to the rules here.  In reading these rules, to me this post breaks them.

The way its written indicates ANY LINKS, doesn't matter on where to.  Can we get the official ruling on this from the OVAS team?  I don't want to have my strike 3 and be banned for this.

I got "told" too for having images in my signature but I'm with bt as far as my understanding of the "rule". Not allowing links to your own forum makes no sense, to me at least.

[DaWolfe]

any links and/or references to external websites

From my point of view pointing to your own tank built in the OVAS forum is not considered external website.  So I think that we should be good.  Lets get feedback from the Webmaster.

Thanks.

[OVAS-Webmaster]

Links to OVAS are fine.

What was happening was people were putting links in for all sorts of non-fish related websites and it was distracting from the purpose of this site. 

Visit some other sites which allow pretty well anything and see the visual garbage you have to deal with just to read a thread.

[DaWolfe]

Links to OVAS are fine.

What was happening was people were putting links in for all sorts of non-fish related websites and it was distracting from the purpose of this site. 

Visit some other sites which allow pretty well anything and see the visual garbage you have to deal with just to read a thread.

Perfect thanks.

[bizfromqc]

Links to OVAS are fine.

What was happening was people were putting links in for all sorts of non-fish related websites and it was distracting from the purpose of this site. 

Visit some other sites which allow pretty well anything and see the visual garbage you have to deal with just to read a thread.

Nice to know we're all complying here