[wp-forums] Sigs on WP support posts

[Murray at PlanetThoughtful]

Hi All,

I realize Podz has already asked this question on my behalf - or in 
response to my correspondence with him - but I'd like to explain my 
thoughts myself. I don't say any of the following things with the 
expectation of sweeping change. I simply voice my thoughts because I 
care enough about my involvement with WP support to date to feel it's 
worth taking the time to put this into an email.

Recently I began including a sig on my posts to WP support which pointed 
to my two blog sites. I did so for a couple of reasons, one being that 
I'm investing time by answering WP support questions, the other being 
because I approach WP support as a community project, and my personal 
sites are an extension of that community. I'm a professional PHP / MySQL 
programmer - I am able, and have, answered questions on WP support that 
it appears few others can or have the time to. I doubt I'm at all unique 
in being a PHP / MySQL programmer on this list (or maybe I am, I don't 
know), but it appears that WP support is direly in need of people who 
can and are willing to answer questions in the order of, 'My import from 
other-blog-package borked, how do I fix my records in MySQL?'.

As a professional, I'm used to return on investment, and the most 
valuable asset anyone of us has is time, so time spent on WP support 
that could be spent on other projects *is* an investment. I felt that a 
reasonable return on the investment of my time in helping others on WP 
support was being able to include two links and some text in a sig. 
Neither of those links, by the way, advertise my availability as a PHP / 
MySQL programmer. They're simply personal projects that I would be happy 
to know more people were looking at, and perhaps enjoying.

Today I learned through Podz that this isn't considered acceptable, and 
I am left with a couple of responses and questions as a result.

To begin with, in communicating with Podz, it appears this unofficial 
policy isn't published anywhere. For the sake of future contributors and 
the predictable embarrassment they may feel, I'd encourage whatever team 
administers to the WP forums to put this rather important piece of 
information somewhere noticeable. I read what guidelines I could when I 
first visited and began responding to WP support questions. I am more 
than somewhat chagrined to be taken to task with 'Moderated' text all 
over my posts for something no-one has taken the time to make known to 
support participants in any predictable way.

Second, this will be the first forum I have ever encountered where a sig 
is considered unacceptable. Perhaps many, many others exist, but if they 
do, and I'm active on a number, I haven't encountered them. If anything, 
WordPress is a blogging platform - it exists to publish blogs - so 
discouraging people from linking to blogs in a sig is... what... 
counter-intuitive? Unexpected? Arbitrary? Something.

Podz highlighted the concern, "What if those links go to NSFW content, 
etc". To which I can only reply: what effort goes into making sure the 
profile link on the member name that gets attached to each and every 
post doesn't go to NSFW content? Are you, in effect, policing something 
by moderating sigs simply because you can?

Lastly, and I will say upfront that I don't voice this to be critical of 
Podz in particular (so, sorry Podz, in advance), but because it is an 
example of what seems like an inconsistency. Podz points to support 
articles on his own site. As he mentioned in an email to me, these pages 
don't deal either with his business blog, or his WordPress web hosting 
service. And yet, in two clicks from any support content page on Podz's 
site, I am at the portal for those very things. I doubt Podz is living 
the life of a carefree billionaire from the exposure his business 
receives from the number of links I've seen from WP support to his 
support pages, but I also doubt it's been entirely nonexistent, either 
(I could be wrong. I often am.).

As an alternative, that content could be published on the codex, or 
placed in WP support posts as well, and links could be provided to those 
destinations. As I mentioned to Podz, I have a belief that those who 
police a policy should be willing to adhere to it the strongest.

Having said which, I doubt anyone would want to discourage Podz from the 
immense contribution he makes to Wordpress support.

If I have a point, it is that I'm surprised anyone wants to discourage 
me from doing the same.

Much warmth to all,

Murray (aka planetthoughtful)

(sig elided for the sake of consistency)