Autscape 2010 banner removed from my posts

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As a humble service to the Autistic Community, I always include the following banner in my posts:
[edited for content by sinsboldly]
As you all know, Autscape is a non-profit event, run by the Autistic Community, for the Autistic Community.
Until today, I received private messages from numerous WP members who had thanked me for including the banner in my posts, as it is the only way for WP members to learn about Autscape.
Today, a moderator removed all of the Autscape banners from my posts, claiming that:
* To use a signature, we ask that you place the signature text in the signature form on your user profile. Including signatures in the actual text of your posts is not permitted. WrongPlanet moderators may edit any post that contains a signature in the text of the post.

Since signatures do not allow the inclusion of images, I will no longer be able to include the Autscape banner in my posts.
Isn't it a shame? Does WP really don't want its members to learn about Autscape?

A couple things:

The rules regarding signatures are written expressly in the rules; they are to be in the signature field, and do not permit images.

You are welcome to create a thread in Autism Activism and Politics regarding Autscape, but WrongPlanet is not a resource for others to advertise.

The rules are there and have been the same in the past 18+ months that I have been a member here; I do not understand why you are upset that the rules you agreed to upon become being a member are being enforced.


M.

I am upset because every WP member should have a right to learn about Autscape (and about Autreat). My experience had shown me that just posting threads about them on the Autism Activism and Politics forum is not efficient enough.

Since Autscape and Autreat are the main annual gatherings of the Autistic Community, we need to find efficient ways to publicize them on WP. If I am not allowed to do it with banners within my posts, then I am asking you, makuranososhi, as well as all other moderators who are reading this, to suggest alternative ways of publicizing them. Hopefully, you could come up with something that would be more efficient than my banners.

Thank you,
KenG

You might consider submitting an article for the news list on the home page of WP - that sort of headline would get more notice than any signature banner. That is something that would have to be approved by Alex and/or the Site Admins; I can not speak to whether such a request would be appoved. However, I must remind you WrongPlanet is not here to serve as advertising space. Every member does have the right to learn about Autscape; that does not give you the right to break the rules, nor does it mandate that every member learn about it either.


M.

Thank you, I will.
I'm glad we agree about this.

Couldn't you just put a link to the info about autscape into your sig, without the image? It wouldn't like pop out as much (I think that's the reason that images aren't allowed in signatures to begin with) but you'd still be putting the information there.. It doesn't have to show an image to let people know about it.

Question: I've seen quite a few people around here who have used a signature in the text of their posts for ages, and it has never been removed (I mean where they just put their name, not anything else). Why is this allowed if it's against the rules?

This question has been posed previously; I know that two of us on the moderation team do append their name or appellation at the end of each post. From what I understand, signing one's post in such a manner has been considered acceptable by Alex during previous discussions. For me personally, it is a combination of being a more than a little old fashioned (perhaps that explains my love for antiques) and being an arranger/composer - I sign my work. There is that fine line that is crossed when a signature becomes so lengthy to affect reader continuity or affects load times with graphics content.


M.

My assumption is "signature" in that rule doesn't mean signing one's name, but rather, it refers to stuff that's not one's name, but put in every post, usually by using a "signature" feature. And the rule says that kind of stuff needs to be in the signature space, not the body of the post.

Thank you. Done.

Following your suggestion, I composed the following article about Autreat and Autscape. How do I make a formal request to have it posted on the news list on the home page of WP?
Thank you,
KenG

The Autistic Community's Annual Gatherings: Autreat & Autscape
==========================================
Every year, the autistic community holds two main gatherings: Autreat in the United States and Autscape in the United Kingdom. Both gatherings are organized by groups of autistic volunteers, who organize these gatherings for the benefit of the autistic community.

Both Autreat and Autscape are attended by people from all over the autism spectrum, including autistics who speak and autistics who do not speak; autistics who communicate fluently and autistics who have limited communication; autistics who live independently and autistics who need intensive support with daily living; autistics who have jobs and autistics who live on disability benefits; autistics who are able to present as "socially acceptable" and autistics who require support to help them manage their behavior.
Both gatherings are attended by people from many different countries, such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Israel, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, etc.

Every Autreat and every Autscape is based around a theme, such as Celebrating Autistic Culture, Living Life the Autly Way, Building the Autistic Community etc.
Both gatherings offer presentations on topics such as Autistic Social Networking, Information Technology and the Autistic Culture, Neurodiversity and the Autistic Community, Being Autistic Together, Autism and Relationships, Sharing Our Worlds, Autism and Emotions, Advocacy for the Autistic Self-Advocate Community, Educating and Empowering Non-autistic Allies, Transforming Public Perceptions of Autism, Collaborating for Action, Informing People About Your Diagnosis, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Self Employment, Artistic Autistics, Vacations for Autistic People, etc.

In addition, both Autreat and Autscape offer some leisure activities and plenty of time to socialize with other autistics. Some of us attend them less for the presentations and more for the leisure and for the atmosphere.

Autreat is the older of these two gatherings, with the first Autreat taking place in upstate New York in 1996 and continuing to take place every year since then, in various locations around New York and Pennsylvania.
Inspired by Autreat, the first Autscape took place in Somerset in 2005 and has been taking place every year since then, in various locations around England.

Autreat 2010 will take place from June 28 to July 2 in Bradford, Pennsylvania.
Autscape 2010 will take place from 10th of August to 13th of August in England.

Autreat's website: http://www.autreat.com/
Autreat's information mailing list: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/autreatinfo/

Autscape's website: http://www.autscape.org/ (includes links to Autscape's mailing lists).

Thank you KenG, I will submit it to Alex with your request!

Merle

Thank you, Merle. Did you get a reply from Alex?

no, I didn't receive a reply from Alex, but weeks ago I placed your Autscape notice as a Sticky http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt112979.html

now every one has easy access to the information you provided about Autscape.

Merle

Pssst! ...

I know it's easy to get them mixed up, especially as they are both in a sense "nonsense" words, but that thread is about Autreat, which is in the USA, ( and is a request for presentation proposals too rather than about the event itself ), rather than about Autscape, which is in the UK.

The submission deadline is the 20 January though, fairly soon, so perhaps that thread could be taken down on the 21 Jan and replaced with KenG's blurb about Autscape then? Just a thought/suggestion.

.

I still think that posting it on the homepage of WP will give more people the opportunity to view it.

Also, since there are 10 Stickys on the "General Autism Discussion" forum, then it may be better not to lock it if it is posted over there.