diff --git a/html/user/edit_forum_preferences_form.php b/html/user/edit_forum_preferences_form.php
index 0e8d233524..c523c36e3b 100644
--- a/html/user/edit_forum_preferences_form.php
+++ b/html/user/edit_forum_preferences_form.php
@@ -9,18 +9,29 @@ $user = get_logged_in_user();
 $user = getForumPreferences($user);
 
 page_head("Edit message board preferences");
+echo "<script type=\"text/javascript\">
+function textCounter(field, countfield, maxlimit)
+{
+/*
+* Input-Parameter: field name;
+* the remaining count field;
+* max. Characters.
+*/
+if (field.value.length > maxlimit) // If the input length is greater than allowed
+field.value =field.value.substring(0, maxlimit); // no typing is allowed
+else
+countfield.value = maxlimit - field.value.length // the number of the remaining chars is displayed
+} 
+</script>";
 
 start_table();
 row2("Reset preferences<br><font size=-2>Use this button to reset preferences to the defaults</font>",
-    "<form method=post action=\"edit_forum_preferences_action.php\"><input type=\"submit\" value=\"Reset preferences\"></form>");
+    "<form method=\"post\" action=\"edit_forum_preferences_action.php\"><input type=\"submit\" value=\"Reset preferences\"></form>");
 echo "<form method=\"post\" action=\"edit_forum_preferences_action.php\" enctype=\"multipart/form-data\">";
-
-
-
 if ($user->avatar_type==0){
-    $zero_select="checked=true";
+    $zero_select="checked=\"checked\"";
 } elseif($user->avatar_type==1){
-    $one_select="checked=true";
+    $one_select="checked=\"checked\"";
     $avatar_url=$user->avatar;
 } elseif($user->avatar_type==2){
     $two_select="checked=true";
@@ -40,7 +51,7 @@ if ($user->avatar!=""){
     "<img src=\"".$user->avatar."\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\">");
 }
 
-row2("Sort styles<br><font size=-2>How to sort the replies in the message board and Q&A areas</font>",
+row2("Sort styles<br><font size=-2>How to sort the replies in the message board and Q&amp;A areas</font>",
     "
         <table>
             <tr><td>Message threadlist:</td><td>".select_from_array("forum_sort", $forum_sort_styles, getSortStyle($user,"forum"))."</td></tr>
@@ -50,9 +61,9 @@ row2("Sort styles<br><font size=-2>How to sort the replies in the message board
         </table>"
 );
 
-if ($user->link_popup==1){$forum_link_externally="checked=\"true\"";} else {$forum_link_externally="";}
-if ($user->images_as_links==1){$forum_image_as_link="checked=\"true\"";} else {$forum_image_as_link="";}
-if ($user->jump_to_unread==1){$forum_jump_to_unread="checked=\"true\"";} else {$forum_jump_to_unread="";}
+if ($user->link_popup==1){$forum_link_externally="checked=\"checked\"";} else {$forum_link_externally="";}
+if ($user->images_as_links==1){$forum_image_as_link="checked=\"checked\"";} else {$forum_image_as_link="";}
+if ($user->jump_to_unread==1){$forum_jump_to_unread="checked=\"checked\"";} else {$forum_jump_to_unread="";}
 
 row2("Display and Behavior".
     "<br><font size=-2>How to treat links and images in the forum<br>and how to act on unread posts</font>",
@@ -63,8 +74,8 @@ row2("Display and Behavior".
     </td></tr></table>"
 );
 
-if ($user->hide_avatars==1){$forum_hide_avatars="checked=\"true\"";} else {$forum_hide_avatars="";}
-if ($user->hide_signatures==1){$forum_hide_signatures="checked=\"true\"";} else {$forum_hide_signatures="";}
+if ($user->hide_avatars==1){$forum_hide_avatars="checked=\"checked\"";} else {$forum_hide_avatars="";}
+if ($user->hide_signatures==1){$forum_hide_signatures="checked=\"checked\"";} else {$forum_hide_signatures="";}
 $forum_low_rating_threshold= $user->low_rating_threshold;
 $forum_high_rating_threshold= $user->high_rating_threshold;
 row2("Filtering".
@@ -74,8 +85,8 @@ row2("Filtering".
         <input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"forum_hide_signatures\" ".$forum_hide_signatures."> Hide signatures<br>
     </td></tr></table>
     <table width=\"380\">
-	<tr><td width=\"32\"><input type=\"input\" name=\"forum_low_rating_threshold\" value=\"".$forum_low_rating_threshold."\" style=\"width: 30px;\"></td><td>Filter threshold (default: ".DEFAULT_LOW_RATING_THRESHOLD.")</td></tr>
-        <tr><td><input type=\"input\" name=\"forum_high_rating_threshold\" value=\"".$forum_high_rating_threshold."\" style=\"width: 30px;\"></td><td>Emphasize threshold (default: ".DEFAULT_HIGH_RATING_THRESHOLD.")</td></tr>
+	<tr><td width=\"32\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"forum_low_rating_threshold\" value=\"".$forum_low_rating_threshold."\" style=\"width: 30px;\"></td><td>Filter threshold (default: ".DEFAULT_LOW_RATING_THRESHOLD.")</td></tr>
+        <tr><td><input type=\"text\" name=\"forum_high_rating_threshold\" value=\"".$forum_high_rating_threshold."\" style=\"width: 30px;\"></td><td>Emphasize threshold (default: ".DEFAULT_HIGH_RATING_THRESHOLD.")</td></tr>
 	<tr><td colspan=2>
 	    Anything rated lower than the filter threshold will be filtered and anything rated higher than the emphasize threshold will be emphasized.
 	</td></tr>	
@@ -84,13 +95,17 @@ row2("Filtering".
 );
 
 
-if ($user->no_signature_by_default==0){$enable_signature="checked=\"true\"";} else {$enable_signature="";}
+if ($user->no_signature_by_default==0){$enable_signature="checked=\"checked\"";} else {$enable_signature="";}
+$signature=stripslashes($user->signature);
+$maxlen=250;
 row2("Signature for message boards".
-    "<br><a href=html.php><font size=-2>May contain HTML tags</font></a><font size=-2><br>Max length (including newlines) is 250 chars.",
-    "
-        <textarea name=signature rows=4 cols=50>".stripslashes($user->signature)."</textarea>
-        <br><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"signature_enable\" ".$enable_signature."> Attach signature by default"
-);
+    "<br><a href=\"html.php\"><font size=-2>May contain HTML tags</font></a><font size=-2><br>Max length (including newlines) is $maxlen chars.</font>",
+    "<table><tr><td>
+    <textarea name=\"signature\" rows=4 cols=50 id=\"signature\" onkeydown=\"textCounter(this.form.signature, this.form.remLen,$maxlen);\"
+    onkeyup=\"textCounter(this.form.signature, this.form.remLen,250);\">".$signature."</textarea>
+    <br><input name=\"remLen\" type=\"text\" id=\"remLen\" value=\"".($maxlen-strlen($signature))."\" size=\"3\" maxlength=\"3\" readonly> chars remaining
+    <br><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"signature_enable\" ".$enable_signature."> Attach signature by default
+    </td></tr></table>");
 if ($user->signature!=""){
 row2("Signature preview".
     "<br><font size=-2>This is how your signature will look in the forums</font>",
@@ -98,8 +113,7 @@ row2("Signature preview".
 );
 }
 row2("", "<input type=submit value='Update info'>");
-end_table();
 echo "</form>\n";
+end_table();
 page_tail();
-
-?>
+?>
\ No newline at end of file