~snip~
The profile picture, eh, it has no clickable links and is fairly small, so it's alright for me as I have it now. What I really don't like is when you have to do the 'trifecta' of signature, profile picture and personal text; basically making your whole profile indistinguishable from others (besides the name) and your post containing more ad space for a single sponsor than actual content.
I share your opinion about that, because most of the time I had (like now) an avatar and personal text that were not part of any paid campaign. I understand that whoever pays for the campaign wants maximum exposure, but it seems to me that most of those who are interested in something will still click on the signature because it is a direct clickable link.