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Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: news.software.b
Subject: Re: .signature line limit
Message-ID: <7875@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 4-Apr-87 20:53:42 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.7875
Posted: Sat Apr  4 20:53:42 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 4-Apr-87 20:53:42 EST
References: <1305@msudoc.UUCP> <1160@ulowell.cs.ulowell.edu>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 28

> You don't need that much information in every posting you make.
> The only need for a .signature (in my humble opinion) is to
> identify yourself in case somebody saves the article w/o
> the headers and a month later wants to reply or something.

Not quite.  The *real* need for a signature is to indicate which electronic
addresses have some prayer of working, and working efficiently.

> Your real name, organization and return address are usually
> specified in the header...

The real name and organization in the header do not necessarily match those
of the sender.  And the header return addresses just aren't adequate.  The
From: line will be very useful when everything is domainized and all the
domain-based names are properly registered.  At present, that is a happy
dream rather than a reality.  The Path: line does not necessarily have any
relationship to a practical address.  (We have a widget that sends an
automatic reply to some of the "test" newsgroups, using the Path: as a
mail address.  We get several undeliverable-mail bounces a week... and
test-group traffic is not that heavy!)

> Different people will have different requirements, but all
> should fit within four lines quite easily.  No need to change it.

This, I agree with.
-- 
"We must choose: the stars or	Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
the dust.  Which shall it be?"	{allegra,ihnp4,decvax,pyramid}!utzoo!henry