Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!pt.cs.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!jb3o+ From: jb3o+@andrew.cmu.edu (Jon Allen Boone) Newsgroups: news.newusers.questions Subject: Re: Are signature lines distracting? Message-ID: Date: 10 Jan 90 02:30:04 GMT References: <659@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> <15068@bfmny0.UU.NET> <662@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> <15070@bfmny0.UU.NET>, <15470@boulder.Colorado.EDU> Organization: Class of '92, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA Lines: 44 In-Reply-To: <15470@boulder.Colorado.EDU> zecca@tramp.Colorado.EDU (Mad Bob the Avenger) writes: > I don't find SMALL signature files distracting at all. As others have > said, they are useful to convey information about mailing addresses, > to show a disclaimer (needed in some cases, but most of the ones I see > ARE worthless), or to show a little about your personality (like mine). > What I can't stand are those 10+ line signatures I often see. My account > limits my .signature to 4 lines. Anything past the 4th does not get sent > out to the newsnet. I think it would be beneficial if ALL machines had > this sort of restriction. This way, we would not have Iron Curtain > censorship, but signatures would not clutter otherwise useful articles. First, let me say that i do *not* find long .sigs distracting. I simply stop reading once i have reached the end of the text. Luckily, i can fit more than 20 lines on a screen, so i can see if there is more text after the .sig without actually reading it (assuming i don't want to). Second, i find .sigs to be interesting. Forcing people to use 4 lines can keep them from expressing something they have to say which might be beneficial to you. Third, let me say that while *you* like 4 line sigs, not everybody does. I've seen some 4 line sigs that are a complete waste of space, but i don't think we should ban them all. Different strokes for different folks. If you want to limit yourself (or in your case, Mad Bob, are limited by your account) thats fine. Sometimes i *like* to send 20 line sigs (which don't usually seem to pertain to the discussion at hand when other people read them, though they do to me). Other times i like to send a 2 or 3 line sig, cuz i just don't have anything to say that is worth my time to make up. Finally, let me say that i can't see how sigs can clutter up articles any more than headers do. I like to have lots of info included in the messages i recieve, thus i like lots of headers - the more the merrier. However, when i don't need the headers, i *cut them out*. Why can't the same be done for sigs? > >---> Mad Bob the Avenger [zecca@tramp.colorado.EDU, home of junk.mail] > [ "I'm a doctor, not a rapper." -- McCoy, "The Enterprise Rap" ] > [ "This room will self-destruct in five seconds..." -- Russell Acker ] > [ "You said you would kill me!" -- Maltz (John Larroquette), ST3:TSFS ] - iain "Hi-Ho Electric-Blue! .... Um...Ranger's on a bum trip again..."