Why do people put signatures in their posts, as opposed to the signature space?

[Hirax]

I'm definitely not saying it's wrong, I just don't understand why people do it. Curiosity has finally gotten the better of me!

[Dr.Epic]

Yeah, that always bugs me too.

[Anxe]

Because then the signature actually gets read. I only read people's signatures in between the time when I press Post Reply and when it loads the reply box. That means I now know that Dr.Epic's signature says something about epicness in it.

[Dr.Epic]

That means I now know that Dr.Epic's signature says something about epicness in it.

Pff. Don't lie! Everybody knows I have a PhD in Epicness! Who doesn't know that?

[Anxe]

I guess people who don't know what doctor means? Could you have an MD in epicness?

[Mystic Muse]

Some people have "View signatures" turned off.

[Anarion]

Although I don't sign posts, I do type my name in PMs when I send them. My thought process is that PMing is contacting someone directly and I'm writing them a personal message, so I want it to be a little bit more formal.

[nedz]

Maybe they haven't worked out how to set one up — or want to customise it ?

[Hirax]

Because then the signature actually gets read. I only read people's signatures in between the time when I press Post Reply and when it loads the reply box. That means I now know that Dr.Epic's signature says something about epicness in it.

Does it? I think the only part that will get read is the part in the post, not the part below the signature line, if the reader is the kind of person that ignores signatures. People usually only put their name in the 'post' section of signatures from what I've seen anyway, even though posts automatically have your name put on them, making it seem redundant to me.

Putting more than a name is not something you see often so it's probably not worth discussing, but anything more than that will probably result in the reader realizing the signature has prematurely begun, and they'll stop reading, if they're the type to ignore signatures. Plus a lot of sites would start modding you for having large amounts of signature outside your signature, as it'd be disrespectful to people that have turned off signatures.


Some people have "View signatures" turned off.

Eh, I don't think it's an attempt to bypass that.


Although I don't sign posts, I do type my name in PMs when I send them. My thought process is that PMing is contacting someone directly and I'm writing them a personal message, so I want it to be a little bit more formal.

How does that make it more formal?

[Eurus]

I have no idea. I'm also not entirely sure why it bugs me so much, but it really does. Most of the time it's nothing more than them signing their name -- which is baffling, since the username is tacked onto each post and the signature field is readily available if you want to say something more specific. Some people ignore or turn off signatures, obviously, as is their right, so if it's to intentionally bypass that then it's very rude. I don't think it is to bypass that, though. I just have no idea what it's for.

The only reason that comes to mind is "because people want to look more special", but I'm disinclined to assume something so uncharitable. It's probably just habit or something, and it shouldn't really bother me, but ugh. I reflexively wince a little every time I see one.

[Justyn]

In some cases, it's a holdover from BBSes and Usenet, because back then a dedicated account to post under wasn't a guarantee (it may well have been impossible, I was born in '89 and I didn't even know that there was a world wide web of any stripe before '01), so if you wanted for people to know who made a specific post, you had to put your name in the post. Kind of like 4chan.

[Astrella]

I have no idea. I'm also not entirely sure why it bugs me so much, but it really does. Most of the time it's nothing more than them signing their name -- which is baffling, since the username is tacked onto each post and the signature field is readily available if you want to say something more specific. Some people ignore or turn off signatures, obviously, as is their right, so if it's to intentionally bypass that then it's very rude. I don't think it is to bypass that, though. I just have no idea what it's for.

The only reason that comes to mind is "because people want to look more special", but I'm disinclined to assume something so uncharitable. It's probably just habit or something, and it shouldn't really bother me, but ugh. I reflexively wince a little every time I see one.

Hmm, I mostly see it happening in the lgbt+ thread. Considering we have quite a few trans* people that aren't out yet it's nice to have a place to use your preferred name I guess.

[Castaras]

I remember seeing someone who put their signature in their post because it meant they could change it slightly each post for humour purposes.

[Aedilred]

Ehh, I think there are a few reasons. It's quite an old-fashioned idea but still, I think, a good one. By consciously putting your name at the bottom of a missive you are implicitly endorsing what you've written above. It encourages you to think about what you're saying and take ownership of the post in a way that just having your username or sig autoprinted next to it doesn't necessarily. It makes the post seem slightly more formal, which helps encourage politeness. A lot of posters will also have grown up in an era when automatic sigs weren't a thing (or in some cases, email wasn't a thing and communication was by letter) and will have got into the habit.

If you identify with a name other than your full username or have a preferred abbreviation of it, it's also an elegant way of telling people what it is. Putting it in the autosig looks weird, somehow, and most people won't read it anyway.

I do it on some forums, albeit not here. Until now, at least.

-Ath

[Anarion]

How does that make it more formal?

Formality=structure in this case. Granted, the Internet is not a letter to be delivered via mail, but the structure of writing a formal letter is still retained for e-mail and forums. So, the closer you structure your writing to the structured requirements of a formal letter, the more formal you're being. There are limits here, of course. It would look ridiculous to write a forum post with a formal address, the date in block format and then space out the signature line as if there were room for a physical signature.

But just signing one's name doesn't take up much space and shows you care about the message you wrote because you added that extra bit of structure. It's not really different from the salutation before the signature either, which shows some sentiment of care towards the person.

Best regards,
Anarion


Ehh, I think there are a few reasons. It's quite an old-fashioned idea but still, I think, a good one. By consciously putting your name at the bottom of a missive you are implicitly endorsing what you've written above. It encourages you to think about what you're saying and take ownership of the post in a way that just having your username or sig autoprinted next to it doesn't necessarily. It makes the post seem slightly more formal, which helps encourage politeness. A lot of posters will also have grown up in an era when automatic sigs weren't a thing (or in some cases, email wasn't a thing and communication was by letter) and will have got into the habit.

If you identify with a name other than your full username or have a preferred abbreviation of it, it's also an elegant way of telling people what it is. Putting it in the autosig looks weird, somehow, and most people won't read it anyway.

I do it on some forums, albeit not here. Until now, at least.

-Ath

This too.

[Winter_Wolf]

Some people have "View signatures" turned off.

Wait, we can do that? Really? Hot da..rn! Finally I can avoid having to scroll through literal screens of nothing but one person's sig when then offered a one sentence input to the thread. Seriously, if your sig is consistently longer than your posts, one or the other might need a rethink (it's probably the long sig). On my laptop I have to hit "page down" twice to get past some of 'em. Twice. :smallannoyed:

[Mystic Muse]

Wait, we can do that? Really? Hot da..rn! Finally I can avoid having to scroll through literal screens of nothing but one person's sig when then offered a one sentence input to the thread. Seriously, if your sig is consistently longer than your posts, one or the other might need a rethink (it's probably the long sig). On my laptop I have to hit "page down" twice to get past some of 'em. Twice. :smallannoyed:

Yeah. I have them turned off for a variety of reasons.

[Thajocoth]

The actual sig has space limitations on it... Some people might want the extra room.

The actual sig cannot vary. Some people might want to use a different sig in Friendly Banter than in Roleplaying Games, for example.

A person might want a more ornate sig for a longer more thought out post, but a quick " - Name" or even nothing for quick a post that's only a few words long.

Etc...

I don't do any of that, but I can understand why a person would.

- Me

[Teddy]

Well, I know of one poster who uses two different signatures based on whether he's writing seriously or tongue-in-cheek, and another one who I think was doing it as a parody of in-post signatures...


But just signing one's name doesn't take up much space and shows you care about the message you wrote because you added that extra bit of structure. It's not really different from the salutation before the signature either, which shows some sentiment of care towards the person.

If I think the situation is serious enough and I trust the recipient of the PM, I do this with my actual name just for these reasons. After all, signing it is a guarantee that I stand for what I say, and that I think the situation is serious enough to not be taken lightly.

[nedz]

Yeah. I have them turned off for a variety of reasons.

Wait, what ?
You have a 9 line sig ?

[Mystic Muse]

Wait, what ?
You have a 9 line sig ?

Oh yeah, that needs shortened. Thanks for reminding me.

Basically, some people have signatures that kind of disturb or annoy me, and since I can't turn those off specifically, and never see anything in anybody else's signature that really interests me, I turned them off.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Signatures aren't often actually used to sign posts. A lot of people who frequent the roleplaying forums (yo!) use them to store links to character sheets. Lots of other people thank their avatar artist there, et. cetera.
In short, sigs just aren't commonly used for actual, y'know, sigs. Therefore, in-post sigs are a thing.

[Chromascope3D]

I don't know for certain. Perhaps it's to be unique, or perhaps something else. Personally, I've never liked it when I do see it. No offense to anyone who does manually sig their posts, but I've always viewed it as a little pretentious. Whenever I see a post end with...
"Yours truly,

The Commander"
...I always get a conceited vibe from it, as though their basically saying, "I believe the opinion expressed above is so important, that I'm taking the extra time required to do so to formalize it."

[Absol197]

Hmm, I mostly see it happening in the lgbt+ thread. Considering we have quite a few trans* people that aren't out yet it's nice to have a place to use your preferred name I guess.

This is why I do it. Even though I am out, only my therapist and one friend use my preferred name, so I like being able to be called what I want to be called.


~Phoenix~ ;smalltongue;