Re: to sig or not to sig?

From: Jim Hague (jim_at_fluffy.bear-cave.org.uk)
Date: 09/30/03 

Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2003 10:28:58 +0100

In article <ff37aa44.0309291258.4e1ccb29@posting.google.com>,
Sean G Gilley <uem@mycroft.cmhnet.org> wrote:
>You know, I've been around usenet for a *long* time.

You aren't the only one.

>The original reason for the four line limit was that some people read
>on teletypes.

And one of the main reasons for people to have a sig at all was to
indicate how to reach the sender. Ah, bang paths ..!mcvax!ukc!jmh.
Plus ca change.

>I contend that if the usenet posting style guide (is there such a beast?)
>still says that .sigs should be limited to four lines, that it is out
>of date.

Disagree. The limit was a least partly originally inspired by the pressing
requirement to limit traffic (remember when the Trailblazer appeared and
Europe at last got a full feed?), but I think the requirement now,
no less than the abuse you'll get for a 50 line quote followed by ME TOO!,
are for stylistic reasons. If you're reading a lot of messages a day, it's
important to know when you've reached the end of a particular message so
you can swifty move to the next. The standard sig separator isn't too
intrusive - having a large !!!!! Look Here !!!! separator would drag the
eye towards it too much - so you need to know you'll find it (if it exists)
a known distance from the bottom of the message. You very quickly get
used to 'tuning out' the sig, or at least assimilating the whole with
'it's Fred'. People with oversize sigs are breaking this, and causing the
experienced reader extra work, as they have to search for the start of the sig.
That's why they (we) get ratty; we've being slowed down, flow broken, and
given more to do just because someone wants to show off. Sure, 7 lines
isn't too bad, but once everyone starts using between 0 and 7 (and make
no mistake, *someone* will want the limit raised to 20) the thin end
of the wedge argument applies.

How many newspapers do you know that print as much as a 4 line byline per
article? 

-- 
Jim Hague - jim@bear-cave.org.uk          Never trust a computer you can't lift.

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