From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npoiv!npois!houxi!houca!lime!otuxa!nwuxc!inuxc!ihps3!ihuxi!otto Newsgroups: net.followup Title: Re: please sign using first *and* last names Article-I.D.: ihuxi.182 Posted: Sat Jul 17 10:11:14 1982 Received: Sun Jul 18 02:42:41 1982 Perhaps things will change when everyone will be given a telephone number at birth. Perhaps then we will start thinking of each other as numbers. But for now I like to think of others as people with *names*. Knowing a person's name gives me the feeling that I know that person a bit better. I register names better, I build up an impression better, I can make comments to others better names are involved rather than access paths. Hey, did you hear (312) 555-3425's latest flame about darkness emitting diodes? Yes, but I thought that (414) 555-6532 had a good response pointing out the temperature effects... Somehow such conversation repels me. When Lauren Weinstein came to speak at the Labs last month, one of the reasons I wanted to attend his presentation was that I had seen so many well-thought-out comments by him in this very net. When the announcement went out about his presentation, it did *not* mention his USENET address. If that was the only way he had identified himself on the net, I wouldn't have known who he was when he came to speak! I second the request that people sign their notes with both first and last names. Doing so emphasizes our humanity; not doing so emphasizes technocracity. George Otto Bell Labs, Indian Hill ----------------------