Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utcsrgv.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!dave From: dave@utcsrgv.UUCP (Dave Sherman) Newsgroups: net.news Subject: Gripe about the way people sign news articles Message-ID: <1801@utcsrgv.UUCP> Date: Wed, 20-Jul-83 13:12:41 EDT Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.1801 Posted: Wed Jul 20 13:12:41 1983 Date-Received: Wed, 20-Jul-83 13:52:41 EDT Organization: CSRG, University of Toronto Lines: 29 I really dislike the recent trend of putting eight-line signatures, with addresses through every conceivable machine and on every conceivable network, at the end of every article people post. Surely most people have access to some path finding program like nmail these days. I usually read news at 1200 baud, and it's a royal pain to wade through the signature when it's longer than the article itself (and I've already seen the same signature 100 times). May I make two suggestions: 1. Do not give all kinds of paths unless it's important that people be able to reach you in reply to that article. If you're asking for information, fine; but not if you're just adding your three-line two-cents' worth to an ongoing discussion. 2. I would much rather see the name of the organization and/or city you are in than all the rest of the drivel. With the proliferation of sites I now often have no idea what part of the world people are in. I would prefer "Joe Smith, Denver" to "Joe Smith, {thismachine, thatmachine, someothermachine}!foo!bar!joe". If I want the path, I can always get it off the news headers anyway. Unless you're running 2.10 and all the information automatically goes into the header, the two things I won't get any other way are (1) who you are, and (2) where you are (and I don't mean where uucp can find you!). If 2.10 puts all that stuff in for you anyway, the best signature to add to your message is CONTROL-D. Dave Sherman Toronto