# Change in Signature Line **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 18, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072 "2011-01-18T15:16:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/1 "2011-01-18T15:16:01Z")
I am contemplating changing my signature line from “Timor Mortis Conturbat Me” to “I despise Sarah Palin.” As I read the rules regarding signature lines, I believe this would be within the guidelines. I would appreciate a ruling from on high as to the acceptability of my proposed change. I will, of course, abide by the Word from Above. But I would like very much to make the change. Please? After all, she says that “Nobody will shut her up” so why shouldn’t that same philosophy apply to me? ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/2 "2011-01-18T15:25:10Z")
Hey, I remember someone who had “I hate **xash** ” as a _user title_. If that was acceptable then your proposed signature is small beans. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/3 "2011-01-18T16:31:09Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > Hey, I remember someone who had “I hate **xash** ” as a _user title_. If that was acceptable then your proposed signature is small beans. That’s how it seems to me but I need to hear it from an OFFICIAL SOURCE. I don’t wanna break no rules, ya know? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/4 "2011-01-18T17:07:49Z")
I don’t have a problem with it – I’ll put it out on the mod loop if you like. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/5 "2011-01-18T17:56:23Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I don’t have a problem with it – I’ll put it out on the mod loop if you like. Please. I don’t want to just do it and then be beat up by Mods. I don’t care if anyone else doesn’t like it. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/6 "2011-01-18T20:51:48Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > Please. I don’t want to just do it and then be beat up by Mods. I don’t care if anyone else doesn’t like it. It’s fine with the staff. As **Marley23** said, “It’s not against any rules, it’s not violent, doesn’t wish death on anybody, isn’t jerk-y.” Knock yourself out. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/7 "2011-01-18T21:58:38Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > It’s fine with the staff. As **Marley23** said, “It’s not against any rules, it’s not violent, doesn’t wish death on anybody, isn’t jerk-y.” > > Knock yourself out. Muchas Gracias. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/8 "2011-01-19T01:49:07Z")
But a sig saying “I despise x” (where x is a specific SDMB member) would not be allowed. Is that correct? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/9 "2011-01-19T02:04:47Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > But a sig saying “I despise x” (where x is a specific SDMB member) would not be allowed. Is that correct? Yes, that is correct. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/10 "2011-01-19T04:11:18Z")
What if a new member joins under the member name “Sarah Palin”? Would **LouisB** have to change his sig? ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/11 "2011-01-19T08:39:28Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > What if a new member joins under the member name “Sarah Palin”? Would **LouisB** have to change his sig? Anyone signing up as Sarah Palin would lead an interesting life here, I suspect. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/12 "2011-01-19T12:19:21Z")
I was insane (really) for a while last night and while it is true I do despise Sarah Palin, I doubt I’ll actually bother to change my sig line. I hate to give up the line I’ve had for so many years now. Maybe I’ll just add the Palin thing as a line of text, similar to “Regards, What’s his name.” Unless, of course, thousands or even a few of the other members would be willing to make the change along with me; I envision hordes of members signing but substituting names like “Glenn Beck” or “Rush Limbaugh” or “John McCain” or even “President Obama,” if that moves you the way “Sarah Palin” moves me. I might beware the Secret Service if I did that, though. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/13 "2011-01-19T13:59:08Z")
Maybe you could use the Location field. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/14 "2011-01-19T14:00:46Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > Maybe I’ll just add the Palin thing as a line of text, similar to “Regards, What’s his name.” That would get kind of annoying if you were doing it in non-politics threads. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/15 "2011-01-19T15:35:34Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > I was insane (really) for a while last night and while it is true I do despise Sarah Palin, I doubt I’ll actually bother to change my sig line. I hate to give up the line I’ve had for so many years now. Maybe I’ll just add the Palin thing as a line of text, similar to “Regards, What’s his name.” > > Unless, of course, thousands or even a few of the other members would be willing to make the change along with me; I envision hordes of members signing but substituting names like “Glenn Beck” or “Rush Limbaugh” or “John McCain” or even “President Obama,” if that moves you the way “Sarah Palin” moves me. I might beware the Secret Service if I did that, though. Why don’t we just change the fucking slogan from “Fighting Ignorance since 1973…” to “Conservatives are not welcome here.” Because it sure seems like that is the case from the majority of posters AND moderators. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/16 "2011-01-19T15:37:00Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Because it sure seems like that is the case from the majority of posters AND moderators. Do you think we should not allow signatures like the one **LouisB** asked about? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/17 "2011-01-19T15:39:49Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Do you think we should not allow signatures like the one **LouisB** asked about? Yes. I think it allows the interjection of political barbs into non-political threads–ie, some “I like kitteh pics” MPSIMS thread where nobody is talking politics, but he gets to use that sig once per thread in accord with current policy, so now he gets a free shot, and any reply to that taunting would draw mod fire. That’s not fair. By the same token, I won’t be changing my sig to “Many liberals are whiny little bitches that need a good kick in the ass”. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/18 "2011-01-19T15:45:37Z")
Most people here have sigs turned off, so almost nobody would see it anyway. I doubt this would draw any “fire” stronger than a mod note asking people to keep politics out of the kitty thread and it would reflect that (in your example) **LouisB** brought it up. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/19 "2011-01-19T15:49:04Z")
Or like me, you can just have Sigs turned off. But I do think \*\*Oakminster \*\*has a point. sigs do end up in odd locations. They also load of course by profile and not thread so that thread from two years ago about someone passing away would now have a “I hate Sarah Palin” in it for no reason. OK, I should have previewed, **Marley** ’s post was not there when I opened the thread a read it. So consider my post an example. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072/20 "2011-01-19T15:54:45Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Most people here have sigs turned off, so almost nobody would see it anyway. I doubt this would draw any “fire” stronger than a mod note asking people to keep politics out of the kitty thread and it would reflect that (in your example) **LouisB** brought it up. OK…maybe I will change my sig to something offensively anti-liberal, and just happen to post with that sig displayed in every thread where the OP uses his offensively pointed political sig. And then we can have sig wars across all forums to entertain the staff. Or maybe a better rule would be “no political jabs in sigs”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-in-signature-line/568072.md?page=2)