# Signatures: New rules, need help. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 1, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signatures-new-rules-need-help/479464 "2009-01-01T13:58:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signatures-new-rules-need-help/479464/41 "2009-01-06T12:53:48Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > But a sig and a sign-off are not equal in this case as I explained. I honestly don’t get why. Why does it make a difference if “Regards, Shodan” is put in the signature field???😕 Note that I don’t have an issue with people adding “Regards, Shodan” at the end of their post, it’s just that I don’t get what the fuss is all about. Maybe it had been explained at lenght in previous threads on the topic, but I didn’t read those. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signatures-new-rules-need-help/479464/42 "2009-01-06T12:56:39Z")
Test ---
**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 6, 2009, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signatures-new-rules-need-help/479464/43 "2009-01-06T13:30:13Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > I honestly don’t get why. Why does it make a difference if “Regards, Shodan” is put in the signature field???😕 > Note that I don’t have an issue with people adding “Regards, Shodan” at the end of their post, it’s just that I don’t get what the fuss is all about. Maybe it had been explained at lenght in previous threads on the topic, but I didn’t read those. Isn’t this about more than just \*\*Shodan \*\*though? This is not the \*\*Shodan \*\*rule as far as I know. Even if it was specifically for **Shodan** , apparently they don’t want him using his sig on every post as it hits the server harder (it is one extra file lookup from every post then.) The sign-off puts close to zero extra burden on the server. As to it not just being for **Shodan**. There are a few of us that have variable sign-offs that are usually thread/post related. I have a slight dislike of the entire signature system as some posters (especially newer posters) have used some cute pithy sayings and failed to realize that this now shows up in any post they had ever flagged for a signature. You end up with a condolence thread with some meaningless or silly tag line and it looks dumb. I leave my sig blank most of the time. I am still surprised anyone lets this bug them enough to be hostile about it and rant in the pit. I could fully understand not liking it, but what an odd thing to get so disturbed about. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signatures-new-rules-need-help/479464/44 "2009-01-06T18:35:34Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > I honestly don’t get why. Why does it make a difference if “Regards, Shodan” is put in the signature field???😕 > Note that I don’t have an issue with people adding “Regards, Shodan” at the end of their post, it’s just that I don’t get what the fuss is all about. Maybe it had been explained at lenght in previous threads on the topic, but I didn’t read those. Hmm, maybe we should \*all \*sign our posts “Regards, Shodan”. \*Thank your for reading!🙂 Regards, 🙂 Salutations, 🙂 Peace!🙂 Good posting!🙂 Happy trails to you!🙂 Goodnight America!🙂 The Doctor of Deth.\* ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signatures-new-rules-need-help/479464/45 "2009-01-06T20:35:42Z")
I keep wanting to end my posts with a first name but change it every time. ---
**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 6, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signatures-new-rules-need-help/479464/46 "2009-01-06T20:36:55Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I keep wanting to end my posts with a first name but change it every time. That would be funny to some of us and confusing to a lot of others I think. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signatures-new-rules-need-help/479464/47 "2009-01-06T20:59:22Z")
If this board ever attempted to outlaw everything that some poster thought was silly, it would become a wasteland. And if a given poster gets to dictate what another poster can or cannot say in the body of a post… ---
**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 6, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signatures-new-rules-need-help/479464/48 "2009-01-06T21:07:56Z")
Regards, [del]Shodan[/del]rowrrbazzle ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signatures-new-rules-need-help/479464/49 "2009-01-06T21:41:08Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Isn’t this about more than just \*\*Shodan \*\*though? This is not the \*\*Shodan \*\*rule as far as I know. I couldn’t care less whether or not people add a sig at the end of their posts, I just used \*\* Shodan \*\* as an example, and it was an honest question. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signatures-new-rules-need-help/479464/50 "2009-01-06T21:55:21Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > There are a few of us that have variable sign-offs that are usually thread/post related. I have a slight dislike of the entire signature system as some posters (especially newer posters) have used some cute pithy sayings and failed to realize that this now shows up in any post they had ever flagged for a signature. Yes, this is annoying, indeed. I have used two signatures, very rarely (once every 100 posts or so, I guess), one when the thread is related to this signature, the other when I’m in a “stop the planet, I need to get off!” mood due a thread’s content. A sig line would be indeed more adapted in my case, or rather a fake sig line (I assume this is not forbidden) so that people can understand it’s not part of my post and don’t assume I’m off my meds when I use the second one. ---
**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 6, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signatures-new-rules-need-help/479464/51 "2009-01-06T21:57:25Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > I couldn’t care less whether or not people add a sig at the end of their posts, I just used \*\* Shodan \*\* as an example, and it was an honest question. Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply otherwise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signatures-new-rules-need-help/479464.md?page=2)