# Valete, Vox Imperatoris **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 22, 2009, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419 "2009-01-22T06:23:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/341 "2009-01-26T21:29:34Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > That has not been established. > > _:shrugs:_ > > If you are determined to take offense, then nothing can be done, but I meant what I said in your thread announcing your husband’s death. And my sign off was meant literally. Any chance of you including a sign-off sign off so that we can discern the difference? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/342 "2009-01-26T21:44:33Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > That has not been established. > > _:shrugs:_ > > If you are determined to take offense, then nothing can be done, but I meant what I said in your thread announcing your husband’s death. And my sign off was meant literally. I’ve been on your case a lot lately, but I’m sorry to see you catching so much grief for your inoffensive and well established signoff. It’s always disconcerting to see people go into such spastic fits over such piddly shit. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/343 "2009-01-26T21:46:03Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > When a poster has established that X means “fuck you,” saying “Sorry about your loss. X” is going to be hurtful. > > It doesn’t really matter and I’ll survive. Oh for Christ’s sake. It _doesn’t_ mean “fuck you” in that context. It doesn’t mean _anything_. It’s just a sign off. This “fuck you” business comes about from the fact that **Shodan** still puts the same sign off in every post, regardless of whether he has any actual regard for the person or persons he’s addressing. He is then amused by the dissonance between the body and the complimentary close when he writes something like: > [@not a real quote](#): > > Eat shit and die, douchenozzle. > > Regards, > Shodan There’s \*\*no \*\*reason for you to take offense at his use of “regards” in your thread if it was appended to a message of sympathy. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/344 "2009-01-26T22:04:46Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > I’ve been on your case a lot lately, but I’m sorry to see you catching so much grief for your inoffensive and well established signoff. It’s always disconcerting to see people go into such spastic fits over such piddly shit. Thanks for your sentiments, but perhaps we could reserve more sympathy to **jsgoddess** , who has suffered a loss far more significant and much less deserved. **jsgoddess** , if you are reading this thread, my apologies for the snark in my previous, and for having grieved you in your condolence thread. Such was not my intent, and I regret the incident. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/345 "2009-01-26T22:21:20Z")
> [@Lord\_Ashtar](#): > > I sincerely hope what I say does not keep you up at night. The most I could hope for would be that you might take a step back and say, “Wow, maybe complaining about a two line sign-off really is beneath me.” Clearly you haven’t reached that point yet. > > Of course, making fun of someone’s user name is the absolute pinnacle of intellectual maturity. I suppose you fancy yourself to be a pot full of stinky fish? Please. The thought that I take anything seriously from your posts in this particular thread is even more pathetic than your participation in this thread. This issue means nothing to you (allegedly), is petty, and yet as **Polerius** has pointed out, you’ve chosen to post 13+ times to… to do _what_, exactly? I also wasn’t making fun of your user name. I’m sorry that you took it that way. As you point out, I have one of the worst user names out here. And whether I fancy myself as a pot full of stinky fish is not really any of your business 😉 . I was making fun of **you**. Enjoy, Regards, Valete, Cheers, I know you are but what am I? “We’re here! We’re queer!”, I’m smarter than you, I’m just a smug little prick, I really mean “Fuck you!”, Norm! Oscar Meyer Sir Loin of Beef Sir Osis of Liver Earl of Meatloaf Lord of the Flies Jack Lord - “Book 'em, Danno!” ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/346 "2009-01-26T23:36:27Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Thanks for your sentiments, but perhaps we could reserve more sympathy to **jsgoddess** , who has suffered a loss far more significant and much less deserved. Sympathy, like love, need not be apportioned. There’s plenty to go around. But what happened to jsgoddess? I am uniformed. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/347 "2009-01-26T23:42:56Z")
Aw, Jesus. Never mind. It suddenly dawned on me that there might be something in the forum with the stupidest, most misleading name in the whole Internet. I’m so sorry, js. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/348 "2009-01-26T23:47:45Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > I was making fun of **you**. Your rapier wit has left me in shambles, and my fragile ego has been shaken to the core. I must now humbly bow out of this thread lest you make fun of my user name again. I wouldn’t be able to take it. I’d likely have a nervous breakdown, lose my job, my car, my health, and ultimately my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/349 "2009-01-27T02:41:00Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Almost true - some of you find it pretentious and annoying. Most of those who do are being petty. If you think I dislike signatures in posts because there are Republicans who use them, I don’t. I can’t remember having any beef with any of the other sig folks, and, in fact, I can’t remember having any beef with you, either–I just find your beliefs reprehensible and you would probably say the same to me. But if I went apoplectic every time I met someone whose beliefs I found reprehensible, I wouldn’t last very long as an activist or, for that matter, as a member of the LGBT community. > [@Shodan](#): > > Also almost true - I attach it to my posts for reasons of my own, without any consideration for what you want to see. You say that this is “almost true”: > [@Lightnin'](#): > > You attach the signature as part of your message, preventing us from filtering it out. but I don’t see which part could possibly be anything less than 100% factually correct. Would you not agree that you attach the signature as part of your message? Do you not understand that we are thereby prevented from filtering out your signature? > [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Yeah, you are. Doesn’t mean Shodan and his like aren’t, as well. I haven’t quite decided which is more petty. I’ll be waiting with bated breath. I’m sure everyone else is as excited about your big decision as I am. > [@pseudotriton ruber ruber](#): > > I don’t see how someone gets to admit using his sig lline to mean “Fuck You” sometimes and then to be permitted to use it. OK, now it’s starting to smell like sand and fish in here. What, you never say “fuck you”? It’s not the worst thing in the world. In fact, we seem to have a forum pretty much dedicated to it. > [@Critical1](#): > > since this isnt great debates there is no reason we need to follow the 2 line sign off sig rule because we are only using the sign off sig’s to point out how dumb the serious ones are Whatever, man. I’m just pointing out that you don’t look half as cool as you think you do when you spread the wisdom you’ve learned from 13-year-olds. I’m not 13, though, so maybe I just “dont get that”. > [@](#): > > \ I’m pretty sure that was the idea. Hostile Dialect, Hostile Dialect, Narcissist ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/350 "2009-01-27T03:20:31Z")
I find 2 things pathetic: - That a 50 yr old man would whine and cry when TPTB threaten to take away his precious sig. - That a 50 yr old man would need to “sign” his posts “Regards, Shodan” in every friggin post _12,000 times_ in order to feel “special” on a message board. Otherwise, it doesn’t really bother me. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/351 "2009-01-27T03:36:18Z")
I just wanted to make this thread go eight freaking pages. If only my sig could be a little picture of someone taking their shoes off in the house… sugue-o, vencidos featherlou ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/352 "2009-01-27T04:14:34Z")
> [@Lord\_Ashtar](#): > > Your rapier wit has left me in shambles, and my fragile ego has been shaken to the core. I must now humbly bow out of this thread lest you make fun of my user name again. I wouldn’t be able to take it. I’d likely have a nervous breakdown, lose my job, my car, my health, and ultimately my mind. Wow. Man. What is wrong with you? Seriously. Put down the thesaurus and get some rest. > [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > Hostile Dialect, > Hostile Dialect, Narcissist I have to say, as much as I hate these sigs, at least yours is intellectually honest. And if there is a change by TPTB to remove these, I’ll support keeping yours. Enjoy, Regards, Valete, Cheers, I know you are but what am I? “We’re here! We’re queer!”, I’m smarter than you, I’m just a smug little prick, I really mean “Fuck you!”, Norm!, Oscar Meyer, Sir Loin of Beef, Sir Osis of Liver, Earl of Meatloaf, Lord of the Flies, Jack Lord - “Book 'em, Danno!”, Remember me!, Yabba Dabba Do! Richard Dawson I am the Zodiac ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/353 "2009-01-27T04:32:04Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > I have to say, as much as I hate these sigs, at least yours is intellectually honest. Like George Washington, I cannot tell a lie. > [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > And if there is a change by TPTB to remove these, I’ll support keeping yours. As much as that would kill the point (you know mine is a protest sig, right?), I appreciate the sentiment. 🙂 Hostile Dialect Hostile Dialect, Narcissist ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/354 "2009-01-27T04:53:40Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > As much as that would kill the point (you know mine is a protest sig, right?), I appreciate the sentiment. 🙂 > > Hostile Dialect > Hostile Dialect, Narcissist Yes, I know it’s a protest sig. I still think it’s the best one I’ve seen. (I liked the rainbow colors for the ultimate eye irritant). It simply can’t be beat. This is the Zodiac speaking, SFP (as you can tell, I’m still searching) ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/355 "2009-01-27T05:21:03Z")
> [@Lord\_Ashtar](#): > > You base this diagnosis on the fact that he uses a two line sign-off at the end of his posts? No. His immaturity was pretty clearly illustrated in his responses in this very thread. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/356 "2009-01-27T06:31:39Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > Whatever, man. I’m just pointing out that you don’t look half as cool as you think you do when you spread the wisdom you’ve learned from 13-year-olds. > > I’m not 13, though, so maybe I just “dont get that”. > Hostile Dialect, > Hostile Dialect, Narcissist the French pronunciation of Dumas is Doom ah just flows from the mmm to the ah now try saying it out loud and be serious. call someone a Dumas then whey they ask you what a Dumas is tell them in a still serious but obnoxious tone that its French for Dumbass, Dumbass its one of those things you just have to experience. the kid was afaik totally serious. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/357 "2009-01-27T07:46:02Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > the French pronunciation of Dumas is Doom ah just flows from the mmm to the ah > > now try saying it out loud and be serious. call someone a Dumas then whey they ask you what a Dumas is tell them in a still serious but obnoxious tone that its French for Dumbass, Dumbass > > its one of those things you just have to experience. the kid was afaik totally serious. Blah, blah, blah. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/358 "2009-01-27T08:23:58Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > What, you never say “fuck you”? It’s not the worst thing in the world. In fact, we seem to have a forum pretty much dedicated to it. I pretty much say nothing other than “Fuck you” some days. But I don’t get to toss it around outside the Pit, not without stern warnings. He didn’t say he sometimes intends his sig’s meanings in the Pit to denote “fuck you,” though. He said it in general, and he’s had plenty of chances since then to assert that he intends that denotation to apply specifically and exclusively to his Pit postings, which he has declined to do. So I’ve concluded that he uses it on some postings outside the Pit. In fact, I’ve been thinking of making that my sig line– "Fuck You, Pseudotriton Ruber Ruber" –with the specific understanding that (because I have it in quotation marks)–I actually intend nothing hostile by it to other posters but rather and simply quoting the hostility I feel other posters often hold towards me–i.e., that I am the one who is being told “fuck You” by other posters, implicitily, and I’m merely expressing that hostility openly in my sig. I wonder if that will be an acceptable sig. If not, what 's the difference between **Shodan** ’s admission that his sig MEANS “Fuck you” sometimes, even outside the Pit, and my new sig which SAYS “Fuck You” but which I maintain is to be interpreted as being directed towards myself? "Fuck You, Pseudotriton Ruber Ruber" ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/359 "2009-01-27T10:10:50Z")
I find your experiment interesting and, in all seriousness, will be fascinated by the end result. Hostile Dialect, Hostile Dialect, Narcissist ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419/360 "2009-01-27T12:54:15Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Wow. Man. > What is wrong with you? Seriously. Put down the thesaurus and get some rest. What words there do you think I had to look up in the thesaurus? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valete-vox-imperatoris/482419.md?page=19)