# What is the point of signatures? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 14, 2005, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452 "2005-03-14T13:16:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/1 "2005-03-14T13:16:36Z")
I can understand only two uses for signatures - you come across a witty/thought provoking saying and wish to temporarily share it so use it as a sig for a short while, or to permanently provide a link to another resource. Things I don’t understand are: people as changeless as the Sphinx. They can capture their essence in 2 lines and it will be the same next year thank you very much. people who think the same joke is funny no matter how many times it has been told. I hope they don’t start each day at work with the same joke. people who think that we need to see their signature **every** time they post. I can scroll back up to a prior post if I want to read your Python quote again. people with really studied try-hard sigs that smack of the “casually” left out books/CDs that catch your eye when you visit a certain class of wanker. ever growing sigs that consist of new quotes made **about** the poster by other posters, thus validating their “membership”. Now maybe I’m a grumpy bastard and no-one else thinks like this but the primary reason I complain is that I find many of these failings so irksome that I think less of the poster. Some posters have sigs that are like a flashing light saying “ignore my opinion”. I wish it wasn’t so but it is like unusual sights on the street, I want to look away but I am drawn to the vile sig. Sig users tell me which failing you are guilty of and why I should ignore it. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/2 "2005-03-14T13:18:03Z")
I forgot. ---
**Author:** ![cluelessnoob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@cluelessnoob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cluelessnoob)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/3 "2005-03-14T13:38:13Z")
What’s the point of sigs, profiles, or usernames? They all let people express themselves a bit. The opposite question would be: Why don’t we just give everyone a number and take away all other forms of personality? #14776, I bet at least one other person likes the sigs that you deemed stupid. And vice versa. The system can’t know ahead of time which sigs you’ll find witty or useful… (besides, you can always turn them all off). ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/4 "2005-03-14T13:39:46Z")
I have started thread about fictional characters, and been rebuked \*\*so many freakin’ times \*\* for caring so much for people who aren’t real. I think these people should take a chill pill themselves, but if I had the sig: Yes, I know it is just a story. that would take care of it. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/5 "2005-03-14T14:05:03Z")
I changed my sig several times in the first few months of my membership. Then I settled on the current little ditty - some months later, adding the auxiliary witticism. I only include it once per thread, and always in my first post to that thread, if I remember to check the little box. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/6 "2005-03-14T14:23:38Z")
You can turn off sigs, if you don’t want to see them. I don’t, so I did. (Or should that be I did, since I don’t?) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/7 "2005-03-14T14:43:15Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > You can turn off sigs, if you don’t want to see them. I don’t, so I did. (Or should that be I did, since I don’t?) Cool. Works like a charm. Grumbling withdrawn. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/8 "2005-03-14T20:10:35Z")
Not allowed to have avatars, so sigs kind of tell you about people. I always forget to add mine, except on this post. haha. And yeah, that was my sig line before a few weeks ago. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/9 "2005-03-14T20:34:23Z")
I tend to not add mine unless one of the two statements are relevant: ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/10 "2005-03-14T20:43:15Z")
i use my signature to endorse checks ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/11 "2005-03-14T22:03:23Z")
Excellent point. That pisses me off too. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/12 "2005-03-14T22:06:23Z")
Excellent point. That pisses me off too. (Had to post a second time, for obvious reasons) ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/13 "2005-03-15T06:08:35Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > You can turn off sigs, if you don’t want to see them. I don’t, so I did. (Or should that be I did, since I don’t?) Where is that option? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/14 "2005-03-15T06:42:52Z")
I’ve had sigs off for ages. So when people say “as you can see, my sig is relevant…” or whatever, it momentarily confounds me. I can, however, click on their profile to see it if needs be. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/15 "2005-03-15T06:43:49Z")
Well, it seems that all is now well, as you’ve learned how to avoid them entirely. It’s a shame, really, because this thread finally reminded me that I never remember to check the little box and therefore share my wisdom with the world. And now I have, and you can’t see it. \ Exxxxx-cellent! \ ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/16 "2005-03-15T06:45:37Z")
Just kidding ---
**Author:** ![cluelessnoob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@cluelessnoob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cluelessnoob)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/17 "2005-03-15T06:59:59Z")
Click on [this link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/profile.php?do=editoptions) and then scroll down to the **Thread Display Options** section. Uncheck the **Show Signatures** box. ---
**Author:** ![cluelessnoob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@cluelessnoob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cluelessnoob)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/18 "2005-03-15T07:01:00Z")
> [@cluelessnoob](#): > > Click on [this link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/profile.php?do=editoptions) and then scroll down to the **Thread Display Options** section. Uncheck the **Show Signatures** box. Gah, that was in response to **Ellis Dee** ’s question. Forgot to quote. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/19 "2005-03-15T07:09:06Z")
Sweet! Thanks much. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-signatures/294452/20 "2005-03-15T10:13:50Z")
Mine’s a tribute to the late great Hunter S. - I came across it after I started re-reading his books after his death, it made me laugh out loud, and I felt like sharing it. I’ll probably change it in a couple of months after I come across another cool quote - I read a lot, so most of my sigs are literary: not for “coffee table” value, just because something {admittedly often obscure - my last sig was from William Hazlitt} will amuse me and seem to encapsulate part of my philosophy. It’s a way of personalising an otherwise anonymous name among many others, I guess.