# Why do people sign their posts on internet forums, when their s/n is already visible? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 25, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137 "2014-12-25T04:05:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gracefulfatsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@gracefulfatsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracefulfatsheba)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/1 "2014-12-25T04:05:02Z")
Why do people sign their posts on internet forums with their screenname, when it’s already visible on the sidebar? I’ve seen this all over the place and it always puzzles me. Could this be a throwback to the older days of the internet, UseNet & BBS systems when usernames may not have always been visible? Yours truly, gracefulfatsheba ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/2 "2014-12-25T04:18:45Z")
'Cause they’re special. Regards. A Trophy Guy ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/3 "2014-12-25T04:39:19Z")
There was a time when real Internet access and use required a bit acumen, an honest sharing of ideas and friendly debate, professionalism and respect. Perhaps some yearn for those good old days. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/4 "2014-12-25T04:47:13Z")
> [@gracefulfatsheba](#): > > Could this be a throwback to the older days of the internet, UseNet & BBS systems when usernames may not have always been visible? That and the days before the internet, when you always signed your name to correspondance :). And really posting on a forum like this one is closer to a chain of correspondance than it usually is to a face to face conversation. Anyway for years I signed all my posts at the SDMB and elsewhere because I thought “that’s what you are supposed to do.” It wasn’t even really a conscious decision. After awhile I started seeing posts complaining about the practice - people bitching about how irritating they found it. So after some mild internal grumbling, I stopped doing it. Because though I think it is a pretty silly thing to get annoyed about, it is probably equally silly to keep doing it if it annoys. But even now I’m still trying to ween myself from always signing my name in e-mails. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/5 "2014-12-25T04:53:17Z")
Since there isn’t a factual answer to this, let’s move it to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/6 "2014-12-25T04:56:11Z")
Many forums have a setting which allows users to have a signature automatically appended to their posts - most of those forums will also have a setting giving users the option to not view such signatures (or avatars, etc) when reading. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/7 "2014-12-25T05:00:31Z")
Yeah, it’s kind of annoying. On the other hand people still sign their work emails when it’s completely obvious who the email is from: yours truly included. Regards, Shodan (Just kidding !!!) ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/8 "2014-12-25T06:47:01Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > Many forums have a setting which allows users to have a signature automatically appended to their posts - most of those forums will also have a setting giving users the option to not view such signatures (or avatars, etc) when reading. Some forums also have certain members who don’t understand how this function works. Or who do understand it, but still stubbornly refuse to use it as intended, and continue to manually sign every post for reasons Og only can comprehend. Or so I’ve heard. Anyway. The whole signing posts thing isn’t as rampant as it used to be around here. There seems to just a couple of holdouts left. Maybe if I’m lucky, it will die out within my lifetime. (Also, I try not to complain too much about it these days. I’m sure I have some annoying habits of my own that make people want to smack me with a stick.) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/9 "2014-12-25T07:07:21Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Yeah, it’s kind of annoying. On the other hand people still sign their work emails when it’s completely obvious who the email is from: yours truly included. > > Regards, > Shodan > > (Just kidding !!!) It`s obvious, but the sig includes phone and other contact information, as well as any notices required by the company’s legal department. ---
**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:** [December 25, 2014, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/10 "2014-12-25T07:14:00Z")
Because they’re all [weirdos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB-wmOYelnM). ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/11 "2014-12-25T08:46:54Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > S > Anyway. The whole signing posts thing isn’t as rampant as it used to be around here. There seems to just a couple of holdouts left. Maybe **if I’m lucky, it will die out within my lifetime.** You expect to outlive **Shodan**? ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/12 "2014-12-25T12:37:33Z")
That’s where we express ourselves!!! Best wishes!!! :D:D:D **Maserschmidt** ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/13 "2014-12-25T14:04:54Z")
Oh, no. Not this thread again. Merry Whatevers Siete ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/14 "2014-12-25T20:50:49Z")
I use a custom sig for professional forums, which lists my computer type, memory, software used, etc. * * * - Formerly seal\_clubber, until Tubadiva asked me to change it. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2014, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/15 "2014-12-26T04:12:26Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > And really posting on a forum like this one is closer to a chain of correspondance than it usually is to a face to face conversation… I’ve always thought the opposite. Not like a face-to-face conversation, but a conversation just the same. On a perfect board, signing posts would only be allowed in sigs. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2014, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/16 "2014-12-26T04:48:25Z")
I think people should go all out if they use a signature. In the early days of the internet, it was common to see carefully crafted page-long signatures embedded with heavy metal quotes, satanic symbols and the like (although those posters all seemed to be university students from the U.S. and Europe, living out their delinquent fantasies.) ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2014, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/17 "2014-12-26T06:00:38Z")
Stranger On A Train is one of those posters who put a lot of thought into his posts and has an air of formality that you might see in written communication like letters. I can understand why he would sign his name after a post, but others (who remain nameless) do it even on one-liner posts which just seems tedious and pretentious. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/18 "2014-12-28T06:11:42Z")
I always thought it was an indication of good breeding to sign ones posts, as a hearken back to the days of daintily penning a missive on parchment and handing it to a trusted servant to deliver to your intended correspondent. And I thought it was especially appropriate in a forum such as this one which does not automatically append sig files. I used to do so here on a regular basis. But I caught no end of crap for it, especially from one particularly tedious board member whose name I now cannot remember (_cough_ The Controvert _cough_). At first, that made me want to do it all the more, but eventually I pussied out and stopped doing it, in the interest of board amity. Okay, maybe once more, for old time’s sake…TRM ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/19 "2014-12-29T06:34:34Z")
I used to do this, until I was politely advised it’s pointless. It was a holdover from ordinary correspondence, where you sign your name at the end of a letter. A lot of people still do this with email; it’s just a bit of antiquated etiquette, but at least it’s harmless. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137/20 "2014-12-29T07:31:49Z")
Look, people, sign your posts all you want. All I ask of you is that you do it in the signature field. That way, those of us who are annoyed by the practice can turn visible sigs off, so we don’t have to see them, and those who don’t care can leave it on. Win-win. Isn’t that what the signature field is for in the first place? Or am I just totally not getting it (again)? Is there some reason behind some posters’ apparent unwillingness to use it? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-sign-their-posts-on-internet-forums-when-their-s-n-is-already-visible/708137.md?page=2)