# Why do some of you sign your posts?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [August 1, 2002, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911 "2002-08-01T19:46:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/1 "2002-08-01T19:46:35Z")
I’m not sure if you have noticed but over to the left of this post is a little box that will tell you stuff about the person making this post, which includes my name. When you post the box has your name in it so I know who is posting.
I don’t sign my posts because thats five extra lettes to mush down and I’m really lazy.
But some of you always sign.
And I’m just wondering why?
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### Author:  [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/2 "2002-08-01T19:48:39Z")
No particular reason.
Zev Steinhardt
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### Author:  [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/3 "2002-08-01T20:05:28Z")
I’ve never done it, yet, but I think it makes it look more like a letter with your name at the bottom.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/4 "2002-08-01T20:06:11Z")
Why sign emails? The receiver can look at the From line.
Why sign written letters? The receiver can look at the return address.
It’s polite. It’s what I do with all correspondence. It’s habit.
Haj
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### Author:  [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/5 "2002-08-01T20:11:00Z")
All the reasons listed above, plus, I like to shorten my handle. That way people don’t feel obligated to type the whole thing out if they respond to something I’ve posted…
bella
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### Author:  [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/6 "2002-08-01T20:18:52Z")
I don’t always, but sometimes I do for one of two reasons:
(1) When the post is really long, so people don’t have to scroll up to remind themselves who wrote it
(2) When I want to add something along the lines of “Scarlett, who (pithy line written in third person and added as a footnote)”
Scarlett, who really shouldn’t be here because she has too much work to do
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### Author:  [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/7 "2002-08-01T20:51:42Z")
Hmmmmm, I never though about the long post thing. Makes sense to me.
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### Author:  [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/8 "2002-08-01T21:39:27Z")
I use **Quasi** to let y’all know that I’m friendly and approachable, even though my nick is **Quasimodem**.
If it makes a difference in the speed of this MB, I’ll stop. Don’t really know that much about computers, but I know this is one of my favorite places to post, and if signing my name slows things down, then I will quit.
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### Author:  [@Tiburon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiburon)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/9 "2002-08-01T21:46:59Z")
I always sign mine as well. Mainly because I don’t like scrolling up to find out who posted the message.
And I just frequently don’t pay attention to that side of the screen. I have no idea why but I think it may be because I just start reading down screen, paying attention to just the body of the post. I’m more likely to remember who posted what if it is at the bottom of their post rather than at the top. Having read it, if something struck me, I can better associate it with the person when I see their name immediately at the end. If I had to scroll up to see the name…well, I just probably wouldn’t do it. Sheesh, I sound lazy.
Tibs.
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### Author:  [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/10 "2002-08-01T21:53:49Z")
I find that I tend to remember posters who sign at the end of their posts. I’m considering starting to sign.
-d (just testing it out)
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### Author:  [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/11 "2002-08-01T22:58:27Z")
You’re not lazy, **Tibs**. Or, if you are, I am too, because I do the same thing. I hate scrolling back up to check out a name, and will usually only do so if the post is especially witty or assholish.
bella–conspicuously
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2002, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/12 "2002-08-02T00:21:10Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Quasimodem \*
> \*\*I use **Quasi** to let y’all know that I’m friendly and approachable, even though my nick is **Quasimodem**.
>
> If it makes a difference in the speed of this MB, I’ll stop. Don’t really know that much about computers, but I know this is one of my favorite places to post, and if signing my name slows things down, then I will quit. \*\*
No worries; keep on signing.
ultra
How’s that for a name?
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### Author:  [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2002, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/13 "2002-08-02T00:30:18Z")
I usually sign mine, because it seems more letter-like, and also because my name is different from my nickname.
I have to try to remember not to sign EVERY post in a given thread, though…sometimes I just can’t make myself NOT sign, so I go to my second alternative–the dreaded initial.
~karol
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### Author:  [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/14 "2002-08-02T00:53:56Z")
I want to publicly apologize to **Esprix** for (gently) criticizing him for signing his posts. I’m really beginning to appreciate it when it is a long post.
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### Author:  [@DarkWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkWriter)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2002, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/15 "2002-08-02T04:23:13Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by bodypoet \*
> \*\*I usually sign mine, because it seems more letter-like, and also because my name is different from my nickname.
> I have to try to remember not to sign EVERY post in a given thread, though…sometimes I just can’t make myself NOT sign, so I go to my second alternative–the dreaded initial.
> ~karol \*\*
Ditto. My real name is completely different from my screen name. I’ve always signed my name to posts where ever I go.
Plus, **DarkWriter** is pretty ambiguous in regards to what sex I am. Signing my name eliminates confusion.
Sheri
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### Author:  [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2002, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/16 "2002-08-02T04:56:26Z")
I always sign.
Back in the day, when the board used HTML codes, I would indent my paragraphs, too. I was really sorry about the change; I have to tell you.
Why?
Just an old fashioned letter writer, I guess.
## Tris
And I use phony do it yourself sig lines that you can’t set your preferences eliminate, too.
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2002, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/17 "2002-08-02T13:57:30Z")
You see I always read the name of the poster first and then read the post in their ‘voice’. It does take time for me to develop a voice but I have quite a few you down pat.
BTW my voice is quite a bit like Barry White.
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### Author:  [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2002, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/18 "2002-08-03T07:34:47Z")
Well, I didn’t sign my posts before, but now I do. Why? Not because I saw a bunch of people doing it (or at least, that’s not the only reason why… ;)), but because of the “long-post” thing that’s been previously mentioned. Like **bella** , I stripped my username down to the barest essentials, so people can use that in responding to my posts. (makes it awfully hard to do vanity searches, though ;)) Besides, it’s just polite, like **haj** said.
F\_X
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### Author:  [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2002, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/19 "2002-08-03T10:06:40Z")
This reasons sound pretty convincing. I might give this here a try.
Narrad
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### Author:  [@MrO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrO)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2002, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-of-you-sign-your-posts/121911/20 "2002-08-03T10:19:13Z")
I have no problem with people signing or not signing, but in case of a long post that isn’t signed, I don’t scroll up to the top. I just put my pointer on the “profile” button and wait a second for the username to show in the little box.
While previewing, I noticed that this isn’t possible while previewing. Oh well.
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