RFC 1855: Netiquette Guidelines

[JBHoren]

(excerpt from) Section 2.1.1 (for mail):

- If you include a signature keep it short. Rule of thumb
is no longer than 4 lines. Remember that many people pay for
connectivity by the minute, and the longer your message is,
the more they pay.

I only post this because I see, here and elsewhere, a tendency among people to have quite lengthy "signature blocks". These look particularly ludicrous when appended to short postings.

Most (dare I say "none"?) of us no longer pay for connectivity by time, and a few added bytes aren't going to be noticed in one's overall amount-transferred; still, if your signature block is longer than your post, you've surpassed the McQuary Limit.

If the content of your signature block is that interesting, post it as its own thread... once!

[nun2sharp]

I see that you are just below the limit, thank you.

[JimmyHAD]

I got special permission from McQuary.

[Utopian]

I got special permission from McQuary.

Yeah Jimmy, I figure your post count should earn you a special dispensation.

[BKratchmer]

Might I suggest that while signatures ought be tasteful and readable, RFC 1855 was last updated in 1995 long before php bulletins were in use. We might consider that netiquette 15 years old and written for plain-format email is not the law of the land anymore...

[prosneek]

I don't have a signature line for the simple reason that i have not taken the time to find anything clever. How about this, If you don't like the signature line, then don't read it. There are too many people trying to not hurt other peoples feelings and as a result, are not being true to themselves. If it is not vulgar or tasteless, then what difference does it make?

[stimpy52]

Might I suggest that while signatures ought be tasteful and readable, RFC 1855 was last updated in 1995 long before php bulletins were in use. We might consider that netiquette 15 years old and written for plain-format email is not the law of the land anymore...

What he said.

[commiecat]

Might I suggest that while signatures ought be tasteful and readable, RFC 1855 was last updated in 1995 long before php bulletins were in use. We might consider that netiquette 15 years old and written for plain-format email is not the law of the land anymore...

Right. The important part is not the rule of thumb anymore but rather the people pay for connectivity by the minute, and the longer your message is, the more they pay bit, which makes that entire rule obsolete.

SRP maintains its own signature policy.