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Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 1999-07 > 0933030547


From: "D. Spencer Hines" <>
Subject: Signature Blocks, Dullards & Monolinguals
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999 13:09:07 -1000


Signature blocks are fun and tell us something about each other's
values, philosophies, personalities, likes and dislikes. They are
pithy, sparkling, and add flair, sparkle and color to good writing on
USENET.

Signature blocks should be changed frequently. Many folks are too
lazy or too simple-minded to do that. As in the case of a good
country ham, hung in the barn to cure, one can wait too long to cut it
down and thereby lose the best meat. Some signature blocks have
longer staying power than others.

Often, the more intelligent, colorful and interesting posters employ
signature blocks. Dullards and monolinguals run from them with fear
and loathing.

Reverse snobs sedulously avoid signature blocks and sometimes even
sign their messages only with a trigraph --- preferably lower case ---
as, for example: pig [standing in lieu of, say, Peter Ishmael Grant].
It's as if they would prefer to be virtually invisible as the authors
of their own messages --- thinking that perhaps they can better avoid
responding to any questions or strong challenges that way.

Genealogical Data Miners --- "Just give me the Names and Dates" ---
frequently abhor signature blocks, except for their own, advertising
some ratty, badly written, little, boutique genealogical journal ---
such as _The Plantagenet Connection_, if that's what it's called.

Some of the dullards think that folks who use signature blocks are
trying to show off their erudition and put someone else down. This is
not true, by any stretch of the imagination. Some of these people are
no doubt the same ones who resent singing in church, wine for the Holy
Eucharist [everyone should use grape juice, they insist] and
vestments. If you think that signature blocks are just about "showing
off," go back to the top, and re-read paragraphs one, two and three.

Mono-linguals seem to get particularly angry if one uses a signature
block employing a language other than their cherished mono. Latin
seems particularly to infuriate them and make them go ballistic.

Pity.

This constitutes an excellent rationale for employing Latin in the
signature block, whenever desired.

Other dullards instantly resent the use of any word they do not
_personally_ know and _often_ use themselves. _Get Thee To A
Dictionary._

Those who despise signature blocks and who haven't the wit to fashion
one of their own --- and change it frequently, should simply exercise
the sovereign power inherent in their God-given control of the delete
keys and clicks designed into their computers, rather than getting all
hot and bothered.

Quod Erat Demonstrandum.

D. Spencer Hines

Lux et Veritas
Exitus Acta Probat
--

D. Spencer Hines --- "Probitas Laudatur et Alget" [Honesty is praised
and starves.], Decimus Junius Juvenalis (Juvenal) [c. 50 A.D.-- c.130
A.D.], _Satires, I, line 74_

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