Netiquette
Since the early days of e-mail people have tried to cram all sorts of information into their “signatures.” I can even be accused of using “The Honk Master” in one of my signatures during the early days of e-mail at Indiana Univeristy. But I have come across a signature that takes the cake. It is 1901 characters in length, here is the signature, edited to protect the non-netiquette savvy.
xxx.xxx.xxxXXX xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx’x xxxx xxxxxxxxxx xx xxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx.
xxx.xxxx.xxx
Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx (xxx.xxxx.xxx) xx Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx’x xxxxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxx, xxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxx’x xxxx-xxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxxxxxxx, xxx xxxxxxxxx. Xx xxx xxxxx xx xxxxxxxxx xxx Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx: Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx - Xxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx (xxx.xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx); Xxxx Xxxxxxxx - Xxxxxxxx’x Xxxxxx xxx Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx (xxx.xxx.xxx) xxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx (xxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx); xxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx - Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx (xxx.xxx.xxx), Xxxxxxx (xxx.xxxxxxx.xxx), Xxxxxxxx (xxx.xxxxxxxx.xxx), Xxxx, Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxxxx (xxx.xxx-xxx.xxx), xxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx (xxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx). Xxxxxx x xxxxxx xxxxx xxx xxxx xxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx’ xxxx-xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
xxx.xxxxx.xxx
Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx (Xxxxxx (XXXXX) xx xxxxxxxxx xx xxxxxxxxx xxxx-xxxxxx, xxxxxxxxxx-xxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx. Xx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx xx (x) xxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxx xx xxxxxxxxxx-xxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xx xx xxxxxx xx xxx xxxxxx; (x) xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx; xxx (x) xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx xx xxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xx xxx xxxxxx’x xxxxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxxxx, xxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxx.
xxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
xxx.xxxxxx.xxx
So as a public service announcement, I would like to suggest the following guidelines for an e-mail signature:
- Start the signature with a line that is: –
- Include your name, company, phone number, fax, maybe cell, and web site address
- Do not include any graphics in your signature
- Do not include your e-mail address, remember, you just sent the e-mail
Good God. No.
My guidelines for sig files are not to have a sig file. At all. The fact that I’m sending someone an e-mail means that I don’t want to call that person on the phone, and I don’t want them to call me on the phone, either. Sometimes I don’t even want them to know my name.