Re: CML2 1.3.1, aka "I stick my neck out a mile..."

Alexander Viro
2001-04-30T07:17:37Z

On Mon, 30 Apr 2001, Eric S. Raymond wrote:

> I don't think I've heard anyone invoke the 4-line rule since about
> 1992, though. I didn't start generating short random quotes into my sig
> until about 1996, well after the "standard" was effectively dead.

<wry> We hang in different parts of USENET </wry>

Last time I've seen it invoked was probably a couple of weeks ago.

> Even back in its day this "rule" was frequently abused as a socially
> acceptable way to attack people whose opinions or style one disliked.
> This is doubtless one reason it failed to survive the bandwidth boom.
>
> Hmmm. Maybe this should be a Jargon File entry...

ISTR that you had an entry on AFW - it would more or less fit there.

Stuff generating random quotes (aka. sigmonsters) is pretty common,
indeed, but fitting said quotes into McQ is a part of fun. I suspect
that strong dislike to excessive sigs goes back to the beginning of
Endless September - like it or not, "why would I give a fuck for
conventions" attitude correlates with particulary obnoxious breed
of lusers. Same as with HTML postings, or quoted-printable crap.

Seeing that from folks who should know better... Ugh.

And no, I really don't care for the contents - if anything, I find
both sides of holy war around g*n* c**t**l moderately amusing, but
for all I care it could be 6-7 lines of PARRY vs. ELIZA dialog (or
vi macros, or just a line noise).

BTW, there's one more jarring thing about use of sigs on l-k - you are
getting _two_ sigs that way (look at the unsubscribe instructions).