larry (11/05/82)
I am constantly amazed by the way people relate to THEIR OWN NAME. Why do people feel compelled to hide behind their initials?? One of the nicest, most human parts of each article header is the NAME field --and what do I see in here?? "J Smith" !! Boy! that tells me a lot! I know that my parents went to a lot of bother with the hospital to get my name to be "Larry" --yes Larry not Lawerence. They didn't name me "L." or worse yet "LA". Even in memos here at the Lab's I almost NEVER see anybody admit what their name is! I say stand up for your rights!! On EVERY memo that I have any influence on I insist that my name be spelled out. So here I am --I'm interested to hear why *you* allow your initials to be used. Do you do it "becuase everyone else does"? or becuase you "thought it is proper" (if so, please state WHY you think initials are more proper than a name), etc. Larry Marek ihuxf!larry Bell Labs
gdt (11/09/82)
This is strange. My wife, who also works for the labs, left today for a week long class in NJ (took my baby girl too!). So sitting here bored I thought I would read the news. When I logged in there where three messages in the motd - all three signed with initials. I wondered why. I'm happy with my initials, but prefer to use my last name with no first name. I know this is not the desirable method, but I like it. Anyway, I posted news locally (to my group) stating my style and requesting that they try to use it. Then, I find out that signatures were being discussed in this news group. Could there be ESP between us BTL net users? Sign me, Thurman
hamilton (11/09/82)
#R:ihlam:-40300:uicsovax:3900027:000:1029
uicsovax!hamilton Nov 9 02:33:00 1982
i would argue just the opposite regarding initials. being so much more
ambiguous than full names, they are only meaningful within a small or close
community. thus, if i send you a memo/letter/whatever signed only with
my initials, it is a token of our familiarity that you know who i am anyway.
initials are another form of diminutive; when robert says "just call me bob",
do you conclude he wants to hide from you?
now, in the context of the net, there must be a lot of sites with only
a handful of users, where initials are perfectly appropriate as login id's,
mail signatures, etc. when they start interacting with the wider net
community, there's bound to be some confusion until a) they become well-known
or b) they revert to a more formal mode of address, like signing their full
name. i can understand (and maybe share) some irritation with people who
don't adjust one way or the other.
i'm afraid not to hide behind my full name
joseph wayne hamilton
({decvax,ucbvax,harpo}!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsovax!)hamilton