Wikipedia talk:Signatures

Automatically sign talk posts

(Renamed from "Allow super-opt-in to SineBot")

Please allow users to affirmatively opt in to having SineBot automatically sign talk posts for us without calling us out for not having signed the post. If it's something that always needs to be done on talk pages, why not automate it? It's more user-friendly.

I've posted a complementary request at the bot author's talk page but they might require consensus here that it's a good idea.

Thisisnotatest (talk) 00:13, 22 December 2014 (UTC)

Yeah, I'd oppose this. It's needless extra editing by the bot tying up resources (regardless of how many or few). It's not that hard to type ~~~~ or click on the inject link in the bottom to add it at the end of your posts. FLOW will do this automatically, but there is no reason we should do this now. — {{U|Technical 13}} ^{(e • t • c)} 00:30, 22 December 2014 (UTC)

Why isn't it built in to Wikipedia to automatically sign? No, it is not hard to actually type the four tildes, but if I haven't posted in a while or I'm focused on my response, it's hard to remember. Call it a disability if you like. Doesn't have to be done by the bot, but Wikipedia is a computer program and can be programmed to autosign, so why isn't it? When I make forum posts to various bulletin boards, they all automatically add my name and the date. I don't understand why it needs to be a manual process on Wikipedia. Thisisnotatest (talk) 01:18, 22 December 2014 (UTC)

Changing the talk system to forum software is being proposed, see WP:Flow. Meanwhile, please preview all edits, including comments, and check they are what is intended, including a signature. Johnuniq (talk) 04:32, 22 December 2014 (UTC)

Spend some time on more talk pages in more areas, particularly very active ones. They're considerably more dynamic and non-linear/non-forum-like than you likely imagine or have experienced thus far, which creates unique issues when it comes to treating them like forums when they're used to being used as general-collaboration spaces. --slakr^\ talk / 05:35, 22 December 2014 (UTC)

On a related note, most forums aren't encyclopedias or wikis; their goal is to facilitate the interpersonal discussion of personal opinions on topics. That's not the case here; we try to facilitate the creation and maintenance of a product, not facilitate discussion of people's opinions of the topic. In that vein, it's likely more important that our talk pages be more free-form (to facilitate content building, review, and maintenance) than restricted-in-format (to facilitate discussion of opinions). --slakr^\ talk / 05:49, 22 December 2014 (UTC)

This question comes up from time to time, on this and other discussion pages, see for example Wikipedia talk:Signatures/Archive 9#Automated signatures. --Redrose64 (talk) 12:20, 22 December 2014 (UTC)

WP:SIGAPP bullet 2

There is a discussion at An entire parameter for sections? in which Codename Lisa and I seem to disagree. It is her position that WP:SIGAPP bullet 2 doesn't apply in cases where the user is consciously inserting a line break where common sense does not bar or requires. It is my position that bullet 2 says it is not permitted; not in preferences, not in a substituted template, and not if added manually. I believe that saying that it is okay to add it manually is an attempt to GAME the system, but I would like to hear from the community as to what their views on this are. Thank you. — {{U|Technical 13}} ^{(e • t • c)} 15:53, 5 January 2015 (UTC)

WP:SIGAPP is concerned with how the final signature is rendered. One should not sign with a linebreak because it may disrupt surrounding text. Wether that linebreak is inserted automatically or manually makes no difference. -- [[User:Edokter]] {{talk}} 17:08, 5 January 2015 (UTC)

I don't sign with a line break. Link break is outside the signature. Best regards, Codename Lisa (talk) 05:36, 6 January 2015 (UTC)

• This edit and this one show that you do. — {{U|Technical 13}} ^{(e • t • c)} 14:02, 6 January 2015 (UTC)

These are the diff in which I told you what exactly is my sig. and therefore the line break is not inside it. Either show me a policy that says the use of <br /> is entirely not allowed in the same edit that contains ~~~~ or else I don't see any reason to dignify this discussion with a response.
Codename Lisa (talk) 00:21, 7 January 2015 (UTC)

• Please try harder to not worry about things that don't matter. --Floquenbeam (talk) 14:14, 6 January 2015 (UTC)

Yellow text

"For guidance on how to use color and other effects to customize the appearance of your signature, see this tutorial."

The mentioned tutorial uses yellow text on white background as an example. This is nearly unreadable. Is this a good example (or good implied guidance or suggestion) for new users or others that happens to find this signature advice page?

The mentioned tutorial uses yellow text on white background as an example. This is nearly unreadable. Is this a good example (or good implied guidance or suggestion) for new users or others that happens to find this signature advice page? Iceblock (talk) 05:35, 29 January 2015 (UTC)

Fixed [1] NE Ent 11:18, 29 January 2015 (UTC)

Thanks a lot! Iceblock (talk) 22:32, 29 January 2015 (UTC)

How to add your custom signature to a bot-sig

I propose the following addition:

If you see that a bot signed your post, but you would rather see your custom signature, this can be fixed. The bot will generated this , or similar, code: "<small><span class="autosigned">— Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[User:Example]] ([[User talk:Example|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/Example|contribs]]) 15:27, 31 January 2015‎</span></small><!-- Template:Unsigned -->". Change it to this: "~~~ 15:27, 31 January 2015‎". Save the timestamp that was placed by the bot, but replace the rest with three tildes, which will add your custom signature without the date.

I suggest putting this under the heading "Dealing with unsigned comments" under the subheading "placing your custom signature after a bot signs your post". Oiyarbepsy (talk) 15:28, 6 February 2015 (UTC)

Relgious messages in signatures

Is it acceptable for signatures to contain religious messages? (For example, let's say "Praise the LORD" as an example). 217.44.208.185 (talk) 02:44, 8 March 2015 (UTC)

I would say yes, it's not like it's obscene or a threat. --AmaryllisGardener ^talk 02:46, 8 March 2015 (UTC)

Yes. NE Ent 03:25, 8 March 2015 (UTC)

Thanks for the replies. This is a surprising and disappointing response. If this is indeed Wikipedia policy then I thoroughly oppose it. 86.136.150.96 (talk) 12:22, 12 March 2015 (UTC)

Question

Am I allowed to sign with...
--[[User:82.136.210.153|82.136.210.153]] ([[User talk:82.136.210.153|talk]]) ~~~~~
--82.136.210.153 (talk) 11:38, 8 March 2015 (UTC)
Instead of the regular...
--~~~~? For IP editors this changes the first internal link. (Hover your mouse over the IP addresses to see the difference.)
--82.136.210.153 (talk) 11:38, 8 March 2015 (UTC)

Hyphen (or Em Dash)

The signature and timestamp function (in edit mode) inserts two hyphens in front of the tildes, and this used to be the normal way of formatting a signature (by my recollection). But I've noticed that many signatures no longer include the hyphens. My personal preference is to include the hyphens because they help visually identify the signature (as distinct from the comment). But it would be nice to have the preferred method explicitly described on this page.--Tedd (talk) 16:28, 4 April 2015 (UTC)