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The Godfather · Apr 1, 2009, 02:48 AM

Whenever I see this signature, I don't know whether to think that the sender is truly doesn't know how to configure the email signature (if possible at all), oblivious that RIM/etc is using his emails as advertisement, or is deliberately being showoff-ish.

Anybody know if it is simple to re-set these email ads, so that these smartphone users can be enlightened?

- - e r i k - - · Apr 1, 2009, 03:08 AM

I add it as my regular desktop signature to avoid writing long e-mails and to look busy.

ctt1wbw · Apr 1, 2009, 04:04 AM

I thought you had to be smarter than the smart phone. I'm just too lazy. Mine says ...sent from my iPhone. I love it!

ajprice · Apr 1, 2009, 06:10 AM

First time I emailed my friend he replied to me with this signature

"Sent from my old crock of s

t computer."

Spheric Harlot · Apr 1, 2009, 06:21 AM

Yes. Annoying.

Oisín · Apr 1, 2009, 06:52 AM

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot

Yes. Annoying.

Yup. Very annoying.

moep · Apr 1, 2009, 06:54 AM

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

I add it as my regular desktop signature to avoid writing long e-mails and to look busy.

+++

perfect excuse for careless one-line replies.

Hg2491 · Apr 1, 2009, 07:10 AM

Besides being annoying, it seems a little conceited. The very first time I emailed from the iPod was to a Blackberry user so I didn't feel as bad. I then immediately changed my signature to something that would keep me under the radar.

RAILhead · Apr 1, 2009, 09:20 AM

Mine says "This message was sent from my iPhone, so if you notice typos or other errors, I'm passing the blame to Apple."

Wiskedjak · Apr 1, 2009, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by RAILhead

Mine says "This message was sent from my iPhone, so if you notice typos or other errors, I'm passing the blame to Apple."

That's *exactly* how I interpret the "Sent from my Blackberry/iPhone/etc" signature.

Dakar V · Apr 1, 2009, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by Oisín

Yup. Very annoying.

Yeah. So very annoying.

Maflynn · Apr 1, 2009, 09:35 AM

I keep it so that the recipient knows I'm not sending this from my computer and so my availability is limited if I'm needed to resolve a problem.

Personally I could care less, seems like a minor issue to me, regardless of the reasons why people leave it on.

SpaceMonkey · Apr 1, 2009, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar V

Originally Posted by Oisín

Yup. Very annoying.

Yeah. So very annoying.

I kind of like it.

Jawbone54 · Apr 1, 2009, 10:16 AM

I like it for two reasons:

1. It gives me an idea of why their response was concise, even abrupt.
2. It lets me know that they'll get my Email as soon as I send it, so they don't have any excuses.

I love Erik's suggestion, BTW. I remember Kevin Rose recommended that (I think jokingly) a few weeks ago, and I thought it was such a great idea that I created a signature in Mail in case I ever needed to do it. Then I forgot about it until Erik mentioned it again. At least it's a good idea...

Laminar · Apr 1, 2009, 10:22 AM

The first time I emailed my mom from my iPod touch it appended the signature without me knowing, and she didn't understand that it was a signature and thought I was bragging about my new iPod.

Tiresias · Apr 1, 2009, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by Maflynn

I keep it so that the recipient knows I'm not sending this from my computer and so my availability is limited if I'm needed to resolve a problem.

Personally I could care less, seems like a minor issue to me, regardless of the reasons why people leave it on.

Speaking of things annoying...

USAGE NOTE

Couldn't care less is the correct and logical phrasing, not could care less—e.g.: “The American people could care less [read couldn't care less ] who's White House Chief of Staff.” (George Will, on “This Week with David Brinkley”; July 3, 1994.) If you could care less, you’re saying that you do care some. Invariably, though, writers and speakers who use the phrase mean that they don't care at all. Although some apologists argue that could care less is meant to be sarcastic and not to be taken literally, a more plausible explanation is that the -n't of couldn't has been garbled in sloppy speech and sloppy writing. As American linguist Atcheson L. Hench explains: “A listener has not heard the whole phrase; he has heard a slurred form. Couldn't care has two dental stops practically together, dnt. This is heard only as d and slurring results. The outcome is I c'd care less.” ( American Speech, 159; 1973.) — BG

Okay, now move along...

SpaceMonkey · Apr 1, 2009, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by Laminar

The first time I emailed my mom from my iPod touch it appended the signature without me knowing, and she didn't understand that it was a signature and thought I was bragging about my new iPod.

I bet part of you was.

Tiresias · Apr 1, 2009, 10:35 AM

What is so annoying about it? It saves people having to write: "sory 2B so brief but txting frm iphone lol"

ghporter · Apr 1, 2009, 11:15 AM

I generally dislike generic, default signatures in any situation, but there are so many ambiguous ways that this particular kind of signature can be interpreted that I distinctly hate it. I'm on some other forums where posts from mobile users are marked as such, and that makes more sense than the silly "I'm using a toy/gadget to send this message" signature.

lyanma · Apr 1, 2009, 11:23 AM

I don't find it annoying at all, it's always good to know.

SSharon · Apr 1, 2009, 11:33 AM

I dislike the AOL ads at the bottom of emails I get more than the iphone/blackberry signatures.

I had my signature on for maybe the first week of having my iphone but then I deleted it. Everyone I email knows I have one so they know I get emails right away. I also reread emails before sending them so I miss as many typos on my computer as I do on my iphone.

Anything that is automatically added to the bottom of an email annoys me really. Privacy notices, signatures other than name/address, etc.

Laminar · Apr 1, 2009, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by SSharon

Anything that is automatically added to the bottom of an email annoys me really. Privacy notices, signatures other than name/address, etc.

I'll agree with that.

DISCLAIMER: Information contained in this message and/or attachments may contain confidential information of Laminar. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender by return email. This message may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the addressee or authorized to receive this for the addressee, you must not use, copy, disclose, or take any action based on this message or any information herein. If you have received this message in error, please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message. Thank you for your cooperation.

Dakar V · Apr 1, 2009, 11:42 AM

Privacy notices are indeed the lamest.

shifuimam · Apr 1, 2009, 11:49 AM

I changed my iPhone's sig to say "Sent from my mobile device" - I just do that so that the recipient knows that I may not be able to give a long response, I'm not at my desk, etc.

osiris · Apr 1, 2009, 12:50 PM

I'm not a fan of those little sigs or disclaimers either, but people have their reasons.
A few attorneys I know use multi paragraph disclaimers to cover their arses in the event that their arses need covering, or in the event of an arse covering situation or situations that would require such an arse covering. Amen.

Mac User #001 · Apr 1, 2009, 01:22 PM

I knew from a friend that my iPod touch would append a "Sent from my iPod" signature so I deleted it before I sent off my first message on it.

After reading this thread though, I'm now thinking it would be useful to add it back. I'm not really that heavy of an emailer for it to cause too much trouble.

ghporter · Apr 1, 2009, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by Laminar;3822345[i

DISCLAIMER: Information contained in this message and/or attachments may contain confidential information of Laminar. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender by return email. This message may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the addressee or authorized to receive this for the addressee, you must not use, copy, disclose, or take any action based on this message or any information herein. If you have received this message in error, please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message. Thank you for your cooperation.[/i]

This equals "if I goofed and sent this information, which may or may not be sensitive-I don't have a clue-to the wrong recipient, please fix everything for me and pretend you never saw it.

As if that would work... I've seen professionals use that sort of thing so they can send truly sensitive information by email, instead of finding a secure way to pass that information. Not only is this ASKING to have anything you've attached looked at (there might be something juicy in it!) if it goes to anyone it shouldn't.

CharlesS · Apr 1, 2009, 02:25 PM

I don't see the problem with the "Sent from iPhone" signatures - it provides an explanation for the terseness of the message, which as someone else mentioned could come off as somewhat curt otherwise.

GSixZero · Apr 1, 2009, 03:07 PM

I hate that my company automatically adds that stupid privacy message to any external emails. Nothing you can do about it, it's done at the server level.

I do have a coworker who puts this at the bottom of his emails though,

"READ CAREFULLY. By reading this email you agree, on behalf of your employer, to release me from all obligations and waivers arising from any and all NON-NEGOTIATED agreements, licenses, terms-of-service, shrinkwrap, clickwrap, browsewrap, confidentiality, non-disclosure, non-compete and acceptable use policies ("BOGUS AGREEMENTS”) that I have entered into with your employer, its partners, licensors, agents and assigns, in perpetuity, without prejudice to my ongoing rights and privileges. You further represent that you have the authority to release me from any BOGUS AGREEMENTS on behalf of your employer."

GSixZero · Apr 1, 2009, 03:08 PM

I don't mind the sigs "Sent from mobile, please excuse my spelling". It's to the point, and it lets people understand that your spelling isn't bad because you're drunk at work.

dcmacdaddy · Apr 1, 2009, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by shifuimam

I changed my iPhone's sig to say "Sent from my mobile device" - I just do that so that the recipient knows that I may not be able to give a long response, I'm not at my desk, etc.

I like that.

It's generic, doesn't brag about one's iPhone or Blackberry, but lets the user know you are not at your desk and not able to send a full, properly spell-checked message.

SSharon · Apr 1, 2009, 03:30 PM

Originally Posted by osiris

I'm not a fan of those little sigs or disclaimers either, but people have their reasons.
A few attorneys I know use multi paragraph disclaimers to cover their arses in the event that their arses need covering, or in the event of an arse covering situation or situations that would require such an arse covering. Amen.

As Glenn alluded to those disclaimers are worth next to nothing. I recently asked about them in my law school class and was told the same thing. Lawyers are just behind when it comes to technology and don't know how to send encrypted emails like they should be. Because of this the American Bar Association said plain old emails are good enough. If they were serious they would have mandated encrypted emails.

SpaceMonkey · Apr 1, 2009, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by SSharon

As Glenn alluded to those disclaimers are worth next to nothing. I recently asked about them in my law school class and was told the same thing. Lawyers are just behind when it comes to technology and don't know how to send encrypted emails like they should be. Because of this the American Bar Association said plain old emails are good enough. If they were serious they would have mandated encrypted emails.

I think the intent is also that the disclaimer itself can be intimidating to someone who doesn't know better.

-Q- · Apr 1, 2009, 03:45 PM

I do like the information it conveys - I'm not at my desk and can only be brief and semi-accurate in my spelling. But anything longer than a line or so gets dumped into the 'TLDR' disclaimer file.

osiris · Apr 1, 2009, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by SSharon

As Glenn alluded to those disclaimers are worth next to nothing. I recently asked about them in my law school class and was told the same thing. Lawyers are just behind when it comes to technology and don't know how to send encrypted emails like they should be. Because of this the American Bar Association said plain old emails are good enough. If they were serious they would have mandated encrypted emails.

I'm not surprised.

Jawbone54 · Apr 1, 2009, 04:47 PM

You guys motivated me. I've added this as my iPhone sig:

- Sent from my mobile device -

Please excuse any misspellings,
grammatical errors, or complete
nonsense that may or may not
degrade the overall quality of this
email. Additionally, consider the
difficulty of composing a lengthy
response on such an unwieldy,
cramped keyboard to be the
primary reason for the brevity of
said email.

Thnk uou, end hav a gud dayy.

www.ryanaustindean.com

Dakar V · Apr 1, 2009, 04:49 PM

If I got that from you, I'd probably send a pic of hard core porn back.

mattyb · Apr 1, 2009, 05:05 PM

It may have been someone like Bruce Schneier but I remember a sig about the internet, smtp etc etc being inherently insecure and that there was no way that any receiver of an email could be sure of the sender of the email and in fact they shouldn't take what was in the email as gospel, blah blah etc etc.

Something along those lines. It was sort of humourous truth.

harbinger75 · Apr 1, 2009, 05:09 PM

Email signatures don't bother me at all. In fact, I'm not sure why something so trivial would bother anybody. You might as well be annoyed by simply getting an email in the first place if one, four-word phrase out of an email bothers you.

SpaceMonkey · Apr 1, 2009, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by harbinger75

You might as well be annoyed by simply getting an email in the first place

This is also a problem.

angelmb · Apr 1, 2009, 05:30 PM

I didn't know my BlackBerry was that arrogant. What a shame.

Originally Posted by harbinger75

Email signatures don't bother me at all.

Those mostly coming from Windows computers which read something like 'this e-mail is virus free' are indeed welcome.

kikkoman · Apr 1, 2009, 06:05 PM

I think all signatures are stupid. I work in academic institution where some people append their entire vitae to their e-mails.

ghporter · Apr 1, 2009, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by kikkoman

I think all signatures are stupid. I work in academic institution where some people append their entire vitae to their e-mails.

That's just ego talking... When I was on active duty, my standard email signature was:

My Name Here
MSgt, USAF
Phone Number

That was it. And I did that only because one officer stated (without any standing to do so) that emails "must" have the same signature block elements that written correspondence had. (There is a lengthy Air Force Instruction that details what emails "must" have, and there's nothing about that in there.)

I'd have ticked off some junior officers if I'd even put my academic credentials after my name; two AAS degrees and a BS in Computer Science (Honors) might have had a chilling effect on the young gentlemen's attitudes.

harbinger75 · Apr 1, 2009, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by angelmb

I didn't know my BlackBerry was that arrogant. What a shame.

Those mostly coming from Windows computers which read something like 'this e-mail is virus free' are indeed welcome.

lulz

scaught · Apr 1, 2009, 10:10 PM

They're useful.

turtle777 · Apr 1, 2009, 10:14 PM

(Sent from my mobile typewriter via pigeon)

-t

SpaceMonkey · Apr 1, 2009, 10:49 PM

Perhaps I will make my new email signature "Sent while naked."

Hg2491 · Apr 1, 2009, 11:23 PM

^ I don't think that would affect your typing speed.

Oisín · Apr 2, 2009, 06:28 AM

Originally Posted by Hg2491

^ I don't think that would affect your typing speed.

Depends which body part you type with.

Phileas · Apr 2, 2009, 07:36 AM

I find them useful for two reasons:

1. It lets people know that any unusual brevity in your message is not because you're being rude, it's because you're on a small device.
2. It makes clear that you're out of the office, so it instantly manages expectations.

What I really hate are these idiotic privacy statement signatures that take up half the screen. They have no legal significance of any kind, yet many of my clients insist on using them.