Ban Opinionated Signature Files?

A concerned site visitor writes:

I’ve read your section on netiquette as it pertains to sig files, but I wonder if you could give me your opinion on the following. On a music mailing-list I’m on, someone has, as a sig, with the following two lines:

Americans Killed By Iraqi WMD: 0
Americans Killed By Bush’s Phony War: 3000 (And counting. Check often for updates.)

At least it’s only 2 lines when formatted in his posts, not sure after the cut-and-paste. Anyway… a small minority of the list (about 20 out of 970) have very bitterly complained that he should remove the sig, even resorting to racist comments. He refuses.

I’m of the camp that thinks it’s just a harmless political statement. Should a minority be allowed to squelch his sig-voice? Sure, it would be “nice” if he complied and removed it willingly but what would you do if you were the list-owner? Isn’t it also against netiquette to be intolerant of other’s views?

The person clearly has an opinion – what is the problem with that? Sounds like trouble is a brewin’. The other list members resort with racist comments when complaining about someone else’s opinion? All that does is minimize their position. The list is not the forum to discuss sig contents – just music right? As long as the individual is participating on topic that is all that should matter.

You are correct to look at this as a harmless political comment. Actually from the start “opinionated” sigs on Web/Internet were very common – that is what they were used for. Should we squelch his “sig-voice”? Not in the U.S. of A. – nor in the global arena of online. Your fellow list members want to stop free speech simply because they don’t agree with his positions That is downright scary!

Yes, it would make things easier if he willingly stopped including that sig – but why should he have to? There are no profanities or racial slurs in the sig which would be an entirely different issue. Actually those who responded with racial slurs are more at fault than the person with the opinionated sig!

What would I do if I were the list-owner? I was a List Manager at one point at we had a rule about sigs but only in regard to pricing and advertising:

“As a special note about .Sig files: as long as it is not blatantly plugging your product or service and does not violate other rules, such as pricing, we will allow them. Excessively large .Sigs promoting products or services will be cited as advertisement. Try to adhere to the recommended .Sig length of four lines or fewer.”

No mention of one not being able to voice opinions. We only mention sigs at all due to legal price-fixing considerations and advertising which was against our rules. Opinions are not a legal issue — yet…

The folks who are so wrapped up about this individual’s opinion and their hypocritical way of reacting really need to move on. What if the shoe were on the other foot and someone did not like their opinion about something? Would they take kindly to being squelched?

I think you are on the right track so hang in there or do what I do — find another group of folks who stay on topic and ignore the petty details that have nothing to do with the conversations at hand.

Some More Info for You:

1. Degrees in Signature Files
2. Daily Signature Files Use Guidelines
3. Office Signature Files
4. Eco-Sigs: Signature Files Going Green?
5. Signature File Separators