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Question: What is a signature file?

Answer: A signature file is a personalized - customizable - text file that is automatically appended to your e-mail messages that you send.

A signature is a way to identify yourself and a signature file is a way to identify yourself in cyberspace.

Signature files should be brief and to the point. The signature could include your name, organization, e-mail and web address (including the http:// part of the e-mail).

Don't make it too long - 4 to 8 lines is recommended for the entire signature file. Don't make it too wide - no more than 70 characters wide. If you want to add some ASCII art (letters) to set it off or dress it up, ok- but don't go overboard. Sometimes people attach a short one-line quote or thought after the personalized info.

My signature file for our TRIO e-mail account looks something like this: 

      _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
 _/   TRIO Programs at the University of South Dakota  _/
  _/       trio@usd.edu      http://www.usd.edu/trio    _/
   _/     * Talent Search   -- helping students  6-12    _/
    _/     * Upward Bound                         9-12    _/
     _/     * Math and Science Initiative Program  9-12    _/
      _/     * Student Support Services             college _/
       _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

And my personal e-mail account looks something like this: 

      _________________________________________________________________________
There are three kinds of people: those who can count and those who can't.
=========================================================================
bwjames@usd.edu
http://www.usd.edu/~bwjames
Brad James

Question: Why should I put the http:// part of the web page in the signature file? Isn't that a given these days?

    Answer: To people yes - to computers not always. Most e-mail clients will make this a link from your e-mail if you include the http:// in with the web address.
Question: Why should I put my e-mail in a signature file? Isn't it sent along with the e-mail?

    Answer: Yes - it is sent along with the e-mail -- BUT -- if someone forwards your e-mail, it may not have your e-mail address attached to it any longer. Sure they could delete it anyway but this will usually help keep your e-mail address with your e-mail.
Question: I formatted my signature file - added some ASCII art and it looked great - but when I saw it on else's computer it wasn't aligned anymore. Do you have any idea why this would happen?

    Answer: The other computer's e-mail program probably wasn't using a mono spaced (equal widths for all letters) to display the text. In a mono spaced font each letter (whether an i or a w) takes up the same amount of space. If it is view using a proportional spaced font it will not look the same. The only sure way to avoid messed-up ASCII art is to do something like the lines on my personal signature file above. The TRIO signature file will probably not look perfect on most e-mail clients.

    Why does it look ok on this web page? Because I have made it a mono space font in the html.

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