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Is Penmanship Dead?

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  • edited February 2009
    ome talk to me after you've had a heart attack and a divorce
    I doubt either will require an intimate understanding of an archaic means of idea conveyance. ^_~
    Both are a measure of how far you've come in the adult world and grant adult cred. After these happen to you, I'll be more apt to accept you as an adult.

    BTW, your definition of "archaic" is a little too loose. You need to tighten it up a bit.
    Post edited by HungryJoe on
  • ome talk to me after you've had a heart attack and a divorce
    I doubt either will require an intimate understanding of an archaic means of idea conveyance. ^_~
    Both are a measure of how far you've come in the adult world and grant adult cred. After these happen to you, I'll be more apt to accept you as an adult.

    BTW, your definition of "archaic" is a little too loose. You need to tighten it up a bit.
    In my dictionary, archaic means: "(of a word or a style of language) no longer in everyday use but sometimes used to impart an old-fashioned flavor." The only time I've seen cursive after the third grade was on the Declaration of Independence.
  • ome talk to me after you've had a heart attack and a divorce
    I doubt either will require an intimate understanding of an archaic means of idea conveyance. ^_~
    Both are a measure of how far you've come in the adult world and grant adult cred. After these happen to you, I'll be more apt to accept you as an adult.

    BTW, your definition of "archaic" is a little too loose. You need to tighten it up a bit.
    So my grandfather and father are not adults because they have good relationships and strong genetics?
  • ome talk to me after you've had a heart attack and a divorce
    I doubt either will require an intimate understanding of an archaic means of idea conveyance. ^_~
    Both are a measure of how far you've come in the adult world and grant adult cred. After these happen to you, I'll be more apt to accept you as an adult.

    BTW, your definition of "archaic" is a little too loose. You need to tighten it up a bit.
    In my dictionary, archaic means: "(of a word or a style of language) no longer in everyday use but sometimes used to impart an old-fashioned flavor." The only time I've seen cursive after the third grade was on the Declaration of Independence.
    I see cursive every day. Sometimes it in minor, unimportant stuff like doctor's notes and medical records. I use cursive every day to write. Everyone I know uses cursive every day. Saying cursive is archaic is very similar to saying libraries or books are archaic.
    ome talk to me after you've had a heart attack and a divorce
    I doubt either will require an intimate understanding of an archaic means of idea conveyance. ^_~
    Both are a measure of how far you've come in the adult world and grant adult cred. After these happen to you, I'll be more apt to accept you as an adult.

    BTW, your definition of "archaic" is a little too loose. You need to tighten it up a bit.
    So my grandfather and father are not adults because they have good relationships and strong genetics?
    I didn't say that. I said that stuff lent adult cred. Kids lend adult cred as well, but heart attacks and divorces are more fun.
  • ome talk to me after you've had a heart attack and a divorce
    I doubt either will require an intimate understanding of an archaic means of idea conveyance. ^_~
    Both are a measure of how far you've come in the adult world and grant adult cred. After these happen to you, I'll be more apt to accept you as an adult.

    BTW, your definition of "archaic" is a little too loose. You need to tighten it up a bit.
    My grandfather single-handedly supported his family through the Great Depression, but never had a heart attack or a divorce. Clearly, he was not an adult.

    How about this? An adult is a person who has learned how to prioritize responsibilities, especially in response to adverse situations.

    I'll also point out, just to add fuel to the fire, that my signature is also a scribble, and I sign legally enforceable documents on a daily basis. My illegible scrawl has been tested in a court of law and has been upheld. It has resulted in the levying of fines and the shutdown of establishments.
  • edited February 2009
    My grandfather single-handedly supported his family through the Great Depression, but never had a heart attack or a divorce. Clearly, he was not an adult.
    As I said above, these are not the only indicators of adulthood. They are, however, very powerful indicators, just as confusing "your" and "you're" or use of the phrase, "I could care less" are powerful indicators of a poor education.
    I'll also point out, just to add fuel to the fire, that my signature is also a scribble, and I sign legally enforceable documents on a daily basis. My illegible scrawl has been tested in a court of law and has been upheld. It has resulted in the levying of fines and the shutdown of establishments.
    Good for you. I'll have to tell you though, Rym's example was a living will. I have personally seen wills and living wills invalidated because of problems with signatures. You don't need perfect penmanship, but an "X" may very well not suffice if challenged.
    Post edited by HungryJoe on
  • edited February 2009
    image
    Remember kids, if you don't know how to write in cursive, you are a fucking loser.
    Post edited by Andrew on
  • You don't need perfect penmanship, but an "X" may very well not suffice if challenged.
    But my scribble is unique to me, and appears on all of my other official documents: it just has no relation to actual letters or words anymore. I am confident that it would hold up, even though I feel personally that signatures should not hold up in a court of law.
  • Question that I think I know the answer to already: Does a signature, legally, even have to be words? Could I draw a smiley face, or a middle finger, or something equally immature?
  • Question that I think I know the answer to already: Does a signature, legally, even have to be words? Could I draw a smiley face, or a middle finger, or something equally immature?
    Yes.
  • edited February 2009
    What if someone asks for your autograph? A symbol won't be very recognizable at all, but if you have a pretty signature that can nonetheless be read as your name, it's quite handy.
    Post edited by lackofcheese on
  • edited February 2009
    Question that I think I know the answer to already: Does a signature, legally, even have to be words? Could I draw a smiley face, or a middle finger, or something equally immature?
    Exhibits A and B.
    Post edited by Starfox on
  • Fuck signatures. People should just have a personal set of RSA keys. Whenever you "sign" a document, you encrypt that document with your private key.
  • A symbol won't be very recognizable at all, but if you have a pretty signature that can nonetheless be read as your name, it's quite handy.
    I've considered learning a new signature, as the number of autographs I have to sign in my life has risen exponentially in the last several years. =P

    1998: 0
    1999: 0
    2000: 0
    2001: 0
    2002: 0
    2003: 0
    2004: 0
    2005: 1
    2006: 1
    2007: 2
    2008: 5
  • edited February 2009
    Question that I think I know the answer to already: Does a signature, legally, even have to be words? Could I draw a smiley face, or a middle finger, or something equally immature?
    Yes.
    If you want the "signature" to be legal and you don't want the document to be invalidated, you can use a glyph like an "X" if you are actually illiterate or too frail to sign your own name and you have witnesses countersign for you.
    Post edited by HungryJoe on
  • I only write cursive, as I am not able to write in printed letters or any other way at a decent speed and fluency. Though writing cursive obviously isn't necessary anymore, it just looks better. :)
  • edited February 2009
    A symbol won't be very recognizable at all, but if you have a pretty signature that can nonetheless be read as your name, it's quite handy.
    I've considered learning a new signature, as the number of autographs I have to sign in my life has risen exponentially in the last several years. =P

    1998: 0
    1999: 0
    2000: 0
    2001: 0
    2002: 0
    2003: 0
    2004: 0
    2005: 1
    2006: 1
    2007: 2
    2008: 5
    Post edited by lackofcheese on
  • edited February 2009
    Since when have you been living in the adult world? You're not out of your twenties yet. You're still living inNick and Nora's Infinite Playlist.
    Lols. I don't know, I think as soon as you are paying your own rent, holding down a job, have your own bank account, and are paying your own utility bills you are pretty much in adult territory. My parents, thankfully, haven't divorced or had heart attacks, and I'm pretty sure they are bona-fide adults.

    Adult =/= Misery
    Fuck signatures. People should just have a personal set of RSA keys. Whenever you "sign" a document, you encrypt that document with your private key.
    Rym and I were just talking about this. In short, I agree.
    Post edited by gomidog on
  • The only problem with private keys is that people will lose them. It's a perfect system, but it only works if everyone in the system is smart.

    Even so, a system that works perfectly for smart people and not at all for other people is still better than the current system, which works not at all for anybody.
  • Funnily enough, the number of signatures I use has been going down a lot recently. This is mainly due to the chip and pin security for debit and credit card transactions. Today I went shopping for books and gloves (all the shops in the two biggest shopping centers in Berlin has sold out of men's gloves, a sure sign it's been a cold winter), bought four or five things with cards and never once picked up a pen. I sometimes sign contracts for work, but I recently made an agreement that my agent can sign contracts for me. Overall signings (in my life) are dropping in frequency, as business done over the internet and telephone relies more on general trust (for business relationships) and 128bit encryption (for credit card purchases).
  • Funnily enough, the number of signatures I use has been going down a lot recently.
    That's been my experience as well. For purchases under $25, no one asks for a signature on credit cards anymore.
  • Autographs stay pretty constant though, except when I visit America. It seems that autographing and autograph collecting is more popular in the USA than Europe.
  • Just a note: For some learners, the act of writing out the information helps them to memorize it. Taking notes can be a useful too, but not if you are taking notes that are too detailed. Developing a personal shorthand or learning actual shorthand may be helpful. I would also recommend bringing a recording device to class, recording the bits you want to keep for notes and transcribing them later if writing helps you to memorize.
  • Funnily enough, the number of signatures I use has been going down a lot recently.
    That's been my experience as well. For purchases under $25, no one asks for a signature on credit cards anymore.
    Some restaurants and convenience stores around here still do. I think it's stupid, but they do.
  • That's been my experience as well. For purchases under $25, no one asks for a signature on credit cards anymore.
    I think this has something to do with credit card processing. At the grocery store, and other places with advanced checkout systems, I only have to sign if the bill is high. At hole in the wall places, that have older systems, I have to sign for everything.

    Also, requiring a signature at all is completely stupid. A pin would be much better. I mean, think about it. I can buy anything at all from Amazon within my credit limit without any kind of signature, or even having the card. I just need the numbers. Meanwhile, if I want to buy a lunch at a cafe, I have to scribble on a piece of paper. Ooooh, scary!
  • Also, requiring a signature at all is completely stupid. A pin would be much better. I mean, think about it. I can buy anything at all from Amazon within my credit limit without any kind of signature, or even having the card. I just need the numbers. Meanwhile, if I want to buy a lunch at a cafe, I have to scribble on a piece of paper. Ooooh, scary!
    Several years ago, I was eating lunch with a European friend in Paris. She was shocked that I could pay for lunch with a mere signature. I can't say that I blame her.
  • I believe the way that signatures were initially intended to be used for credit card purchases is that people would be required to make a signature that would match the back of the card. However, it's obvious that no salesperson actually checks this. I don't even have my card signed, I have ask for ID written on the back. You would be surprised how often I get asked to show an ID when I make a purchase.
  • edited February 2009
    I believe the way that signatures were initially intended to be used for credit card purchases is that people would be required to make a signature that would match the back of the card.
    Yeah, because those are so hard to forge.

    I think a signature was used because it was all we could muster technologically. Credit cards came along well before the internet and cheap computers.

    As for independent verification of identity, it wasn't too long ago that many people in my area didn't even carry a driver's license. Of those that did, most did not have a picture on their license. There was no uniform method of ensuring identity. Thus, the signature method was adopted. It was less than perfect, but it was better than nothing.

    In Europe, waiters were carrying around wireless pin pads while merchants in the USA were still using manual swiping and carbon receipts. Why the US has been so reluctant to embrace new technology for enhanced security, I will never know.
    Post edited by Kilarney on
  • I believe the way that signatures were initially intended to be used for credit card purchases is that people would be required to make a signature that would match the back of the card. However, it's obvious that no salesperson actually checks this. I don't even have my card signed, I have ask for ID written on the back. You would be surprised how often I get asked to show an ID when I make a purchase.
    I do occasionally get someone who asks for the ID, which is nice. Actually, Best Buy is pretty good about checking the signatures. Their point of sale system displays your signature on the cashier's monitor, and prints it on the receipt. If you do something stupid on there, they will see it.
  • I think a signature was used because it was all we could muster technologically.
    Wax seals.
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