Wikipedia:Use the default signature
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
Wikipedians should use the default signature.
How edit
- Open your preferences.
- Go to the input field labelled "Signature:" and empty it.
- Uncheck the "Treat the above as wiki markup..." checkbox.
- Click the "Save" button.
Pros edit
- The editors you respect typically already do this.
- It's better for accessibility to not specify colors.
- Easier for users (and bots!) to identify your signature.
- Smaller amount of markup in the edit window.
- Doesn't give your comment extra weight.
- More consistent presentation of your signature (nobody sees that special font you specify except you).
- If your username doesn't match your signature, it can be confusing.
Cons edit
- Your signature will be boring.
Notes edit
- Whether you include dashes, hyphens, or nothing at all before your signature doesn't really matter.
- If your username has "difficult" characters and you're simply adding helper text, that's fine. On the other hand, if you're needlessly inserting difficult characters into your user signature, you should really stop that.
See also edit
- Wikipedia:Changing username, if your username doesn't match your preferred name
- User:Ais523/highlightmyname2, if you want to make your username stand out, without annoying anyone
- Wikipedia:Use a custom signature, advocates the opposite point of view
- User:ToBeFree/HTML signatures