You may be aware of some of the consternation that has arisen over the appointment by President Obama of Jack Lew to be his new Treasury Secretary. Republicans are outraged by the appointment because ... well ... they're reflexively outraged about pretty much anything Mr Obama does. On the other hand, others with a more practical approach to governance are concerned because Mr Lew has a completely illegible signature which will not look very good on US currency ...
Nowadays, of course, a strong signature is not quite as important as it once was. We still occasionally sign paperwork of course (just try buying a house without signing your name enough times to cause your hand to fall off the end of your arm), but for most common purposes we've gone digital. At the end of each workday I fill out my timesheet and sign it by typing in a login and a password. If you use a charge card, you often sign a tiny digital screen that may or may not accurately capture what you wrote.
Electronic verification of one's identity is rapidly replacing the traditional ink on paper signature. We don't use a wet signature any more when a digital one will do. We click on an AGREE icon instead of signing a 7500-page paper agreement to use some piece of software, or scan our thumbprint or our retina to prove who we are.
The evolving meaning and importance of the traditional signature was discussed in this fascinating NPR article by Linton Weeks - The Great American Signature Fades Away. Mr Weeks writes
"The signature has become a rushed and atavistic formality. We haphazardly scrawl our ways through checkout lines and mortgage refinancings. We don't write — or sign — as many handwritten notes as we once did because we send emails and e-messages. We don't write — or sign — as many checks because we pay bills online … And no one seems to care anymore if our signature is legible or consistent or even our signature. We might as well all be a doctor dashing off an unreadable prescription."
Yes, I'm a traditionalist. I still prefer ink and paper to electrons on ... well ... whatever electrons are arranged on. I'm proud of my signature, and when I put it on a paper of importance I like to think it means more than the simple act of clicking agree at the bottom of a flickering screen.
And you can sign up to that philosophy or not, as you choose.
Have a good day. More thoughts on Thursday.
Bilbo
6 comments:
I'm disappointed with the decline of the signature in recent times. A big culprit in its decline is the wire-attached stylus in which people sign receipts on those plastic screens. It's almost impossible to have a signature that comes out legible!
Mr. Lew should take penmanship lessons.
Wow, Washington had a gorgeous signature. As did Hancock....obviously. Lew's is ridiculous. What an assclown :)
I have been watching a lot of comedy central stuff on Netflix the last couple of nights. So you can imagine where my mind went when you wrote 'get the boss's ink on our staff package'.
Mr. Lew's signature says, "I'm so important, I don't have to try to be legible."
Where is President Obama finding these guys lately?
He needs to take second grade penmanship!
It's an easy one to fake.
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