There are some of us who don't think sig files clever but actively dislike them, especially on list postings.
Here Are Some Good Reasons
The writer may think that quotation or poetry profound, but it palls on others after the second time, especially if it didn't appeal much anyway.
Sig files consisting of ASCII character art are particularly silly, because the different ways in which e-mail is displayed on different systems almost ensures that alignments will be lost, resulting in a mess.
When people fail to edit quoted text one can end up with sig file after sig file.
Longer sig files are simply exercises in vanity at the expense of the rest of us. More extensive quotations that pall even faster. Every Web site the person has ever designed. Multiple e-mail addresses. And a liberal dressing in gold braid.
Most irritating of all is the person who thinks their sig thoughts so profound that they put them at the top of the e-mail as well, so that first screen of each message looks alike.
A Better Alternative
My own preference is for no sig files as such. If you have to type the
salutation at the end of the message, you'll keep it short - as:
with best wishes,
John
If you must use sig files, they should be as short as possible, _up to_ 5 lines _maximimum_, not of 5 lines. A salutation, your name, a job title if that's why you are writing, a Web site URL if relevant to the posting, and any other contact details needed. The rest is self-indulgent froth. (see also, Sig files and how best to use them by Gwendalyn Wolfrose.)