I will (yet again) go against the Expressed opinion of most (altho like Spiro Agnew, I wonder about the Silent Majority)* [*This is the first time I have ever quoted Spiro approvingly and I doubt I will ever do it again.] I take credentials seriously. They give somewhat of an indication that the person has earned the right to give an opinion on an area of her/his expertise. In my own case, my .sig is automatically added, altho I can always delete, but I rarely do because I have earned every inch of it (in blood and sleepless nights) and it gives some indication of what I do -- and don't know -- with a link to my websites for those who want to know more. Of course, credentials aren't everything. I've taken Jeremy Hunsinger Very Seriously since the first time we e-met, because of the cogency and brilliance of his comments. And I've met a number of people interpersonally and through their papers whose comments I always take seriously. And of course, having a PhD, tenure, etc. doesn't mean you ain't a jerk. We all have had some experience of that. Barry Wellman _______________________________________________________________________ S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC NetLab Director Department of Sociology 725 Spadina Avenue, Room 388 University of Toronto Toronto Canada M5S 2J4 twitter:barrywellman http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman fax:+1-416-978-3963 Updating history: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php _______________________________________________________________________