Do you care for a signed copy?

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Same here.

Printed signatures are going to become more common now that schools no longer teach cursive. I often see documents that have one line for a signature and another for the printed name. I guess that will also be going away eventually. Or perhaps the next generation will be using emoji signatures.

I've lost most of my ability to properly hold a pen, so my signature at this point is literally just a scribble.

[Mort1997]

I queued a couple of times to get books signed by Terry Pratchett. Loved his books and wanted to meet him.

Felt a bit guilty on one occasion as he was in pain from all the books he signed

[BalooRJ]

I think the signature is only worthwhile as a memory of a time when you got to meet the author and discuss the book. I have gotten only a few books signed.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I've lost most of my ability to properly hold a pen, so my signature at this point is literally just a scribble.

This! I find the fixation on the mythical superiority of cursive both ableist and incredibly script-specific, and of course a reflection of nostalgia for the good old days. I learned cursive in elementary school but even then never used it, it was simply too difficult.

I read a tweet thread from someone expounding reams of "scientific" evidence about what is lost when kids don't learn cursive, and responded simply by pointing out that there are many, many writing systems in the world that have no cursive. Poor mentally stunted kids they must be.

[Thasaidon]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

This! I find the fixation on the mythical superiority of cursive both ableist and incredibly script-specific, and of course a reflection of nostalgia for the good old days. I learned cursive in elementary school but even then never used it, it was simply too difficult.

How do you know they were being "ableist"? You say it was also "a reflection of nostalgia for the good old days". How do you know this was not the only reason for their view?

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

This! I find the fixation on the mythical superiority of cursive both ableist and incredibly script-specific, and of course a reflection of nostalgia for the good old days. I learned cursive in elementary school but even then never used it, it was simply too difficult.

I don't know that was the intention.
People working in "Drawing offices" or Engineering before PCs learned to do print style text quickly and neatly. Only some stuff used stencils. Cursive aka Script would have been forbidden. Cursive was invented maybe 1000 years later than the "CAPITAL" letters to suit fast copying with a quill.

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

I read a tweet thread from someone expounding reams of "scientific" evidence about what is lost when kids don't learn cursive, and responded simply by pointing out that there are many, many writing systems in the world that have no cursive.

Complete rubbish. Most Alphabet and related systems don't have lower case which is derived from cursive. Most have only one set of letters.
AFIAK no non-Alphabetic (or related system) has lower case or differentiated cursive and printed.

Cursive is only to enable writing faster with a quill (ink) pen. If it doesn't work for you then don't use it. Unless someone is unusual their "printed style" text is easier to read.

Some writing systems with alphabets simply use "SMALL CAPS" and don't even have a lower case style.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

I find the fixation on the mythical superiority of cursive both ableist...

What, people who admire cursive writing are now considered antagonistic to the disabled? That's about the most ridiculous attempt at creating a false narrative I've ever heard.

[WillAdams]

The ability to write in cursive for note-taking seems to be helpful to many folks for retaining information. I'd also argue that the ability to express one's identity as a formal signature is a milestone which society should continue to celebrate and preserve.

One experience from a previous job was especially telling --- a boss at an office supply store was trying to get in at a small college in a small town they were expanding into, and one thing which he'd done in the past in the large city he worked at was to promise things on the assumption that customers wouldn't be able to remember the specifics of the promise.

He found himself constantly being called out on not meeting promised deadlines, and that the customers would repeat back to him verbatim his promises --- he was mystified by this until I pointed out that the administrators who were doing this were all older women who had come up from the secretarial pool who were adept at shorthand.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by haertig

What, people who admire cursive writing are now considered antagonistic to the disabled? That's about the most ridiculous attempt at creating a false narrative I've ever heard.

I said nothing about those who admire cursive. I specifically said, in the text you quoted, that I was talking about those promote the superiority of cursive. There is a very significant difference.

[drofgnal]

I have one signed copy of a book. It's from a friend who has actually published some sci-fi works with Been. I bought it at B&N one day and brought it to work and he signed it for me. Other than that, I couldn't care about signed copies.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

I said nothing about those who admire cursive. I specifically said, in the text you quoted, that I was talking about those promote the superiority of cursive. There is a very significant difference.

OK. So people who advocate that cursive is superior to printing are now considered antagonistic to the disabled? Same silly attempt at a false narrative. I have nothing against cursive, but I personally think printing is superior. Does that mean I'm now considered antagonistic to, ... uhm, ... well, ... maybe ... tall people? (doesn't matter what you choose - just something random and unrelated)

[Deskisamess]

Here's an interesting article on the cursive debate:

https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-c...writing-debate

Seems like it is good for the brain, so even though it may not be used all the time in real life, the training has other benefits beyond just the ability to write with it.

As of 2020, 21 states in the US still required it be taught in schools. My grandsons go to a private Christian school that still teaches it. The other grandkids are homeschooled and are learning it.

[teamug]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Some writing systems with alphabets simply use "SMALL CAPS" and don't even have a lower case style.

If you are thinking of Cyrillic, they do have a cursive style (which kids are taught in school) that is completely unreadable to me despite being able to read printed Cyrillic. It bears very little resemblance to the printed style, you could almost think of it as a separate alphabet.

Anyway, as a fairly young person who was taught cursive but stopped writing in it for no particular reason as a kid, I sigh a little at the whole "kids these days" mentality. I suggest to consider the radical notion that Millennials and Gen Z are still all individuals and generally no better or worse than all the previous generations...

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by teamug

If you are thinking of Cyrillic, they do have a cursive style (which kids are taught in school) that is completely unreadable to me despite being able to read printed Cyrillic. It bears very little resemblance to the printed style, you could almost think of it as a separate alphabet.

Cyrillic and Hebrew both have completely different script, unlike Italic/script print or "joined" writing in the Latin-Roman styles and no normal lower case.
I was thinking more of Asian systems. Some of which do use an alphabet.

[Fiat_Lux]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Cyrillic and Hebrew both have completely different script, unlike Italic/script print or "joined" writing in the Latin-Roman styles and no normal lower case.
I was thinking more of Asian systems. Some of which do use an alphabet.

The odds of coming across cursive Hebrew is virtually non-existent. Purist will argue, with some validity, that the Hebrew writing system can not have a cursive form.

Cyrillic has both upper case and lower case, along with both a printed form, and cursive form.

The cursive forms in CJKV are usually referred to as grass style.

The Indus Valley writing systems are the ones that lack a cursive form.

If you want to go back in time, neither Maya, Hieroglyphics nor Cuneiform have a cursive form.

Three writing systems, all of which have a cursive form, suffice for writing roughly 80% of the languages that have been reduced to writing.