Tony wrote:
You were going okay until you got to "draconian action". I just don't see how editing talk pages in small increments that make it easier for everybody to edit can be described as "draconian".
Go read "A Group Is Its Own Worst Enemy".
When you see someone with a big, fancy, "cutesie" signature, it is obvious that (a) they spent a lot of time on it, and (b) it is very personal to them, it is part of their identity. Yes, you and I think it's silly and inconsequential, but to them it's very important. So when you delete or alter it, it's a direct personal affront, a slap in the face, the equivalent of an ad hominem argument. They react angrily, and this should come as no surprise.