Please?

What is 'please'?

I always thought it was a mark of a request. So why do you see warnings such as:
'Please do not list illegal material'
or
'Please do not smoke'

?
?
?

In reality, when you see signs such as these, you know they don't really mean 'please', they mean DO IT or DON'T DO IT.
I guess the 'please' softens the command.


But to me, it creates wacky signals. When they say please, they are asking me, and that means I can say 'no'. 'Please RSVP to this email to be put on the list'... so if I don't RSVP, you'll put me on the list anyway?
No, probably not.

Just be careful about the language you use. If you mean it as a command, don't add a word that means you are asking. Say what you mean.
Please?