I don't know how long you've held the position, or much care - I don't think it's relevant. But it is signaling, I think, for 2 reasons:

• Your public concern with saying it's not signaling is just a way of signaling;
• Claiming a certain timespan of belief is just an old locker room way of saying "I got here first." Which surely is signaling.

This is the sort of thing that causes unnecessary splintering in groups. I have a very visceral reaction to this sort of signaling (which I would label preening, actually). Perhaps I should examine that.