Is the alphabet soup next to people's names starting to get a little ridiculous?

I haven’t noticed but I see how it could look a bit pretentious. People like to feel important.

Aethelwine, SAHM, JKATS

If these are legitimately earned advanced degrees, then no, it’s not ridiculous. Very few people add the letters in a purely social context.

If they earned those titles, they earned the right to flaunt it. It shows who they are to possible clients, employers, etc. It shows they chose to take the extra steps to get that title. Especially if it is a doctor title. That’s years of schooling and training.
Makes them seem more legit, trustworthy, all that good stuff.

I only use those designations on my business letterhead and emails to clients. I don’t use them in my personal life except when I write elected officials and when I correspond with my alma maters and societies.

I fail to see the need to broadcast every little certification outside of a CV, resume or report

I am curious where one sees these things “broadcast” where it might not be appropriate? I know a lot of people with advanced degrees, and they don’t display or discuss them unless the context is right.

An advanced degree is one thing but some minor certification is another. I see them now on corporate email sigs, linked in profiles and just about anything buisiness related, not that this is not appropriate but that it’s getting a little out of hand. I don’t remember seeing this five or ten years ago. Then it was PhD and not much else. I’m in no way against additional training but it appears like there is a “certification industry” that is popping up and I’m not so sure it is a good thing.