User Names

[DDog]

My current nick and the variations thereof I use depending on the constraints of the service I'm registering for with it come from Garth Nix's Old Kingdom books (specifically Lirael and Abhorsen). There's a character called the Disreputable Dog that I really liked, and I've used it for about two years now. It varies whether it's the full TheDisreputableDog, TDD, DDog, Kee, etc.

Before that, I used "Migel" since I first started seriously playing around on the internet up until the switch to Dog. He's a character in the anime Escaflowne that I was identified with by an online quiz (I was about 13 at the time).

I don't like using my real name because I'd like to make people do a little bit of work if they're going to take it for innocent or nefarious means. However, I do use my real name in situations and services where I am trying to make professional contacts, etc. I think there are some good principles for internet safety, but after a point there will be someone with the skills or bullheadedness sufficient to wrest whatever information you're hiding from you no matter what precautions you take. You can't even prevent that by not being on the internet at all, so I'd rather take advantage of the medium than not.

Re: people taking you more seriously if they know who you are... There is a point in that, referencing the power of 4chan to make lives hell anonymously. However, I don't think that having a specific nick for online use qualifies as being truly anonymous--it's really psuedonymous, isn't it? For me at least, it creates the same effect as if you were using your real name. I could care less whether it really says Russell Nash on your driver's license; it gives me an identity for me to catalog you in my head just the same.

[Russell Nash]

I could care less whether it really says Russell Nash on your driver's license;

How did I end up in this example? 

I already know one person from the forums in real life.  She keeps looking at me and saying Russell.  I think my pseudonym is going to absorb my real life.

[Tango Alpha Delta]

Well, aside from mild disappointment that Mr. Tweedy isn't a member of Wilco, I'm pleased so many of you have volunteered info for the profiles I'm keeping.  It will make taking over the world much easier when my partner and I get out of our cages this evening.  (My partner asks me to say, "Poit", but I won't do it.)


I've never felt the paranoia necessary to hide my identity online.  Other folks (like my mother-in-law) won't even look things up online for fear that "They" will get her information.  I figure if "They" want my identity so badly, "They're" the ones who will have to deal with the wrath of my lovely bride/business manager.

But there's not much of a code to this screen name.  My name is "Tad"... using phonetics... I suppose I could have gone with "Taxi Aardvark Dildo", too.

[Listener]

I'm also using my real name. My full name is Eytan Zweig.

By the way, if Steve (or anyone else who wants to say my name out loud) happens to be reading this, my name is pronounced more like "eight-un", rather than "eye-tan". Though whenever Steve quotes my story feedback I'm way too happy about that to care about my name being mispronounced .

I know two Eytans, neither of whom spell it as you do, including DJ8on (whose real name is Eithan). 

They spell it Eithan and Eitan, and pronounce "EIGHT-on".

[Planish]

She keeps looking at me and saying Russell.  I think my pseudonym is going to absorb my real life.

<channel damon_knight>"Russel Nash" means who we point to when we say it.<channel>
 

[Russell Nash]

She keeps looking at me and saying Russell.  I think my pseudonym is going to absorb my real life.

<channel damon_knight>"Russel Nash" means who we point to when we say it.<channel>
 

Maybe I'll just cut my own head off and let the Kurgan win.

[AarrowOM]

I get my username from my first AOL account.  Since my real name wasn't available, I kept playing around and ended up altering the end of my given name (Aaron) to Aarrow.  For good measure, I tacked on my middle and surname initials too.

Note: I think I posted already to this thread, but it was lost a few months back.

[Nt 2 B TKN INTRNLY]

I got mine from a relative's pillbox. I kinda liked it, and have been using it for the last few years. I deleted my startrekwiki account from the forum, because I have to say, I like the ring of this one better.

[Tango Alpha Delta]

I got mine from a relative's pillbox. I kinda liked it, and have been using it for the last few years. I deleted my startrekwiki account from the forum, because I have to say, I like the ring of this one better.

I saw that name and thought, "Sounds like a General Systems Vehicle!"

[stePH]

My given name is Stephen.  Not pronounced like Mr. Eley's given name.  Hence the screen name, a shortening of my given name.

[Tango Alpha Delta]

My given name is Stephen.  Not pronounced like Mr. Eley's given name.  Hence the screen name, a shortening of my given name.

And I thought it was a reference to your acidity...

[Thaurismunths]

(11) --- DORISMANTAS (Thaurismunths), the son of Ginmantas, after his father's death, became the ruler of the Goths. He conquered the Gepid tribe. Dorismantas was soon killed by a frightened horse.

No coins are found with Dorismantas' name on them.

[stePH]

And I thought [stePH] was a reference to your acidity...

  That's actually the second time I've gotten that (similar reference, anyway).  First was years ago on Usenet.

[wherethewild]

Jumping in very late to this thread because I haven't been around for a while.

Mine comes from my favourite kids book, the full title was just way too long to type. I've been using it for about ten years, it was my first psuedonym.

And Russell is always going to be called Russell. Somehow it fits better than his real name, well, to me at least. And his wife is definately a Blossom.

[Heradel]

Jumping in very late to this thread because I haven't been around for a while.

Mine comes from my favourite kids book, the full title was just way too long to type. I've been using it for about ten years, it was my first psuedonym.

And Russell is always going to be called Russell. Somehow it fits better than his real name, well, to me at least. And his wife is definately a Blossom.

So it's wherethewild / Things Are?

[wherethewild]

Ahh, yes. Sorry I should have finished it   Of course that was the time when no spaces or full stops were allowed, hence the one looooong word.

[Russell Nash]

And Russell is always going to be called Russell. Somehow it fits better than his real name, well, to me at least. And his wife is definately a Blossom.

My wife almost got a user name just so she could say how sweet your comment is.

[wintermute]

This might be the one community where I don't need to explain where my username came from.

I use it pretty much everywhere online, though I'm apparently not the only wintermute out there (though I might be the only one who insists on lower case: There is only one Wintermute, and I am not It), so I sometimes need to add the numbers 23 or 115 to then end.

[jodymonster]

Mine's an old, old nickname, from an old friend of mine.  I do answer to it in real life.  I'm not sure why it stuck so well, or exactly what it's about...  it has something to do with cookie monster I think. 
I'm also on the Mysterious Universe forums as wildeyedchild, which is nothing more than a favorite phrase from an old Smashing Pumpkins song.  Sometimes they're just whims.
I'm glad there's a thread like this... sometimes you look at the name and can't help but wonder where it came from.

[Heradel]

Mine's an old, old nickname, from an old friend of mine.  I do answer to it in real life.  I'm not sure why it stuck so well, or exactly what it's about...  it has something to do with cookie monster I think. 
I'm also on the Mysterious Universe forums as wildeyedchild, which is nothing more than a favorite phrase from an old Smashing Pumpkins song.  Sometimes they're just whims.
I'm glad there's a thread like this... sometimes you look at the name and can't help but wonder where it came from.

Huh. I thought it was an Avenue Q reference. Teaches me for assuming.

[jodymonster]

Huh. I thought it was an Avenue Q reference. Teaches me for assuming.

I'm not familiar with Avenue Q...



Moderator: fixed quoting

[Heradel]

Huh. I thought it was an Avenue Q reference. Teaches me for assuming.

I'm not familiar with Avenue Q...

Well, here's the wikipedia page, but having seen it — It's a Broadway musical that won a couple Tony's a few years back, set in a kind of Sesame Street kind of Brooklyn, but for adults. There are puppets and humans, and two of the characters use monster as a race, and it's used as their last name (Trekkie Monster and Kate Monster, not related). If you've ever heard "The Internet is for Porn" song, it's from there. Basically it's about Princeton(just got a BA in English, trying to live in the City/make a living) falling in love with Kate Monster, who is an assistant teacher of a Kindergarden class.

[Tango Alpha Delta]

Huh. I thought it was an Avenue Q reference. Teaches me for assuming.

I'm not familiar with Avenue Q...

Well, here's the wikipedia page, but having seen it — It's a Broadway musical that won a couple Tony's a few years back, set in a kind of Sesame Street kind of Brooklyn, but for adults. There are puppets and humans, and two of the characters use monster as a race, and it's used as their last name (Trekkie Monster and Kate Monster, not related). If you've ever heard "The Internet is for Porn" song, it's from there. Basically it's about Princeton(just got a BA in English, trying to live in the City/make a living) falling in love with Kate Monster, who is an assistant teacher of a Kindergarden class.

Yes!  South Park meets The Muppets!  And Gary Coleman is their building superintendent!  Great stuff... I thought the same thing about your user name, JM.  Does this mean you're not furry? 

[birdless]

Figured I'd resurrect this since it's kinda been brought up here. And frankly, I get more than a few questions about it. Which is cool.

I honestly can't remember what I used as my screen name prior to October 21, 1999. That was day I became birdless... at least on my right hand. At any rate, it's highly unlikely that this nick will "lose it's meaning or become irrelevant over time." Unless someone perfects human regeneration in my lifetime. So anyway, I use a nick because I think it gives a glimpse into my personality. Most people that don't connect to me through computer screens call me John Mc. (I think I used to use that as my SN... OH! I remember: I used to use "apostle" and "gemini" a lot). I started using "birdless" when I started playing SOCOM, I think. Anyway, the avatar is supposed to explain the screen name and vice versa, as that's my hand. I don't really have a blue cast to my skin, though. No relation to smurfs. It was just a really crappy phone pic, so I took some artistic liberties with it.

So, uh, Russel, on that regeneration thing, your avatar wouldn't happen to indicate that you might know a little more on that front, would it, perchance?

[Russell Nash]

So, uh, Russel, on that regeneration thing, your avatar wouldn't happen to indicate that you might know a little more on that front, would it, perchance?

Shape-shifting, yes.  Regeneration, no.